Chapter Eleven OFF TO KIRRIN ISLAND

Chapter Eleven OFF TO KIRRIN ISLAND
　　JULIAN and George went to find Dick and Anne. They were waiting for them in the garden, lookingrather upset. They were glad to see Julian and George and ran to meet them.
　　Anne took George's hands. "I'm awfully¹ sorry about your island, George," she said.
　　"So am I," said Dick. "Bad luck, old girl—I mean, old boy!"George managed to smile. "I've been behaving like a girl," she said, half-ashamed. "But I did get anawful shock."
　　Julian told the others what they had planned. "We'll go tomorrow morning," he said. "We'll make outa list of all the things we shall need. Let's begin now."54
　　He took out a pencil and notebook. The others looked at him.
　　"Things to eat," said Dick at once. "Plenty because we'll be hungry.""Something to drink," said George. "There's no water on the island— though I believe there was awell or something, years ago, that went right down below the level of the sea, and was fresh water.
　　Anyway, I've never found it."
　　"Food," wrote down Julian, "and drink." He looked at the others.
　　"Spades," he said solemnly, and scribbled² the word down.
　　Anne stared in surprise.
　　"What for?" she asked.
　　"Well, we'll want to dig about when we're hunting for a way down to the dungeons⁴," said Julian.
　　"Ropes," said Dick. "We may want those too.""And torches," said George. "It'll be dark in the dungeons.""Oooh!" said Anne, feeling a pleasant shiver go down her back at the thought. She had no idea whatdungeons were like, but they sounded thrilling.
　　"Rugs," said Dick. "We'll be cold at night if we sleep in that little old room."Julian wrote them down. "Mugs to drink from," he said. "And we'll take a few tools too— we mayperhaps need them. You never know."
　　At the end of half an hour they had quite a nice long list, and everyone felt pleased and excited.
　　George was beginning to recover from her rage and disappointment. If she had been alone, and hadbrooded over everything, she would have been in an even worse sulk and temper—but somehow theothers were so calm and sensible and cheerful. It was impossible to sulk for long if she was withthem.
　　"I think I'd have been much nicer if I hadn't been on my own so much," thought George to herself, asshe looked at Julian's bent⁶ head. "Talking about things to other people does help a lot.
　　They don't seem so dreadful then; they seem more bearable and ordinary. I like my three cousinsawfully. I like them because they talk and laugh and are always cheerful and kind. I wish I was likethem. I'm sulky and bad-tempered⁷ and fierce, and no wonder Father doesn't like me and scolds me sooften. Mother's a dear, but I understand now why she says I am difficult. I'm different from mycousins— they're easy to understand, and everyone likes them. I'm glad they came. They are makingme more like I ought to be."
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　　This was a long thought to think, and George looked very serious while she was thinking it.
　　Julian looked up and caught her blue eyes fixed⁸ on him. He smiled.
　　"Penny for your thoughts!" he said.
　　"They're not worth a penny," said George, going red. "I was just thinking how nice you all are—and how I wished I could be like you."
　　"You're an awfully nice person," said Julian, surprisingly. "You can't help being an only child.
　　They're always a bit queer, you know, unless they're mighty⁹ careful. You're a most interesting person,I think."
　　George flushed red again, and felt pleased. "Let's go and take Timothy for a walk," she said.
　　"He'll be wondering what's happened to us today."They all went off together, and Timothy greeted them at the top of his voice. They told him all abouttheir plans for the next day, and he wagged his tail and looked up at them out of his soft brown eyesas if he understood every single word they said!
　　"He must feel pleased to think he's going to be with us for two or three days," said Anne.
　　It was very exciting the next morning, setting off in the boat with all their things packed neatly¹⁰ at oneend. Julian checked them all by reading out aloud from his list. It didn't seem as if they had forgottenanything.
　　"Got the map?" said Dick, suddenly.
　　Julian nodded.
　　"I put on clean jeans this morning," he said, "but you may be sure I remembered to pop the map intomy pocket. Here it is!
　　He took it out— and the wind at once blew it right out of his hands! It fell into the sea and bobbedthere in the wind. All four children gave a cry of utter dismay. Their precious map!
　　"Quick! Row after it!" cried George, and swung the boat round. But someone was quicker than shewas! Tim had seen the paper fly from Julian's hand, and had heard and understood the cries ofdismay. With an enormous splash he leapt into the water and swam valiantly¹¹ after the map.
　　He could swim well for a dog, for he was strong and powerful. He soon had the map in his mouth andwas swimming back to the boat. The children thought he was simply marvellous!
　　George hauled him into the boat and took the map from his mouth. There was hardly the mark of histeeth on it! He had carried it so carefully. It was wet, and the children looked anxiously at it 56to see if the tracing had been spoilt. But Julian had traced it very strongly, and it was quite all right.
　　He placed it on a seat to dry, and told Dick to hold it there in the sun.
　　"That was a narrow squeak¹²!" he said, and the others agreed.
　　George took the oars¹³ again, and they set off once more to the island, getting a perfect shower-bathfrom Timothy when he stood up and shook his wet coat. He was given a big biscuit as a reward, andcrunched it up with great enjoyment¹⁴.
