THE three men stood at the edge of the sea, watching George pull away strongly from the shore.
They could do nothing. Their boat was quite useless.
"The fishing-smack1 they've got waiting out there is too big to use that little inlet," said George, as shepulled hard at her oars2. "They'll have to stay there till someone goes in with a boat. I guess they're aswild as can be!"
Their boat had to pass fairly near to the big fishing-boat. A man hailed them as they came by.
"Ahoy there! Have you come from Kirrin Island?""Don't answer," said George. "Don't say a word." So no one said anything at all, but looked the otherway as if they hadn't heard.
"AHOY THERE!" yelled the man, angrily. "Are you deaf? Have you come from the island?"Still the children said nothing at all, but looked away while George rowed steadily3. The man on theship gave it up, and looked in a worried manner towards the island. He felt sure the children hadcome from there—and he knew enough of his comrades' adventures to wonder if everything wasright on the island.
"He may put out a boat from the smack and go and see what's happening," said George. "Well, hecan't do much except take the men off— with a few ingots! I hardly think they'll dare to take any ofthe gold though, now that we've escaped to tell our tale!"85
Julian looked behind at the ship. He saw after a time that the little boat it carried was being loweredinto the sea. "You're right," he said to George. "They're afraid something is up. They're going torescue those three men. What a pity!"
Their little boat reached land. The children leapt out into the shallow water and dragged it up to thebeach. Tim pulled at the rope too, wagging his tail. He loved to join in anything that the childrenwere doing.
"Shall you take Tim to Alf?" asked Dick.
George shook her head. "No," she said, "we haven't any time to waste. We must go and telleverything that has happened. I'll tie Tim up to the fence in the front garden."They made their way to Kirrin Cottage at top speed. Aunt Fanny was gardening there. She stared insurprise to see the hurrying children.
"Why," she said, "I thought you were not coming back till tomorrow or the next day! Has anythinghappened? What's the matter with Dick's cheek?""Nothing much," said Dick.
The others chimed in.
"Aunt Fanny, where's Uncle Quentin? We have something important to tell him!""Mother, we've had such an adventure!"
"Aunt Fanny, we've an awful lot to tell you! We really have!"Aunt Fanny looked at the untidy children in amazement4. "Whatever has happened?" she said.
Then she turned towards the house and called, "Quentin! Quentin! The children have something totell us!"
Uncle Quentin came out, looking rather cross, for he was in the middle of his work. "What's thematter?" he asked.
"Uncle, it's about Kirrin Island," said Julian, eagerly. "Those men haven't bought it yet, have they?""Well, it's practically sold," said his uncle. "I've signed my part, and they are to sign their parttomorrow. Why? What's that to do with you?""Uncle, those men won't sign tomorrow," said Julian. "Do you know why they wanted to buy theisland and the castle? Not because they really wanted to build an hotel or anything like that—butbecause they knew the lost gold was hidden there!""What nonsense are you talking?" said his uncle.
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"It isn't nonsense, Father!" cried George indignantly. "It's all true. The map of the old castle was inthat box you sold— and in the map was shown where the ingots were hidden by my great-great-great-grandfather!"
George's father looked amazed and annoyed. He simply didn't believe a word! But his wife saw bythe solemn and serious faces of the four children that something important really had happened. Andthen Anne suddenly burst into loud sobs5! The excitement had been too much for her and she couldn'tbear to think that her uncle wouldn't believe that everything was true.
"Aunt Fanny, Aunt Fanny, it's all true!" she sobbed6. "Uncle Quentin is horrid7 not to believe us.
Oh, Aunt Fanny, the man had a revolver— and oh, he made Julian and George prisoners in thedungeons— and Dick had to climb down the well to rescue them. And George has smashed up theirmotor-boat to stop them escaping!"
Her aunt and uncle couldn't make head or tail of this, but Uncle Quentin suddenly seemed to thinkthat the matter was serious and worth looking into. "Smashed up a motor-boat!" he said.
"Whatever for? Come indoors. I shall have to hear the story from beginning to end. It seems quiteunbelievable to me."
They all trooped indoors. Anne sat on her aunt's knee and listened to George and Julian telling thewhole story. They told it well and left nothing out. Aunt Fanny grew quite pale as she listened,especially when she heard about Dick climbing down the well.
"You might have been killed," she said. "Oh, Dick! What a brave thing to do!"Uncle Quentin listened in the utmost amazement. He had never had much liking10 or admiration11 forany children— he always thought they were noisy, tiresome12, and silly. But now, as he listened toJulian's tale, he changed his mind about these four children at once!
"You've been very clever," he said. "And very brave too. I'm proud of you. Yes, I'm very proud ofyou all. No wonder you didn't want me to sell the island, George, when you knew about the ingots!
