Chapter 17 TIT FOR TAT!

Chapter 17 TIT FOR TAT!
　　When they arrived at the boat-house there was no sign of Maggie or Dick. But their boat was in theshed, tied up in front of the other two, where it had been before.
　　'They're back all right,' said Julian. 'I wonder where they are. Don't let's drag this clumsy, heavy raftinto the boat-house. I don't feel as if I've any strength left in my arms. Let's drag it under a bush andtie it there.'
　　They thought this a good idea. They pulled the raft up to some thick bushes and tied it firmly to a rootthat was sticking out of the ground.
　　Then they made their way to the ruined house, keeping a sharp look-out for Maggie and Dick.
　　There was still no sign of them.
　　They went in, Timmy first. He didn't growl¹ so they knew it was safe. He led the way to the cellarsteps. Then he growled²!
　　'What's up?' said Julian. 'Are they down there, Tim?'
　　Timmy ran straight down the steps into the cellar room. He growled again, but it was not the fiercegrowl he always gave when he wanted to warn that enemies or strangers were near. It was an angry,annoyed growl as if something was wrong.
　　'I expect dear Maggie and Dirty Dick have been down here and found out where our headquartersare!' said Julian, following Timmy down the steps. He switched on his torch.
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　　The beds of heather and bracken were there as they had left them, and their macs and rugs andrucksacks. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed. Julian lighted the candles on the mantelpiece andthe dark little underground room came to life at once.
　　'What's the matter with Timmy?' asked George, coming down into the room. 'He's still growling³.
　　Timmy, what's up?'
　　'I expect he can smell that the others have been down here,' said Dick. 'Look at him sniffing⁴ all round.
　　It's quite clear that someone has been here.'
　　'Anyone hungry?' asked Anne. 'I could do with some cake and biscuits.'
　　'Right,' said Julian, and opened the cupboard where they had put the food they had bought.
　　There was none there! Except for the crockery and one or two odds⁵ and ends that had been in thecupboard before, there was nothing. The bread had gone, the biscuits, the chocolate - everything!
　　'Blow!' said Julian, angrily. 'Look at that! The beasts! They've taken all our food - every bit. Not evena biscuit left. We were mad not to think they might do that!'
　　'Clever of them,' said Dick. 'They know we can't stay here long without food. It's a good way ofchasing us out. It's too late to go and get any tonight, anyway - and if we go tomorrow for some,they'll do what they have come to do in their own good time... when we're not here.'
　　Everyone felt distinctly down in the dumps. They were hungry and tired, and a good meal wouldhave made all the difference. Anne sank down on her bed of heather and sighed.
　　'I wish I'd left some chocolate in my rucksack,' she said. 'But I didn't leave any there at all. And poorTim - he's hungry too! Look at him sniffing in the cupboard and looking round at George.
　　Tim, there's nothing for you. The cupboard is bare!'
　　'Where are those two wretches⁶ gone?' suddenly said Julian, fiercely. 'I'll tick them off! I'll tell themwhat I think of people who come and rifle cupboards and take away all the food.'
　　'Woof,' said Timmy, in full agreement.
　　Julian went angrily up the stairs. He wondered again where Maggie and Dirty Dick were. He went tothe empty doorway⁷ and looked out. Then he saw where they were.
　　Two small tents had been put up under some thickly growing trees! So that's where the two weregoing to sleep. He debated whether or not to go and tell them what he thought of people who stolefood. He decided⁸ that he would.
　　But when he got over to the tents with Timmy, there was no one there! Rugs were laid inside, andthere was a primus stove and a kettle and other odds and ends. At the back of one tent was a 70pile of something, covered by a cloth.
　　Julian had a good look into each tent, and then went to see if he could find out where Maggie andDirty Dick had gone. He saw them at last, walking through the trees. They must have gone for anevening stroll, he thought.
　　They didn't come back to the tents, but sat down by the lake. Julian gave up the thought of tacklingthem and went back to the others. Timmy was left behind, snuffling about happily.
　　'They've got tents,' Julian informed the others when he was back in the cellar room again.
　　'They're obviously staying put till they've got what they came for. They aren't in the tents -they're out by the lake.'
　　'Where's Timmy?' asked George. 'You shouldn't have left him behind, Ju. They might do somethingto him.'
　　'Here he is!' said Julian, as a familiar noise of claws clattering⁹ on the ground came to their ears.
　　Timmy came down the stone steps and ran to George.
　　'He's got something in his mouth!' said George, in surprise. Timmy dropped it into her lap. She gavea yell.
　　'It's a tin of shortbread! Where did he get it from?'
　　Julian began to laugh. 'He must have taken it from one of the tents!' he said. 'I saw something coveredup with a cloth in one tent - their food, I imagine! Well, well - tit for tat - they took our food and nowTimmy is taking theirs!'
　　'Fair exchange is no robbery,' grinned Dick. 'Serves them right! I say - Tim's gone again!'
　　He was back in a minute with something large and paper-covered. It was a big cake! The four roaredwith laughter. 'Timmy! You're a wonder! You really are!'