　　George made her way through the reefs of rocks with a sure hand. It was marvellous to the othershow she could slide the boat in between the dangerous rocks and never get a scratch. They thoughtshe was really wonderful. She brought them safely to the little inlet, and they jumped out on to thesand. They pulled the boat high up, in case the tide came far up the tiny cove⁵, and then began tounload their goods.
　　"We'll carry all the things to that little stone room," said Julian. "They will be safe there and won't getwet if it rains. I hope nobody comes to the island while we are here, George.""I shouldn't think they would," said George. "Father said it would be about a week before the deedswere signed, making over the island to that man. It won't be his till then. We've got a week, anyhow.""Well, we don't need to keep a watch in case anyone else arrives then," said Julian, who had halfthought that it would be a good idea to make someone stay on guard at the inlet, to give a warning tothe others in case anyone else arrived. "Come on! You take the spades, Dick. I'll take the food anddrink with George. And Anne can take the little things."The food and drink were in a big box, for the children did not mean to starve while they were on theisland! They had brought loaves of bread, butter, biscuits, jam, tins of fruit, ripe plums, bottles ofginger-beer, a kettle to make tea, and anything else they could think of! George and Julian staggeredup the cliff with the heavy box. They had to put it down once or twice to give themselves a rest!
　　They put everything into the little room. Then they went back to get the collection of blankets andrugs from the boat. They arranged them in the corners of the little room, and thought that it would bemost exciting to spend the night there.
　　"The two girls can sleep together on this pile of rugs," said Julian. "And we two boys will have thispile."
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　　George looked as if she didn't want to be put with Anne, and classed as a girl. But Anne didn't wishto sleep alone in her corner, and she looked so beseechingly¹⁵ at George that the bigger girl smiled ather and made no objection. Anne thought that George was getting nicer and nicer!
　　"Well, now we'll get down to business," said Julian, and he pulled out his map. "We must study thisreally carefully, and find out exactly under what spot the entrances to the dungeons are.
　　Now— come around and let's do our best to find out! It's up to us to use our brains— and beat thatman who's bought the island!"
　　They all bent over the traced map. It was quite dry now, and the children looked at it earnestly. It wasplain that in the old days the castle had been a very fine place.
　　"Now look," said Julian, putting his finger on the plan of the dungeons. "These seem to run all alongunder the castle— and here— and here— are the marks that seem to be meant to represent steps orstairs."
　　"Yes," said George. "I should think they are. Well, if so, there appear to be two ways of getting downinto the dungeons. One lot of steps seems to begin somewhere near this little room— and the otherseems to start under the tower there. And what do you suppose this thing is here, Julian?"She put her finger on a round hole that was shown not only in the plan of the dungeons, but also inthe plan of the ground floor of the castle.
　　"I can't imagine what that is," said Julian, puzzled. "Oh yes, I know what it might be! You said therewas an old well somewhere, do you remember? Well, that may be it, I should think. It would have tobe very deep to get fresh water right under the sea— so it probably goes down through the dungeonstoo. Isn't this thrilling?"
　　Everyone thought it was. They felt happy and excited. There was something to discover—something they could and must discover within the next day or two.
　　They looked at one another. "Well," said Dick, "what are we going to start on? Shall we try to findthe entrance to the dungeons— the one that seems to start round about this little room? For all weknow there may be a big stone we can lift that opens above the dungeon³ steps!"This was a thrilling thought, and the children jumped up at once. Julian folded up the precious mapand put it into his pocket. He looked round. The stone floor of the little room was overgrown withcreeping weeds. They must be cleared away before it was possible to see if there were any stones thatlooked as if they might be moved.
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　　"We'd better set to work," said Julian, and he picked up a spade. "Let's clear away these weeds withour spades— scrape them off, look, like this— and then examine every single stone!"They all picked up spades and soon the little stone room was full of a scraping sound as the four ofthem chiselled¹⁶ away at the close-growing weeds with their spades. It wasn't very difficult to get thestones clear of them, and the children worked with a will.
　　Tim got most excited about everything. He hadn't any idea at all what they were doing, but he joinedin valiantly. He scraped away at the floor with his four paws, sending earth and plants flying high intothe air!
　　"Hi, Tim!" said Julian, shaking a clod of earth out of his hair. "You're being a bit too vigorous.
　　My word, you'll send the stones flying into the air too, in a minute. George, isn't Tim marvellous theway he joins in everything?"
　　How they all worked! How they all longed to find the entrance to the underground dungeons!
　　What a thrill that would be.

