FOR once in a way Julian was quite at a loss what to do! It looked as if someone had stolen the twocaravans - taken them right away somewhere!
'I suppose we'd better ring up the police,' he said. 'They'll watch out for the two caravans, and arrestthe thieves. But that won't help us much for tonight! We've got to find somewhere to sleep.'
'I think we ought to go and tackle one or two of the fair-folk,' said Dick. 'Even if they have gotnothing to do with the theft they must have seen the caravans being taken away.'
'Yes. I think you're right,' said Julian. They must know something about it. George, you stay herewith Anne, in case the fair people are rude. We'll take Timmy - he may be useful.'
George didn't want to stay behind - but she could see that Anne did! So she stayed with her, strainingher eyes after the two boys as they went back up the hill with Timmy close behind.
'Don't let's go to the snake-man,' said Dick. 'He might be playing with his snakes in his caravan2!'
'What possible game can you play with snakes?' said Julian. 'Or are you thinking of snakes and 33ladders?'
'Funny joke,' said Dick, politely. 'Look - there's somebody by a camp-fire - Bufflo, I think. No, it'sAlfredo. Well, we know he isn't as fierce as he looks - let's tackle him about the caravans.'
They went up to the big fire-eater, who was sitting smoking by the fire. He didn't hear them comingand jumped violently when Julian spoke3 to him.
'Mr. Alfredo,' began Julian, 'could you tell us where our two caravans have gone? We found themmissing when we got back just now.'
'Ask Bufflo,' said Alfredo, gruffly, not looking at them.
'But don't you know anything about them?' persisted Julian.
'Ask Bufflo,' said Alfredo, blowing out clouds of smoke. Julian and Dick turned away, annoyed, andwent over to Bufflo's caravan. It was shut. They knocked on the door, and Bufflo appeared, his mopof golden hair gleaming in the lamplight.
'Mr. Bufflo,' began Julian politely again. 'Mr. Alfredo told us to come and ask you about ourcaravans, which are missing, and...'
'Ask the rubber-man,' said Bufflo, shortly, and slammed the door. Julian was angry. He knockedagain. The window opened and Skippy, Bufflo's little wife, looked out.
'You go and ask Mr. India-rubber,' she called, and shut the window with what sounded suspiciouslylike a giggle4.
'Is this a silly trick they're playing on us?' said Dick fiercely.
'Looks like it,' said Julian. 'Well, we'll try the rubber-man. Come on. He's the last one we'll try,though!'
They went to the rubber-man's caravan, and rapped smartly on the door. 'Who's there?' came thevoice of Mr. India-rubber.
'Come out - we want to ask you something,' said Julian.
'Who's there?' said the rubber-man again.
'You know jolly well who we are,' said Julian raising his voice. 'Our caravans have been stolen, andwe want to find out who took them. If you won't give us any help, we're going to telephone thepolice.'
The door opened and the rubber-man stood on the top of the steps, looking down at Julian.
'Nobody has stolen them,' he said. 'Nobody at all. You go and ask the snake-man.'
'If you think we're going round asking every single person in this camp, you're mistaken!' said 34Julian, angrily. 'I don't want to go to the police - we wanted to be friends with you fair-folk, notenemies. This is all very silly. If the carvans are stolen we've no other choice but to go to the police -and I don't imagine you want them after you again! We know they were put on to you a few weeksback.'
'You know too much,' said the rubber-man, in a very surly voice. 'Your caravans are not stolen. I willshow you where they are.'
He came lightly down the steps of his caravan and walked in front of the two boys in the half-darkness. He went across the grassy5 hillside, making for where the children's caravans had stood.
'Where are you taking us?' called Julian. 'We know the vans are not there! Please don't act the idiot -there's been enough of that already.'
The man said nothing, but walked on. The boys and Timmy could do nothing but follow. Timmy wasnot happy. He kept up a continuous low growling7, like far-off thunder. The rubber-man took not theslightest notice. Julian wondered idly if he didn't fear dogs because they wouldn't be able to biterubber!
The man took them to the hedge that ran at one side of the field, beyond where the two caravans hadstood. Julian began to feel exasperated8. He knew perfectly9 well that the two vans had been takendown to the field-gate and out into the lane - then why was this fellow leading him in the oppositedirection?
The rubber-man forced his way through the hedge, and the boys followed - and there, just the otherside, two big, dark shapes loomed10 up in the twilight11 - the caravans!
'Well!' said Julian, taken aback. 'What was the idea of putting the caravans here, in the next field?'
'Us-folk and you-folk don't mix,' said the man. 'We don't like kids messing about. Three weeks agowe had a canary-man, with over a hundred canaries that gave a show with him - and some kidsopened all the cages one night and set them loose.'
