Chapter 19 JO IS VERY SURPRISING

　　Chapter 19 JO IS VERY SURPRISING
　　'Jo!' said the boys together, and their spirits lifted at once. 'Come on!'
　　There was no one about in the yard. Jo skipped lightly across from the doorway¹ and slipped insidethe shed.
　　'There's a knife in my back pocket,' said Julian. 'Get it out. It would be quicker to cut these ropes thanto untie² them. My word, Jo - I was never so pleased to see anyone in my life!'
　　Jo grinned as she hauled out Julian's sturdy pocketknife. She opened it and ran her thumb lightly overthe blade. It was beautifully sharp. She set to work to saw the blade across the thick rope. It cut easilythrough the fibres.
　　'I waited behind,' she said, rapidly. 'Then I followed when it was safe. But it was very dark and Ididn't like it. Then I came to that door and peeped out. I was glad when I saw you.'
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　　'Good thing the men didn't guess you were there,' said Dick. 'Good old Jo! I take back any nasty thingI've ever said about you!'
　　Jo beamed. She cut the last bit of rope that bound Julian, and he swung himself away from the ironloop and began to rub his stiff, aching wrists. Jo set to work on Dick's bonds. She soon had those cutthrough, too.
　　'Where's George?' she asked, after she had helped Dick to rub his wrists and arms.
　　'Up in that tower,' said Julian. 'If we dared to go out in that yard you could look up and see her.
　　And there's poor old Tim, look - half-doped - lying in that summerhouse place over there.'
　　'I shan't let him be shot,' said Jo. 'He's a nice dog. I shall go and drag him down into those cavesunderground.'
　　'Not now!' said Julian, horrified³. 'If you're seen now, you'll spoil everything. We'll all be tied up then!'
　　But Jo had already darted⁴ over to the summer-house and was fondling poor old Timmy.
　　The slam of a door made the boys jump and sent Jo into the shadows at the back of the summerhouseat once. It was Red, coming across the yard!
　　'Quick! He's coming over here!' said Dick, in a panic. 'Let's get back to the iron loops and put ourhands behind us so that he thinks we're still bound.'
　　So, when Red came over to the door of the shed, it looked exactly as if the boys still had their handstied behind them. He laughed.
　　'You can stay here till the police come!' he said. Then he shut the shed door and locked it. He strolledover to the helicopter and examined it thoroughly⁵. Then back he went to the door he had come from,opened it, and slammed it shut. He was gone.
　　When everything was quiet Jo sped back from the summer-house to the shed. She unlocked the doorof the shed. 'Come out,' she said. 'And we'll lock it again. Then nobody will know you aren't here.
　　Hurry!'
　　There was nothing for it but to come out and hope there was nobody looking. Jo locked the shed doorafter them and hurried them back to the door that led underground. They slipped through it and half-fell down the steep steps.
　　'Thanks, Jo,' said Dick.
　　They sat down. Julian scratched his head, and for the life of him could not think of anything sensibleto do. The police were not coming because they didn't know a thing about Red, or where 75George was or anything. And before long George would be flown off in that helicopter, and Timmywould be shot.
　　Julian thought of the high square tower and groaned⁶. 'There's no way of getting George out of thattower,' he said aloud. 'It'll be locked and barred, or George would have got out at once. We can't evenget to her. It's no good trying to make our way into the house - we'd be seen and caught at once.'
　　Jo looked at Dick. 'Do you badly want George to be rescued?' she said.
　　'That's a silly question,' said Dick. 'I want it more than anything else in the world.'
　　'Well - I'll go and get her, then,' said Jo, and she got up as if she really meant it.
　　'Don't make jokes now,' said Julian. 'This really is serious, Jo.'
　　'Well, so am I,' retorted Jo. 'I'll get her out, you see if I don't. Then you'll know I'm trustable, won'tyou? You think I'm mean and thieving and not worth a penny, and I expect you're right.
　　But I can do some things you can't, and if you want this thing, I'll do it for you.'
　　'How?' said Julian, astonished and disbelieving.
　　Jo sat down again.
　　'You saw that tower, didn't you?' she began. 'Well, it's a big one, so I reckon there's more than oneroom in it - and if I can get into the room next to George's I could undo⁷ her door and set her free.'
　　'And how do you think you're going to get into the room next to hers?' said Dick, scornfully.
　　'Climb up the wall, of course,' said Jo. 'It's set thick with ivy⁸. I've often climbed up walls like that.'
　　The boys looked at her. 'Were you the Face at the Window by any chance?' said Julian, rememberingAnne's fright. 'I bet you were. You're like a monkey, climbing and darting⁹ about.
　　But you can't climb up that great high wall, so don't think it. You'd fall and be killed, We couldn't letyou.'
　　'Pooh!' said Jo, with great scorn. 'Fall off a wall like that! I've climbed up a wall without any ivy atall! There's always holes and cracks to hold on to. That one would be easy!'
　　Julian was quite dumbfounded to think that Jo really meant all this. Dick remembered that Jo's fatherwas an acrobat¹⁰. Perhaps that kind of thing was in the family.
　　'You just ought to see me on a tight-rope,' said Jo earnestly. 'I can dance on it - and I never have asafety-net underneath¹¹ - that's baby-play! Well, I'm going.'
