William The Outlaw Read Online Free Page A

– even those whose use he did not
quite understand. He was very proud too of a skeleton which he had bought third-hand from a medical student and which he thought conferred great éclat on his position as a Scientist
from its stronghold in the darkest corner. As you will gather from all this, Mr Galileo Simpkins was a very simple and inoffensive and well-meaning little man and before he came to the village
where William lived, had not caused a moment’s uneasiness to anyone since the time at three years old he had inadvertently fallen into the rain tub and been fished out half drowned by his
nurse.
    He had come to the village because the lease of the house where he had lived previously had run out and the original owners were returning to it and he had seen the house in William’s
village advertised in the paper, and it seemed just what he wanted. He liked to live in the country because he was rather a nervous little man and was afraid of traffic.
    The first sight of Mr Galileo Simpkins on his way from the station had not interested the Outlaws much except that as a stranger to the village he was naturally to be kept under observation and
his possibilities in every direction explored at the earliest opportunity.
    ‘He dun’t look very int ’restin’,’ said Ginger scornfully as, sitting in a row on a gate, the Outlaws stared in an unblinking manner quite incompatible with
Good Manners at little Mr Galileo Simpkins driving by on his way from the station in the village cab. The driver of the village cab, who knew the Outlaws well, kept a wary eye upon them as he
passed, and had his whip ready. The ancient quadruped who drew the village cab seemed to know them too, and turned his head to leer at them sardonically from behind his blinkers. But the attention
of the Outlaws was all for the occupant of the village cab, who alone was quite unaware of them as the ancient equipage passed on its way. He was merely thinking what a fine day it was for his
arrival at his new home and hoping that his skeleton (which he had packed most carefully) had travelled well.
    William considered Ginger’s comment for a moment in silence. Then he said meditatively: ‘Oh . . . dunno. He looks sort of soft and ’s if he couldn’t run very fast. We
c’n try playin’ in his garden sometime. I bet he couldn’t catch us.’
    They then had a stone-throwing competition which lasted till one of William’s stones went through General Moult’s cucumber-frame.
    When General Moult had finally given up the chase, the Outlaws threw themselves breathlessly (for General Moult, despite his size, was quite a good runner) on to the grass at the top of the hill
and reviewed the further possibilities of amusement which the world held for them. They decided after a short discussion not to teach Etheldrida any more tricks, not so much because they were tired
of teaching Etheldrida tricks as because Etheldrida seemed to be tired of learning them.
    Douglas stroked his scars thoughtfully and said:
    ‘Not that I’m frightened of her, but – but, well, let’s try ’n think of somethin’ a bit more int’restin ’.’
    No one had anything very original to suggest (they seemed to have exhausted the possibilities of the whole universe in those six weeks of holidays), so they made new bows and arrows and held a
match which William won in that he made the finest long distance shot. He shot his arrow into the air and unfortunately it came to earth by way of Miss Miggs’ scullery window. Miss Miggs
happened to be in the scullery at the time and again the Outlaws, bitterly meditating on the overpopulation of the countryside, had to flee from the avenging wrath of an outraged householder. In
the shelter of the woods they again drew breath.
    ‘I say,’ said Ginger, ‘wun’t it be nice to live in the middle of Central Africa or the North Pole or somewhere where there isn’t any houses for miles an’
miles an’ miles ’
    ‘She runs,’