Chapter 10
At Mr. Sonu’s Farm
The Marvels racked their brains as to what their course should be, but they didn’t have the least idea. They knew that the men were up to no good, and they wanted to go straight to the police and inform them about the men from the gun-running gang. But they couldn’t; because, if they did, the police would recognize the run-away children and would turn them over to their cruel guardians (except Priya, who wasn’t a run-away).
So what were they to do? They pored over the question in silence till Sumit warned them that if they didn’t buck up, they wouldn’t be able to do anything before the men blocked the entrance.
But they just couldn’t buck up. If they tried any bush rustling again, the men would see through their trick. The Four were beginning to go half mad when Priya said thoughtfully: “I’ve heard the men speaking that they were going to block up the entrance with some type of strong cement that would dry up pretty quick. I wonder if we…” she said no more, and seemed to be thinking hard. The others looked at her and waited hopefully.
After a time, Priya looked at the others, and her jelly-like eyes shone. “Why couldn’t we hide somewhere near the entrance,” said Priya, “and let the men block the entrance…”
“This is no time for joking Priya,” said Harshit.
“But please let me finish,” pleaded Priya, and continued, “after the entrance is blocked, and after the men go away, we might pull down the cement. Surely it will not harden before that?”
“Hurrah!” said Sumit, “Good for you!”
“Good old Priya!”
“Right!” said Harshit, “That’s what we’ll do then.”
So the children ran to the river and got into the raft, and set off.
They were in high glee, and quite forgot that the men might be walking along the banks again, and that if they didn’t take care, the men would see them gliding along the river.
And the men did! The children were almost rowing beside the men on the river bank before the children realized it. When the men saw them, they stood rooted to the spot and then started running to the secret entrance.
”Oh dear!” mourned Priya, “Now we’ll have to race for it.”
Katrina began rowing frantically, but Harshit told her to be steady.
“Slow and steady wins the race, you know,” he said to her.
As Katrina became steady, the others could see that the raft now didn’t seem to be so “reckless” anymore, as it had been. And it began to leave the men behind, slowly but steadily. Soon the men were out of sight.
They didn’t get out of the raft when they reached the secret entrance; instead they went right into the tunnel saying, that there wouldn’t any better hiding place than inside it. They landed at the dry tunnel, and waited. Suddenly, Harshit began to feel the loss of his knife, and asked the others about it.
“Oh! I saw your knife fall from your body,” recalled Sumit, “When you came to see me in the ‘outside’ cave. I forgot to remind you of it.”
“Then, I had better go and bring it now,” declared Harshit, and he disappeared down the tunnel.
The other three waited for the men, and soon heard their voices at the cave entrance.
“There!” Pip was saying, “There’s no sign of those idiots here. I tell you, Bill, their raft has upset on the way here. Silly babies!”
“I suppose so,” said Bill, doubtfully. “Come on, let’s get to work.”
The children heard them rolling some stones and mixing some cement in water. “Phew!” said Pip, “Now let’s cement it.”
The children waited breathlessly, and then they stared at the water in horror. The water was rising! Why hadn’t they thought of it? Of course if the entrance, or in reality, the outlet of the stream is blocked up, the water wouldn’t be able to flow out and it would get collected in the tunnel, and soon this dry tunnel we be filled with water!
The children sprang to their feet, and ran down the tunnel to where, Harshit had gone. They met him half the way down the tunnel, with his knife dangling by his side on the string again.
“Run! Run! Run!” yelled the three to Harshit in chorus. “The water level has risen!”
Harshit didn’t understand it at first, and then he suddenly understood. There was the water rushing behind the other three in hot pursuit! At once Harshit turned back on his tracks.
The Four ran as fast as they could, but the water was faster. Katrina was the last in the line and to her horror the water was lapping her feet! She screamed but it was no use. Soon the water took the Four off their feet and took them along. And all the Four could do was wait helplessly! The Four came to the hole in the floor of the tunnel. There the water had formed a whirlpool. Harshit was the first to be sucked down and the other three followed. The water spread out here so that the depth lessened and the Four hurriedly waded out of the cave. And just as the last of them came out the roof of the cave collapsed and the water came tumbling out of the hole and rushed down the mountain-side!
The Marvelous Four gazed at the stream of water, as it rushed down the mountain-side. The four Marvels didn’t speak to each other, after that for some minutes, and then they all lied down and fell asleep. By now the stream had grown. There was a big crash as more of the cave broke and more water came flowing out. But the Four were so fast asleep that the crash never woke them.
After a few hours, they woke up one by one, and started discussing about what to do next.
“I think we ought to eat something,” said Sumit, “I’m simply starving.”