1 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

2 scribbled   

v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• She scribbled his phone number on a scrap of paper. 她把他的电话号码匆匆写在一张小纸片上。
• He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving. 临行前，他给妹妹草草写了一封短信。

3 dungeon   

n.地牢，土牢

参考例句：

• They were driven into a dark dungeon.他们被人驱赶进入一个黑暗的地牢。
• He was just set free from a dungeon a few days ago.几天前，他刚从土牢里被放出来。

4 dungeons   

n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

7 bad-tempered   

adj.脾气坏的

参考例句：

• He grew more and more bad-tempered as the afternoon wore on.随着下午一点点地过去，他的脾气也越来越坏。
• I know he's often bad-tempered but really,you know,he's got a heart of gold.我知道他经常发脾气，但是，要知道，其实他心肠很好。

8 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

10 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

11 valiantly   

adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳

参考例句：

• He faced the enemy valiantly, shuned no difficulties and dangers and would not hesitate to lay down his life if need be. 他英勇对敌，不避艰险，赴汤蹈火在所不计。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Murcertach strove valiantly to meet the new order of things. 面对这个新事态，默克塔克英勇奋斗。 来自辞典例句

12 squeak   

n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another squeak out of you!我不想再听到你出声！
• We won the game,but it was a narrow squeak.我们打赢了这场球赛，不过是侥幸取胜。

13 oars   

n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
• The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

15 beseechingly   

adv. 恳求地

参考例句：

• She stood up, and almost beseechingly, asked her husband,'shall we go now?" 她站起身来，几乎是恳求似地问丈夫：“我们现在就走吧？”
• Narcissa began to cry in earnest, gazing beseechingly all the while at Snape. 纳西莎伤心地哭了起来，乞求地盯着斯内普。

16 chiselled   

adj.凿过的，凿光的； （文章等）精心雕琢的v.凿，雕，镌( chisel的过去式 )

参考例句：

• A name was chiselled into the stone. 石头上刻着一个人名。
• He chiselled a hole in the door to fit a new lock. 他在门上凿了一个孔，以便装一把新锁。 来自《简明英汉词典》