Julian opened the front door. Jo silently gave him a plain envelope. Julian tore it open, not knowingwhat in the least to expect. Jo turned to go - but Julian put out his hand and caught hold of her firmly,whilst he read the note in complete amazement1.
'Dick!' he called. 'Hold on to Jo. Don't let her go. Better take her indoors. This is serious.'
Jo wasn't going to be taken indoors. She squealed2, and wriggled3 like an eel4. Then she began to kickDick viciously with her bare feet.
'Let me go! I'm not doing any harm. I only brought you that note!'
'Stop squealing5 and being silly,' said Dick. 'I don't want to hurt you, you know that. But you mustcome indoors.'
But Jo wouldn't stop wriggling6 and pulling and kicking. She looked scared out of her life. It was asmuch as Dick and Julian could do to get the little wriggler7 into the dining-room and shut the door.
Anne followed, looking very frightened. Whatever was happening?
'Listen to this,' said Julian, when the door was shut. 'It's unbelievable!' He held out the typewrittennote for the others to see as he read it out loud.
'We want the second notebook, the one with figures in, and we mean to have it. Find it and put itunder the last stone on the crazy paving path at the bottom of the garden. Put it there tonight.
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'We have got the girl and the dog. We will set them free when we have what we want from you.
If you tell the police, neither the girl nor the dog will come back. The house will be watched to seethat nobody leaves it to warn the police. The telephone wires are cut.
'When it is dark, put the lights on in the front room and all three of you sit there with the maid Joan,so that we can keep a watch on you. Let the big boy leave the house at eleven o'clock, shining a torchand put the note-book where we said. He must then go back to the lighted room.
You will hear a hoot8 like an owl9 when we have collected it. The girl and the dog will then bereturned.'
This amazing and terrifying note made Anne burst into tears and cling to Julian's arm.
'Julian! Julian! George can't have come back from her walk with Timmy last night! She must havebeen caught then - and Timmy, too. Oh, why didn't we start hunting for her then?'
Julian looked very grim and white. He was thinking hard. 'Yes - someone was lying in wait, I've nodoubt - and she and Timmy were kidnapped. Then the kidnapper10 - or one of them - came back to thehouse and shut the front door to make it seem as if George was back. And someone has probablybeen hanging round all day to find out whether we're worried about George, or just think she's goneoff for the day!'
'Who gave you the note?' said Dick, sharply, to the scared Jo.
She trembled.
'A man,' she said.
'What sort of a man?' asked Julian.
'I don't know,' said Jo.
'Yes, you do,' said Dick. 'You must tell, Jo.'
Jo looked sullen11. Dick shook her, and she tried to get away. But he held her far too tightly. 'Go on -tell us what the fellow was like,' he said.
'He was tall and had a long beard and a long nose and brown eyes,' rattled12 off Jo suddenly. 'And hewas dressed in fisherman's clothes, and - he spoke13 foreign.'
The two boys looked sternly at her. 'I believe you're making all that up, Jo,' said Julian.
'I'm not,' said Jo sulkily. 'I'd never seen him before, so there.'
'Jo,' said Anne, taking Jo's brown little paw in hers, 'tell us truly anything you know. We're so veryworried about George.' Tears sprang out of her eyes as she spoke, and she gave a little wail14.
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'Serve that George-girl right if she's got taken away,' said Jo fiercely. 'She was rude to me - she'scrool and unkind. Serve her right, I say. I wouldn't tell you anything - not even if I knew something totell.'
'You do know something,' said Dick. 'You're a bad little girl, Jo. I shan't have anything more to dowith you. I felt sorry and unhappy about you, but now I don't.'
Jo looked sullen again, but her eyes were bright with tears. She turned away. 'Let me go,' she said. 'Itell you, that fellow gave me fifteen pence to bring this note to you, and that's all I know.
And I'm glad George is in trouble. People like her deserve it, see!'
'Let her go,' said Julian wearily. 'She's like a savage15 little cat - all claws and spite. I thought theremight be some good in her, but there isn't.'
'I thought so, too,' said Dick, letting go Jo's arm. 'I quite liked her. Well, go, Jo. We don't want youany more.'
Jo rushed to the door, wrenched16 it open, and fled down the hall and out of the house. There was asilence after she had gone.