“But all our ‘civilized’ food is in the ‘ring’,” said Katrina.
(‘Course, they could live on fruits but they wanted some cooked food now and then).
“Has anyone any money to buy food?” asked Harshit.
“I have,” informed Sumit, “But we’ll be recognized as run-aways, if we go.”
“I can go,” volunteered Priya, “I’m not from these parts.”
“Good idea!” said Harshit, “Why didn’t we think of it before?”
“But Priya doesn’t know the way to the village,” reminded Katrina.
“I’ve got an idea!” said Sumit, suddenly.
“Everyone’s getting an idea, one after the other,” said Priya, laughing.
“But this one’s a very good one,” said Sumit.
“Well, go on,” said Harshit, “let’s hear it.”
“It’s like this,” began Sumit, “before coming to join you three, inside the ‘ring’, I confided in an animal farmer, near here, who’s a jolly old man.
“I told him about Katrina and Harshit running away, and told him I was going to join you,”
“And what did he say?”
“Oh he just grinned and said he didn’t blame us, seeing how we were misused by our guardians. I told him, I might come to see him; maybe to get some food, or to get some other thing. He agreed all right, and said that we were welcome to come, anytime.”
“Oh I see,” said Priya, “You mean we might go to his animal farm and buy some food.”
“That’s the idea,” confirmed Sumit, nodding his head.
“All right Sumit,” said Harshit getting up, “lead the way.”
So the others got up, and followed Sumit, who led them through the mountain-side. He went upwards sometimes, but sometimes he descended; and at the foot of the mountains, they came to the animal farm.
The farm was very noisy; there were the clucking of hens, grunts from the pigs, moos of cows, whiney from horses, and barking of dogs. There were also goats and sheep. The farm building, where the farmer and his wife lived (they had no children), was a beautiful structure; shaped like an L (if viewed from above). The whole farm was surrounded by a huge wall.
There was a gate, ‘course, but it was locked. They found a door bell button; and Sumit pressed it.
A few minutes later, a door opened in the farm building, and a middle-aged man came up. He was short, and had big grey beard. His grey moustache cur
led downward; its two ends merging with the beard. He had big grey eyebrows, and two twinkling eyes, that were rather small. His gray hair was neatly combed into two sections; the borders of these sections being nearer to his left ear than the right. His body looked strong and sturdy. And his face had a jolly expression, which the children liked at once. If his beard and hair had been white and his cloths red and white; then he would’ve surely looked like Santa Claus.
“Welcome to Sonu’s Farm,” said Mr. Sonu, opening the gate, “and is that Sumit and Katrina? And by Jove! If that isn’t old Harshit! And by golly! Who’s this pretty little girl?”
Priya didn’t like being called a little girl, but didn’t say anything.
“Emm…this is Priya, Mr. Sonu,” said Sumit, “She’s our friend.”
“Glad to meet you, Priya,” said Mr. Sonu, holding out a rather dirty hand. Priya took it though, unhesitatingly.
“Come on, walk in, my friends; by golly! Harshit, you’ve grown strong!” invited Mr. Sonu.
Two big Alsatian dogs came barking and bounding. They seemed to be rather friendly with the children, and licked them all over, which seemed to be their way of saying: “Delighted to meet you friends!”
Following them came two little puppies, which as friendly as their parents. “That’s enough, Kushi; calm down Raj, let the children pass through,” said the jolly farmer to the dogs.
Mr. Sonu led them into the farm building, and they all entered into a medium sized sitting room, with a low glass table and two sofas. But Mr. Sonu didn’t tell them to wait there; he led out of the pleasant room through a door, into a big dining room, with a big rectangular table that had a glass top. There were eight chairs around the table. The room had two windows on either side, lighting up the room. It had two flower vases fixed to the wall on either side of each window. The windows were large and had glass-panes. The walls were painted a light-violet, and the ceiling fan was violet coloured too.
“Sit down, please;” said the farmer, “Wife and I were going to have lunch, you are not in a hurry I hope.”
“We are not in a hurry,” said Harshit, “in fact, we were going to ask if we could buy some food. We’ll pay for it.”
But farmer wouldn’t receive any money, even though Harshit insisted.
The wife of the farmer was a chubby jolly woman, with small twinkling eyes, and small round lips. She had tied her dark black hair in a bun, and looked the picture of neatness, though she had been working in the kitchen, just now.
She brought in some fried rice and chicken curry as well as some salad; and there was a bottle of mango pickle if anyone wanted it.
They chatted and joked all through the meal, and the children said that Mrs. Sonu was a very good cook indeed. The farmer knew that the children were run-aways, and asked them to spend a week or two on the farm. The Marvelous Four of course, accepted gladly.