But why didn't you tell me?"
The four children stared at him and didn't answer. They couldn't very well say, "Well, firstly, youwouldn't have believed us. Secondly13, you are bad-tempered14 and unjust and we are frightened of you.
Thirdly, we didn't trust you enough to do the right thing.""Why don't you answer?" said their uncle. His wife answered for them, in a gentle voice.
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"Quentin, you scare the children, you know, and I don't expect they liked to go to you. But now thatthey have, you will be able to take matters into your own hands. The children cannot do any more.
You must ring up the police and see what they have to say about all this.""Right," said Uncle Quentin, and he got up at once. He patted Julian on the back. "You have all donewell," he said. Then he ruffled15 George's short curly hair. "And I'm proud of you, too, George," hesaid. "You're as good as a boy any day!"
"Oh Father!" said George, going red with surprise and pleasure. She smiled at him and he smiledback. The children noticed that he had a very nice face when he smiled. He and George were reallyvery alike to look at. Both looked ugly when they sulked and frowned— and both were good to lookat when they laughed or smiled!
George's father went off to telephone the police and his lawyer too. The children sat and ate biscuitsand plums, telling their aunt a great many little details they had forgotten when telling the storybefore.
As they sat there, there came a loud and angry bark from the front garden. George looked up.
"That's Tim," she said, with an anxious look at her mother. "I hadn't time to take him to Alf, whokeeps him for me. Mother, Tim was such a comfort to us on the island, you know. I'm sorry he'sbarking now— but I expect he's hungry."
"Well, fetch him in," said her mother, unexpectedly. "He's quite a hero, too— we must give him agood dinner."
George smiled in delight. She sped out of the door and went to Tim. She set him free and he camebounding indoors, wagging his long tail. He licked George's mother and cocked his ears at her.
"Good dog," she said, and actually patted him. "I'll get you some dinner!"Tim trotted16 out to the kitchen with her. Julian grinned at George. "Well, look at that," he said.
"Your mother's a brick, isn't she?"
"Yes— but I don't know what Father will say when he sees Tim in the house again," said George,doubtfully.
Her father came back at that minute, his face grave. "The police take a serious view of all this,"he said, "and so does my lawyer. They all agree in thinking that you children have been remarkablyclever and brave. And George— my lawyer says that the ingots definitely belong to us. Are therereally a lot?"
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"Father! There are hundreds!" cried George. "Simply hundreds— all in a big pile in the dungeon8.
Oh, Father—shall we be rich now?"
"Yes", said her father. "We shall. Rich enough to give you and your mother all the things I've longedto give you for so many years and couldn't. I've worked hard enough for you— but it's not the kind ofwork that brings in a lot of money, and so I've become irritable17 and bad-tempered. But now you shallhave everything you want!"
"I don't really want anything I haven't already got," said George. "But Father, there is one thing I'dlike more than anything else in the world— and it won't cost you a penny!""You shall have it, my dear!" said her father, slipping his arm round George, much to her surprise.
"Just say what it is— and even if it costs a hundred pounds you shall have it!"Just then there came the pattering of big feet down the passage to the room they were in. A big hairyhead pushed itself through the door and looked inquiringly at everyone there. It was Tim, of course!
Uncle Quentin stared at him in surprise. "Why, isn't that Tim?" he asked. "Hallo, Tim!""Father! Tim is the thing I want most in all the world," said George, squeezing her father's arm.
"You can't think what a friend he was to us on the island— and he wanted to fly at those men andfight them. Oh, Father, I don't want any other present— I only want to keep Tim and have him herefor my very own. We could afford to give him a proper kennel18 to sleep in now, and I'd see that hedidn't disturb you, I really would."
"Well, of course you can have him!" said her father—and Tim came right into the room at once,wagging his tail, looking for all the world as if he had understood every word that had been said.
He actually licked Uncle Quentin's hand! Anne thought that was very brave of him.
But Uncle Quentin was quite different now. It seemed as if a great weight had been lifted off hisshoulders. They were rich now— George could go to a good school— and his wife could have thethings he had so much wanted her to have— and he would be able to go on with the work he lovedwithout feeling that he was not earning enough to keep his family in comfort. He beamed round ateveryone, looking as jolly a person as anyone could wish!
George was overjoyed about Tim. She flung her arms round her father's neck and hugged him, a thingshe had not done for a long time. He looked astonished but very pleased. "Well, well," he said, "thisis all very pleasant. Hallo— is this the police already?"89
It was. They came up to the door and had a few words with Uncle Quentin. Then one stayed behindto take down the children's story in his note-book and the others went off to get a boat to the island.