　　Timmy was pleased at this praise. Off he went again and brought back a cardboard box in which wasa fine pork-pie. The children could hardly believe their eyes.
　　'It's a miracle!' said Anne. 'Just as I had made up my mind to starve for hours! A pork-pie of allthings! Let's have some.'
　　'Well, I have no second thoughts about it,' said Julian, firmly. 'They took our food and we deservesome of theirs. Good gracious - don't say Tim's gone again.'
　　He had! He was enjoying himself thoroughly¹⁰. He arrived this time with a packet of ham, and thechildren couldn't imagine how he had stopped himself from eating some on the way.
　　'Fancy carrying it in his mouth and not even tasting a bit!' said Dick. 'Tim's a better person than I 71am. I'd just have to have had a lick.'
　　'I say - we ought to stop him now,' said Julian, as Timmy ran up the steps again, his tail waggingnineteen to the dozen. 'We're getting a bit too much in exchange!'
　　'Oh, do see what he brings back this time,' begged Anne. 'Then stop him.'
　　He came back carrying an old flour bag in which something had been packed. Timmy carried itcleverly by the neck so that nothing had fallen out. George undid¹¹ the bag.
　　'Home-made scones¹² - and buns,' she said. 'Timmy, you are very, very clever, and you shall have awonderful supper. But you are not to go and take any more things, because we've got enough.
　　See? No more. Lie down and be a good dog and eat your supper.'
　　Timmy was quite willing. He wolfed ham and scones and a slice of cake, and then he went up intothe kitchen, jumped into the sink and lapped the water lying there. He then jumped down and went tothe doorway to look out. He barked. Then he growled loudly.
　　The children rushed up the stone steps at once. Outside, at a safe distance, was Dirty Dick.
　　'Have you been taking anything of ours?' he shouted.
　　'No more than you have been taking of ours!' shouted back Julian. 'Fair exchange, you know, and allthat.'
　　'How dare you go into our tents?' raged the man, his shock of hair making him look very peculiar¹³ inthe twilight¹⁴.
　　'We didn't. The dog fetched and carried for us,' said Julian. 'And don't you come any nearer. He's justlonging to fly at you! And I warn you, he'll be on guard tonight, so don't try any funny tricks.
　　He's as strong and savage¹⁵ as a lion.'
　　'Grrrr,' said Timmy, so fiercely that the man started back in fright. He went off without another word,shaking with anger.
　　Julian and the others went back to finish a very delicious supper. Timmy went with them - but heplanted himself at the top of the cellar steps.
　　'Not a bad place for him to be in tonight,' said Julian. 'I don't trust that couple an inch. We can givehim one of our blazers to lie on. I say - this has boiled up into quite an adventure, hasn't it?
　　It seems frightful¹⁶ to think we'll be back at school on Tuesday!'
　　'We must find the loot first!' said Anne. 'We really must. Let's get out that plan again, Ju. Let's makesure that Tall Stone is marked on it.'
　　They got it out and put it on the table. They bent¹⁷ over it once more.
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　　'Yes - Tall Stone is marked at the end of one of the lines,' said Julian. 'Tock Hill is at the end of theopposite line. Let's get the map and see if there is a Tock Hill.'
　　They got the map, and studied it. Anne suddenly put her finger down on it. 'There it is. On theopposite side of the lake from where we saw the Tall Stone. Tock Hill on one side. Tall Stone on theother. Surely that means something.'
　　'It does, of course,' said Julian. 'It is bearings given to show the whereabouts of the hidden goods.
　　There are four bearings given - Tall Stone. Tock Hill. Chimney. And Steeple.'
　　'Listen!' said Dick, suddenly. 'LISTEN! I know how to read that map. It's easy.'
　　The others looked at him in surprise and doubt.
　　'Read it, then,' said Julian. 'Tell us what it all means. I don't believe you can!'

1 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

2 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

4 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；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

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

6 wretches   

n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋

参考例句：

• The little wretches were all bedraggledfrom some roguery. 小淘气们由于恶作剧而弄得脏乎乎的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The best courage for us poor wretches is to fly from danger. 对我们这些可怜虫说来，最好的出路还是躲避危险。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 clattering   

发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Typewriters keep clattering away. 打字机在不停地嗒嗒作响。
• The typewriter was clattering away. 打字机啪嗒啪嗒地响着。

10 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。

11 Undid   

v. 解开, 复原

参考例句：

• The officer undid the flap of his holster and drew his gun. 军官打开枪套盖拔出了手枪。
• He did wrong, and in the end his wrongs undid him. 行恶者终以其恶毁其身。

12 scones   

n.烤饼，烤小圆面包( scone的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• scones and jam with clotted cream 夹有凝脂奶油和果酱的烤饼
• She makes scones and cakes for the delectation of visitors. 她烘制了烤饼和蛋糕供客人享用。 来自辞典例句

13 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

14 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

15 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

16 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

17 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。