GEORGE slipped down from the rock. She peered under it. There was a large opening there,scattered with stones that Timmy had loosened in his digging.
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'Surely you haven't at last found a rabbit hole big enough to go down!' said George. 'TIMMY!
Where are you?'
Not a bark, not a whine1 came from the hole. George wriggled2 under the shelf of rock, and peereddown the burrow3. Timmy had certainly made it very big. George called up to Julian.
'Julian! Throw me down your trowel, will you?' The trowel landed by her foot. George took itand began to make the hole bigger. It might be big enough for Timmy, but it wasn't big enoughfor her! She dug hard and soon got very hot. She crawled out and looked over on to the rock tosee if she could get one of the others to help her. They were all asleep! 'Lazy things!' thoughtGeorge, quite forgetting that she too would have been dozing4 if she hadn't wondered whereTimmy had gone.
She slipped down under the rock again and began to dig hard with her trowel. Soon she hadmade the hole big enough to get through. She was surprised to find quite a large passage, onceshe had made the entrance big enough to take her. She could crawl along on hands and knees!
'I say - I wonder if this is just some animal's runway -or leads somewhere!' thought George.
'TIMMY! Where are you?'
From somewhere deep in the quarry5 side there came a faint whine. George felt thankful. SoTimmy was there, after all. She crawled along, and then quite suddenly the tunnel became highand wide, and she realized that she must be in a passage. It was perfectly6 dark, so she could notsee anything, she could only feel. Then she heard the sound of pattering feet, and Timmy pressedaffectionately against her legs, whining7.
'Oh Timmy -- you gave me a bit of a fright!' said George. 'Where have you been? Is this a realpassage -- or just a tunnel in the quarry, made by the aid miners, and now used by animals?'
'Woof,' said Timmy, and pulled at George's shorts to make her go back to the daylight.
'All right, I'm coming!' said George. 'Don't imagine I want to wander alone in the dark! I onlycame to look for you.'
She made her way back to the shelf of rock. By this time Dick was awake, and wondered whereGeorge had gone. He waited a few minutes, blinking up into the deep blue sky, and then sat up.
'George!' There was no answer. So, in his turn Dick slipped down from the rock and lookedaround. And, to his very great astonishment8 he saw first Timmy, and then George on hands andknees, appearing out of the hole under the rock. He stared open-mouthed, and George began togiggle.
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'It's all right. I've only been rabbiting with Timmy!' She stood beside him, shaking and brushingsoil from her jersey9 and shorts. 'There's a passage behind the entrance to the hole under the rock,'
she said. 'At first it's just a narrow tunnel, like an animal's hole -- then it gets wider -- and then itbecomes a proper high wide passage! I couldn't see if it went, on, of course, because it was dark.
Timmy was a long way in.'
'Good gracious!' said Dick. 'It sounds exciting.'
'Let's explore it, shall we?' said George. 'I expect Julian's got a torch.'
'No,' said Dick. 'We won't explore today.'
The others were now awake, and listening with interest.
'Is it a secret passage?' said Anne, thrilled. 'Oh do let's explore it!'
'No, not today,' said Dick again. He looked at Julian. Julian guessed that Dick did not wantMartin to share this secret. Why should he? He was not a real friend of theirs, and they had onlyjust got to know him. He nodded back to Dick.
'No, we won't explore today. Anyway, it may be nothing - just an old tunnel made by the quarry-men.'
Martin was listening with great interest. He went and looked into the hole. 'I wish we couldexplore,' he said. 'Maybe we could plan to meet again with torches and see if there really is apassage there.'
Julian looked at his watch. 'Nearly two o'clock. Well, Martin, if we're going to see that half pasttwo television programme of yours, we'd better be getting on.'
Carrying baskets of primroses10 and violets, the girls began to climb up the steep side of thequarry. Julian took Anne's basket from her, afraid she might slip and fall. Soon they were all atthe top. The air felt quite cool there after the warmth of the quarry. They made their way to thecliff-path and before long were passing the coastguard's cottage. He was out in his garden, andhe waved to them.
They went in the gateway11 of the next-door cottage. Martin pushed the door open. His father wassitting at the window of the room inside, reading. He got up with a broad, welcoming smile.
'Well, well, well! This is nice! Come along in, do. Yes, the dog as well. I don't mind dogs a bit. Ilike them.'
It seemed rather a crowd in the small room. They all shook hands politely. Martin explainedhurriedly that he had brought the children to see a television programme.
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'A good idea,' said Mr. Curton, still beaming. Anne stared at his great eyebrows12. They were verylong and thick. She wondered why he didn't have them trimmed but perhaps he liked them likethat. They made him look very fierce, she thought.
The four looked round the little room. There was a television set standing13 at the far end, on atable. There was also a magnificent wireless14 and something else that made the boys stare withinterest.
'Hallo! You've got a transmitting set, as well as a receiving set,' said Julian.
'Yes,' said Mr. Curton. 'It's a hobby of mine. I made that set.'
