Chapter 22 AN EXCITING FINISH

Chapter 22 AN EXCITING FINISH
　　They awoke to hear Timmy barking. It was daylight already. Julian leapt up the steps to see what wasthe matter. He saw Maggie not very far away.
　　'Why do you keep such a fierce dog?' she called. 'I just came to see if you wanted to take any foodwith you. We'll give you some if you like.'
　　'It's too kind of you, all of a sudden!' said Julian. How anxious Maggie was to get rid of them!
　　She would even give them food to get rid of them quickly. But Julian didn't want any food fromMaggie or Dirty Dick!
　　'Do you want some, then?' asked the woman. She couldn't make Julian out. He looked a youngster,and yet his manner was anything but childish. She was rather afraid of him.
　　'No thanks,' said Julian. 'We're just about to go. Got to get back to school today, you know.'
　　'Well, you'd better hurry then,' said the woman. 'It's going to rain.'
　　Julian turned on his heel, grinning. It wasn't going to rain. Maggie would say anything to hurry themaway! Still, that was just what Julian wanted - to get away as quickly as possible!
　　In ten minutes' time the four children were ready to go. Each had rucksack and mac on their back- and each had jewels worth thousands of pounds in their charge! What a very extraordinary thing.
　　'It will be a lovely walk across the moors,' said Anne, as they went along. 'I feel like singing noweverything's turned out all right. The only thing is - nobody at school will believe George or me whenwe tell them what's happened.'
　　'We shall probably be set a composition to do - ''What did you do on your half-term?'' ' said George.
　　'And Miss Peters will read ours and say ''Quite well written, but rather far-fetched, don't you think?' '
　　Everyone laughed. Timmy looked round with his tongue out and what George called 'his smilingface'. Then his 'smile' vanished, and he began to bark, facing to the rear of the children.
　　They looked round, startled. 'Gosh - it's Maggie and Dirty Dick - rushing along like fury!' said Dick.
　　'What's up? Are they sorry we've gone and want us back again?'
　　'They're trying to cut us off,' said Julian. 'Look - they've left the path and they're going to take a shortcut¹ to come across us. There is marshland all round, so we can't leave our own path. What 90idiots they are! Unless they know this bit of marsh²-moor country they'll get bogged³.'
　　Maggie and Dirty Dick were yelling and shouting in a fury. Dirty Dick shook his fists, and leapt fromtuft to tuft like a goat.
　　'They look as if they have gone quite mad,' said Anne, suddenly afraid. 'What's the matter with them?'
　　'I know!' said George. 'They've been into our cellar room - and they've found that waterproofcovering and all those empty boxes. They've found out that we've got the goods!'
　　'Of course!' said Julian. 'We should have thrown all the boxes into the cellars beyond. No wonderthey're in a fury. They've lost a fortune to us four!'
　　'What do they think they can do now, though?' said Dick. 'We've got Timmy. He'll certainly fly atthem if they come too near. But Dirty Dick looks mad enough to fight even Timmy. Honestly, I thinkhe's gone off his head.'
　　'I think he has,' said Julian, startled by the man's mad shouts and behaviour.
　　He looked at Anne, who had gone white. Julian felt sure that Timmy would go for Dirty Dick andbring him to the ground, and he didn't want Anne to see dog and man fighting savagely⁴.
　　There was no doubt that Dirty Dick was quite out of his mind with rage and disappointment.
　　Timmy began to bark fiercely. He snarled⁶, and looked very savage⁵. He could see that the man wasspoiling for a fight with someone. All right - Timmy didn't mind!
　　'Let's hurry on,' said Julian. 'But no short cuts for us, mind - we'll keep strictly⁷ to the path.
　　Maggie is in difficulties already.'
　　So she was. She was floundering ankle deep in marshy⁸ ground, yelling to Dirty Dick to help her.
　　But he was too intent on cutting right across the children's path.
　　And then he got into difficulties too! He suddenly sank up to his knees! He tried to clamber out andreach a tuft of some sort. He missed his footing and went down again. He gave an anguished⁹ yell.
　　'My ankle! I've broken it! Maggie, come over here!'
　　But Maggie was having her own difficulties and paid no attention. The children stopped and looked atDirty Dick. He was sitting on a tuft, nursing his foot, and even from where the children stood theycould see that his face was deathly white. He certainly had done something to his ankle.
　　'Ought we to help him?' said Anne, trembling.
　　'Good gracious no!' said Julian. 'He may be pretending for all we know - though I don't think so.
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　　The chase is over, anyway. And if, as I think, Dirty Dick really has injured his ankle, he won't be ableto get far out of that marsh - and nor will Maggie by the look of her - down she goes again, look! Itmay be that the police will find it very easy to pick up that unpleasant couple when they come alongto look for them.'
　　'Nicely embedded¹⁰ in the marsh,' said Dick. 'Well, personally, I don't feel sorry for either of them.
　　They're bad lots.'
　　They went on their way again, Timmy gloomy because he hadn't had a fight with Dirty Dick after all.
　　They walked all the way to Reebles. It took them two hours.
　　'We'll go to the post-office, and telephone from there,' said Julian.
　　The old man was pleased to see them again. 'Had a nice time?' he said. 'Did you find Two-Trees?'
　　Julian left him talking to the others while he went to look up Mr. Gaston's telephone number. Hefound it - and hoping devoutly¹¹ that Mr. Gaston wouldn't mind giving his help, he rang him up.
　　Mr. Gaston answered the telephone himself. 'Hallo? Who? Oh, yes, of course I remember you.
　　You want a bit of help? Well, what can I do for you?'
　　Julian told him. Mr. Gaston listened in amazement¹².
　　'WHAT! You've found the Fallonia jewels! I can't believe it! In your rucksacks now, you say!
　　Bless us all! You're not spoofing me, are you?'
