CHAPTER XXIV IMPRISONED

Unconsciously the girls moved their chairs nearer to the glowing fire, clasped hands for reassurance¹ of earthly presence. They looked at the boys curiously², yet fearfully.

“You found the ghosts!” repeated Jessie, incredulously. “Darry, what does he mean by that?”

Darry chuckled³.

“Just what he says, I guess,” he returned, adding quickly, as excitement gripped him again: “When I told the fellows about the hut in the swamp we got to wondering if those ghostly manifestations⁴ might not possibly come from the same source——”

“Oh, oh, oh, I just thought of something!” cried Jessie, and the boys looked at her expectantly. Her eyes were dancing with excitement. “Those sheets in the house we passed the day we got lost coming home from the ranger⁵ station!”

“Bright girl,” applauded Fol. “Once more you have hit the nail right on the head.”

“I will hit something beside a nail on the head if you don’t tell me what you are talking about,” threatened Amy. “What in the world have sheets——”

“To do with ghosts?” finished Nell, as excited by this time as Jessie. “Why, Amy, I am ashamed of you. A child could answer that question.”

“Then you think that the sheets we saw hanging in the room of that strange house have something to do with the ghostly figures cavorting⁷ around near the camp that night Phrosy got so scared?” asked Amy, incredulously, and the boys nodded, laughing at her disbelief.

“We are practically certain that the whole thing was simply a sham⁶, a clumsy device employed by the people in the hut to prevent investigation⁸.”

“Then you think counterfeit⁹ money is actually made there?” asked Jessie.

“Unfortunately, I can’t be sure,” and Darry shook his head ruefully. “I used that old scow of theirs to get over to the hut and I was just in the act of finding out several interesting things when a man came around the back of the hut and nabbed me.”

“That was when you gave us the slip,” said Burd. “We thought for a while that you had fallen victim to the swamp.”

“Go on, Darry,” Nell urged. “Tell us what happened to you after the villain¹⁰ nabbed you by the neck.”

“Oh, yes, how did you manage to make that trail through the woods?” questioned Jessie. “We followed it for a long way, and then suddenly lost all trace of you.”

“The piece of cloth from my coat was an accident,” Darry replied. “It tore on a bush and that gave me an idea. I managed to reach into my pocket and get my notebook, and I will tell you there isn’t much of that notebook left.”

“Why did the trail end so suddenly?” asked Nell.

“My notebook gave out. Besides,” added Darry, “the ruffians had become suspicious and insisted on tying my hands behind my back. We forded a stream near there and doubled back on our tracks toward the hut. I imagine the whole thing was a ruse¹¹ to divert attention from headquarters.”

1 reassurance   

n.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• He drew reassurance from the enthusiastic applause.热烈的掌声使他获得了信心。
• Reassurance is especially critical when it comes to military activities.消除疑虑在军事活动方面尤为关键。

2 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

3 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

4 manifestations   

n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

6 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

7 cavorting   

v.跳跃( cavort的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The photos showed her cavorting on the beach with her new lover. 这些照片展现了她和新情人在海滩上放荡嬉戏的情景。
• If her heart would only stop bumping and drumming and cavorting. 要是她那颗心停止冲撞、轰鸣、急跳，那该多舒服啊！ 来自飘（部分）

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

10 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

11 ruse   

n.诡计，计策；诡计

参考例句：

• The children thought of a clever ruse to get their mother to leave the house so they could get ready for her surprise.孩子们想出一个聪明的办法使妈妈离家，以便他们能准备给她一个惊喜。It is now clear that this was a ruse to divide them.现在已清楚这是一个离间他们的诡计。