Chapter One BACK TO KIRRIN COTTAGE
Chapter One BACK TO KIRRIN COTTAGE
　　ONE fine day right at the beginning of the Easter holidays, four children and a dog travelled by traintogether.
　　'Soon be there now,' said Julian, a tall strong boy, with a determined face.
　　'Woof,' said Timothy the dog, getting excited, and trying to look out of the window too.
　　'Get down, Tim,' said Julian, 'Let Anne have a look.'
　　Anne was his young sister. She put her head out of the window. 'We're coming into Kirrin Station!'
　　she said. I do hope Aunt Fanny will be there to meet us.'
　　'Of course she will!' said Georgina, her cousin. She looked more like a boy than a girl, for she woreher hair very short, and it curled close about her head. She too had a determined face, like Julian. Shepushed Anne away and looked out of the window.
　　'It's nice to be going home,' she said. 'I love school - but it will be fun to be at Kirrin Cottage andperhaps sail out to Kirrin Island and visit the castle there. We haven't been since last summer.'
　　'Dick's turn to look out now,' said Julian, turning to his younger brother, a boy with a pleasant face,sitting reading in a corner. 'We're just coming into sight of Kirrin, Dick. Can't you stop reading for asecond?'
　　'It's such an exciting book,' said Dick, and shut it with a clap. 'The most exciting adventure story I'veever read!
　　'Pooh! I bet it's not as exciting as some of the adventures we've had!' said Anne, at once.
　　It was quite true that the five of them, counting in Timmy the dog, who always shared everythingwith them, had had the most amazing adventures together. But now it looked as if they were going tohave nice quiet holidays, going for long walks over the cliffs, and perhaps sailing out in George's boatto their island of Kirrin.
　　'I've worked jolly hard at school this term,' said Julian. 'I could do with a holiday!'
　　'You've gone thin,' said Georgina. Nobody called her that. They all called her George. She wouldnever answer to any other name. Julian grinned.
　　'Well, I'll soon get fat at Kirrin Cottage, don't you worry! Aunt Fanny will see to that. She's a greatone for trying to fatten people up. It will be nice to see your mother again, George. She's an awfullygood sort.'
　　2
　　'Yes. I hope Father will be in a good temper these holls,' said George. 'He ought to be because he hasjust finished some new experiments, Mother says, which have been quite successful.'
　　George's father was a scientist, always working out new ideas. He liked to be quiet, and sometimeshe flew into a temper when he could not get the peace he needed or things did not go exactly as hewanted them to. The children often thought that hot-tempered Georgina was very like her father! Shetoo could fly into fierce tempers when things did not go right for her.
　　Aunt Fanny was there to meet them. The four children jumped out on the platform and rushed to hugher. George got there first. She was very fond of her gentle mother, who had so often tried to shieldher when her father got angry with her. Timmy pranced round, barking in delight. He adoredGeorge's mother.
　　She patted him, and he tried to stand up and lick her face. 'Timmy's bigger than ever!' she said,laughing. 'Down, old boy! You'll knock me over.'
　　Timmy was certainly a big dog. All the children loved him, for he was loyal, loving and faithful.
　　His brown eyes looked from one to the other, enjoying the children's excitement. Timmy shared in it,as he shared in everything.
　　But the person he loved most, of course, was his mistress, George. She had had him since he was asmall puppy. She took him to school with her each term, for she and Anne went to a boarding-schoolthat allowed pets. Otherwise George would most certainly have refused to go!
　　They set off to Kirrin in the pony-trap. It was very windy and cold, and the children shivered andpulled their coats tightly round them.
　　'It's awfully cold,' said Anne, her teeth beginning to chatter. 'Colder than in the winter!'
　　'It's the wind,' said her aunt, and tucked a rug round her. 'It's been getting very strong the last day ortwo. The fishermen have pulled their boats high up the beach for fear of a big storm.'
　　The children saw the boats pulled right up as they passed the beach where they had bathed so often.
　　They did not feel like bathing now. It made them shiver even to think of it.
　　The wind howled over the sea. Great scudding clouds raced overhead. The waves pounded on thebeach and made a terrific noise. It excited Timmy, who began to bark.
　　'Be quiet, Tim,' said George, patting him. 'You will have to learn to be a good quiet dog now we arehome again, or Father will be cross with you. Is Father very busy, Mother?'
　　'Very,' said her mother. 'But he's going to do very little work now as you are coming home.
　　Would like to go for walks with you, or go out in the boat, if the weather calms down.'
　　3
　　The children looked at one another. Uncle Quentin was not the best of companions. He had no senseof humour, and when the children went off into fits of laughter, as they did twenty times a day ormore, he could not see the joke at all.
　　'It looks as if these holls won't be quite so jolly if Uncle Quentin parks himself on us most of thetime,' said Dick in a low voice to Julian.
　　'Sh,' said Julian, afraid that his aunt would hear, and be hurt. George frowned.
　　'Oh Mother! Father will be bored stiff if he comes with us - and we'll be bored too.'
　　George was very outspoken, and could never learn to keep a guard on her tongue. Her mother sighed.
　　'Don't talk like that, dear. I daresay your father will get tired of going with you after a bit.
　　But it does him good to have a bit of young life about him.'
　　'Here we are!' said Julian, as the trap stopped outside an old house. 'Kirrin Cottage! My word, howthe wind is howling round it, Aunt Fanny!'
　　'Yes. It made a terrible noise last night,' said his aunt. 'You take the trap round to the back, Julian,when we've got the things out. Oh, here's your uncle to help!'
　　Uncle Quentin came out, a tall, clever-looking man, with rather frowning eyebrows. He smiled at thechildren and kissed George and Anne.
　　'Welcome to Kirrin Cottage!' he said. 'I'm quite glad your mother and father are away, Anne, becausenow we shall have you all here once again!'
　　Soon they were sitting round the table eating a big tea. Aunt Fanny always got ready a fine meal fortheir first one, for she knew they were very hungry after their long journey in the train.
　　Even George was satisfied at last, and leaned back in her chair, wishing she could manage just onemore of her mother's delicious new-made buns.
　　Timmy sat close to her. He was not supposed to be fed at meal-times but it was really surprising howmany titbits found their way to him under the table!
　　The wind howled round the house. The windows rattled, the doors shook, and the mats liftedthemselves up and down as the draught got under them.
　　'They look as if they've got snakes wriggling underneath them,' said Anne. Timmy watched them, andgrowled. He was a clever dog, but he did not know why the mats wriggled in such a queer way.
　　'I hope the wind will die down tonight,' said Aunt Fanny. 'It kept me awake last night. Julian dear,you look rather thin. Have you been working hard? I must fatten you up.'
　　4
　　The children laughed. 'Just what we thought you'd say, Mother!' said George. 'Goodness, what's that?'
　　They all sat still, startled. There was a loud bumping noise on the roof, and Timmy put up his earsand growled fiercely.
　　'A tile off the roof,' said Uncle Quentin. 'How tiresome! We shall have to get the loose tiles seen to,Fanny, when the storm is over, or the rain will come in.'
　　The children rather hoped that their uncle would retire to his study after tea, as he usually did, but thistime he didn't. They wanted to play a game, but it wasn't much good with Uncle Quentin there. Hereally wasn't any good at all, not even at such a simple game as snap.
　　'Do you know a boy called Pierre Lenoir!' suddenly asked Uncle Quentin, taking a letter from hispocket. 'I believe he goes to your school and Dick's, Julian.'
　　Pierre Lenoir - oh you mean old Sooty,' said Julian. 'Yes - he's in Dick's form, sir. Mad as a hatter.'
　　'Sooty! Now why do you call him that?' said Uncle Quentin. 'It seems a silly name for a boy.'
　　'If you saw him you wouldn't think so,' said Dick, with a laugh. 'He's awfully dark! Hair as black assoot, eyes like bits of coal, eyebrows that look as if they've been put in with charcoal. And his namemeans "The black one," doesn't it? Le-noir - that's French for black.'
　　'Yes. Quite true. But what a name to give anyone - Sooty' said Uncle Quentin. 'Well, I've been havingquite a lot of correspondence with this boy's father. He and I are interested in the same scientificmatters. In fact, I've asked him whether he wouldn't like to come and stay with me a few days - andbring his boy, Pierre.'
　　'Oh really!' said Dick, looking quite pleased. 'Well, it wouldn't be bad sport to have old Sooty here,Uncle. But he's quite mad. He never does as he's told, he climbs like a monkey, and he can be awfullycheeky. I don't know if you'd like him much.'
　　Uncle Quentin looked sorry he had asked Sooty after he had heard what Dick had to say. He didn'tlike cheeky boys. Nor did he like mad ones.
　　'H'm,' he said, putting the letter away. 'I wish I'd asked you about the boy first, before suggesting tohis father that he might bring him with him. But perhaps I can prevent him coming.'
　　'No, don't, Father,' said George, who rather liked the sound of Sooty Lenoir. 'Let's have him. Hecould come out with us and liven things up!'
　　5
　　'We'll see,' said her father, who had already made up his mind on no account to have the boy at KirrinCottage, if he was mad, climbed everywhere, and was cheeky. George was enough of a handfulwithout a madcap of a boy egging her on!
　　Much to the children's relief Uncle Quentin retired to read by himself about eight o'clock. AuntFanny looked at the clock.
　　'Time for Anne to go to bed,' she said. 'And you too, George.'
　　'Just one good game of Slap-Down Patience, all of us playing it together, Mother!' said George.
　　'Come on - you play it too. It's our first evening at home. Anyway, I shan't sleep for ages, with thisgale howling round! Come on, Mother - one good game, then we'll go to bed. Julian's been yawninglike anything already!'
