Chapter 16 SECRET WAYS

Chapter 16 SECRET WAYS
　　THEY waited till the moon went behind a cloud, and then, like moving shadows, made their waydown the hillside as fast as they could. They did not want any of the fair-folk to see them. Theyclambered over the stile and went up the lane. They made their way up the steep path to the castle,but when they came to the little tower where the turnstile was they went off to the right, and walkedround the foot of the great, thick walls.
　　It was difficult to walk there, because the slope of the hill was so steep. Timmy went with them,excited at this unexpected walk.
　　'Now, Timmy listen - we want you to show us how you got in,' said George. 'Are you listening,Timmy? Go in, Timmy, go in where you went this morning.'
　　Timmy waved his long tail, panted, and let his tongue hang out in the way he did when he wanted toshow he was being as helpful as he could. He ran in front, sniffing¹.
　　Then he suddenly stopped and looked back. He gave a little whine². The others hurried to him.
　　The moon most annoyingly went behind a cloud. Julian took out his torch and shone it where Timmystood. The dog stood there, looking very pleased.
　　'Well, what is there to be pleased about, Timmy?' said Julian, puzzled. 'There's no hole there -nowhere you could possibly have got in. What are you trying to show us?'
　　Timmy gave a little bark. Then suddenly leapt about four feet up the uneven³ stones of the wall, anddisappeared!
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　　'Hie - where's he gone?' said Julian, startled, and flashed his torch up. 'I say, look! There's a stonemissing up there, quite a big block - and Timmy's gone in at the hole.'
　　'There's the block - fallen down the hillside,' said Dick, pointing to a big white stone, roughly squarein shape. 'But how has Timmy gone in, Ju? This wall is frightfully thick, and even if one stone fallsout, there must be plenty more behind!'
　　Julian climbed up. He came to the space where the great fallen stone had been and flashed his torchthere. 'I say - this is interesting!' he called. 'The wall is hollow just here. Timmy's gone into thehollow!'
　　At once a surge of excitement went through the whole lot. 'Can we get in and follow Timmy?'
　　called George. 'Shout to him, Julian, and see where he is.'
　　Julian called into the hollow. 'Timmy! Timmy, where are you?'
　　A distant, rather muffled⁴ bark answered him, and then Timmy's eyes suddenly gleamed up at Julian.
　　The dog was standing⁵ down in the small hollow behind the fallen stone. 'He's here,' called backJulian. 'I tell you what I think we've hit on. When this enormous wall was built, a space was leftinside - either to save stones, or to make a hidden passage, I don't know which. And that fallen stonehas exposed a bit of the hollow. Shall we explore?'
　　'Oh, yes,' came the answer at once. Julian climbed down into the middle of the wall. He flashed historch into the space he was standing in. 'Yes,' he called, 'it's a kind of passage. It's small, though.
　　We'll have to bend almost double to get along it. Anne, you come next, then I can help you.'
　　'Will the air be all right?' called Dick into the passage.
　　'It smells a bit musty,' said Julian. 'But if it really is a passage, there must be secret air- holessomewhere to keep the air fresh in here. That's right, Anne - you hang on to me. Jo, you come next,then George, then Dick.'
　　Soon they were all in the curious passage, which ran along in the centre of the wall. It certainly wasvery small. They all got tired of going along bent⁶ double. It was pitch dark too, and although they allhad torches, except Jo, it was very difficult to see.
　　Anne hung on to Julian's coat for dear life. She wasn't enjoying this very much, but she wouldn't havebeen left out of it for anything.
　　Julian suddenly stopped, and everyone bumped into the one in front. 'What's up?' called Dick, fromthe back.
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　　'Steps here!' shouted back Julian. 'Steps going down, very very steeply - almost like a stone ladder.
　　Be careful, everybody!'
　　The steps were certainly steep. 'Better go down backwards⁷,' decided⁸ Julian. 'Then we can have hand-holds as well as foot-holds. Anne, wait till I'm down and I'll help you.'
　　The steps went down for about ten feet. Julian got down safely, then Anne turned herself round andwent down backwards too, as if she were on a ladder instead of on stairs. It was much easier thatway.
　　At the bottom was another passage, wider and higher, for which everyone was devoutly⁹ thankful.
　　'Where does this lead to?' said Julian, stopping to think. 'This passage is at right angles to the wall -we've left the wall now - we're going underneath¹⁰ part of the courtyard. I should think.'
　　'I bet we're not far from that tower,' called Dick. 'I say - I do hope this leads to the tower.'
　　Nobody could possibly tell where it was going to lead to! Anyway, it seemed to run quite straight,and after about eighty feet of it, Julian stopped again.
　　'Steps up again!' he called. 'Just as steep as the others. I think we may be going up into the inside ofthe castle walls. This is possibly a secret way into one of the old rooms of the castle.'
　　They went carefully up the steep stone steps and found themselves, not in a passage, but in a verysmall room that appeared to be hollowed out of the wall of the castle itself. Julian stopped in surprise,and everyone crowded into the tiny room. It really wasn't much larger than a big cupboard. A narrowbench stood at one side, with a shelf above it. An old pitcher¹¹ stood on the shelf, with a broken lip,and on the bench was a small dagger¹², rusty¹³ and broken.
　　'I say! Look here! This is a secret room - like they used to have in old places, so that someone mighthide if necessary,' said Julian. 'We're inside one of the walls of the castle itself - perhaps the wall ofan old bedroom!'
