Chapter 18 GEORGE'S TRICK

Chapter 18 GEORGE'S TRICK
　　George sat in the darkness of the cave, hearing Anne's peaceful breathing nearby, waiting for Snifferto come back. She was longing¹ to see Timmy again. Was the cut on his head very bad?
　　A thought came into her mind. She would send Timmy back to the stables with a note! He was veryclever, he knew what to do when he had a note tied to his collar. Then help would come very quicklyindeed. Timmy would know his way all right out of this hill, once he had been in it!
　　Ah, here was Sniffer coming back again. Was Timmy with him? She heard Sniffer's sniff-sniff-sniff,but no sound of Timmy. Her heart sank.
　　Sniffer appeared cautiously in the cave.
　　'I didn't dare to take Timmy,' he said. 'My father has him tied up too near to him, and I'd have wakedhim. But I've brought you a knife, look.'
　　'Thank you, Sniffer,' said George, taking the knife and putting it into her pocket. 'Listen, there'ssomething important I'm going to do and you've got to help.'
　　'I'm scared,' said Sniffer. 'I'm real scared.'
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　　'Think of that bicycle,' said George. 'A red one, perhaps, with silver handles?'
　　Sniffer thought of it. 'All right,' he said. 'What are you going to do?'
　　'I'm going to write a note,' said George, feeling in her pocket for her note-book and pencil. 'And Iwant you to tie it on to Timmy's collar, under his chin, and set him free somehow. Will you do that?
　　He'll run off back to the stables with the note, and then Anne and I will be rescued, and you will getthe most beautiful bicycle in the world!'
　　'And a house to live in,' said Sniffer, at once. 'So's I can ride my bike to school?'
　　'All right,' said George, hoping that somehow he could have that too. 'Now, wait a minute.'
　　She scribbled² the note, but she had hardly written more than a few words, when a sound came up thepassage. Someone was coughing.
　　'It's my father!' said Sniffer, in fright. 'Listen, if you cut your ropes and escape, can you find your wayout from here? It's very twisty and turny.'
　　'I don't know. I don't think I can!' whispered George, in a panic.
　　'I'll leave patrins for you!' said Sniffer. 'Look out for them! Now I'm going to slip into the cave nextdoor, and wait till my father's finished talking to you. Then I'll go back to Timmy.'
　　He slipped out just in time. The lantern shone into George's cave and Sniffer's father stood there.
　　'Have you seen Sniffer?' he asked. 'I missed him when I woke just now. If I catch him in here I'llwhip him till he squeals³.'
　　'Sniffer? He's not here,' said George, trying to sound surprised. 'Look round the cave and see!'
　　The man caught sight of the note-book and pencil in George's hand. 'What's that you're writing?'
　　he said suspiciously and took it from her.
　　'So you're writing for help, are you!' he said. 'And how do you think you're going to get help. I'd liketo know? Who's going to take this note home for you? Sniffer?'
　　'No,' said George, truthfully.
　　The man frowned as he looked again at the note. 'Look here,' he said, 'you can write another note, tothose two boys. And I'll tell you what to say.'
　　'No,' said George.
　　'Oh yes, you will,' said the man. 'I'm not going to hurt those boys. I'm just going to get back thosepackets from wherever they are hidden. Do you want your dog back safely?'
　　'Yes,' said George, with a gulp⁴.
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　　'Well, if you don't write this note you won't see him again,' said the man. 'Now then, take your penciland write in that note-book of yours.'
　　George took up her pencil. 'This is what you must write,' said the man, frowning as he thought hard.
　　'Wait a minute,' said George. 'How are you going to get this note to the boys? You don't know wherethey are! You won't be able to find them if this mist still goes on.'
　　The man scratched his head and thought.
　　'The only way to get the note to them is to tie it on my dog's collar and send him to find them,'
　　said George. 'If you bring him here to me I can make him understand. He always does what I tellhim.'