1.科林庄园
　　科林庄园
　　这天正是复活节假期的第一天，阳光明媚。侦探团的四个孩子带着一只狗乘上火车，开始了假期的旅途。
　　“很快就到了。”朱利安说。这个男孩长得又高又壮，脸上总是一副自信的表情。
　　“汪汪！”这只叫蒂米的狗吠了两声，兴奋地望向窗外。
　　“蒂米，快坐下来，让安妮也看看啊。”朱利安说着。
　　安妮是朱利安的妹妹。只见她把小脑袋伸出窗外，然后说：“火车快驶进科林站了！真希望范妮婶婶能来迎接我们。”
　　“她肯定会来的！”她的堂姐乔治娜说道。之后，乔治娜一把将安妮推到一旁，自己趴在窗口向外张望起来。乔治娜留着一头短短的鬈发，活像个假小子。她和朱利安倒有几分相似，都有一张意志坚定的面孔。
　　“回家的感觉真好！”她说，“我喜欢上学。不过，我想，待在科林庄园肯定比上学更有意思，说不定我们还有机会划船去科林岛，到岛上去参观城堡呢！打从去年夏天起，我们就没有出去玩过了。”
　　“迪克，快看窗外。”朱利安提醒他的弟弟迪克，此时迪克正专心致志地坐在角落里看书，“科林庄园就在前方！我说迪克，你能不能先别看书了？”
　　“这本书的故事扣人心弦。”迪克说着，“啪”的一声合上了书本，“这是我读过的最刺激的冒险故事啦！”
　　“得了吧！我敢打赌，那故事压根儿无法与我们的冒险经历相提并论。”安妮说。
　　他们一行五个——算上蒂米，总是互相分享快乐。不仅如此，他们还共同经历了不少奇妙的冒险！而在接下来的假期中，他们将会在悬崖边上漫步，或是乘坐乔治的船，出海前往科林岛游玩，尽情享受假日时光。
　　“这学期，我一直用功念书，终于可以喘口气了。”朱利安说。
　　“你都累瘦了。”乔治说。大家平时都称呼她乔治，几乎没人称呼她的本名乔治娜。如果喊她乔治娜，她绝不应声。
　　“住进科林庄园之后，我很快就会变胖的，范妮婶婶会见证这一切的，所以你就不必担心啦！她总有本事把人养得胖胖的。乔治，一想到将再见到你妈妈，我就十分开心。她人真的很好。”朱利安咧开嘴笑了起来。
　　“我也这么想。希望这个假期里，爸爸少发脾气。听妈妈说，爸爸已经完成了好几个新实验，而且大获成功。我想他的心情应该很不错。”乔治说。
　　乔治的爸爸是一名科学家，喜欢待在安静的环境里埋头发明新事物。有时候，如果实验进展得不如预期，或是他被外物扰乱心绪，他就会忍不住大发脾气。孩子们一直认为，乔治的臭脾气正是遗传了她爸爸的性情。因为但凡事情未如她所愿，她就会大发雷霆。
　　范妮婶婶果然在车站等候他们的到来。四个孩子跳到月台上，拥抱着她。乔治第一个占据了她的怀抱。乔治很爱妈妈，妈妈总是那么温柔，每次爸爸冲她发火，妈妈都会竭力维护她。这时，蒂米也一边兴奋地蹦跳着，一边“汪汪汪”地叫着。它也很喜欢乔治的妈妈。
　　范妮婶婶轻轻拍了拍蒂米，蒂米乐得直起了身子，还舔了舔她的脸庞示好。“蒂米又长个儿啦！”她笑着说，“乖，快坐下。你都快把我推倒了。”
　　蒂米已经长成了一只大狗。它忠诚，富有爱心，特别招孩子们喜爱。它那双棕色的眼睛目不转睛地看着孩子们，与他们一起沉浸在喜悦中。它总是能感知到孩子们的一切情绪。
　　当然，蒂米最爱的还是它的小主人——乔治。它很小的时候，就和乔治在一起了。每当学校开学后，蒂米总是陪伴着她，度过接连数月的学习生活。乔治和安妮入读的那所寄宿学校是允许携带宠物的，若不是有这条规定，乔治打死也不会去学校念书！
　　范妮婶婶和孩子们乘坐着两轮轻便马车，往科林庄园的方向驶去。那天，风呼呼地刮着，冷极了，吹得孩子们直哆嗦。他们纷纷拉紧了外套，把自己包裹在温暖的衣服里。
　　“真冷啊。这鬼天气比冬天还冷！”安妮这么说着，冻得牙齿格格作响。
　　“那是因为起风了。”范妮婶婶一边解释，一边给安妮裹上一块毯子，“最近这两天风势越来越大，好多渔民担心遇上大风暴，把船停泊在了海滩边。”
　　孩子们不约而同地望向海滩，那里到处是拉直收起的船帆。过去他们经常到那里游泳戏水，然而此时此刻，他们可不想去感受游泳的那份清凉，甚至只是想一想便觉得阵阵寒意袭来，冷得直发抖。
　　海面乌云密布，阵阵寒风呼啸而过，搅得云海翻腾。海浪狠狠地拍打着沙滩，发出“隆隆”的声响。蒂米见状，激动得汪汪直叫。
　　“安静，蒂米。”乔治拍拍它说，“这次回家以后，你得学会做一只安静的狗，要不然爸爸会冲你发火的。对了，妈妈，爸爸最近还是很忙吗？”
　　“是啊，他非常忙。”范妮婶婶回答说，“不过现在你们放假回家了，他不会做太多工作了。要是风停了，我想和你爸爸带你们出去走走，或是去划划船。”
　　孩子们不禁面面相觑。要知道，昆廷叔叔素来不苟言笑，可不是随行的好伙伴。孩子们乐得放声大笑时，他从来都是板着面孔，哪怕孩子们对那些好笑的事狂笑20次甚至更多，他也不为所动。
　　“如果昆廷叔叔与我们同行，恐怕出游无法尽兴啦！”迪克压低嗓音对朱利安说。
　　“嘘！”朱利安生怕这番话会伤了范妮婶婶的心。
　　乔治也因此皱起了眉头。“妈妈，如果爸爸和我们一起出行，不但他会感到烦闷，我们也会觉得非常无聊。”
　　乔治始终管不住自己的嘴，居然直截了当地将心里话说了出来。范妮婶婶叹了口气，然后说：“别这么说，亲爱的。你爸爸和咱们在一起玩上一阵后，他肯定会觉得厌烦。不过多和年轻人相处，对他有好处。”
　　“我们到了！我们到科林庄园啦！我的天哪，范妮婶婶，这里的风好大啊！”马车停在一栋古老的房子外面时，朱利安喊了起来。
　　“是啊，昨晚一直狂风怒号。”范妮婶婶说，“朱利安，等我们把东西全部搬下车后，请把马车拉去后院吧。噢，真好，你们的叔叔来帮忙了！”
　　昆廷叔叔从屋里走了出来。他身材高大，眉头微微皱起，但依然显露出聪慧的气质。他对孩子们笑了笑，然后亲吻了乔治和安妮。
　　“欢迎来到科林庄园！”他说，“安妮，很高兴你们能来这里，你父母不在你们身边，我们又有机会邀请你们到这里作客了。”
　　片刻之后，他们围坐在桌边吃起了丰盛的茶点。范妮婶婶总是提前为孩子们准备好一顿美餐，因为她知道经过舟车劳顿之后，孩子们一定饿坏了。
　　吃饱喝足之后，乔治倚着靠背，心想是否请妈妈再做一份好吃的果子面包。蒂米蹲坐在她身边，一直在纳闷——怎么未到进餐时间就喂它吃东西了。更让它觉得惊喜的是，桌下有好多为它准备的食物！
　　屋外狂风大作，呼呼地灌进屋里，吹得门窗咣当响，就连脚下的地毯也随着疾风一起一落。
　　“好像有蛇在下面游动似的。”安妮说。蒂米盯着地毯，发出声声吼叫。尽管蒂米很聪明，可它仍然不理解为何地毯会这么奇怪地扭来扭去。
　　“希望今晚风会停，”范妮婶婶说，“昨晚吵得我一夜没睡。亲爱的朱利安，你好像瘦了，是不是一直在学校勤学苦读累到了？我得把你养得白白胖胖的。”
　　“妈妈，我们早就猜到你会这么说啦！”乔治说，“天哪，那是什么声音？”
　　只听屋顶传来“砰”的一声。大家吓得坐直了身子，蒂米立即竖起耳朵，怒吼起来。
　　“是屋顶的瓦片掉了，”昆廷叔叔说，“真够烦人的。等这场暴风过去之后，我们得把吹散的瓦片重新铺好，否则雨水会漏进屋里。”
　　孩子们盼着昆廷叔叔喝完茶后，赶紧离席去钻研他的工作。可惜，昆廷叔叔并无工作安排。孩子们想玩玩游戏，可昆廷叔叔不太喜欢。他好像对此一窍不通，即便是拉大车牌戏 那么简单的游戏，他都不会。
　　“你们认识一个叫皮埃尔•勒努瓦的男孩吗？”昆廷叔叔从口袋里掏出一封信，“我想他和迪克，还有朱利安是同一所学校的。”
　　“皮埃尔•勒努瓦？您是说那个黑煤球吗？”朱利安说，“他和迪克是同班同学，是一个和帽子先生 一样举止怪诞的男孩。”
　　“黑煤球！你们这么叫他吗？”昆廷叔叔问道，“听起来像是个傻男孩的绰号。”
　　“如果您见过他，就不会这么想了。”迪克大笑着说，“他肤色深暗，双眼黑如煤炭，头发像被煤烟熏过似的。他的眉毛也像是被混进过木炭里一般。他名字的意思是‘黑色’，是不是？勒努瓦——法语里就是黑色的意思。”
　　“你说得没错，不过称呼他‘黑煤球’似乎不太妥当。”昆廷叔叔说，“我和这孩子的爸爸经常有书信往来。他爸爸和我一样十分迷恋科学。其实我已经问过他爸爸是否愿意到我们这里住一些日子。当然，如果他爸爸应邀前来，皮埃尔也会同行。”
　　“真的吗？”迪克兴奋地问，“叔叔，有黑煤球做伴，假期一定不会无聊。不过，他这人那么古怪，不怎么听话，像只猴子一样总是喜欢到处乱蹿。而且他成天嬉皮笑脸，你会不会喜欢他，还真难说呢！”
　　昆廷叔叔听完迪克这番话，流露出不悦的神色，似乎他有点后悔邀请黑煤球了。他不喜欢调皮的孩子，对喜欢闹腾的孩子更无好感。
　　“嗯，我真应该在建议他爸爸带他一起来之前，先听听你的意见。”昆廷叔叔一边说，一边把信放到了一旁，“但我有办法不让他来。”
　　“别啊，爸爸。”乔治劝道，她听到迪克对黑煤球的评价，对黑煤球很感兴趣，“就让他来吧，他可以和我们一起玩，给大家助助兴！”
　　“再说吧。”昆廷叔叔嘴上这么说，其实心里已经打定主意，要是这孩子真的不听话，还爱到处乱蹿，他决不会让他到科林庄园来。毕竟乔治没和捣蛋鬼混在一起的时候，就已经够调皮了！
　　孩子们当下最欣慰的是，昆廷叔叔在大约八点钟时离开，独自看书去了。
　　“安妮，该上床睡觉了。你也是，乔治。”范妮婶婶看了一眼时钟说道。
　　“妈妈，我们玩一次‘比谁更有耐心’的游戏吧。大家都参加！”乔治说，“来吧，您也加入我们吧。今天可是我们回家的第一个晚上呢！再说外面风这么大，我也无法安然入睡。妈妈，就玩一个游戏，就一个！游戏结束后，我们马上睡觉。你看朱利安的样子，他已经准备开始游戏了！”
Chapter Two A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT
Chapter Two A SHOCK IN THE NIGHT
　　IT was nice to climb up the steep stairs to their familiar bedrooms that night. All the children wereyawning widely. Their long train journey had tired them.
　　'If only this awful wind would stop!' said Anne, pulling the curtain aside and looking out into thenight. 'There's a little moon, George. It keeps bobbing out between the scurrying clouds.'
　　'Let it bob!' said George, scrambling into bed. I'm jolly cold. Hurry, Anne, or you'll catch a chill atthat window.'
　　'Don't the waves make a noise?' said Anne, still at the window. 'And the gale in the old ash-tree ismaking a whistling, howling sound, and bending it right over.'
　　'Timmy, hurry up and get on my bed,' commanded George, screwing up her cold toes. 'That's onegood thing about being at home, Anne. I can have Timmy on my bed! He's far better than a hot waterbottle.'
　　'You're not supposed to have him on your bed at home, any more than you're supposed to at school,'
　　said Anne, curling up in bed. 'Aunt Fanny thinks he sleeps in his basket over there.'
　　'Well, I can't stop him coming on my bed at night, can I, if he doesn't want to sleep in his basket?'
　　said George. 'That's right, Timmy darling. Make my feet warm. Where's your nose? Let me pat it.
　　Good-night, Tim. Good-night, Anne.'
　　'Good-night,' said Anne, sleepily. 'I hope that Sooty boy comes, don't you? He does sound fun.'
　　6
　　'Yes. And anyway father would stay in with Mr. Lenoir, the boy's father, and not come out with us,'
　　said George. 'Father doesn't mean to, but he does spoil things somehow.'
　　'He's not very good at laughing,' said Anne. 'He's too serious.'
　　A loud bang made both girls jump. 'That's the bathroom door!' said George, with a groan. 'One of theboys must have left it open. That's the sort of noise that drives Father mad! There it goes again!'
　　'Well, let Julian or Dick shut it,' said Anne, who was now beginning to feel nice and warm. But Julianand Dick were thinking that George or Anne might shut it, so nobody got out of bed to see to thebanging door.
　　Very soon Uncle Quentin's voice roared up the stairs, louder than the gale.
　　'Shut that door, one of you! How can I work with that noise going on!'
　　All four children jumped out of bed like a shot. Timmy leapt off George's bed. Everyone fell overhim as they rushed to the bathroom door. There was a lot of giggling and scuffling. Then UncleQuentin's footsteps were heard on the stairs and the five fled silently to their looms.
　　The gale still roared. Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny came up to bed. The bedroom door flew out ofUncle Quentin's hand and slammed itself shut so violently that a vase leapt off a nearby shelf.
　　Uncle Quentin leapt too, startled. 'This wretched gale!' he said, fiercely. 'Never known one like it allthe time we've been here. If it gets much worse the fishermen's boats will be smashed up, eventhough they've pulled them as high up the beach as possible.'
　　'It will blow itself out soon, dear,' said Aunt Fanny, soothingly. 'Probably by the time morning comesit will be quite calm.'
　　But she was wrong. The gale did not blow itself out that night. Instead it raged round the house evenmore fiercely, shrieking and howling like a live thing. Nobody could sleep. Timmy kept up acontinuous low growling, for he did not like the shakes and rattles and howls.
　　Towards dawn the wind seemed in a fury. Anne thought it sounded as if it was in a horrible temper,out to do all the harm it could. She lay and trembled, half-frightened.
　　Suddenly there was a strange noise. It was a loud and woeful groaning and creaking, like someone ingreat pain. The two girls sat up, terrified. What could it be?
　　The boys heard it too. Julian leapt out of bed and ran to the window. Outside stood the old ash tree,tall and black in the fitful moonlight. It was gradually bending over!
　　7
　　'It's the ash! It's falling!' yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits. 'It's falling, I tell you.
　　It'll crash on the house! Quick, warn the girls!'
　　Shouting at the top of his voice, Julian raced out of his door on to the landing. 'Uncle! Aunt!
　　George and Anne! Come downstairs quickly! The ash tree is falling!'
　　George jumped out of bed, snatched at her dressing-gown, and raced to the door, yelling to Anne.
　　The little girl was soon with her. Timmy ran in front. At the door of Aunt Fanny's bedroom UncleQuentin appeared, tall and amazed, wrapping his dressing-gown round him.
　　'What's all this noise? Julian, what's happening?'
　　'Aunt Fanny! Come downstairs - the ash tree is falling! Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!'
　　yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience. 'It'll smash in the room and the bedrooms!
　　Listen, here it comes!'
　　Everyone fled downstairs as, with an appalling wail, the great ash tree hauled up its roots and fellheavily on to Kirrin Cottage. There was a terrible crash, and the sound of tiles slipping to the groundeverywhere.
　　'Oh dear!' said poor Aunt Fanny, covering her eyes. 'I knew something would happen! Quentin, weought to have had that ash tree topped. I knew it would fall in a great gale like this. What has it doneto the roof?'
　　After the great crash there had come other smaller noises, sounds of things falling, thuds and littlesmashing noises. The children could not imagine what was happening. Timmy was thoroughly angry,and barked loudly. Uncle Quentin slapped his hand angrily on the table, and made everyone jump.
　　'Stop that dog barking! I'll turn him out!' But nothing would stop Timmy barking or growling thatnight, and George at last pushed him into the warm kitchen, and shut the door on him.
　　'I feel like barking or growling myself,' said Anne, who knew exactly what Timmy felt like.
　　'Julian, has the tree broken in the roof?'