　　'And there's the old pitcher that had water in,' said George. 'And a dagger. Who hid here - and howlong ago?'
　　Dick flashed his torch round to see if he could spot anything else. He gave a sudden exclamation¹⁴, andkept his torch fixed¹⁵ on a corner of the room.
　　'What is it?' said Julian.
　　'Paper - red and blue silver paper,' said Dick. 'Chocolate wrapping! How many times have we boughtthis kind of chocolate, wrapped in silver paper patterned with red and blue!'
　　He picked it up and straightened it out. Yes - there was the name of the chocolate firm on it!
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　　Everyone was silent. This could only mean one thing. Someone had been in this room lately -someone who ate chocolate - someone who had thrown down the wrapping never expecting it to befound!
　　'Well,' said Julian, breaking the silence. 'This is surprising. Someone else knows this way in.
　　Where does it lead to? Up to that tower, I imagine!'
　　'Hadn't we better be careful?' said Dick, lowering his voice. 'I mean - whoever was here might quitewell be wandering about somewhere near.'
　　'Yes. Perhaps we'd better go back,' said Julian, thinking of the girls.
　　'No,' said George, in a fierce whisper. 'Let's go on. We can be very cautious.'
　　A passage led from the strange hidden room. It went along on the level for a little way, and then theyarrived at a spiral stairway that ran straight upwards¹⁶ like a corkscrew.
　　At the top they came to a small, very narrow door. It had a great, old-fashioned iron ring for a handle.
　　Julian stood hesitating. Should he open it or not? He stood for half a minute, trying to make up hismind. He whispered back to the others. 'I've come to a little door. Shall I open it?'
　　'Yes,' came back the answering whispers. Julian cautiously took hold of the iron ring. He turned it,and it made no noise. He wondered if the door was locked on the other side. But it wasn't. It openedsilently.
　　Julian looked through it, expecting to see a room, but there wasn't one. Instead he found himself on asmall gallery that seemed to run all the way round the inside of the tower. The moon shone in througha slit-window, and Julian could just make out that he must be looking down from a gallery into thedarkness of a tower-room on the second or third floor of the tower - the third, probably.
　　He pulled Anne out and the other three followed. There was no sound to be heard. Julian whisperedto the others. 'We've come out on to a gallery, which overlooks one of the rooms inside the tower. Itmay be a second-floor room, because we know that the ceiling of the first floor has fallen in. Orperhaps it's even the third floor.'
　　'Must be the third,' said Dick. 'We're pretty high.' His whisper went all round the gallery and cameback to them. He had spoken more loudly than Julian. It made them jump.
　　'How do we get higher still?' whispered George.
　　'Is there any way up from this gallery?'
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　　'We'll walk round it and see,' said Julian. 'Be as quiet as you can. I don't think there's anyone here, butyou never know. And watch your step, in case the stone isn't sound - it's very crumbly here and there.'
　　Julian led the way round the curious little gallery. Had this tower-room been used for old plays ormimes? Was the gallery for spectators? He wished he could turn back the years and lean over thegallery to see what had been going on in the room below, when the castle was full of people.
　　About three-quarters of the way round the gallery a little flight of steps led downwards¹⁷ into the roombelow. But just beyond where the steps began there was another door set in the wall, very like the onethey had just come through.
　　It too had an iron ring for a handle. Julian turned it slowly. It didn't open. Was it locked? There was agreat key standing in the iron lock, and Julian turned it. But still the door didn't open. Then he sawthat it was bolted.
　　The bolt was securely pushed home. So somebody was a prisoner the other side! Was it the man whoowned the Face? Julian turned and whispered very softly in Anne's ear.
　　'There's a door here bolted my side. Looks as if we're coming to the Face. Tell George to sendTimmy right up to me.'
　　Anne whispered to George, and George pushed Timmy forward. He squeezed past Anne's legs andstood by Julian, sensing the sudden excitement.
　　'We're probably coming to stairs that lead up to the top tower-room, where that window is with theFace,' thought Julian, as he slid back the bolt very cautiously. He pushed the door, and it opened. Hestood listening, his torch switched off. Then he switched it on.
　　Just as he had thought, another stone stairway led up steeply. At the top must be the prisoner,whoever he was.
　　'We'll go up,' said Julian softly. 'Quiet, everybody!'

1 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》

2 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。

3 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

4 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 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。

7 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

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 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

10 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。

11 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

12 dagger   

n.匕首，短剑，剑号

参考例句：

• The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
• The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

13 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

14 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

15 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

16 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

17 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。