GEORGE opened her mother's letter when they had finished their meal. Everyone voted that it was atruly wizard lunch - two hard-boiled eggs each, fresh lettuce1, tomatoes, mustard and cress, andpotatoes baked in the fire in their jackets - followed by what Julian had asked for - slices of tinnedpineapple, very sweet and juicy.
'Very nice,' said Julian, lying back in the sun. 'Anne, you're a jolly good housekeeper2. Now, 28George, let's hear what Aunt Fanny has got to say in her letter.'
George unfolded the note-paper and smoothed it out. 'It's to all of us,' she said.
'DEAR GEORGE, ANNE, JULIAN AND DICK,
'I hope George arrived safely and that you all met her. I am really writing to remind Georgethat it is her grandmother's birthday on Saturday, and she must write to her. I forgot toremind George before she went, so thought I must quickly send a letter.'
'George, your father is very much upset to read about those two missing scientists. He knowsDerek Terry-Kane very well, and worked with him for some time. He says he is absolutely surethat he isn't a traitor3 to his country; he thinks he has been spirited away somewhere, andJeffrey Pottersham too - probably in a plane miles away by now, in a country that will forcethem to give up their secrets. It's just as well you went off today, because this afternoon yourfather is striding about all over the place, talking nineteen to the dozen, and banging everydoor he comes to, bless him.'
'If you write, please don't mention scientists, as I am hoping he will calm down soon. Hereally is very upset, and keeps on saying 'What is the world coming to?' when he knows quitewell that it's coming to exactly what the scientists plan it to come to.'
'Have a good time, all of you, and DON'T forget to write to your grandmother, George!'
Your loving,
MOTHER (AUNT FANNY).'
'I can just see Father striding about like a - like a...'
'Fire-eater,' said Julian with a grin, as George stopped for a word. 'He'll drive Aunt Fanny intochasing him around with a saucepan one day! Funny business about these scientists though, isn't it?
After all, Terry-Kane had planned to leave the country - got his aeroplane ticket and everything - soalthough your father believes in him, George, it honestly looks a bit fishy4, doesn't it?'
'Anything in the paper about it?' asked Dick, and shook it open. 'Yes-here we are:
'MISSING SCIENTISTS
'It is now certain that Jeffrey Pottersham was in the pay of a country unfriendly to us, and was 29planning to join Terry-Kane on his journey abroad. Nothing has been heard of the two men, althoughreports that they have been seen in many places abroad have been received.'
'That rather settles it,' said Julian. 'Two Really Bad Eggs. Look - here are their photographs.'
The four leaned over the paper, looking at the pictures of the two men. 'Well, I should have thoughtanyone would recognize Terry-Kane if they saw him,' said Anne. 'Those big, thick, arched eyebrows5,and that enormous forehead. If I saw anyone with eyebrows like that I'd think they weren't real!'
'He'll shave them off,' said Dick. 'Then he'll look completely different. Probably stick them on hisupper lip upside down and use them for moustaches!'
'Don't be so silly,' said George, with a giggle6. 'The other fellow is very ordinary-looking, except forhis dome7 of a head. Pity none of us four have got great foreheads - I suppose we must be ratherstupid people!'
'We're not so bad,' said Julian. 'We've had to use our brains many times in all our adventures -and we haven't come off so badly!'
'Let's clear up and then go for a walk again,' said Anne. 'If we don't I shall fall asleep. This sun is sogloriously hot, it's really cooking me.'
'Yes - we'd better go for a walk,' said Julian, getting up. 'Shall we go and see the castle, do you think?
Or shall we leave that for another day?'
'Leave it,' said Anne. 'I honestly don't feel like clambering up that steep hill just now. I think themorning would be a better time!'
They cleared up and then locked the two caravans9 and set out. Julian looked back. Some of the fair-folk were sitting together, eating a meal. They watched the children in silence. It wasn't very pleasantsomehow.
'They don't exactly love us, do they?' said Dick. 'Now you listen, Timmy - don't you go accepting anytitbits from people here, see?'
'Oh, Dick!' said George, in alarm, 'you surely don't think they would harm Timmy?'
'No, I don't really,' said Dick. 'But we might as well be careful. As the rubber man pointed11 out to usthis morning, us-folk and his-folk think differently about some things. It just can't be helped.
But I do wish they'd let us be friendly. I don't like this kind of thing.'
'Well, anyway I shall keep Timmy to heel all the time,' said George, making up her mind firmly.
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'Timmy, to heel! Please understand that as long as we are in the caravan10 field you must walk to heel?
Do you understand?'
'Woof- woof,' said Timmy, and immediately kept so close to George's ankles that his nose keptbumping into them.
They decided12 to catch the bus to Tinkers' Green, and then walk from there to the sea. They wouldhave time to get there and back before dark. The bus was waiting at the corner, and they ran to catchit. It was about two miles to Tinkers' Green, which was a dear little village, with a proper green and aduck-pond with white ducks swimming on it.
'Shall we have an ice-cream?' suggested Dick as they came to a grocer's shop with an ice-cream signoutside it.
'No,' said Julian firmly. 'We've just had an enormous lunch, and we'll save up ice-creams for teatime.
We shall never get down to the sea if we sit and eat ice-creams half the afternoon!'