　　Uncle Quentin took a powerful torch and went carefully up the stairs to the landing to see whatdamage had been done. He came down looking rather pale.
　　'The tree has crashed through the attic, smashed the roof in, and wrecked the girls' bedroom,' he said.
　　'A big branch has penetrated the boys' room too, but not badly, But the girls' room is ruined! Theywould have been killed if they had been in their beds.'
　　8
　　Everyone was silent. It was an awful thought that George and Anne had had such a narrow escape.
　　'Good thing I yelled my head off to warn them, then,' said Julian, cheerfully, seeing how white Annehad gone.
　　'Cheer up, Anne - think what a tale you'll have to tell at school next term.'
　　'I think some hot cocoa would do us all good,' said Aunt Fanny, pulling herself together, though shefelt very shaken. 'I'll go and make some. Quentin, see if the fire is still alight in your study.
　　We want a little warmth!'
　　The fire was still alight. Everyone crowded round it. They welcomed Aunt Fanny when she came inwith some steaming milk-cocoa.
　　Anne looked curiously round the room as she sat sipping her drink. This was where her uncle did hiswork, his very clever work. He wrote his difficult books here, books which Anne could notunderstand at all. He drew his queer diagrams here, and made many strange experiments.
　　But just at the moment Uncle Quentin did not look very clever. He looked rather ashamed, somehow.
　　Anne soon knew why.
　　'Quentin, it is a mercy none of us was hurt or killed,' said Aunt Fanny, looking at him rather sternly. Itold you a dozen times you should get that ash tree topped. I knew it was too big and heavy towithstand a great gale. I was always afraid it would blow down on the house.'
　　'Yes, I know, my dear,' said Uncle Quentin, stirring his cup of cocoa very vigorously. 'But I was sobusy these last months.'
　　'You always make that an excuse for not doing urgent things,' said Aunt Fanny, with a sigh. 'I shallhave to manage things myself in the future. I can't risk our lives like this!'
　　'Well, a thing like this would only happen once in a blue moon!' cried Uncle Quentin, getting angry.
　　Then he calmed down, seeing that Aunt Fanny was really shocked and upset, very near to tears. Heput down his cocoa and slipped his arm round her.
　　'You've had a terrible shock,' he said. 'Don't you worry about things. Maybe they won't be so badwhen morning comes.'
　　'Oh, Quentin - they'll be much worse!' said his wife. 'Where shall we sleep tonight, all of us, and whatshall we do till the roof and upstairs rooms are repaired? The children have only just come home. Thehouse will be full of workmen for weeks! I don't know how I'm going to manage.'
　　9
　　'Leave it all to me!' said Uncle Quentin. 'I'll settle everything. Don't you worry. I'm sorry about this,very sorry, particularly as it's my fault. But I'll straighten things out for everyone, you just see!'
　　Aunt Fanny didn't really believe him, but she was grateful for his comforting. The children listened insilence, drinking their hot cocoa. Uncle Quentin was so very clever, and knew so many things - but itwas so like him to neglect something urgent like cutting off the top of the old ash tree. Sometimes hedidn't seem to live in this world at all!
　　It was no use going up to bed! The rooms upstairs were either completely ruined, or so messed upwith bits and pieces, and clouds of dust, that it was impossible to sleep there. Aunt Fanny began topile rugs on sofas. There was one in the study, a big one in the sitting-room and a smaller one in thedining-room. She found a camp bed in a cupboard and, with Julian's help, put that up too.
　　'We'll just have to do the best we can,' she said. 'There isn't much left of the night, but we'll get a littlesleep if we can! The gale is not nearly so wild now.'
　　'No - it's done all the damage it can, so it's satisfied,' said Uncle Quentin, grimly. 'Well, we'll talkthings over in the morning.'
　　The children found it very difficult to go to sleep after such an excitement, tired though they were.
　　Anne felt worried. How could they all stay at Kirrin Cottage now? It wouldn't be fair on Aunt Fanny.
　　But they couldn't go home because her father and mother were both away and the house was shut upfor a month.
　　'I hope we shan't be sent back to school,' thought Anne, trying to get comfortable on the sofa. 'Itwould be too awful, after having left there, and started off so gaily for the holidays.'
　　George was afraid of that, too. She felt sure that they would all be packed back to their schools thenext morning. That would mean that she and Anne wouldn't see Julian and Dick any more theseholidays, for the boys, of course, went to a different school.
　　Timmy was the only one who didn't worry about things. He lay on George's feet, snoring a little,quite happy. So long as he was with George he didn't really mind where he went!
2.夜半惊魂
　　夜半惊魂
　　那一晚，孩子们顺着陡峭的楼梯，回到熟悉的卧室，这种温馨的感觉真好。经过一段漫长的火车旅途之后，他们都累坏了，现在个个哈欠连天。
　　“但愿这场可恶的风暴赶快停下来！”安妮拉开窗帘，靠在窗边凝视着屋外的夜色，“乔治，在这样的夜晚竟然还能望见小小的月亮。你看，它藏在变幻的云朵里，若隐若现。”
　　“月亮啊，快升起来吧！”乔治一边说着，一边钻进了被窝里，“我都快冷死了。安妮，快上床吧，再站在窗边你会被冻坏的！”
　　“你不觉得海浪发出的声音很大吗？”安妮依然倚在窗边说道，“狂风疾驰而过，发出狼嚎般的嘶吼声，把白蜡树都吹弯了。”
　　“蒂米，快到我床上来。”乔治向蒂米示意，她快要冻僵的脚趾使劲地蜷缩着，“安妮，我觉得能待在家里真好，我能让蒂米到床上来。它可比暖水袋更暖和呢！”
　　“你怎么能让它上床呢？在学校里也不允许它上床的。”安妮蜷缩在床上说，“范妮婶婶肯定认为它应该睡在狗篮子里。”
　　“要是它不想睡在狗篮子里呢？那我也阻止不了它，对不对？就让它窝到床上来吧。”乔治说，“就这样吧。亲爱的蒂米，帮我暖暖脚吧。你的小鼻子在哪儿呢？伸过来让我摸摸。晚安啦，蒂米！晚安，安妮！”
　　“晚安。”安妮带着倦意说，“我倒有些希望那个黑煤球能来，你呢？我觉得他很有意思。”
　　“我也希望他能来。到那时候，爸爸会忙着招待勒努瓦先生，大概抽不出时间和我们出游了。”乔治说，“爸爸总会把事情搞砸，虽然他不是有意的。”
　　“他平时太严肃了，又不爱笑。”安妮说。
　　就在她们聊天时，忽然传来一声巨响，把她们俩吓得从床上坐了起来。
　　“那是卫生间的门在响！”乔治抱怨道，“应该是男孩们没把门关好。爸爸可受不了这种噪音。噢，又响了！”
　　“不如让朱利安或是迪克把门关上吧。”安妮此时正渐渐感觉到阵阵暖意袭来，可不想移动半步。与此同时，朱利安和迪克也期待着乔治或是安妮去关上门。结果没有一个人下床，去看看那扇被吹得咚咚作响的门。
　　没过一会儿，楼下传来昆廷叔叔的吼声，那架势胜过屋外的狂风。“你们谁能去把门关上？闹成这样，叫我怎么安心工作？”
　　四个孩子闻声，飞快地跳下了床。蒂米也跟着乔治跳到了地上。正当孩子们急匆匆往卫生间那边跑去时，却因为不留心全都被蒂米绊倒在地。孩子们一下子乐得咯咯直笑，玩闹了起来，这时，他们听见楼梯上传来昆廷叔叔的脚步声。四个孩子带着蒂米悄悄地溜回了各自的房间。
　　大风还在呼呼怒号着。昆廷叔叔和范妮婶婶准备上床休息了。
　　就在昆廷叔叔想要关门时，一阵狂风袭来，昆廷叔叔没有抓牢门把手，卧室门飞了出去，“砰”的一声重重地关上了，震得花瓶都差点从架子上跌落下来了。
　　昆廷叔叔吓得闪到一边。“这风真让人伤透了脑筋！”他气呼呼地说，“我们在这儿住了这么久，从来没遇上过这样的大风。要是风势再大点，渔民们的船就要被吹得支离破碎了，就算他们把船拉到海滩上恐怕也无济于事。”
　　“亲爱的，风很快会停的。”范妮婶婶安慰他说，“说不定等明天一早，一切就会平息下来。”
　　范妮婶婶想错了——那晚风根本没有停，甚至比之前刮得还猛。狂风不知疲惫地呼啸着，犹如一头在屋外游荡的猛兽，吵得大家无法入睡。蒂米对晃动特别敏感，也不喜欢听到刮风的声音，它闷闷不乐地发出低沉的叫声。
　　天快亮的时候，狂风似乎更加震怒了。安妮听着风声，觉得风似乎是在大发脾气，想要到处搞破坏泄愤。她心里有些害怕，躺在床上瑟瑟发抖。
　　忽然间，不知从哪儿传来“嘎吱嘎吱”的怪响，像是有人经受着巨大的痛楚，发出凄惨的呻吟声。两个女孩吓坏了，不由得坐了起来。那到底是什么声音呢？
　　两个男孩也听见了。朱利安跳下床，跑到窗户旁张望——一棵高高的老白蜡树耸立在月光下，在强风的威逼下，它已经开始渐渐弯下骄傲的腰身。
　　“原来是那棵树，它快被刮倒了！”朱利安这一喊，吓得迪克惊慌失措，“我敢肯定这棵树真的要倒了，我们的房子会被它压扁！赶紧通知女孩们！”
　　朱利安冲出门，站在楼梯上扯着嗓子大喊：“叔叔！婶婶！乔治！安妮！快下楼去！白蜡树要倒啦！”
　　乔治一个翻身下床，急呼安妮起床，然后抓起睡衣就往楼下跑。安妮很快跟上了乔治的脚步。蒂米跑在最前面。
　　昆廷叔叔裹着睡衣走到卧室门口，一脸惊讶地看着他们。“朱利安，怎么闹哄哄的？发生什么事了？”
　　“范妮婶婶！快下楼啊！白蜡树要倒啦！听见那‘嘎吱嘎吱’的断裂声了吗？”朱利安焦急不安地喊着，“它要砸扁我们的房间和卧室了！听见了吗？马上要倒了！”
　　大家急急忙忙地下了楼，就在这一瞬间，那棵巨大的白蜡树被连根拔起，“哐”的一声压在了房子上——太可怕了！这么一砸，屋顶的瓦片“哗啦哗啦”地滑落在地。
　　“天哪！”可怜的范妮婶婶捂着眼睛说，“我就知道那棵树会出事！昆廷，我们早就应该处理那棵树了！我早说过，这棵树迟早会被大风刮倒。看看屋顶被压成什么样了？”
　　大树被刮倒之后，声响依旧不断，还夹杂着东西坠地的砰砰声和碎裂声。孩子们简直不敢想象外面发生了什么。蒂米生气地汪汪直叫。
　　昆廷叔叔怒气难忍，一掌拍在桌子上，吓了所有人一跳。“让那只狗别叫了！再叫我就把它赶走！”
　　可那晚谁也没有办法阻止蒂米号叫。最后乔治实在没辙了，只好将蒂米关进了温暖的厨房里。
　　“我自己都想大叫呢。”安妮感同身受地说，“朱利安，那棵树把屋顶压垮了吗？”
　　昆廷叔叔找来一个手电筒，小心翼翼地走上楼，来到楼梯间查看房屋受损情况。下楼时，他的脸色苍白极了。
　　“那棵大树砸穿了阁楼，屋顶塌了。”他说，“其中一根大枝干插进了男孩们的卧室，不过损坏情况还不算严重。女孩们的房间彻底毁了。要是刚刚她们还睡在床上，大概已经没命了。”
　　听完昆廷叔叔的描述，大家沉默了，心里都感到特别后怕——乔治和安妮这次真是死里逃生啊！
　　“幸好当时我大声提醒她们。”朱利安看着脸色惨白的安妮，庆幸地说，“打起精神来啊，安妮！你想想，下学期开学时，不就有惊险故事和同学们分享了吗？”
　　“我想要是喝杯热可可，大家也许能感觉舒服点。”范妮婶婶定了定神，但仍然浑身抖得厉害，“我去给你们弄点喝的。昆廷，去看看你书房里的炉火是不是熄了？我们得让自己暖和起来！”
　　壁炉里的火还在燃烧着。于是，大家都挤在壁炉边取暖。看到范妮婶婶端来了热气腾腾的牛奶可可，他们迎上去接过热饮。
　　安妮坐在书房里一边喝着热可可，一边饶有兴趣地打量着房间里的一切。这里是昆廷叔叔工作的地方。他平时就在这里钻研知识，编写难懂的书籍——安妮可是一个字也看不懂呢！昆廷叔叔不仅在这间房子里涂写奇怪的图表，还做过很多千奇百怪的实验。
　　不过这个时候，昆廷叔叔看上去可不像是个聪明人。不知何故，他面带愧色。安妮很快就明白了其中的原因。
　　“昆廷，这次意外没有引起死伤已经是不幸中的万幸了。”范妮婶婶严肃地说道，“之前我跟你提过很多次，我们应该处理一下那棵白蜡树。它这么高大粗重，哪里抵挡得住狂风呢？我常常担心它会被刮倒，压坏我们的房子。”
　　“我明白，亲爱的，”昆廷叔叔一边说，一边使劲搅拌着可可，“可我最近几个月忙得不可开交。”
　　“你总是为逃避要紧事找借口，”范妮婶婶无奈地叹了口气，“以后我必须亲自操持这些粗重活儿了。我可不想再拿生命冒险！”
　　“这种事顶多是偶然事件。”昆廷叔叔气得嚷了起来。不过眼见范妮婶婶伤心落泪、被吓得不轻的样子，他很快又压住了火气。他放下可可，将范妮婶婶搂进怀里。
　　“你被吓坏了，别担心这些事了，”他说，“或许到了明天早上，事情会有转机。”
　　“噢，昆廷——情况只会越来越糟糕！”范妮婶婶不安地说，“今晚我们在哪儿休息啊？屋顶和楼梯修好之前，我们该怎么办呢？接下来的几个星期里，工人们会在家中进进出出，孩子们又刚刚回家。我都不知道该怎么办了！”
　　“交给我来办吧，”昆廷叔叔说，“放心吧，我会处理好一切的。
　　很抱歉，发生这种事都怪我。等着看吧，我一定把每个人都安顿好！”
　　虽然范妮婶婶并不太相信他所说的话，可内心还是感激丈夫的句句安慰。
　　孩子们一口一口地喝着热可可，默默地听着长辈间的谈话。昆廷叔叔很聪明，知道许多事情，却对处理白蜡树这样重要的事情如此疏忽大意。有时候，他的行为让人觉得他似乎活在另一个世界里！
　　现在想上床睡觉也不行了！楼上的房间要么被压得面目全非，要么被撞得七零八落，一片狼藉，根本没有地方下脚，更别说躺下来睡觉了。范妮婶婶开始动手往沙发上铺毯子。家里一共有三张沙发，大的摆在客厅里，小的放在餐厅里，还有一张在书房里。范妮婶婶在朱利安的帮助下，从橱柜里翻出一张行军床，把它架了起来。
　　“咱们将就一下吧。这前前后后足足折腾了大半个晚上，如果可能的话，我们还能睡上一小会儿！现在风势小下来了。”范妮婶婶说道。
　　“是啊，这狂风——它得逞了，可怕的破坏欲得到了满足。”昆廷叔叔阴沉地说，“明早我们再来商量对策吧。”
　　发生如此惊险的事情之后，孩子们尽管身体疲惫不堪，但却难以入睡。安妮满心忧虑——现在继续待在科林庄园妥当吗？会不会给范妮婶婶添麻烦呢？可此时此刻，爸爸妈妈外出了，这一个月内，他们都不能回家。
　　“希望叔叔婶婶不会把我们送回学校，”安妮在沙发上扭来扭去，想让自己睡得更舒服点，“本来打算欢欢喜喜地离校，享受假期。如果被送回去，那简直太扫兴了。”
　　乔治和安妮一样心事重重。她确信明天早上他们会被送回学校。这样一来，她和安妮整个假期再也没有机会和男孩们碰面了，因为男孩们会回到另一所学校去。
　　蒂米靠在乔治的脚上打着呼噜。这几个小家伙里，只有它安然自得，无忧无虑，因为只要能跟着乔治，它去哪里都无所谓！
Chapter Three UNCLE QUENTIN HAS AN IDEA
Chapter Three UNCLE QUENTIN HAS AN IDEA
　　NEXT morning the wind was still high, but the fury of the gale was gone. The fishermen on thebeach were relieved to find that their boats had suffered very little damage. But word soon wentround about the accident to Kirrm Cottage, and a few sightseers came up to marvel at the sight of thegreat, uprooted tree, lying heavily on the little house.