　　Julian assured him that he wasn't. Mr. Gaston could hardly believe his ears. 'Right. Right - of courseI'll put you in touch with the police. We'd better go to Gathercombe - I know the Inspector¹³ there, afine fellow. Where are you? Oh yes, I know it. Wait there and I'll fetch you in my car - in about halfan hour, say.'
　　He rang off and Julian went to find the others, delighted that he had thought of getting into touch withMr. Gaston. Some grown-ups were so jolly decent - and they knew exactly what to do. The otherthree were delighted too, when he told them.
　　'Well, I must say that although it's nice to have things happening to us, it's a sort of safe, comfortablefeeling when we hand over to the grown-ups,' said George. 'Now I only want one thing - breakfast!'
　　'We'd better have a mixture of breakfast and lunch,' said Julian. 'It's so late.'
　　'Oh yes - let's have brunch¹⁴!' said Anne, delighted. 'I love brunch.'
　　So they had some 'brunch' - sandwiches, buns, biscuits and ginger-beer, which they bought at a 92little shop down the road. And just as they were finishing, up swept Mr. Gaston in an enormous car!
　　The four children grinned at him with pleasure. Julian introduced Anne and Dick. Timmy wasthrilled to see him again and offered him a polite paw, which Mr. Gaston shook heartily¹⁵.
　　'Nice manners your dog's got,' he said, and pressed down the accelerator. Whoooosh! Away theywent at top speed, with Timmy sticking his head out of the window as he always did in a car.
　　They told their extraordinary story as they went. Mr. Gaston was full of admiration¹⁶ for all they haddone. 'You're a bunch of plucky¹⁷ kids!' he kept saying. 'My word, I wish you were mine!'
　　They came to the police station. Mr. Gaston had already warned the inspector they were coming, andhe was waiting for them.
　　'Come along into my private room,' he said. 'Now first of all - where are these jewels? Have youreally got them with you? Let's have a look at them before you tell your story.'
　　The children undid¹⁸ their rucksacks - and out of the hankies inside they poured the shining, glitteringjewellery on to the oak table.
　　The inspector whistled and exchanged a look with Mr. Gaston. He picked up the diamond necklace.
　　'You've got them!' he said. 'The very jewels! And to think the police everywhere have been huntingfor them for months and months and months. Where did you find them, youngsters?'
　　'It's rather a long story,' said Julian. He began to tell it, and he told it well, prompted by the others,when he forgot anything. Mr. Gaston and the inspector listened with amazement on their faces. WhenJulian came to the bit where Dirty Dick and Maggie had been left floundering in the marshes¹⁹, theinspector interrupted him.
　　'Wait! Would they still be there? They would? Right. Half a minute!'
　　He pressed a bell and a policeman appeared. 'Tell Johns to take his three men and the car, and go tothe Green Marshes, near Gloomy Water,' ordered the inspector. 'He's to pick up two peoplefloundering there - man and woman. Our old friends Dirty Dick and Maggie Martin! Look sharp!'
　　The policeman disappeared. Anne hugged herself. Now that awful couple would be put into safecustody for some time, thank goodness - till she had forgotten about them! Anne hadn't liked them abit.
　　Julian's tale came to an end. The inspector looked across at the tousle-headed, dirty, untidy group 93and smiled. He held out his hand. 'Shake!' he said. 'All of you! You're the kind of kids we want in thiscountry - plucky, sensible, responsible youngsters who use your brains and never give up!
　　I'm proud to meet you!'
　　They all shook hands with him solemnly. Timmy held up his paw too, and the inspector grinned andshook that too.
　　'And now - what's your programme?' asked Mr. Gaston, getting up.
　　'Well - we're all supposed to be back at school by three o'clock,' said Julian. 'But I don't think we canarrive looking like this. We'd get into awful rows! Is there a hotel where we can have a bath and cleanourselves up a bit?'
　　'You can do that here,' said the inspector. 'And if you like I'll run you back to your schools in thepolice car. We can't do too much for people who produce the Fallonia jewels out of rucksacks, youknow. Bless us all - I can't believe it!'
　　Mr. Gaston said good-bye and went, saying that he was very proud to have made friends with them.
　　'And don't you get stuck down any more rabbit-holes!' he said to Timmy, who woofed happily at him.
　　They bathed and washed every inch of themselves. They found their clothes neatly²⁰ folded andbrushed, and felt grateful. They brushed their hairs and arrived looking very clean and tidy in theinspector's private room. He had a man there, inspecting the jewels and labelling them before he putthem away into boxes.
　　'You'll be interested to know that we have picked up your couple,' he told them. 'The man had abroken ankle and couldn't stir a step. The woman was thigh²¹ deep in the marsh when we found her.
　　They quite welcomed the police, they were so fed up with everything!'
　　'Oh good!' said the four, and Anne beamed with relief. That settled Maggie and Dirty Dick then!
　　'And these are the Fallonia jewels,' said the inspector. 'Not that I had any doubt of it. They are nowbeing checked and labelled. I've no doubt the Queen of Fallonia and her titled friend will beextremely pleased to hear of your little exploit.'
　　A clock struck half past two. Julian looked at it. Half an hour only to get back in time. Would they doit?
　　'It's all right,' said the inspector, with his wide grin. 'Car's at the door. I'll come and see you off.
　　You'll all be back at your schools in good time - and if anyone believes your tale I'll be surprised.
　　Come along!'
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　　He saw them into the car, Timmy too. 'Good-bye,' he said, and saluted²² them all smartly. I'm proud tohave met you - good luck to you, Famous Five!'
　　Yes, good luck to you, Famous Five - and may you have many more adventures!
　　THE END

