Neither sixteen-year-old Larry Turner nor Dick Summers, a year his junior, had any more fear than had Sandy Maclaren, hardly thirteen and seated just back of the pilot who, in flying the four-place, low-wing airplane, had called back reassuringly2.
“Jeff’s a war ace1 and knows his stuff,” Larry mused3, “and the engine couldn’t have died in a better spot. We are high enough and within gliding4 distance of that old, abandoned private field.”
Dick, who saw something to make light of in any situation, turned with his plump face cracked by a broad grin.
6
“I always said whether you fly a crate5 full of passengers or handle one full of eggs, you get a good break sometimes!”
Larry nodded in his calm, half-serious way.
Only the youngest member of the trio, as the craft nosed into a gentle glide6 and banked in a turn to get in position to shoot the private landing spot on the old estate, took the occasion as anything but a lark7.
Dick joked, Larry admired the skill of the pilot.
And Jeff, chewing his gum casually8, justified9 their confidence.
Sandy Maclaren, with narrowed eyes and an intent frown, bent10 his gaze on the pilot’s back and muttered under his breath.
“That engine didn’t die. I saw what Jeff did. He was as quick as a cat—but he didn’t fool me.”
His expression altered to a puzzled scowl11.
“But why did he shut off the ignition and pretend the engine had stopped—so handy to this old, abandoned estate?”
7
No answer rewarded his agile12 thoughts as Jeff skilfully13 shot the small field, compelled to come in to one side because of tall trees directly in their line of flight, over which his dead engine made it impossible to maneuver14. Nor did he get a solution to his puzzle as Jeff cleverly side-slipped to lose momentum15, and to get over the neglected, turf-grown runway down which, a little bumpily16 but right side up, he taxied to a standstill.
“Well,” Jeff said, with a grin, swinging around in his seat and drawing off his helmet, “here we are!”
“If I ever get the money to take flying lessons,” Larry said, “I know the pilot I’m going to ask to give me instruction! When I can make a forced landing like that one, Jeff, I’ll think I’m getting to be a pilot.”
“If ever I get taken into my uncle’s airplane passenger line,” Dick spoke17 up, “I know who’ll be Chief Pilot—until Larry gets the experience to crowd Jeff out.”
Sandy, his face moody18, said nothing.
The tall, slim pilot, grinned at the compliments and then went on working his jaws19 on the gum he habitually20 chewed.
“Guess I’ll have to trace my gas line and ignition to see if a break made this trouble.” Jeff began removing his leather coat. “Say! By golly! Do you know where I think we’ve set down?”
8
“Yes,” Sandy spoke meaningly. “This is the old Everdail estate—the one that’s been in the newspapers lately because the people around here claim the hangar is haunted.”
“I believe it is!” agreed Jeff. “Why don’t you three take a look. Yonder’s a hangar and the roll-door is lifted a little. Maybe you’d spot that there Mister Spook and clear up the mystery while I work.”
“I’d rather go down by the water and see if it’s cooler there,” Sandy said, trying to catch Larry’s eye. “Since we got down out of the cool air it’s the hottest day this June.”
“I’m for the hangar!” voted Dick. “If there’s any specters roaming through that hangar you’ll get more chills there than you will by the Sound.”
“I could stand a shiver or two,” commented Larry, leading the way toward the large, metal-sheathed building at the end of the runway.
Facing them was a wide opening, sufficiently21 spacious22 to permit airplanes to be rolled through: in grooved23 slots at either side the door, made of joined metal slats working like the old-fashioned roll-top desk, could be raised or lowered by a motor and cable led over a drum.
9
Sandy gave in, and as they walked toward the hangar they discussed the stories that had come out in the news about queer, ghostly noises heard by passers-by on the state road late at night, accounts of the fright the estate caretaker had received when he investigated and saw a queer, bluish glow in the place and was attacked by something seemingly uncanny and not human.
The door, when they arrived, was seen to be partially24 open, lifted about three feet.
“There’s an airplane in there—it looks to be an amphibian25—I see pontoons!” Larry stated.