　　The children rather enjoyed the importance of relating how nearly they had escaped with their lives.
　　In the light of day it was surprising what damage the big tree had done. It had cracked the roof of thehouse like an eggshell, and the rooms upstairs were in a terrible mess.
　　The woman who came up from the village to help Aunt Fanny during the day exclaimed at the sight:
　　'Why, Mam, it'll take weeks to set that right!' she said. 'Have you got on to the builders, Mam? I'd getthem up here right away and let them see what's to be done.'
　　I'm seeing to things, Mrs. Daly,' said Uncle Quentin. 'My wife has had a great shock. She is not fit tosee to things herself. The first thing to do is to decide what is to happen to the children.
　　They can't remain here while there are no usable bedrooms.'
　　'They had better go back to school, poor things,' said Aunt Fanny.
　　'No. I've a better idea than that,' said Uncle Quentin, fishing a letter out of his pocket. 'Much better.
　　I've had a letter from that fellow Lenoir this morning - you know, the one who's interested in thesame kind of experiments as I am. He says - er, wait a minute, I'll read you the bit. Yes, here it is.'
　　Uncle Quentin read it out: 'It is most kind of you to suggest my coming to stay with you and bringingmy boy Pierre. Allow me to extend hospitality to you and your children also. I do not know howmany you have, but all are welcome here in this big house. My Pierre will be glad of company, andso will his sister, Marybelle.'
　　Uncle Quentin looked up triumphantly at his wife. 'There you are! I call that a most generousinvitation! It couldn't have come at a better time. We'll pack the whole of the children off to thisfellow's house.'
　　'But Quentin - you can't possibly do that! Why, we don't know anything about him or his family!'
　　said Aunt Fanny.
　　11
　　'His boy goes to the same school as Julian and Dick, and I know Lenoir is a remarkable, cleverfellow,' said Uncle Quentin, as if that was all that really mattered. 'I'll telephone him now. What's hisnumber?'
　　Aunt Fanny felt helpless in face of her husband's sudden determination to settle everything himself.
　　He was ashamed because it was his forgetfulness that had brought on the accident to the house. Nowhe was going to show that he could see to things if he liked. She heard him telephoning, and frowned.
　　How could they possibly send off the children to a strange place like that?
　　Uncle Quentin put down the receiver, and went to find his wife, looking jubilant and very pleasedwith himself.
　　'It's all settled,' he said. 'Lenoir is delighted, most delighted. Says he loves children about the place,and so does his wife, and his two will be thrilled to have them. If we can hire a car today, they can goat once.'
　　'But, Quentin - we can't let them go off like that to strange people! They'll hate it! I shouldn't besurprised if George refuses to go,' said his wife.
　　'Oh - that reminds me. She's not to take Timothy, said Uncle Quentin. 'Apparently Lenoir doesn't likedogs.'
　　'Well, then, you know George won't go!' said his wife. 'That's foolish, Quentin. George won't goanywhere without Timmy.'
　　'She'll have to, this time,' said Uncle Quentin, quite determined that George should not upset all hismarvellous plans. 'Here are the children. I'll ask them what they feel about going, and see what theysay!'
　　He called them into his study. They came in, feeling sure that they were to hear bad news -probably they were all to return to school!
　　'You remember that boy I spoke to you about last night?' began Uncle Quentin. Pierre Lenoir.
　　You had some absurd name for him.'
　　'Sooty,' said Dick and Julian together.
　　'Ah yes, Sooty. Well, his father has kindly invited you all to go and stay with him at Smuggler's Top,'
　　said Uncle Quentin.
　　The children were astonished.
　　'Smuggler's Top!' said Dick, his fancy caught by the queer name. 'What's Smuggler's Top?'
　　12
　　'The name of his house' said Uncle Quentin. 'It's very old, built on the top of a queer hill surroundedby marshes over which the sea once flowed. The hill was once an island, but now it's just a tall hillrising up from the marsh. Smuggling went on there in the old days. It's a very peculiar place, so I'veheard.'
　　All this made the children feel excited. Also Julian and Dick had always liked Sooty Lenoir. He wasquite mad, but awfully good fun. They might have a first-rate time with him.
　　'Well - would you like to go? Or would you rather go back to school for the holidays?' asked UncleQuentin impatiently.
　　'Oh no - not back to school!' said everyone at once.
　　'I'd love to go to Smuggler's Top,' said Dick. 'It sounds a thrilling place. And I always liked oldSooty, especially since he sawed half through one of the legs of our form-master's chair. It gave wayat once when Mr. Toms sat down!'
　　'H'm. I don't see that a trick like that is any reason for liking someone,' said Uncle Quentin, beginningto feel a little doubtful about Master Lenoir. 'Perhaps, on the whole, school would be best for you.'
　　'Oh no, no!' cried everyone. 'Let's go to Smuggler's Top! Do, do let's!'
　　'Very well,' said "Uncle Quentin, pleased at their eagerness to follow his plan. 'As a matter of fact, Ihave already settled it. I telephoned a few minutes ago. Mr. Lenoir was very kind about it all.'
　　'Can I take Timmy?' asked George, suddenly.
　　'No,' said her father. I'm afraid not. Mr. Lenoir doesn't like dogs.'
　　'Then I shouldn't like him' said George, sulkily. 'I won't go without Timmy.'
　　'You'll have to go back to school, then,' said her father, sharply. 'And take off that sulky expression,George. You know how I dislike it.'
　　But George wouldn't. She turned away. The others looked at her in dismay. Surely old George wasn'tgoing to get into one of her moods, and spoil everything! It would be fun to go to Smuggler's Top.
　　But, of course, it certainly wouldn't be so much fun without Timmy. Still - they couldn't all go backto school just because George wouldn't go anywhere without her dog.
　　They all went into the sitting-room. Anne put her arm through George's. George shook it off.
　　'George! You simply must come with us,' said Anne, 'I can't bear to go without you - it would beawful to see you going back to school all alone.'
　　13
　　'I shouldn't be all alone,' said George. 'I should have Timmy.'
　　The others pressed her to change her mind, but she shook them off. 'Leave me alone,' she said. 'I wantto think. How are we supposed to get to Smuggler's Top, and where is it? Which road do we take?'
　　'We're going by car, and it's right up the coast somewhere, so I expect we'll take the coast-road,'
　　said Julian. 'Why, George?'
　　'Don't ask questions,' said George. She went out with Timmy. The others didn't follow her.
　　George was not very nice when she was cross.
　　Aunt Fanny began to pack for them, though it was impossible to get some of the things from the girls'
　　room. After a time George came back, but Timmy was not with her. She looked more cheerful.
　　'Where's Tim?' asked Anne, at once.
　　'Out somewhere,' said George.
　　'Are you coming with us, George?' asked Julian, looking at her.
　　'Yes. I've made up my mind to,' said George, but for some reason she wouldn't look Julian in theeyes. He wondered why.
　　Aunt Fanny gave them all an early lunch, and then a big car came for them. They packed themselvesinside. Uncle Quentin gave them all sorts of messages for Mr. Lenoir, and Aunt Fanny kissed themgood-bye. 'I do hope you have a nice time at Smuggler's Top,' she said. 'Mind you write at once andtell me all about it.'
　　'Aren't we going to say good-bye to Timmy?' said Anne, her eyes opening wide in amazement atGeorge forgetting. 'George, surely you're not going without saying good-bye to old Timmy!'
　　'Can't stop now,' said Uncle Quentin, afraid that George might suddenly become awkward again.
　　'Right, driver! You can go off now. Don't drive too fast, please.'
　　Waving and shouting the children drove away from Kirrin Cottage, sad when they looked back andsaw the smashed roof under the fallen tree. Never mind - they had not been sent back to school. Thatwas the main thing. Their spirits rose as they thought of Sooty and his queerly- named home,Smuggler's Top.
　　'Smuggler's Top! It sounds too exciting for words!' said Anne. 'I can picture it, an old house right onthe top of a hill. Fancy being an island once. I wonder why the sea went back and left marshesinstead.
　　14
　　George said nothing for a while, and the car speeded on. The others glanced at her once or twice, butcame to the conclusion that she was grieving about Timmy. Still she didn't look very sad!
　　The car went over a hill and speeded down to the bottom. When they got there George leanedforward and touched the driver's arm.
　　'Would you stop a moment, please? We have to pick somebody up here.'
　　Julian, Dick and Anne stared at George in surprise. The driver, also rather surprised, drew the car to astandstill. George opened the car door and gave a loud whistle.
　　Something shot out of the hedge and hurled itself joyfully into the car. It was Timmy! He lickedeveryone, trod on everyone's toes, and gave the little short barks that showed he was excited andhappy.
　　'Well,' said the driver, doubtfully, 'I don't know if you're supposed to take that dog in, Miss. Yourfather didn't say anything about him.'
　　'It's all right,' said George, her face red with joy. 'Quite all right. You needn't worry. Start the caragain, please.'
　　'You are a monkey!' said Julian, half-annoyed with George, and half-pleased because Timmy waswith them after all. 'Mr. Lenoir may send him back, you know.'
　　'Well, he'll have to send me back too,' said George, defiantly. 'Anyhow, the main thing is, we've gotTimmy after all, and I am coming with you.'
　　'Yes - that's fine,' said Anne, and gave first George and then Timmy a hug. I didn't like going withoutTim either.'
　　'On to Smuggler's Top!' said Dick, as the car started off again. 'On to Smuggler's Top. I wonder if weshall have any adventures there!'
