12 Bill goes off on his own

　　12
　　Bill goes off on his own
　　Bill went off down the valley to the cove¹ where the motor-boat was moored². His feet sank deeplyinto the soft earth. The children stared after him.
　　Lucy looked solemn – as solemn as Huffin and Puffin, who were leaning against Philip, standingupright, their big beaks⁴ looking heavy and clumsy.
　　‘Oh dear – what does Bill mean? Surely we’re not going to tumble into an adventure again! Uphere, where there’s nothing but the sea, the wind and the birds! What could happen, I wonder?’
　　‘Well, Bill isn’t likely to tell us much,’ said Philip. ‘So don’t bother him with questions. I’mgoing to turn in. Brrrrr! It’s getting a bit cold now. Me for that big pile of rugs! Huffin and Puffin,you’d better keep outside for the night. There’ll be little enough room in this tent for you, as wellas us three, Kiki and the rats.’
　　Huffin and Puffin looked at one another. Then, with one accord, they began to scrape the earthjust outside the tent, sending the soil up behind them. Lucy-Ann giggled⁵.
　　‘They’re going to make a burrow⁶ as near you as possible, Philip. Oh, aren’t they funny?’
　　Kiki walked round to examine what the two puffins were doing. She got a shower of earth allover her and was very indignant.
　　‘Arrrrrrr!’ she growled⁷, and the two puffins agreed politely. ‘Arrrrrrrr!’
　　Bill came back in about half an hour. All the children were cuddled up in their rugs, and Lucy-Ann was asleep. Dinah called out to him.
　　‘Everything all right, Bill?’
　　‘Yes. I got a message from London, to tell me that your mother is getting on as well as can beexpected,’ said Bill. ‘But she’s got measles⁸ pretty badly, apparently⁹. Good thing you’re all off herhands!’
　　‘What about your own message, Bill – about the aeroplane?’ said Dinah, who was very curiousover Bill’s great interest in it. ‘Did that get through?’
　　‘Yes,’ said Bill shortly. ‘It did. It’s nothing to worry your head about. Good night, Dinah.’
　　In two minutes’ time everyone was asleep. Squeaker and his relations were only to be seen asbumps about Philip’s person. Kiki was sitting on Jack¹⁰’s tummy, though he had already pushed heroff several times. Huffin and Puffin were squatting¹¹ in their new-made tunnel, their big colouredbeaks touching¹². Everything was very peaceful as the moon slid across the sky, making a silverypath on the restless waters.
　　The morning dawned bright and beautiful, and it seemed as if the storm was not coming, forthere was no longer any closeness in the air. Instead it was fresh and invigorating. The children randown to the shore to bathe as soon as they got up. They ran so fast that Huffin and Puffin could notkeep up, but had to fly. They went into the water with the children, and bobbed up and down,looking quite ridiculous.
　　Then they dived for fish, swimming with their wings under the water. They were very quickindeed, and soon came up with fish in their enormous beaks.
　　‘What about giving us one for breakfast, Huffin?’ called Philip, and tried to take a fish from thenearest puffin’s beak³. But it held on to it – and then swallowed it whole.
　　‘You ought to teach them to catch fish for us,’ said Jack, giggling¹³. ‘We could have grilled¹⁴ fishfor breakfast then! Hey, get away, Puffin – that’s my foot, not a fish!’
　　At breakfast they discussed their plans for the day. ‘What shall we do? Let’s explore the wholeisland, and give bits of it proper names. This glen, where we are now, is Sleepy Hollow, becauseit’s where we sleep,’ said Lucy-Ann.
　　‘And the shore where we bathe is Splash Cove,’ said Dinah. And where we first moored ourmotor-boat is Hidden Harbour.’
　　Bill had been rather silent at breakfast. Jack turned to him. ‘Bill! What do you want to do? Willyou come and explore the island with us?’
　　‘Well,’ said Bill, very surprisingly, ‘if you don’t mind, as you’ll be very busy and happy onyour own, I’ll take the motor-boat and go cruising about a bit – round all these islands, you know.’
　　‘What! Without us?’ said Dinah in astonishment¹⁵. ‘We’ll come with you, then, if you want to dothat.’
　　‘I’m going alone, this first time,’ said Bill. ‘Take you another time, old thing. But today I’ll goalone.’
　　‘Is there – is there anything up?’ asked Jack, feeling that something wasn’t quite right. ‘Hassomething happened, Bill?’
　　‘Not that I know of,’ said Bill cheerfully. ‘I just want to go off on my own a bit, that’s all. Andif I do a bit of exploring round on my own account, I shall know the best places to take you to,shan’t I?’
　　‘All right, Bill,’ said Jack, still puzzled. ‘You do what you want. It’s your holiday too, even if itis a disappearing one!’
　　So Bill went off on his own that day, and the children heard the purr of the motor-boat as it wentout to sea, and then set off apparently to explore all the islands round about.
　　‘Bill’s up to something,’ said Philip. ‘And I bet it’s to do with those aeroplanes. I wish he’d tellus. But he never will talk.’
　　‘I hope he comes back safely,’ said Lucy-Ann anxiously. ‘It would be awful to be stranded¹⁶ hereon a bird-island, and nobody knowing where we were.’
　　‘Gosh, so it would,’ said Jack. ‘I never thought of that. Cheer up, Lucy-Ann – Bill isn’t likely torun into danger. He’s got his head screwed on all right.’
　　The day passed happily. The children went to the cliffs and watched the great companies of sea-birds there. They sat down in the midst of the puffin colony and watched the colourful, big-beakedbirds going about their daily business. Lucy-Ann wore a hanky tied round her nose. She couldn’tbear the smell of the colony, but the others soon got used to the heavy sourness of the air, andanyway, the wind blew strongly.
　　Huffin and Puffin did not leave them. They walked or ran with the children. They flew roundthem, and they went to bathe with them. Kiki was half jealous, but having had one hard jab fromHuffin’s multi-coloured beak, she kept at a safe distance, and contented¹⁷ herself with making ruderemarks.