“Let’s go have a look at it,” suggested Dick.
“Don’t!” Sandy spoke sharply. “Don’t go in there!”
Larry and Dick straightened and stared in surprise. It was very plain to be seen that Sandy was not joking.
“Why?” asked Larry, in his practical way.
“Think back,” said Sandy. “When school vacations started and we began to stay around the new Floyd Bennett airport that had opened on Barren Island, Jeff had his ‘crate’ there to take people around the sky for short sight-seeing hops26, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” admitted Larry, “and we got to be friendly because we are crazy to be around airplanes and pilots, and Jeff let us be ‘grease monkeys’ and help him get passengers, too.”
10
“Surely he did! But when we brought them to go up with him, did he take their money and fly them around, the way others did? Or——”
“No,” Dick admitted. “He generally had something wrong with the crate, or the wind was too high, or he had stubbed his left foot and met a cross-eyed girl, or saw a funeral passing, and thought something unlucky might happen from those signs.”
“Do you really believe anybody can be as superstitious27 as Jeff tries to make us believe he is?”
“Yes. Lots of pilots are—they think an accident will happen if anybody wears flowers in their ‘planes——”
“All right, Larry, let that go. But why did Jeff bring us here?”
“He said, this morning, we had helped him a lot and he didn’t have money to pay us,” Larry answered. “He offered us a joy-ride.”
“But why did he come so far out on Long Island, and then get a dead stick so handy to this old estate that hasn’t been lived in for years and that has everybody scared so they won’t come near at night?”
“‘Then get a dead stick!’” Larry shook his head. “Why, Sandy! I know you read detective stories until you think everything is suspicious——”
“So do you read them—and Dick, too!”
11
“But we read to try to guess the answers to the mystery,” Dick declared. “You’ve got the idea that real life is like those wild stories. Everything looks as if it had some hidden mystery behind it—I know what will be your new nickname——”
He chuckled28 to show there was no malice29 as he stated the new name.
“Suspicious Sandy!”
“That’s good,” Larry smiled. “Suspicious Sandy thinks a pilot gets a dead stick to make us land near a haunted hangar——”
“I saw him cut the ignition switch!” declared Sandy defiantly30.
“You thought you did!”
“I know I did—and, what’s more, here we are at a spot where nobody comes because of the ghost story—and he tells us to go into the hangar and—the door is left up a little way——”
“Oh, Sandy, you’re letting wild imagination run away with you!”
“Am I? All right. You two go on in—and be held for ransom31!”
12
“Ho-ho-ho-ho! That’s good. Suspicious Sandy—is that somebody inside the hangar?” Dick changed his tone suddenly, dropping his voice to a whisper as he stooped and saw something move behind the old amphibian at the back of the building.
“I thought I saw—but it’s gone!” Larry retorted, lowering his voice also.
By a common impulse of curiosity they stooped and went in. Sandy, his own impulse following theirs, was inside almost as quickly.
“There isn’t anybody!” Larry’s eyes became used to the duller light that filtered through the thick dust on the roof skylight.
To their startled ears came a muffled32 clang, a queer, hollow sound—and as they turned to run back under the rolled-up door, it slid rapidly down in its grooves33, dropping into place with a hollow rumble34.
“Good gracious golly!” gasped35 Dick.
“That’s queer!” Larry was a little puzzled.
Sandy, half frightened, half triumphant36, spoke four words:
“I told you so,” he whispered.
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收听单词发音
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1
ace
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| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
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reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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4
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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5
crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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7
lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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8
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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9
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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10
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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11
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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12
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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13
skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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14
maneuver
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| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
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15
momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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16
bumpily
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| adv.扑通 | |
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17
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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18
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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19
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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20
habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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21
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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22
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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23
grooved
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| v.沟( groove的过去式和过去分词 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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24
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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25
amphibian
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| n.两栖动物；水陆两用飞机和车辆 | |
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26
hops
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| 跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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27
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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28
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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30
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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31
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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32
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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33
grooves
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| n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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34
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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35
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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36
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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