3.突如其来的邀请
　　突如其来的邀请
　　第二天早晨，风势还是很大，但已不及昨夜猛烈。海滩上的渔民们查看渔船后，发现渔船只是轻微受损，终于松了一口气。然而，科林庄园老树压顶的消息不胫而走。连根拔起的大树将小屋死死地压在下面，路过见到此景的游客们无不目瞪口呆。可是，让孩子们津津乐道的却是他们死里逃生的经历。
　　直到白天，孩子们见到事故现场后，这才知道那棵大树造成了多么严重的破坏——整个屋顶垮了，犹如蛋壳一般不堪一击，楼上的几间卧室更是一团糟。
　　一位妇人从村里赶来，帮助范妮婶婶整理房子。当她看到房屋毁坏的样子时，不禁惊呼起来：“天哪，夫人！这堆乱糟糟的东西起码得花上好几周时间才能收拾好呢！你请建筑工人了吗，夫人？我得立即叫上他们，看看需要做哪些工作。”
　　“戴利太太，我会负责安排这些杂事。”昆廷叔叔说，“我妻子惊吓过度，现在她的状态不适合处理这些事。眼下安顿好孩子们才是当务之急，如果没有合适的卧室，就不能让他们留在这儿了。”
　　“可怜的孩子们！要不我们送他们回学校吧！”范妮婶婶说。
　　“这倒不必，我有一个比这更好的办法。”昆廷叔叔从口袋里掏出一封信，“这应该是一个不错的安排。今早我收到勒努瓦先生的来信——就是那个对我的实验很感兴趣的人，之前我跟你提起过。他在信上说——我还是念给你听吧。噢，就是这一段。”
　　昆廷叔叔大声念道：“非常感谢您邀请我和我的孩子皮埃尔到您家作客，因此也请给我招待您和孩子们的机会。我不知道您有几个孩子，不过无论多少，我都非常欢迎。我的儿子皮埃尔，和他的妹妹玛丽贝尔如果能结识新的小伙伴，他们一定会非常开心。”
　　昆廷叔叔得意扬扬地望着妻子。“看吧，问题解决了！在我看来，这是最诚挚慷慨的一封邀请函，而且寄来得正是时候！我们干脆把孩子们送到他家去暂住吧。”
　　“昆廷，你怎么可以如此草率？为什么要送孩子们去他家？我们对这家人一无所知！”范妮婶婶反驳道。
　　“他儿子与朱利安、迪克在同一所学校里就读。我对勒努瓦也有些了解，他是个精明能干的人。”昆廷叔叔说，“现在我就给他打个电话。他的电话号码是多少？”
　　范妮婶婶眼见自己的丈夫不顾他人意见，顿时倍感无力。而昆廷叔叔认为由于自己疏忽大意，导致家中出了事故，所以感到很惭愧。现在他希望以行动证明自己有能力处理好家务事。
　　范妮婶婶听见昆廷叔叔拨通了电话，不禁皱起眉头，心里想着：“怎么可以把孩子们送到那样陌生的环境里去呢？”
　　随后，昆廷叔叔放下话筒，乐呵呵地去找自己的妻子。
　　“一切安排妥当，”他说，“勒努瓦接到我的电话后，开心极了！
　　他说他和他的妻子非常欢迎孩子们去他家小住。而且他的两个孩子如果知道有小客人到访，一定会激动得不得了。要是今天我们能租到一辆车的话，孩子们可以立刻出发去他家。”
　　“但是，昆廷，我们怎么能这样随随便便地把孩子们送到陌生人家里去呢？孩子们不会开心的！如果乔治不答应，我一点也不觉得意外。”范妮婶婶说。
　　“噢！你这么一说，我倒是想起一件事。这次她不能带着蒂米去。”昆廷叔叔说，“勒努瓦不喜欢狗。”
　　“不能带狗？那么乔治肯定不愿意去了，”范妮婶婶说，“你这不是为难孩子吗，昆廷？如果没有蒂米陪伴在她身边，她哪儿也不会去的。”
　　“她肯定会答应的。”昆廷坚信乔治不会搅乱他的绝妙计划，“全由孩子们决定吧。我先告诉他们这次的行程，听听他们的想法！”
　　昆廷叔叔把孩子们叫到了书房。孩子们一跨进门，便确信有个坏消息正等着他们——他们可能统统都要返校了！
　　“还记得昨晚我提到的那个叫皮埃尔•勒努瓦的男孩吗？”昆廷叔叔起了个话头，“你们还给他取了一个滑稽的绰号。”
　　“黑煤球？”迪克和朱利安异口同声。
　　“没错，就是黑煤球。他爸爸邀请你们去走私者城堡度假。”昆廷叔叔说。
　　这个消息令孩子们大吃一惊。
　　“走私者城堡！”迪克一听到这奇怪的名字，不由得好奇起来，“那是什么地方？”
　　“那是他家的名字，”昆廷叔叔解释说，“这栋老房子建在一座奇怪的小山上，四面布满了沼泽地。那座小山曾是一座小岛。随着地质变迁，小岛渐渐高耸起来，形成了一座山，而原本是海洋的地方也脱离了海面，变成了沼泽地。过去在那一带经常有走私者出没，是块罕见的奇地。也正因如此，我才对这个地方有所耳闻。”
　　孩子们听昆廷叔叔这么一说，顿时对这个地方心驰神往。朱利安和迪克向来喜欢黑煤球勒努瓦，因为他那份热烈的张扬总能感染身边的每个人。如果有他做伴，大家一定会乐不可支。
　　“你们想去那里，还是想回学校度过这个假期呢？”昆廷叔叔变得有些不耐烦了。
　　“不，不回学校！”大家马上齐声说道。
　　“我想去走私者城堡。”迪克说，“听起来那是个不错的地方，再说我一直很喜欢黑煤球。自从他把班主任椅子的一条腿儿锯掉半截之后，我更喜欢他了。那次，汤姆斯先生一屁股坐下去，立即摔了个人仰马翻！”
　　“嗯……不过我认为喜欢一个人，不应该看他是否会戏弄别人。”昆廷叔叔开始对勒努瓦先生的教育方法产生了一些质疑，“照这么看，回学校度假也许对你们最好不过了。”
　　“噢，别送我们回学校！”孩子们嚷嚷起来，“就让我们去走私者城堡吧！求您了，叔叔！让我们去吧！”
　　“那好吧，”昆廷叔叔看到孩子们热切地想要听从他的安排，心里感到欣慰，“其实我已经安排好了一切。几分钟前，我与勒努瓦先生通过电话，他很乐意接待你们。”
　　“我可以带蒂米一起去吗？”乔治忽然问道。
　　“恐怕不行。勒努瓦先生不喜欢狗。”
　　“那我也不喜欢他，”乔治怏怏不乐，“我是不会扔下蒂米一个人去那里的。”
　　“那你就得回学校了，”她爸爸严肃地说，“乔治，别绷着个脸。
　　你知道我不喜欢你这样。”
　　乔治可高兴不起来，她索性把脸转了过去。其他人沮丧地盯着乔治。昆廷叔叔并没有为了安抚女儿，而满足她的愿望。去走私者城堡原本是一次愉快的旅行——只是少了蒂米，的确会少几分乐趣。乔治无论去哪里，都想要带着蒂米，但他们不能因为无法带蒂米去就全部回学校吧。
　　孩子们垂头丧气地走进客厅。安妮本想伸手挽住乔治的胳膊，不料被乔治甩开了。
　　“乔治！你必须和我们一起去。”安妮说，“我不忍心看着你一个人孤零零地回学校！”
　　“我才不是一个人呢！我还有蒂米！”乔治倔强地说。
　　其他几个孩子想尽办法说服乔治改变心意，可不管他们说什么，乔治一个字也听不进去。“我想静一静，”她说，“我要考虑一下。我们怎么去走私者城堡？那个地方在哪里呢？我们会走哪条路呢？”
　　“我们会乘汽车去，它大概是在海边的某个地方，所以我想我们会沿着海岸一路开过去。”朱利安说，“乔治，你问这些做什么？”
　　“别问我为什么。”乔治说完，领着蒂米离开了。其他孩子留在房里，没有跟着出去。乔治心情不好的时候，没人敢接近她。
　　范妮婶婶开始为孩子们收拾行李了——尽管想要从女孩们的房间里收拾出一些东西很难。过了一会儿，乔治独自一人乐呵呵地回来了，身边却不见蒂米的影子。
　　“蒂米呢？”安妮一见到她便开口询问。
　　“它在别的地方。”乔治说。
　　“乔治，你到底跟不跟我们一起去啊？”朱利安盯着她，追问道。
　　“当然，我已经计划好了。”乔治回答。可不知为什么，她眼神躲闪，似乎有些心虚的样子。这不禁勾起了朱利安的好奇心。
　　范妮婶婶提早为孩子们准备了午餐。片刻之后，一辆大汽车驶入庄园，孩子们一个接一个地上车坐好。昆廷叔叔有一些事情需要孩子们帮他转达给勒努瓦先生。等他交代完这些事情之后，范妮婶婶和孩子们拥抱吻别。“希望你们能够在走私者城堡度过愉快的假期，”她说，“到了之后记得给我写信报平安啊！”
　　“我们不和蒂米道个别吗？”安妮瞪大眼睛，惊讶地望着乔治，“乔治，你真准备扔下蒂米，一声不吭地走掉吗？”
　　“好了好了，别多说了。”昆廷叔叔生怕乔治闹脾气，“司机先生，可以开车出发了！注意车速，别开得太快。”
　　孩子们乘坐着汽车渐渐远去了，却依旧不停地朝着科林庄园的方向挥手告别。孩子们回头看见那座被大树砸得东倒西歪的房屋，心里难过极了。没关系了——幸好他们没有被送回学校，这才是最重要的。一想到即将见到黑煤球，住进走私者城堡，孩子们振奋不已。
　　“走私者城堡——光听这名字就觉得很刺激呢！”安妮说，“我能想象出它的样子，这座城堡建立在高高的山顶，就像漂浮在高空的一座小岛。我想不明白为什么海水会退去，留下那么一大片沼泽地。”
　　汽车越开越快了，乔治默默地坐着，一言不发。三个孩子偷瞄了她一两眼，认为她正为离开蒂米而忧伤。可是，她看起来一点也不难过！
　　汽车翻过一座小山，快速向山下驶去。一来到山脚下，乔治斜过身子，拍了拍司机的臂膀，说：“您可以在这里停一下车吗？我们需要下车去接人。”
　　朱利安、迪克和安妮不禁愕然。司机先生对乔治的请求也很惊讶，停下了汽车。乔治打开车门，吹起响亮的口哨。
　　哨声刚落，树篱里立即蹿出来一个身影，活蹦乱跳地上了车。
　　天哪，是蒂米！它伸出舌头舔着每个人，在每个人的脚指头上踩来踩去，兴奋得汪汪直叫。
　　“小姐，我不知道带一只狗上车是否合规矩。你爸爸之前没有和我提起过它。”司机先生显得有些迟疑。
　　“没关系，不用担心这件事，先生。请您开车吧。”乔治笑得涨红了脸。
　　“你这个淘气鬼！”朱利安想到乔治瞒着他，心里不免有些生气，可一想到蒂米归队，他又感到一阵快慰，“勒努瓦先生会把它送回家的。”
　　“行啊，那他也得把我送回去。”乔治不屑地说，“不管怎么样，蒂米回到了我们身边。我要和它一起去。”
　　“没错，我也不想抛下蒂米去旅行。”安妮抱了抱乔治，然后又给了蒂米一个拥抱。
　　“向走私者城堡前进！前进！”迪克说话的工夫，车又开动了，“你们说，在那里会不会有什么奇遇呢？”
Chapter Four SMUGGLER'S TOP
Chapter Four SMUGGLER'S TOP
　　THE car sped on, mostly along the coast, though it sometimes went inland for a few miles. But,sooner or later it was in sight of the sea again. The children enjoyed the long drive. They were to stopsomewhere for lunch, and the driver told them he knew of a good inn.
　　At half past twelve he drew up outside an old inn, and they all trooped in. Julian took charge, andordered lunch. It was a very good one, and all the children enjoyed it. So did Timmy. The 15innkeeper liked dogs, and put down such a piled-up plate for Timmy that the dog hardly liked tobegin on his meal in case it was not for him!
　　He looked up at George and she nodded to him. 'It's your dinner, Timmy. Eat it up.'
　　So he ate it, hoping that if they were going to stay anywhere they might be staying at the inn.
　　Meals like this did not arrive every day for a hungry dog!
　　But after lunch the children got up. They went to find the driver, who was having his lunch in thekitchen with the innkeeper and his wife. They were old friends of his.
　　'Well, I hear you're going to Castaway,' said the innkeeper, getting up. 'You be careful there!'
　　'Castaway!' said Julian. 'Is that what the hill is called, where Smuggler's Top is?'
　　'That's its name,' said the innkeeper.
　　'Why is it called that?' said Anne. 'What a funny name! Were people cast away on it once, when itwas an island?'
　　'Oh no. The old story goes that the hill was once joined to the mainland,' said the innkeeper. 'But itwas the haunt of bad people, and one of the saints became angry with the place, and cast it away intothe sea, where it became an island.'
　　'And so it was called Castaway,' said Dick. 'But perhaps it has got good again, because the sea hasgone away from it, and you can walk from the mainland to the hill, can't you?'
　　'Yes. There's one good road you can take,' said the innkeeper. 'But you be careful of wandering awayfrom it, if you go walking on it! The marsh will suck you down, in no time if you set foot on it!'
　　'It does sound a most exciting place,' said George. 'Smuggler's Top on Castaway Hill! Only one roadto it!'
　　'Time to get on,' said the driver, looking at the clock. 'You've got to be there before tea, your unclesaid.'
　　They got into the car again, Timmy clambering over legs and feet to a comfortable place on George'slap. He was far too big and heavy to lie there but just occasionally he seemed to want to, and Georgenever had the heart to refuse him.
　　They drove off once more. Anne fell asleep, and the others felt drowsy too. The car purred on and on.