'Julian,' whispered Anne. 'What are we going to do?'
Julian said nothing. He got up and went into the hall. He picked up the telephone receiver and put hisear to it, listening for the faint crackling that would tell him he was connected to the exchange. Aftera moment he put it back again.
'No connection,' he said. 'The wires have been cut, as the note said. And no doubt there's somebodyon watch to see we don't slip out to give warning. This is all crazy. It can't be true.'
'But it is,' said Dick. 'Horribly true. Julian, do you know what notebook they want? I've no idea!'
'Nor have I,' said Julian. 'And it's impossible to go and hunt for it, because the safe has been mendedand locked - and the police have the key.'
'Well, that's that, then,' said Dick. 'What are we going to do? Shall I slip out and warn the police?'
Julian considered. 'No,' he said at last. 'I think these people mean business. It would be terrible ifanything happened to George. Also, you might be caught and spirited away yourself. There arepeople watching the house, don't forget.'
'But Julian - we can't just sit here and do nothing!' said Dick.
'I know. This will have to be thought about carefully.' said Julian. 'If only we knew where George hadbeen taken to! We could rescue her then. But I can't see how we can find out.'
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'If one of us went and hid down the bottom of the garden and waited to see whoever came to take upthe notebook - we could follow the fellow and maybe he'd lead us to where George is hidden,'
suggested Dick.
'You forget that we've all got to sit in the lighted front room, so it would easily be spotted17 if one of uswere missing,' said Julian. 'Even Joan has to sit there. This is all very stupid and melodramatic.'
'Does anyone come to the house this evening? Any of the tradesmen, for instance?' asked Anne, againin a whisper. She felt as if people must be all round the house, listening and watching!
'No. Else we could give them a note,' said Julian. Then he gave the table a rap that made the othersjump. 'Wait a bit! Yes, of course - the paper-boy comes! Ours is almost the last house he delivers at.
But perhaps it would be risky18 to give him a note. Can't we think of something better?'
'Listen,' said Dick, his eyes shining. 'I've got it! I know the paper-boy. He's all right. We'll have thefront door open and yank him in as soon as he appears. And I'll go out immediately, with his cap on,and his satchel19 of papers, whistling - jump on his bike and ride away. And none of the watchers willknow I'm not the boy! I'll come back when it's dark, sneak20 round the garden at the bottom and hide towatch who comes for the hidden notebook - and I'll follow him!'
'Good idea, Dick!' said Julian, turning it quickly over in his mind. 'Yes - it's possible. It would bebetter to watch and see who comes rather than tell the police - because if these kidnappers21 meanbusiness, George would certainly be in trouble once they knew we'd been able to get in touch withthe police.'
'Won't the newspaper boy think it's queer?' asked Anne.
'Not very. He's a bit simple,' said Dick. 'He believes anything he's told. We'll make up something tosatisfy him and give him such a good time that he'll want to keep visiting us!'
'About this notebook,' said Julian. 'We'd better get some kind of book out of one of the drawers andwrap it up with a note inside to say we hope it's the one. The fellow who comes to collect it will haveto have some kind of parcel to take off with him to give to the kidnappers. It isn't likely he'd undo22 itand look at it - or even know if it was the right one or not.'
'Go and hunt out a book, Anne,' said Dick. 'I'll be looking out for the newspaper boy. He's not due tillhalf-past seven, but I don't dare to risk missing him - and he may be early, you never know.'
37
Anne shot off to the study, thankful to have something to do. Her hands were trembling as she pulledout drawer after drawer to look for a big notebook that would do to wrap up in a parcel.
Julian went with Dick to the front door, to help him to deal with the unsuspecting newspaper boy.
They stood there, patiently waiting, hearing the clock strike six o'clock, then half-past, then seven.
'Here he comes!' said Dick, suddenly. 'Now - get ready to yank him in! Hallo, Sid!'
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收听单词发音
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1
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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2
squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
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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4
eel
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| n.鳗鲡 | |
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squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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6
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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wriggler
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| n.扭动的人或物，孑孓 | |
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8
hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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10
kidnapper
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| n.绑架者，拐骗者 | |
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11
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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13
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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14
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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15
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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16
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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17
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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satchel
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| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
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20
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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kidnappers
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| n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 ) | |
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undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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