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　　Without another word she climbed the steep steps lightly as a goat and stood poised¹² in the archway ofthe door. All was quiet. Like a squirrel she leapt and bounded over the courtyard and came to the footof the ivy-covered tower. Julian and Dick were now at the doorway that led into the yard, watchingher.
　　'She'll be killed,' said Julian.
　　'Talk about pluck!' said Dick.
　　'I never saw such a kid in my life. There she goes - just like a monkey.'
　　And, sure enough, up the ivy went Jo, climbing lightly and steadily¹³. Her hands reached out and testedeach ivy-stem before she threw her weight on it, and her feet tried each one, too, before she stood onit.
　　Once she slipped when an ivy-stem came away from the wall. Julian and Dick watched, their heartsin their mouths. But Jo merely clutched at another piece of stem and steadied herself once.
　　Then up she went again.
　　Up and up, Past the first storey, past the second, and up to the third. Only one more now and shewould be up to the topmost one. She seemed very small as she neared the top.
　　'I can't bear to look and I can't bear not to,' said Dick, pretending to shield his eyes and almosttrembling with nervousness. 'If she fell now - what should we do?'
　　'Do shut up,' said Julian, between his teeth. 'She won't fall. She's like a cat. There - she's making forthe window next to George's. It's open at the bottom.'
　　Jo now sat triumphantly¹⁴ on the broad window- sill of the room next to George's. She wavedimpudently to the boys far below. Then she pushed with all her might at the window to open it a littlemore. It wouldn't budge¹⁵.
　　So Jo laid herself flat, and by dint¹⁶ of much wriggling¹⁷ and squeezing, she managed to slip through thenarrow space between the bottom of the window-pane and the sill. She disappeared from sight.
　　Both boys heaved heartfelt sighs of relief. Dick found that his knees were shaking. He and Julianretired into the underground passage below the steep steps and sat there in silence.
　　'Worse than a circus,' said Dick at last. 'I'll never be able to watch acrobats¹⁸ again. What's she doingnow, do you suppose?'
　　Jo was very busy. She had fallen off the inside windowsill with a bump, and bruised¹⁹ herself on thefloor below. But she was used to bruises²⁰.
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　　She picked herself up and shot behind a chair in case anyone had heard her. Nobody seemed to haveheard anything, so she peeped cautiously out. The room was furnished with enormous pieces offurniture, old and heavy. Dust was on everything, and cobwebs hung down from the stone ceiling.
　　Jo tiptoed to the door. Her feet were bare and made no sound at all. She looked out. There was aspiral stone stairway nearby going downwards²¹, and on each side was a door - there must be fourrooms in the tower then, one for each corner, two windows in each. She looked at the door next to theroom she was in. That must be the door of George's room.
　　There was a very large key in the lock, and a great bolt had been drawn²² across. Jo leapt across anddragged at the bolt. It made a loud noise and she darted back into the room again. But still nobodycame. Back she went to the door again, and this time turned the enormous key. It was well oiled andturned easily.
　　Jo pushed open the door and put her head cautiously round. George was there - a thin and unhappyGeorge, sitting by the window. She stared at Jo as if she couldn't believe her eyes!
　　'Psssst!' said Jo, enjoying all this very much indeed. 'I've come to get you out!'

1 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

2 untie   

vt.解开，松开；解放

参考例句：

• It's just impossible to untie the knot.It's too tight.这个结根本解不开。太紧了。
• Will you please untie the knot for me?请你替我解开这个结头，好吗？

3 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

4 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

6 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

8 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

9 darting   

v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

10 acrobat   

n.特技演员，杂技演员

参考例句：

• The acrobat balanced a long pole on his left shoulder.杂技演员让一根长杆在他的左肩上保持平衡。
• The acrobat could bend himself into a hoop.这个杂技演员可以把身体蜷曲成圆形。

11 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

12 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

13 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

14 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

15 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

16 dint   

n.由于，靠；凹坑

参考例句：

• He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
• He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。

17 wriggling   

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

参考例句：

• The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
• Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句

18 acrobats   

n.杂技演员( acrobat的名词复数 )；立场观点善变的人，主张、政见等变化无常的人

参考例句：

• I was always fascinated by the acrobats at the circus. 我总是着迷于马戏团里的杂技演员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The acrobats' performance drew forth applause from the audience. 杂技演员的表演博得了观众的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

20 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

22 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。