　　It began to rain, and the countryside looked rather dreary.
　　The driver turned round after a while and spoke to Julian. 'We're coming near to Castaway Hill, Sir.
　　We'll soon be leaving the mainland, and taking the road across the marsh.'
　　16
　　Julian woke Anne. They all sat up expectantly. But it was very disappointing after all! The marsheswere full of mist! The children could not pierce through it with their eyes, and could only see the flatroad they were on, raised a little higher than the surrounding flat marsh.
　　When the mist shifted a little now and again the children saw a dreary space of flat marsh on eitherside.
　　'Stop a minute, driver,' said Julian. I'd like to see what the marsh is like.
　　'Well, don't step off the road,' warned the driver, stopping the car. 'And don't you let that dog out,Miss. Once he runs off the road and gets into the marsh, he'll be gone for good.'
　　'What do you mean - gone for good?' said Anne, her eyes wide.
　　'He means the marsh will suck down Timmy at once,' said Julian. 'Shut him in the car, George.'
　　So Timmy, much to his disgust, was shut safely in the car. He pawed at the door, and tried to look outof the window. The driver turned and spoke to him. 'It's all right. They'll be back soon, old fellow!'
　　But Timmy whined all the time the others were out of the car. He saw them go to the edge of theroad. He saw Julian jump down the couple of feet that raised the road above the marsh.
　　There was a line of raised stones running in the marsh alongside the road. Julian stood on one ofthese peering at the flat marsh.
　　'It's mud,' he said. 'Loose, squelchy mud! Look, when I touch it with my foot it moves! It would soonsuck me down if I trod heavily on it.'
　　Anne didn't like it. She called to Julian. 'Come up on the road again. I'm afraid you'll fall in.'
　　Mists were wreathing and swirling over the salty marshes. It was a weird place, cold and damp.
　　None of the children liked it. Timmy began to bark in the car.
　　'Tim will scratch the car to bits if we don't get back,' said George. So they all went back, rather silent.
　　Julian wondered how many travellers had been lost in that strange sea-marsh.
　　'Oh, there's many that's never been heard of again,' said the driver, when they asked him. 'They dosay there's one or two winding paths that go to the hill from the mainland, that were used before theroad was built. But unless you know every inch of them you're off them in a trice, and find your feetsinking in the mud.'
　　'It's horrid to think about,' said Anne. 'Don't let's talk about it any more. Can we see Castaway Hillyet?'
　　17
　　'Yes. There it is, looming up in the mist,' said the driver. 'The top of it is out of the mist, see?
　　Queer place, isn't it?'
　　The children looked in silence. Out of the slowly moving mists rose, a tall, steep hill, whose rockysides were as steep as cliffs. The hill seemed to swim in the mists, and to have no roots in the earth. Itwas covered with buildings which even at that distance looked old and quaint. Some of them hadtowers.
　　'That must be Smuggler's Top, right at the summit,' said Julian, pointing. 'It's like an old building ofcenturies ago - probably is! Look at the tower it has. What a wonderful view you'd get from it.'
　　The children gazed at the place where they were to stay. It looked exciting and picturesque, certainly- but it also looked rather forbidding.
　　'It's sort of - sort of secret, somehow,' said Anne, putting into words what the others were thinking. 'Imean it looks as if it had kept all kinds of queer secrets down the centuries. I guess it could tell plentyof tales!'
　　The car drove on again, quite slowly, because the mists came down thickly. The road had a line ofsparkling round buttons set all along the middle, and when the driver switched on his fog-lamp, theyshone brightly and guided him well. Then as they neared Castaway Hill the road began to slopeupwards.
　　'We go through a big archway soon,' said the driver. 'That used to be where the city gate once was.
　　The whole town is surrounded by wall still, just as it used to be in olden times. It's wide enough towalk on, and if you start at a certain place, and walk long enough, you'll come round to the place youstarted at!'
　　All the children made up their minds to do this without fail. What a view they would have all roundthe hill, if they chose a fine day!
　　The road became steeper, and the driver put the engine into a lower gear. It groaned up the hill.
　　Then it came to an archway, from which old gates were fastened back. It passed through, and thechildren were in Castaway.
　　'It's almost as if we've gone back through the centuries, and come to somewhere that existed agesago!' said Julian, peering at the old houses and shops, with their cobbled streets, their diamond-panedwindows, and stout old doors.
　　18
　　They went up the winding high street, and came at last to a big gateway, set with wrought-iron gates.
　　The driver hooted and they opened. They swept into a steep drive, and at last stopped beforeSmuggler's Top.
　　They got out, feeling suddenly shy. The big old house seemed to frown down at them. It was built ofbrick and timber, and its front door was as massive as that of a castle.
　　Queer gables jutted here and there over the diamond-paned windows. The house's one tower stoodsturdily at the east side of the house, with windows all round. It was not a square tower, but arounded one, and ended in a point.
　　'Smuggler's Top!' said Julian. 'It's a good name for it somehow. I suppose lots of smuggling went onhere in the old days.'
　　Dick rang the bell. To do this he had to pull down an iron handle, and a jangling at once made itselfheard in the house.
　　There was the sound of running feet, and the door was opened. It opened slowly, for it was heavy.
　　Beyond it stood two children, one a girl of about Anne's age, and the other a boy of Dick's age.
　　'Here you are at last!' cried the boy, his dark eyes dancing. 'I thought you were never coming!'
　　'This is Sooty,' said Dick to the girls, who had not met him before. They stared at him.
　　He was certainly very very dark. Black hair, black eyes, black eyebrows, and a brown face. Incontrast to him the girl beside him looked pale and delicate. She had golden hair, blue eyes and hereyebrows were so faint they could hardly be seen.
　　'This is Marybelle, my sister,' said Sooty. 'I always think we look like Beauty and the Beast!'
　　Sooty was nice. Everyone liked him at once. George found herself twinkling at him in a way quitestrange to her, for usually she was shy of strangers, and would not make friends for some time. Butwho could help liking Sooty with his dancing black eyes and his really wicked grin?
　　'Come in,' said Sooty. 'Driver, you can take the car round to the next door, and Block will take in theluggage for you and give you tea.'
　　Suddenly Sooty's face lost its smile and grew very solemn. He had seen Timmy!
　　'I say! I say - that's not your dog, is it?' he said.
　　'He's mine,' said George, and she laid a protecting-hand on Timmy's head. 'I had to bring him. I can'tgo anywhere without him.'
　　19
　　'Yes, but - no dog's allowed at Smuggler's Top,' said Sooty, still looking very worried, and glancingbehind him as if he was afraid someone might come along and see Timmy. 'My stepfather won'tallow any dogs here. Once I brought in a stray one and he licked me till I couldn't sit down - mystepfather licked me, I mean, not the dog.'
　　Anne gave a frightened little smile at the poor joke. George looked stubborn and sulky.
　　'I thought -1 thought maybe we could hide him somewhere while we were here,' she said. 'But ifthat's how you feel, I'll go back home with the car. Good-bye.'
　　She turned and went after the car, which was backing away. Timmy went with her. Sooty stared, andthen he yelled after her. 'Come back, stupid! We'll think of something!'
4.造访怪宅
　　造访怪宅
　　这是一次长途旅行。汽车沿着海岸公路加速前进，偶尔绕回内陆行驶数英里，但很快又折回海岸公路。孩子们悠然自得地享受着这样的旅程。
　　孩子们想要停下来吃午饭，司机先生就向他们推荐了一家不错的餐馆。
　　到了12点半左右，他们来到了一家古朴的餐馆门口。所有人随即下车，走了进去。朱利安负责点菜。这家餐馆很不错，孩子们和蒂米都很喜欢这里。餐馆老板是个爱狗的人，他给蒂米准备了一盘“饭菜”。蒂米见到这么丰盛的菜肴，一时间居然不敢张嘴吃上一口，仿佛不敢相信这盘菜是特意为它准备的！
　　蒂米仰起头，望着乔治，乔治向它点头示意。“蒂米，快吃吧！
　　这是为你准备的呢！”乔治说道。
　　看到主人示意后，蒂米大口吃起自己的美食，心想：要是能住在这里就好了。毕竟对于一只饥肠辘辘的狗来说，这样的美食可不是天天能吃到的呢！
　　吃过午饭后，孩子们离开餐厅去找司机先生。司机先生这时正在厨房与餐馆老板和老板娘一同享用午餐。他们三人已经是老相识了。
　　“听说你们要去放逐之山？要小心啊！”餐馆老板站起身来，对孩子们叮嘱道。
　　“放逐之山！走私者城堡所在的那座高山叫放逐之山？”朱利安说。
　　“对啊，这是那座山的名字。”餐馆老板说。
　　“为什么起了这么一个名字啊？”安妮问，“太有意思了！难道那里还是座小岛时，被放逐的人都会被赶到那里去吗？”
　　“不是你想的那样。从前，那座山和大陆相连，那里是坏人的老窝。”餐馆老板讲起了故事，“后来，有一位圣徒因此大为震怒，于是将这块地方遗弃，任由它成为一座孤岛，在汪洋大海之中自生自灭。”
　　“所以大家称那里为放逐之山，”迪克说，“可是海水退去之后，那里或许又变好了。现在人们可以从内陆走到山上去，对吗？”
　　“是啊，的确有一条路通向山上，”餐馆老板说，“如果你打算从那条路上山，一定要当心，不能偏离路线啊！因为一个不留神踩进沼泽里，你就会被吞没的！”
　　“听起来真是一个刺激的地方，”乔治说，“放逐之山上有一座走私者城堡！只有一条路通向那里！”
　　“是时候继续赶路了，”司机先生看了看时钟说，“你们的叔叔嘱咐我，要赶在下午茶之前，把你们送到目的地。”
　　孩子们回到了车里。蒂米顺势爬到乔治身上，想找个舒服的位置趴下来。可它长得又大又重，本不该趴在乔治的膝盖上。但它偶尔想要如此时，乔治也从不忍心拒绝它。
　　他们又出发了。安妮很快就睡着了，其他人也觉得昏昏欲睡。
　　汽车“突突突”地发出轰鸣声，在公路上快速奔驰。这时，天空下起了雨，郊野中阴雨霏霏。
　　过了一会儿，司机先生转过身，对朱利安说：“小伙子，我们离放逐之山不远了，很快将驶离大陆地带，穿过一片沼泽地。”
　　朱利安叫醒了安妮。大家坐起来，满怀期待地望着窗外，结果大失所望——沼泽地雾气重重！孩子们无法穿破浓雾眺望更远的风景，只能看见眼前稍稍高出沼泽地的平坦的公路。
　　雾气不时缓缓地移动开来，孩子们看到雾气的另一头也是一片单调的沼泽地，看起来了无生机。
　　“司机先生，请停一下车，我想看看沼泽地。”朱利安请求道。
　　“好的，不过千万别离开公路。”司机停下车，提醒他说，“小姐，请管好你的狗，绝不能让它下车。如果它跑出马路，闯进沼泽地里，恐怕是有去无回了。”
　　“你刚刚说‘有去无回’是什么意思？”安妮瞪大了双眼。
　　“他是说蒂米会立即陷进沼泽地里。乔治，让它待在车里。”朱利安说。
　　为了保护蒂米，他们把它锁在了车里。蒂米因此怏怏不乐，趴在窗户边，可怜巴巴地望着那一行人。司机扭头安慰它说：“小家伙，别害怕，我们很快就回来！”
　　当他们不在车里时，蒂米不停地叫唤着，它看到他们走到路边，看到朱利安从高出沼泽地几英尺的公路上跳了下去。公路旁边垒起了一排石头，一直延伸到沼泽地深处。朱利安站在其中一块石头上凝视着平坦的沼泽地。
　　“全是疏松的烂泥浆。你看，我一用脚触碰，泥浆就会蠕动！如果我使劲踩下去，恐怕会被吸进去呢！”
　　安妮不喜欢朱利安做这么危险的举动，于是叫喊道：“快回公路上来，我真怕你会掉进去。”
　　沼泽地雾气缭绕，散发出一股股咸咸的味道。四周的空气寒冷潮湿，气氛诡异极了。蒂米在车里“汪汪”地叫了起来。
　　“再不回去，蒂米准会挠坏车窗。”乔治如此说道。大家这才慢慢往回走。朱利安不禁想到：不知有多少旅行者消失在这片奇怪而又广袤的沼泽地里。
　　“噢！有很多人再也没有走出来，”当孩子们问起这个问题时，司机先生回答说，“也有人说，还没有修建这条公路前，这里曾有一两条连通大陆和小山的郊野小路。但如果你摸不清这里的地况，很容易令自己身陷险境。等你发现踏进泥浆里时，一切都迟了。”
　　“想想都觉得可怕啊，”安妮说，“我们还是换个话题吧。现在能看见放逐之山了吗？”
　　“当然可以，就在那边，那座在雾中若隐若现的山，”司机先生用手指着说，“山顶已经从雾气中显露出来了。你们瞧见了吗？真是个奇怪的地方，对不对？”
　　孩子们看得出了神。陡峭的小山从缓缓飘移的浓雾中显现，高耸入云，小山一侧的岩石像悬崖一样陡峭。那座小山看上去就像是在云雾中飘移一般，仿佛没有扎根在地面。从远处看过去，山巅建满了座座稀奇古怪的老房子，其中有一些还加盖了塔楼。
　　“那一定是传说中的走私者城堡，就在山顶，”朱利安指着山顶说，“这些房子看上去像是好几百年前的古老建筑！快看那高塔，站在那里肯定可以欣赏到美妙的景致。”
　　孩子们凝视着他们即将入住的地方——它看起来非常神奇，如梦似幻，当然，也有些令人望而生畏。
　　“那个地方看上去诡秘莫测，”安妮说着，这也正是其他孩子的想法，“它看起来好像深藏了好几个世纪的各种奇怪的秘密。我想这里一定有数不尽的传奇故事！”
　　此时雾气很浓，汽车只能慢悠悠地朝目的地前进。这条路上安装了一排亮晶晶的圆形标志，只要司机打开雾灯，这些标志便会越发清晰，可以指引司机安全行驶。当他们来到放逐之山附近时，公路逐渐变得陡峭起来。
　　“我们很快会穿过一道大拱门，”司机说，“在以前，那可是城门。现在整个小镇依然被城墙包围着，和古时候一样。城墙很宽，人们甚至可以在上面散步。如果你从城墙上的某个地方出发，一直走下去，会发现自己可以绕一整圈，然后回到起点！”
　　孩子们都决心要去试一下，而且要保证自己不摔下来。如果选对日子，说不定有机会欣赏环山美景。
　　通往山顶的公路越来越陡，司机先生换成了低挡行驶。汽车发出沉闷的声音，慢吞吞地爬上山，然后来到了司机先生刚刚描述的那道巨大的拱门前，在那里有两扇古老的大门被紧紧地固定在两侧。穿过这道拱门之后，他们进入了放逐之山。