The men had gone from there! The boat from the fishing-smack had fetched them away!— and nowboth ship and boat had disappeared! The motor-boat was still there, quite unusable. The inspectorlooked at it with a grin.
"Fierce young lady, isn't she, that Miss Georgina?" he said. "Done this job pretty well— no one couldget away in this boat. We'll have to get it towed into harbour."The police brought back with them some of the ingots of gold to show Uncle Quentin. They hadsealed up the door of the dungeon so that no one else could get in until the children's uncle was readyto go and fetch the gold. Everything was being done thoroughly19 and properly— though far too slowlyfor the children! They had hoped that the men would have been caught and taken to prison— and thatthe police would bring back the whole of the gold at once!
They were all very tired that night and didn't make any fuss at all when their aunt said that they mustgo to bed early. They undressed and then the boys went to eat their supper in the girls'
bedroom. Tim was there, ready to lick up any fallen crumbs20.
"Well, I must say we've had a wonderful adventure," said Julian, sleepily. "In a way I'm sorry it'sended -though at times I didn't enjoy it very much— especially when you and I, George, wereprisoners in that dungeon. That was awful."George was looking very happy as she nibbled21 her gingerbread biscuits. She grinned at Julian.
"And to think I hated the idea of you all coming here to stay!" she said. "I was going to be such abeast to you! I was going to make you wish you were all home again! And now the only thing thatmakes me sad is the idea of you going away— which you will do, of course, when the holidays end.
And then, after having three friends with me, enjoying adventures like this, I'll be all on my ownagain. I've never been lonely before— but I know I shall be now.""No, you won't," said Anne, suddenly. "You can do something that will stop you being lonely everagain."
"What?" said George in surprise.
"You can ask to go to the same boarding-school as I go to," said Anne. "It's such a lovely one—and we are allowed to keep our pets, so Tim could come too!"90
"Gracious! Could he really?" said George, her eyes shining. "Well, I'll go then. I always said Iwouldn't—but I will because I see now how much better and happier it is to be with others than all bymyself. And if I can have Tim, well that's simply wonderful!""You'd better go back to your own bedroom now, boys," said Aunt Fanny, appearing at the doorway22.
"Look at Dick, almost dropping with sleep! Well, you should all have pleasant dreams tonight, foryou've had an adventure to be proud of. George— is that Tim under your bed?""Well, yes it is, Mother," said George, pretending to be surprised. "Dear me! Tim, what are you doinghere?"
Tim crawled out and went over to George's mother. He lay flat on his tummy and looked up at hermost appealingly out of his soft brown eyes.
"Do you want to sleep in the girls' room tonight?" said George's mother, with a laugh. "All right—just for once!"
" Mother!" yelled George, overjoyed. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! How did you guess thatI just didn't want to be parted from Tim tonight? Oh, Mother! Tim, you can sleep on the rug overthere."
Four happy children snuggled down into their beds. Their wonderful adventure had come to a happyend. They had plenty of holidays still in front of them— and now that Uncle Quentin was no longerpoor, he would give them the little presents he wanted to. George was going to school with Anne—and she had Tim for her own again! The island and castle still belonged to George— everything wasmarvellous!
"I'm so glad Kirrin Island wasn't sold, George," said Anne, sleepily. "I'm so glad it still belongs toyou."
"It belongs to three other people too," said George. "It belongs to me— and to you and Julian andDick. I've discovered that it's fun to share things. So tomorrow I am going to draw up a deed, orwhatever it's called, and put in it that I give you and the others a quarter-share each. Kirrin Island andCastle shall belong to us all!"
"Oh, George— how lovely!" said Anne, delighted. "Won't the boys be pleased? I do feel so ha..."
But before she could finish, the little girl was asleep. So was George. In the other room the two boysslept, too, dreaming of ingots and dungeons9 and all kinds of exciting things.
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Only one person was awake — and that was Tim. He had one ear up and was listening to thechildren's breathing. As soon as he knew they were asleep he got up quietly from his rug. He creptsoftly over to George's bed. He put his front paws up and sniffed23 at the sleeping girl.
Then, with a bound he was on the bed, and snuggled himself down into the crook24 of her legs. Hegave a sigh, and shut his eyes. The four children might be happy— but Tim was happiest of all.
"Oh, Tim," murmured George, half waking up as she felt him against her. "Oh, Tim, you mustn't—but you do feel so nice. Tim— we'll have other adventures together, the five of us—won't we?"
They will— but that's another story!
THE END
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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2
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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4
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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5
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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6
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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7
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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8
dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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9
dungeons
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| n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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10
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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11
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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12
tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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13
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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14
bad-tempered
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| adj.脾气坏的 | |
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15
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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16
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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17
irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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18
kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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19
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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20
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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21
nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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22
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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23
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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