'Oh,' said Julian. 'They'd die, of course, if they were set loose - they don't know how to look for theirown food. That was bad luck. But we don't do things like that.'
'No kids allowed with us now,' said the rubber-man. 'That's why we put horses into your vans, tookthem down to the field-gate, and up into the next field - and here they are. We thought you'd be backin the daylight and would see them.'
'Well, it's nice to find you can be chatty, all of a sudden,' said Julian. 'Don't growl6 any more, 35Timmy. It's all right. We've found our vans!'
The rubber-man disappeared without another word. They heard him squeezing easily through thehedge. Julian took out the key to his caravan, went up the steps and opened the door. He rummagedabout and found his torch. He switched it on and shone it round. Nothing had been disturbed.
'Well - so that's that,' he said. 'Just a bit of spite on the part of the fair-folk, I suppose - punishing usfor what those horrid12 kids did to the canaries. I must say it was a shame to open those cages -half the poor little creatures must have died. I don't like birds put in cages - but as canaries can't livein this country unless they are looked after, it's cruel to let them go loose, and starve.'
'I agree with you,' said Dick. They were now walking down the hillside to a gap in the hedge throughwhich the vans must have been pulled up the hill. George and Anne would be most relieved to hearthey had found the caravans!
Julian gave a whistle, and George answered it at once. 'We're still here, Julian! What's happened?'
'We've got the caravans,' shouted back Julian, cheerily. 'They're in this field.'
The girls joined them at once, most surprised to hear this news. Julian explained.
'The fair-folk really have got a hate on against children,' he said. 'Apparently13 they had a canary-man,whose show consisted of singing canaries - and some kids set all the birds loose one night -so half of them died. And now the fair-folk won't have children anywhere near them.'
'I suppose the snake-man is afraid of us setting his snakes loose,' said Dick, with a chuckle14.
'Well, thank goodness we've found the vans. I had a feeling we might have to sleep in a haystacktonight!'
'I wouldn't have minded that,' said George. 'I like haystacks.'
'We'll light a fire and cook something,' said Julian. 'I feel hungry after all this upset.'
'I don't,' said Anne. 'I hate feeling that the fair-folk won't be friends. It's silly of them. We're not usedto that.'
'Yes - but they're rather like children themselves,' said Julian. 'Somebody does something unkind tothem, so they get sulky, and wait for a chance to hit back - and then someone set the police on them,too, don't forget - they're very touchy15 at the moment, I imagine.'
'Well, it's a pity,' said George, watching Dick light a camp- fire very efficiently16. 'I was lookingforward to having a good time with them. Do you suppose the farmer will mind us being here?'
36
'Oh - I never thought of that,' said Julian. 'This may not be a camping field. I hope to goodness wedon't have an angry farmer shouting at us tomorrow!'
'And, oh dear, we are so far away from the stream now,' said Anne. 'It's on the other side of the fieldwhere we were - and we do badly want water.'
'We'll have to do without it tonight,' said Dick, firmly. 'I don't want the top of my hair taken off byBufflo, or a rope tying up my legs, thrown by the ropeman, or a snake wriggling17 after me. I bet thosefair-folk will be on the watch for us to fetch water. This is all very silly.'
They had rather a solemn meal. Things had suddenly begun to seem rather complicated. Theycouldn't go to the police about such a silly thing - nor did they want to. But if the farmer wanted toturn them out of this field, how could they go back to their first camping-place? Nobody wanted tolive in a camp surrounded by enemies!
'We'll sleep on it,' said Julian, at last. 'Don't worry, you girls. We'll find a way out of this problem.
We are pretty good at getting out of difficulties. Never say die!'
'Woof,' said Timmy, agreeing heartily18. George patted him.
'That's one of your mottoes, isn't it, Timmy?' she said.
'And another motto of his is 'Let sleeping dogs lie',' said Dick, with a broad grin. 'He hates beingwakened up when he's having a nice nap, dreaming of millions of rabbits to catch!'
'Well, talking of naps, what about getting into our bunks19?' said Julian, with a yawn. 'We've had agood long walk today, and I'm tired. I'm going to lie in my bunk20 and read.'
Everyone thought this a very good idea. They cleared up the supper-things, and the girls said goodnight to the boys. They went into the caravan with Timmy.
'I do hope this holiday isn't going to be a failure,' said Anne, as she got into her bunk. George gaveone of her snorts.
'A failure! You wait and see! I've a feeling it will turn out to be super.'
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1
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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caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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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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giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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12
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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touchy
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| adj.易怒的；棘手的 | |
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efficiently
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| adv.高效率地，有能力地 | |
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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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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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