　　“我们好像穿越了数百年，回到了古代世界！”朱利安说道。他盯着鹅卵石街道上一排排的老屋和商铺——它们都装有带菱形窗格的窗户和笨重的旧门。
　　他们继续沿着蜿蜒的街道朝更高的地方驶去，最后来到一个巨大的入口前，那里加装了熟铁炼成的大门。司机先生按了按车喇叭，待大门敞开之后，驶进了一条陡峭的路。片刻之后，车在走私者城堡前停下了。
　　孩子们走下车，仿佛觉得这座古老的城堡正皱起眉头盯着他们，畏怯之感油然而生。
　　这是一座由砖石和木材建造而成的城堡。它的前门如同许多有名的城堡的大门一般宏伟。城堡的石墙上安装着一扇扇菱形的玻璃窗，窗檐上伸出一堵堵造型奇异的山墙；而在城堡东面，屹立着一座圆形带尖顶的塔楼。
　　“走私者城堡！”朱利安激动地说，“真是名不虚传啊。我想以前在这里有过不少走私活动吧！”
　　迪克拽住一个铁把手，拉响了门铃，刺耳的声音顿时传遍了整栋大宅。
　　不久，他们听见一阵急切的跑步声。大门实在太沉了，只见它渐渐开了一条缝儿，然后慢慢向他们敞开。
　　这时，两个孩子出现在他们眼前。一个是女孩，与安妮年纪相仿；另一个是男孩，和迪克同龄。
　　“你们终于到了！”男孩开心地说，乌黑的双眼放出喜悦的光芒，“我以为你们不来了呢！”
　　“他是黑煤球。”迪克向没见过黑煤球的女孩们介绍。她们注视着黑煤球。
　　黑煤球人如其名，头发、眼睛、眉毛，从头到脚都黑不溜秋的，就连他的脸庞也呈黑棕色。相比之下，他身边那位女孩则显得白皙娇嫩。她有一头金发，淡如薄纱的眉毛下有一双蓝色的眼睛。
　　“这位是我妹妹玛丽贝尔，”黑煤球说，“我俩就像美女和野兽！”
　　大家很快喜欢上了友好的黑煤球。乔治发觉自己看着他时，会情不自禁地眨眨眼睛。这太反常了，因为平时她在陌生人面前会有些腼腆，需要过上一阵子才能熟络起来。不过，看到黑煤球那双灵动的黑眼睛，还有他那顽皮的笑容，谁会不喜欢呢？
　　“快请进！”黑煤球说，“司机先生，麻烦您掉个头，把车开到隔壁去吧。布洛克会帮您搬运行李，为您准备茶点。”
　　话刚说完，黑煤球脸上的笑容突然消失了，露出严肃的神情。
　　他发现了蒂米的存在！
　　“啊呀！天哪——那不是你的狗，对吗？”他问。
　　“它是我养的，”乔治说着，伸手护住蒂米的头，“它必须跟着我，否则我哪儿也不会去！”
　　“好吧。可是，走私者城堡禁止养狗，”黑煤球看了一下身后，难掩心中的焦虑，好像很担心其他人走过来时会发现蒂米，“我继父不准这里养狗。有一次，我带了一只流浪狗回家，结果挨了一顿揍，被打得可狠了——我是说我继父教训我。”
　　安妮露出一脸苦笑。此时，乔治绷着脸，她并不打算妥协。
　　“我想我们一到这里，就应该先把它藏起来，”乔治说，“不过，要是这件事让你为难，我会随车回家。再见！”
　　她转身朝汽车走去，司机先生正在那里倒车。蒂米紧随小主人跑去。黑煤球呆呆地看着她，然后呼喊：“傻瓜，快回来！我们会想出解决办法的！”
Chapter Five SOOTY LENOIR
Chapter Five SOOTY LENOIR
　　SOOTY ran down the steps that led to the front door, and tore after George. The others followed.
　　Marybelle went too, shutting the big front door behind her carefully.
　　There was a small door in the wall just where George was. Sooty caught hold of her and pushed herroughly through the door, holding it open for the others.
　　'Don't shove me like that,' began George, angrily. 'Timmy will bite you if you push me about.'
　　'No, he won't,' said Sooty, with a cheerful grin. 'Dogs like me. Even if I boxed your ears your dogwould only wag his tail at me.'
　　The children found themselves in a dark passage. There was a door at the farther end. 'Wait here aminute and I'll see if the coast is clear,' said Sooty. 'I know my stepfather is in, and I tell you, if hesees that dog he'll pack you all into the car again, and send you back! And I don't want him to do thatbecause I can't tell you how I've looked forward to having you all!'
　　He grinned at them, and their hearts warmed towards him again, even George's, though she still feltangry at being so roughly pushed. She kept Timmy close beside her.
　　All the same everyone felt a bit scared of Mr. Lenoir. He sounded rather a fierce sort of person!
　　Sooty tiptoed to the door at the end of the passage and opened it. He peeped into the room there, andthen came back to the others.
　　'All clear,' he said. 'We'll take the secret passage to my bedroom. No one will see us then, and oncewe're there we can make plans to hide the dog. Ready?'
　　20
　　A secret passage sounded thrilling. Feeling rather as if they were in an adventure story, the childrenwent quietly to the door and into the room beyond. It was a dark, oak-panelled room, evidently astudy of some sort, for there was a big desk there, and the walls were lined with books. There was noone there.
　　Sooty went to one of the oak panels in the wall, felt along it deftly, and pressed in a certain place.
　　The panel slid softly aside. Sooty put in his hand and pulled at something. A much larger panel belowslid into the wall, and left an opening big enough for the children to pass through.
　　'Come on,' said Sooty in a low voice. 'Don't make a row.'
　　Feeling excited, the children all passed through the opening. Sooty came last, and did something thatshut the opening and slid the first panel back into its place again.
　　He switched on a small torch, for it was pitch dark where the children were standing.
　　They were in a narrow stone passage, so narrow that two people could not possibly have passed oneanother unless both were as thin as rakes. Sooty passed his torch along to Julian, who was in front.
　　'Keep straight on till you come to stone steps,' he said. 'Go up them, turn to the right at the top, andkeep straight on till you come to a blank wall, then I'll tell you what to do.'
　　Julian led the way, holding up the torch for the others. The narrow passage ran straight, and came tosome stone steps. It was not only very narrow but rather low, so that Anne and Marybelle were theonly ones who did not have to bend their heads.
　　Anne didn't like it very much. She never liked being in a very narrow enclosed space. It reminded herof dreams she sometimes had of being somewhere she couldn't get away from. She was glad whenJulian spoke. 'The steps are here. Up we go, everyone.'
　　'Don't make a row,' said Sooty, in a low voice. 'We're passing the dining-room now. There's a wayinto this passage from there too.'
　　Everyone fell silent, and tried to walk on tiptoe, though this was unexpectedly difficult when headshad to be bent and shoulders stooped.
　　They climbed up fourteen steps, which were quite steep, and curved round half-way. Julian turned tothe right at the top. The passage ran upwards then, and was as narrow as before. Julian felt certainthat a very fat person could not possibly get along it.
　　He went on until, with a start, he almost bumped into a blank stone wall! He flashed his torch up anddown it. A low voice came from the back of the line of children.
　　21
　　'You've got to the blank wall, Julian. Shine your torch up to where the roof of the passage meets thewall. You will see an iron handle there. Press down on it hard.'
　　Julian flashed his torch up and saw the handle. He put his torch into his left hand, and grasped thethick iron handle with his right hand. He pressed down as hard as he could.
　　And, quite silently, the great stone in the middle of the wall slid forward and sideways, leaving agaping hole.
　　Julian was astonished. He let go the iron handle and flashed his torch into the hole. There was nothingbut darkness there!
　　'It's all right it leads into a big cupboard in my bedroom!' called Sooty from the back. 'Get through,Julian, and we'll follow. There won't be anyone in my room.'
　　Julian crawled through the hole and found himself in a spacious cupboard, hung with Booty's clothes.
　　He groped his way through them and bumped against a door. He opened it and at once daylightflooded into the cupboard, lighting up the way from the passage into the room.
　　One by one the others clambered through the hole, lost themselves in clothes for a moment and thenwent thankfully into the room through the cupboard door.
　　Timmy, puzzled and silent, followed close beside George. He had not liked the dark, narrow passagevery much. He was glad to be in daylight again!
　　Sooty, coming last, carefully closed the opening into the passage by pressing the stone back. Itworked easily, though Julian could not imagine how. There must be some sort of pivot, he thought.
　　Sooty joined the others in his bedroom, grinning. George had her hand on Timmy's collar. 'It's allright, George,' said Sooty. 'We're quite safe here. My room and Marybelle's are separate from the restof the house. We're in a wing on our own, reached by a long passage!'
　　He opened the door and showed the others what he meant. There was a room next to his, which wasMarybelle's. Beyond stretched a stone-floored, stone-walled passage, laid with mats. At the end of it abig window let in light. There was a door there, a great oak one, which was shut.
　　'See? We're quite safe here, all by ourselves,' said Sooty. 'Timmy could bark if he liked, and no onewould know.'
　　'But doesn't anyone ever come?' said Anne, surprised. 'Who keeps your rooms tidy, and cleans them?'
　　22
　　'Oh, Sarah comes and does that every morning,' said Sooty. 'But usually no one else comes. Andanyway, I've got a way of knowing when anyone opens that door!'
　　He pointed to the door at the end of the passage. The others stared at him.
　　'How do you know?" said Dick.
　　'I've rigged up something that makes a buzzing noise here, in my room, as soon as that door isopened,' said Sooty, proudly. 'Look, I'll go along and open it, while you stay here and listen.'
　　He sped along the passage and opened the heavy door at the end. Immediately a low buzzing noisesounded somewhere in his room, and made everyone jump. Timmy was startled too, pricked up hisears, and growled fiercely.
　　Sooty shut the door and ran back. 'Did you hear the noise? It's a good idea, isn't it? I'm alwaysthinking of things like that.'
　　The others thought they had come to rather a queer place! They stared round Sooty's bedroom, whichwas quite ordinary in its furnishings, and in its general untidiness. There was a big diamond-panedwindow, and Anne went to look out of it.
　　She gave a gasp. She had not expected to look down such a precipice! Smuggler's Top was built atthe summit of the hill, and on the side where Sooty's bedroom was, the hill fell away steeply, downand down to the marsh below!
　　'Oh look!' she said. 'Look how steep it is! It really gives me a very queer feeling to look down there!'
　　The others crowded round and looked in silence, for it certainly was strange to gaze down such along way. The sun was shining up on the hill-summit, but all around, as far as they could see, mistshid the marsh and the far-off sea. The only bit of the marsh that could be seen was far down below, atthe bottom of the steep hill.
　　'When the mists are away, you can see over the flat marshes to where the sea begins,' said Sooty.
　　'That's quite a fine sight. You can hardly tell where the marsh ends and sea begins except when thesea is very blue. Fancy, once upon a time, the sea came right up and around this hill, and it was anisland.'
　　'Yes. The innkeeper told us that,' said George. 'Why did the sea go back and leave it?'
　　'I don't know,' said Sooty. 'People say it's going back farther and farther. There's a big scheme on footto drain the marsh, and turn it into fields, but I don't know if that will ever happen.'
　　'I don't like that marsh,' said Anne, with a shiver. 'It looks wicked, somehow.'
　　23
　　Timmy whined. George remembered that they must hide him, and make plans for him. She turned toSooty.
　　'Did you mean what you said about hiding Tim?' she asked. 'Where shall we put him? And can he befed? And how can we exercise him? He's a big dog, you know.'
　　'We'll plan it all,' said Sooty. 'Don't you worry. I love dogs, and I shall be thrilled to have Timmyhere. But I do warn you that if my stepfather ever finds out, we shall probably all get a jolly goodthrashing and you'll be sent home in disgrace.'
　　'But why doesn't your father like dogs?' said Anne puzzled. 'Is he afraid of them?'