It was a lovely walk, down violet-studded lanes, and then over a heathery common with clumps13 ofprimroses in the hollows - and even a few very very early bluebells14, much to Anne's delight.
'There's the sea! Oh, what a dear little bay!' said Anne, in delight. 'And isn't it blue - as blue ascornflowers. We could almost bathe.'
'You wouldn't like it if you did,' said Julian. 'The sea would be as cold as ice! Come on - let's getdown to the little jetty and have a look at the fishing-boats.'
They went down to the sun-warmed stone jetty and began talking to the fishermen there. Some weresitting in the sun mending their nets, and were very willing to talk.
'How nice to have a bit of friendliness15 shown us instead of the stares and rudeness of the fair-folk!'
said Dick to Julian, who nodded and agreed.
A fisherman took them on his boat, and explained a lot of things they already knew and some theydidn't. It was nice to sit and listen to his broad speech, and to watch his bright blue eyes as he talked.
He was as brown as an oak-apple.
'Could we ever hire a boat here if we wanted to?' asked Julian. 'Is there one we could manage byourselves? We are quite good at sailing.'
'Old Joseph there has a boat he could hire out if you wanted one,' said the man they were talking to.
'He hired it out the other day, and I expect he'd hire it out to you too if so be you can really manageit.'
'Thanks. We'll ask him, if we ever decide to go out,' said Julian. He looked at his watch. 'We'd 31better go and get some tea somewhere. We want to be home before dark. We're camping over atFaynights Castle.'
'Oh ay?' said the fisherman. 'You've got the fair-folk there now, haven't you? They were here twoweeks since. My, that fire-eater is a fair treat, he is! And that rope-man - well! I tell you this - I tiedhim up in my fishing-line - you can see it here, strong as two ropes it is! I tied him up with all theknots I know - and in under a minute he stood up and the line fell off him, knots and all!'
'Ay, that is so,' said the old fellow called Joseph. 'A wonder he is, that man. So is the rubber fellow.
He called for a drain-pipe, narrow as this, see? And he wriggled16 through it, quick as an eel8. Fairscared me, it did, to see him wriggling17 out of the other end.'
'We'll go and see them perform when they begin their show,' said Julian. 'At the moment they're notvery friendly towards us. They don't like us being in their field.'
'They keeps themselves to themselves,' said Joseph. 'They had a heap of trouble at the place theywere in before they came to us - someone set the police on them, and now they won't make friendswith anyone.'
'Well, we must go,' said Julian, and they said goodbye to the friendly fishermen and went. Theystopped and had tea at a little tea-shop, and then made their way home. 'Anyone want to take thebus?' said Julian. 'We can easily get home before dark if we walk - but if the girls are tired we'll busfrom Tinkers' Green.'
'Of course we're not tired!' said George indignantly. 'Have you ever known me say I'm tired, Julian?'
'All right, all right - it was just a bit of politeness on my part,' said Julian. 'Come on - let's get going.'
The way was longer than they had thought. It was getting dark when they got to the stile that led intothe caravan field. They climbed over it and made their way slowly to their corner.
And then they suddenly stopped and stared. They looked all round and stared again.
Their two caravans were gone! They could see the places where they had stood, and where their firehad been. But no caravans stood there now!
'Well!' said Julian, astounded18. 'This beats everything! Are we dreaming? I can't see a sign of ourcaravans anywhere!'
'Yes - but - how could they go?' said Anne, almost stammering19 in her surprise. 'I mean - we had nohorses to pull them away anywhere! They couldn't go just by themselves.'
32
There was a silence. The four were completely bewildered. How could two large, solid caravansdisappear into thin air?
'Look - there are wheel-marks in the grass,' said Dick suddenly. 'See - our caravans went this way -come on, follow. Down the hillside, look!'
In the greatest astonishment20 the four children and Timmy followed the wheel-marks. Julian glancedback once, feeling that they were being watched. But not one of the fair-folk was to be seen. Perhapsthey are watching silently behind their caravan curtains. Julian thought, uncomfortably.
The wheel-marks went right down the field and reached the gate. It was shut now, but it must havebeen opened for the two caravans, because there were marks in the grass by the gate, marks thatpassed through it and then were lost in the lane.
'What are we to do?' said Anne, scared. 'They're gone! We've nowhere to sleep. Oh, Julian - what arewe going to do?'
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1
lettuce
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n.莴苣;生菜 | |
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2
housekeeper
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n.管理家务的主妇,女管家 | |
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3
traitor
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n.叛徒,卖国贼 | |
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4
fishy
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adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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5
eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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6
giggle
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n.痴笑,咯咯地笑;v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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7
dome
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n.圆屋顶,拱顶 | |
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eel
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n.鳗鲡 | |
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caravans
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(可供居住的)拖车(通常由机动车拖行)( caravan的名词复数 ); 篷车; (穿过沙漠地带的)旅行队(如商队) | |
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10
caravan
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n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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11
pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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13
clumps
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n.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的名词复数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声v.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声 | |
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14
bluebells
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n.圆叶风铃草( bluebell的名词复数 ) | |
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15
friendliness
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n.友谊,亲切,亲密 | |
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16
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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17
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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18
astounded
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v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶 | |
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19
stammering
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v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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