'Well! You must be brainy!' said Dick.
'What's a transmitting set?' asked Anne. 'I haven't heard of one before.'
'Oh, it just means a set to send out messages by wireless like police-cars have, when they sendback messages to their police stations,' said Dick. 'This is a very powerful one, though.'
Martin was fiddling15 about with the television switches. Then the programme began. It was greatfun seeing the television programme. When it was over Mr. Curton asked them to stay to tea.
'Now don't say no,' he said. 'I'll ring up and ask your aunt, if you like, if you're afraid she mightbe worried.'
'Well if you'd do that, sir,' said Julian. 'I think she would wonder where we'd gone!'
Mr. Curton rang up Aunt Fanny. Yes, it was quite all right for them to stay, but they mustn't betoo late back. So they settled down to an unexpectedly good tea. Martin was not very talkative,but Mr. Curton made up for it. He laughed and joked and was altogether very good company.
The talk came round to Kirrin Island. Mr. Curton said how beautiful it looked each evening.
George looked pleased.
'Yes,' she said. 'I always think that. I do wish Father hadn't chosen this particular time to work onmy island. I'd planned to go and stay there.'
'I suppose you know every inch of it!' said Mr. Curton.
'Oh yes!' said George. 'We all do. There are dungeons16 there; you know real dungeons that godeep down - where we once found gold ingots?'
'Yes I remember reading about that,' said Mr. Curton. 'That must have been exciting. Fancyfinding the dungeons too! And there's an old well too you once got down, isn't there?'
'Yes' said Anne, remembering. 'And there is a cave where we once lived it's got an entrancethrough the roof, as well as from the sea.'
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'And I suppose your father is conducting his marvellous experiments down in the dungeons?'
said Mr.Curton. 'Well, what a strange place to work in!'
'No we don't'…. began George, when she got a kick on the ankle from Dick. She screwed up herface in pain. It had been a very sharp kick indeed.
'What were you going to say?' said Mr. Curton, looking surprised.
'Er I was just going to say that - er -- er -- we don't know which place Father has chosen,' saidGeorge, keeping her legs well out of the way of Dick's feet.
Timmy gave a sudden sharp whine. George looked down at him in surprise. He was looking upat Dick with a very hurt expression.
'What's the matter, Timmy?' said George, anxiously.
'He's finding the room too hot, I think,' said Dick. 'Better take him out, George.'
George, feeling quite anxious, took him out. Dick joined her. She scowled17 at him. 'What did youwant to kick me for like that? I shall have a frightful18 bruise19.'
'You know jolly well why I did,' said Dick. 'Giving away everything like that. Can't you see thechap's very interested in your father being on the island? There may be nothing in it at all, butyou might at least keep your mouth shut. Just like a girl, can't help blabbing. I had to stop yousomehow. I don't mind telling you I trod jolly hard on poor old Timmy's tail too, to make himyelp, so that you'd stop talking!'
'Oh you beast!' said George, indignantly. 'How could you hurt Timmy?'
'I didn't want to. It was a shame,' said Dick, stopping to fondle Timmy's ears. 'Poor old Tim. Ididn't want to hurt you, old fellow.'
'I'm going home,' said George, her face scarlet20 with anger. 'I hate you for talking to me like thattelling me I blab like a girl and stamping on poor Timmy's tail You can go back and say I'mtaking Timmy home.'
'Right,' said Dick. 'And a jolly good thing too. The less you talk to Mr. Curton the better. I'mgoing back to find out exactly what he is and what he does. I'm getting jolly suspicious. You'dbetter go before you give anything else away!'
Almost choking with rage, George went off with Timmy. Dick went back to make her apologies.
Julian and Anne, sure that something was up, felt most uncomfortable. They rose to go, but totheir surprise, Dick became very talkative and appeared to be suddenly very much interested inMr. Curton and what he did.
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But at last they said good-bye and went. 'Come again, do,' said Mr. Curton, beaming at the threeof them. And tell the other boy what's his name, George - that I hope his dog is quite all rightagain now. Such a nice, well behaved dog! Well good-bye! See you again soon, I hope!'
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1
whine
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v.哀号,号哭;n.哀鸣 | |
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2
wriggled
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v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等) | |
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3
burrow
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vt.挖掘(洞穴);钻进;vi.挖洞;翻寻;n.地洞 | |
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4
dozing
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v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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quarry
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n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找 | |
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6
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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7
whining
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n. 抱怨,牢骚 v. 哭诉,发牢骚 | |
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8
astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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9
jersey
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n.运动衫 | |
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10
primroses
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n.报春花( primrose的名词复数 );淡黄色;追求享乐(招至恶果) | |
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11
gateway
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n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法 | |
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12
eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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13
standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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14
wireless
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adj.无线的;n.无线电 | |
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15
fiddling
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微小的 | |
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16
dungeons
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n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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17
scowled
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怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
frightful
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adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
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19
bruise
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n.青肿,挫伤;伤痕;vt.打青;挫伤 | |
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20
scarlet
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n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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