1 shortcut   

n.近路，捷径

参考例句：

• He was always looking for a shortcut to fame and fortune.他总是在找成名发财的捷径。
• If you take the shortcut,it will be two li closer.走抄道去要近2里路。

2 marsh   

n.沼泽，湿地

参考例句：

• There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
• I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。

3 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。

5 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。

6 snarled   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
• As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

8 marshy   

adj.沼泽的

参考例句：

• In August 1935,we began our march across the marshy grassland. 1935年8月，我们开始过草地。
• The surrounding land is low and marshy. 周围的地低洼而多沼泽。

9 anguished   

adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式)

参考例句：

• Desmond eyed her anguished face with sympathy. 看着她痛苦的脸，德斯蒙德觉得理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The loss of her husband anguished her deeply. 她丈夫的死亡使她悲痛万分。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

11 devoutly   

adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地

参考例句：

• She was a devoutly Catholic. 她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This was not a boast, but a hope, at once bold and devoutly humble. 这不是夸夸其谈，而是一个即大胆而又诚心、谦虚的希望。 来自辞典例句

12 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

13 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

14 brunch   

n.早午餐

参考例句：

• They eat much the same thing for brunch every day.每天早午餐他们总是吃同样的东西。
• What did you have for your brunch?你早午饭都吃些什么？

15 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

16 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

17 plucky   

adj.勇敢的

参考例句：

• The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
• This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。

18 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。

19 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

21 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

22 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》