　　'No, I don't think so. It's just that he won't have them here in the house,' said Sooty. 'I think he musthave a reason for it, but I don't know what it is. He's a queer sort of man, my stepfather!'
　　'How is he queer?' asked Dick.
　　'Well - he seems full of secrets,' said Sooty. 'Queer people come here, and they come secretly withoutanyone knowing. I've seen lights shining in our tower on certain nights, but I don't know who putsthem there or why. I've tried to find out, but I can't.'
　　'Do you think - do you think your father is a smuggler?' said Anne, suddenly.
　　'I don't think so,' said Sooty. 'We've got one smuggler here, and everyone knows him! See that houseover there to the right, lower down the hill? Well, that's where he lives. He's as rich as can be. Hisname is Barling. Even the police know his goings-on, but they can't stop him! He is very rich andvery powerful, so he does what he likes - and he won't let anyone play the same game as he plays! Noone else would dare to do any smuggling in Castaway, while he does it!'
　　'This seems rather an exciting place,' said Julian. 'I have a kind of feeling there might be an adventuresomewhere about!'
　　'Oh no,' said Sooty. 'Nothing ever happens, really. It's only just a feeling you get here, because theplace is so old, so full of secret ways and pits and passages. Why, the whole hill is mined withpassages in the rock, used by the smugglers of olden times!'
　　'Well,' began Julian, and stopped very suddenly. Everyone stared at Sooty. His secret buzzer hadsuddenly barked from its hidden corner! Someone had opened the door at the end of the passage!
5.黑煤球皮埃尔
　　黑煤球皮埃尔
　　黑煤球从通往前门的台阶跑了下去，一把拉住乔治。其他人随即也追了过去，玛丽贝尔也跟了过来，并小心翼翼地关上了乔治身后的大门。
　　这时乔治刚巧站在一堵墙边，那儿开了一扇小门。黑煤球将乔治推进门里，然后拉着门等其他人过来。
　　“别使劲推我。再推我，蒂米会咬你的！”乔治气呼呼地说。
　　“它才不会咬我呢！”黑煤球嬉皮笑脸地说，“狗都很喜欢我。就算我打你一记耳光，它依然会冲着我摇尾巴。”
　　争执之间，孩子们发现自己身处一条长长的暗道之中，在深邃的通道尽头有一扇门。
　　“请大家在这里等一下，我先去看一下是不是安全。”黑煤球说，“要是发现我继父在里边，我会立即通知你们。如果让他看到这只狗，他肯定二话不说，将你们全部扔进车里，送你们回家！我可不想让他这么做！你们不知道我有多么期待你们的到来！”
　　他咧开嘴冲着大家笑起来。那灿烂的笑容打动了每个人的心，就连因被推挤而和他赌气的乔治也被感染了。
　　孩子们都有些害怕勒努瓦先生，听起来他似乎是那种很凶悍的人！乔治命令蒂米待在自己身边，不准它离开半步。
　　黑煤球蹑手蹑脚地走到通道另一头，推开那扇门，溜进房间打探一番后，又回来与大家会合。
　　“现在很安全，可以行动，”他说，“我们从这条密道去我的卧室吧，这样就不会有人发现我们了。等到了我的卧室，我们再想办法把狗藏起来。准备好了吗？”
　　“密道”听起来很刺激，孩子们感觉就像是在冒险小说中一样。
　　他们悄悄穿过那扇门，走进了房间。房间里没有人，光线昏暗，四面装有橡木墙板，里面还有一张大桌子，书架上整齐地摆放着一排排书籍，看上去像是一间书房。
　　黑煤球走到墙边其中一块橡木墙板前，灵巧地摸索着，接着按压了一下某个特殊位置，墙板立即轻轻地滑到了一侧。紧接着，他把手伸进去，拉动了藏在里面的机关。一块更大的墙板滑进了墙里，露出一个足以让孩子们穿行而过的开口。
　　“大家跟我来吧，”黑煤球压低声音说，“尽量不要发出声音。”
　　孩子们一个接一个地钻了进去，心情无比激动。黑煤球走在最后面，他按了一下那个机关，将开口合上，第一块墙板滑回了原来的位置。
　　一瞬间，孩子们陷入了无尽的黑暗之中。黑煤球打开了一个手电筒，照亮了前路。
　　这是一条狭长的石砌通道，几乎不可能容纳两个人并肩行走，除非两人都像棍子一样瘦。黑煤球将手电筒传给了走在最前面的朱利安。
　　“一直往前走，看到石阶以后，顺着往上走到最顶端，再朝右拐，”他说，“然后继续向前走到路的尽头。到那个时候，我再告诉你接下来该怎么做。”
　　朱利安举着手电筒，在前面为大家引路。狭窄的通道笔直地向前延伸着，一直延伸到尽头的石阶处。通道又窄又低，以至孩子们必须压低小脑袋才能前进，只有个子较小的安妮和玛丽贝尔不必低头走路。
　　安妮心思烦乱，她特别讨厌待在狭窄的密闭空间里。这种环境让她想起曾经做过的恶梦。在梦里，她拼尽全力，却仍被困在某个地方，无法脱身。此时，朱利安开口说话了，这让她放松许多。“我们已经走到石阶了，现在往上爬吧。”
　　“别大声说话，”黑煤球小心提醒道，“现在我们将穿过餐厅，餐厅那儿也有一条路通向这里。”
　　所有人一听，立即不再说话。尽管压低身子行走已经很困难了，孩子们仍然尽量踮起脚尖，小心翼翼地爬上了14级台阶。这些台阶盘旋而上，十分陡峭。
　　走完这一段后，朱利安往右转去，看见了另一段笔直而又狭窄的通道。朱利安心想，要是一个胖子，肯定没法穿过这里。
　　他一边想，一边走，差点撞到尽头的墙壁上！朱利安上下晃动着手电筒查看着，这时后面传来黑煤球低沉的声音。
　　“你已经走到那堵墙壁那里了，朱利安。你用手电筒往上面照，在通道顶部和墙壁相接的地方，可以看到一个铁把手，用力按压一下那个铁把手。”
　　朱利安举起手电筒，找到了那个铁把手。他将手电筒换到左手，然后用右手抓住粗大的铁把手，竭尽全力向下压去。
　　大家紧张得连大气都不敢喘上一口。就在这时，墙壁中间有块巨石开始向前滑动，滑动了一段距离后，又朝侧边收拢——一个大洞口就露出来了。
　　朱利安惊呆了。他松开铁把手，用手电筒探了探前方的洞穴。
　　那里漆黑一团，什么都看不见！
　　“不用担心，这个洞能一直通到我卧室里的大衣柜！”黑煤球在后方鼓励朱利安，“你先走进去，我们跟在你后边。我的房间里没有其他人。”
　　朱利安沿着洞一路爬过去，之后发现自己身在一个宽敞的大柜子里，里面挂满了黑煤球的衣服。他摸索着穿过这一大堆衣服，然后触碰到了一扇门。推开门的那一瞬间，刺眼的阳光立刻照进了衣柜，照亮了进入房间的路。
　　他们一个接一个地爬进洞里，然后又扑进了一大堆衣物当中。
　　不一会儿，孩子们终于从衣柜中走出来，进了卧室。
　　蒂米茫然无措，一直安静地紧随乔治的脚步。它从来不喜欢黑暗又狭窄的通道。再次沐浴阳光，它别提有多开心了！
　　黑煤球是最后一个走出通道的人。他小心翼翼地将石头推了回去，关闭了通道入口。石门开闭的原理看起来非常简单，但朱利安猜不透它是如何办到的。入口背后一定有轴轮之类的装置，朱利安心想。
　　大家终于抵达了卧室，黑煤球开心得咧嘴大笑。他看到乔治还牵着蒂米的项圈，便说：“乔治，你可以松手了。我们现在很安全。
　　我和玛丽贝尔的房间在城堡的一个侧翼上，与城堡的其他房间是分开的。其他人必须要穿过长长的走廊才能过来。”
　　他打开门，向小伙伴们展示着。他的卧室旁边是玛丽贝尔的房间。走廊的墙壁是石头砌成的，地板也是石头铺设的——上面还铺着地毯。阳光从走廊尽头的大窗户映射进来。大家看到走廊尽头还有一扇紧闭的橡木门。
　　“瞧见了吧？这里除了我们，没有其他人，非常安全。”黑煤球说，“蒂米想叫就叫吧，反正没有人会听到的。”
　　“这里从来不会有人来吗？”安妮有些诧异，“谁帮你们整理房间，打扫卫生呢？”
　　“噢，莎拉每天早晨会过来清扫屋子，”黑煤球说，“但平时没有人来这里。就算有人来，我也有办法提前知道他们何时推门进来！”说完，他指了指走廊尽头的大门。其他人一脸茫然地盯着他。
　　“怎么知道有人来了呢？”迪克问。
　　“我在房间里安装了警报器。只要有人打开那扇门，警报器就会嗡嗡作响。”黑煤球得意地说，“我这就去打开门，给你们演示一下。你们待在房里听警报声吧。”
　　黑煤球快步走过去，打开了厚重的大门。转瞬间，他房里响起了嗡嗡声，把大家吓了一跳。蒂米也受到了惊吓，竖起小耳朵狂吠起来。黑煤球见状，立即关上门，跑了回来。
　　“听见警报声了吧？这办法不错，对吗？我经常研究像这样的小发明。”
　　朱利安他们觉得自己来到了一个相当古怪的地方！他们打量着黑煤球的房间。房间里的陈设很普通，并没有什么特别的地方，而且有些乱糟糟的。
　　安妮看到房里有一扇巨大的菱形玻璃窗，便走过去眺望窗外的风景，接着便不由得倒吸了一口凉气。她没想到自己站的窗边就在悬崖绝壁上！走私者城堡建在山顶不假，但黑煤球的卧室所在的地方居然是山顶最陡峭险峻之处，直悬在下面的沼泽地上方，这实在太不可思议了。
　　“大家快来看啊！”她说，“这里山高坡陡，往下看时真让人害怕！”
　　其他人围向窗边，默默地凝视着幽深的山底，心中都觉得奇异极了。
　　阳光洒下道道金光，照耀着山巅。沼泽和远处的海洋上雾蒙蒙的。孩子们唯一能看到的就是这陡峭高山下的一点点沼泽。
　　“浓雾散去之后，你可以看到平坦的沼泽一直延伸到远方，与大海相接，”黑煤球说，“风景非常优美。你几乎无法分清哪里是沼泽，哪里是大海——除非大海呈现出很蓝的色调。试想一下，以前这里是一座小岛，海洋环绕着这座高山，多么美妙的景色！”
　　“是啊，餐馆老板也说过这个，”乔治说，“为什么海水退去，留下这片沼泽地呢？”
　　“我也说不清，”黑煤球说，“大家都说潮水越退越远。听说有人正在筹划排干沼泽，开辟田地。不过，这可是一项大工程。最终能否实现，谁也说不清。”
　　“我不喜欢沼泽地，”安妮颤声说道，“那鬼地方邪乎得很。”
　　听见蒂米“呜呜”地叫了起来，乔治这才想起他们必须想办法把它藏起来，好好安顿它。于是，她扭过头向黑煤球征求建议。
　　“刚刚你说有办法把蒂米藏起来。你也看见了，蒂米是只大狗，你准备把它藏在哪里呢？它不会挨饿吧？如果我们想遛狗，又该怎么办呢？”
　　“放心交给我来办吧，”黑煤球说，“我特别喜欢狗，见到蒂米跟你们一起来这里，我真是开心得不得了呢！但我必须提醒你们，如果被我继父发现，十有八九，他会狠狠教训我们，然后再把你们赶回家。”
　　“你继父为什么这么讨厌狗呢？”安妮迷惑不解，“难道他很怕狗？”
　　“我想内情不是这样的，他只是不允许在家里养狗。”黑煤球分析道，“继父这么做，一定有他的原因，可我从来没有弄明白过。我继父是个很古怪的人！”
　　“他有多古怪呢？”迪克问。
　　“我总觉得他有许多秘密，”黑煤球说，“平时家里经常有稀奇古怪的陌生人进出。他们行踪诡秘，不想让别人知道他们来过。有时候，我见到家里那座塔楼上灯火通明，但我不知道是谁登上了塔顶，更不知道他们去那里的目的是什么。我试着去查探过，可依然毫无头绪。”
　　“那么，你有没有怀疑过你继父其实是一名走私客呢？”安妮冷不丁问了一句。
　　“我看不是。我们这个地方确实有一个走私客，人人都认识他。
　　看到山底右边那栋屋子了吗？他就住在那里。那人叫巴林，有权有势，富甲一方，所以平日里无所忌惮，连警察都知道他在做什么‘生意’，但他们却阻止不了他。而且他从来不会让人插手或抢他的生意！不过在放逐之山，除了他以外，根本没人敢做走私这种事！”
　　“这个地方似乎很有意思啊！”朱利安说，“我有一种预感，我们很快会展开一次刺激的冒险！”
　　“哦，我觉得不会有这种事情发生，”黑煤球说，“这个地方历史悠久，到处都是密道、矿井和走廊，所以你才会有这种神奇的感受。在古时候，走私客们凿开岩石，在整座山里挖掘筑造出了一条条纵横交错的密道。”
　　“我懂了。”说到这里，朱利安突然不作声了。大家紧张地望向黑煤球——他的秘密“小发明”发出了“嗡嗡”的报警声！有人推开了走廊尽头的那扇门！