　　‘Blow your nose! How many times have I told you to wipe your feet? You bad boy! Huffin andpuffin all the time. Pop goes huffin!’
　　The children sat in Sleepy Hollow after their tea and watched for Bill to come back. The sunbegan to set. Lucy-Ann looked pale and worried. Where was Bill?
　　‘He’ll be along soon, don’t worry,’ said Philip. ‘We’ll hear his boat presently.’
　　But the sun went right down into the sea, and still there was no Bill. The darkness closed downon the island, and there was no longer any point in sitting up and waiting. It was four anxiouschildren who went into their tents and lay down to sleep. But none of them could sleep a wink¹⁸.
　　In the end the girls went into the boys’ tent and sat there, talking. Then suddenly they heard awelcome sound – rr-rr-rr-rr-rr! They all leapt up at once and rushed from the tent.
　　‘That’s Bill! It must be! Where’s a torch? Come on down to the cove.’
　　They stumbled through the puffin colony, waking up many a furious bird. They got to the beachjust as Bill came walking up. They flung themselves on him in delight.
　　‘Bill! Dear Bill! What happened to you? We honestly thought you’d got lost!’
　　‘Oh, Bill – we shan’t let you go off alone again!’
　　‘Sorry to have worried you so,’ said Bill. ‘But I didn’t want to return in the daylight in case Iwas spotted¹⁹ by an aeroplane. I had to wait till it was dark, though I knew you’d be worried. Still –here I am.’
　　‘But, Bill – aren’t you going to tell us anything?’ cried Dinah. ‘Why didn’t you want to comeback in daylight? Who would see you? And why would it matter?’
　　‘Well,’ said Bill slowly, ‘there’s something peculiar²⁰ going on up here in these lonely waters. Idon’t know quite what. I’d like to find out. I didn’t see a soul today, anywhere, though I nosedround umpteen²¹ islands. Not that I really expected to, because nobody would be fool enough tocome up here for something secret, and let anything of it be seen. Still, I thought I might find somesign.’
　　‘I suppose that bit of orange peel was a sign that someone’s here besides ourselves, on someother island?’ said Lucy-Ann, remembering the piece that had bobbed against her fingers. ‘Butwhat are they doing? Surely they can’t do much in this desolate²² stretch of waters – with nothingbut islands of birds around.’
　　‘That’s what I’m puzzled about,’ said Bill. ‘Can’t be smuggling²³, because the coasts of themainland are very well patrolled at the moment, and nothing could get through. Then what is it?’
　　‘Bill, you’re sure nobody saw you?’ asked Dinah, anxiously. ‘There might be hidden watcherson one of the islands, you know – and one might see you, without you seeing him.’
　　‘That’s true,’ said Bill, ‘but I had to risk that. It’s not very likely, though. The risk of anyonecoming to these islands and disturbing whatever secret game is going on, is very remote, and Idon’t think there would be sentinels posted anywhere.’
　　‘Still – you might have been seen – or heard,’ persisted Dinah. ‘Oh, Bill – and you weresupposed to be disappearing completely! Now perhaps your enemies have spotted you!’
　　‘They would hardly be the same enemies that I’ve disappeared from,’ said Bill with a laugh. ‘Idon’t think anyone else would recognise me here, seen at a distance in a motor-boat. In any casethey would just think I was a bird-man or a naturalist²⁴ of some kind, who likes the solitude²⁵ of theseseas.’
　　They were soon back in their tents again, happy to have Bill with them in safety. The starsshone down from a clear sky. Huffin and Puffin shuffled²⁶ down their burrow, glad that their newfamily had gone to rest. They did not approve of these night walks.
　　Lucy-Ann lay and worried. ‘I can feel an adventure coming. It’s on the way. Oh dear – and I didthink this would be the very very last place for one.’
　　Lucy-Ann was quite right. An adventure was on the way – and had very nearly arrived.

1 cove   

n.小海湾，小峡谷

参考例句：

• The shore line is wooded,olive-green,a pristine cove.岸边一带林木蓊郁，嫩绿一片，好一个山外的小海湾。
• I saw two children were playing in a cove.我看到两个小孩正在一个小海湾里玩耍。

2 moored   

adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
• We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。

3 beak   

n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻

参考例句：

• The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
• This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。

4 beaks   

n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者

参考例句：

• Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
• Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网

5 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

7 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

11 squatting   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
• They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

13 giggling   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑，叫我真受不了，那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

15 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

16 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

17 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

18 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

19 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

20 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

21 umpteen   

adj.多的，大量的；n.许许多多

参考例句：

• That punk got into umpteen fights.那个混混打斗无数。
• I told him umpteen times,and yet he can't remember.我跟他说过好几百回了，可是他就是记不住。

22 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

23 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

24 naturalist   

n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)

参考例句：

• He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。
• The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。

25 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

26 shuffled   

v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼

参考例句：

• He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
• Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》