　　'You mean he'll take the note to whoever you tell him to take it?' said the man, his eyes gleaming.
　　'Well, write it then. Say this:
　　' 'We are prisoners. Follow Timmy and he will bring you to us and you can save us.' Then sign yourname, whatever it is.'
　　'It's Georgina,' said George, firmly. 'You go and get my dog while I write the note.'
　　The man turned and went. George looked after him her eyes bright. He thought he was making herplay a trick on Julian and Dick, to bring them here so that they could be threatened and questionedabout the packets, and where they were hidden!
　　'But I'm going to play a trick on him,' thought George. 'I'm going to tell Timmy to take the note toHenry, and she'll be suspicious and get Captain Johnson to follow Tim back here, and that will givethe gypsies an awful shock! I expect the Captain will be sensible enough to get the police as well.
　　Aha, I'm playing a trick too!'
　　In ten minutes' time Sniffer's father returned with Timmy. It was a rather subdued⁶ Timmy, with avery bad cut on his head, which really needed stitching. He pattered soberly across to George, andshe flung her arms round his neck and cried into his thick hair.
　　'Does your head hurt you?' she said. 'I'll take you to the vet⁵ when I get back, Tim.'
　　'You can get back as soon as we've got those two boys here and they've told us where those packetsare hidden,' said the man.
　　Timmy was licking George as if he would never stop, and his tail waved to and fro, to and fro.
　　He couldn't understand what was happening at all! Why was George here? Never mind, he was withher again. He settled down on the floor with a thump⁷ and put his head on her knee.
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　　'Write the note,' said the man, 'and tie it on to his collar, on the top, so that it can easily be seen.'
　　'I've written it,' said George. The gypsy held out a dirty hand for it and read it.
　　'We are prisoners. Follow Timmy and he will bring you to us and you can save us.
　　Georgina.'
　　'Is that really your name, Georgina?' asked the man. George nodded. It was one of the few times sheever owned to a girl's name!
　　She tied the note firmly to Timmy's collar, on the top of his neck. It was quite plainly to be seen.
　　Then she gave him a hug and spoke⁸ urgently to him.
　　'Go to Henry, Tim, go to HENRY. Do you understand, Timmy dear, take this note to HENRY.'
　　She tapped the paper on his collar as he listened to her. Then she gave him a push. 'Go along.
　　Don't stay here any longer. Go and find HENRY.'
　　'Hadn't you better tell him the other boy's name too?' said the man.
　　'Oh no, I don't want to muddle⁹ Timmy,' said George hastily. 'Henry, Henry, HENRY!'
　　'Woof,' said Timmy, and George knew that he understood. She gave him another push. 'Go, then,' shesaid. 'Hurry!'
　　Timmy gave her rather a reproachful look as if to say, 'You haven't let me stay with you very long!'
　　Then he padded off down the passage, the note showing clearly on his collar.
　　'I'll bring the boys up here as soon as they come with the dog,' said the man, and he turned on hisheel, and went out. George wondered if Sniffer was still about and she called him. But there was noanswer. He must have slipped away down the passages back to his caravan¹⁰.
　　Anne woke up then, and wondered where she was. George switched on her torch again and explainedall that had happened.
　　'You should have wakened me,' said Anne. 'Oh blow these ropes. They're so uncomfortable.'
　　'I've got a knife now,' said George. 'Sniffer gave it to me. Shall I cut our ropes?'
　　'Oh yes!' said Anne, in delight. 'But don't let's try and escape yet. It's still night-time and if that mist isabout, we'll only get lost. We can pretend we're still tied up if anyone comes.'
　　George cut her own ropes with Sniffer's exceedingly blunt knife. Then she cut Anne's. Oh, what arelief to lie down properly, and not to have to sit up all the time and feel the knots at the back!
　　'Now do remember, if we hear anyone coming, we must tie the ropes loosely round us,' she said.
　　'We will stay here till we know it's day, and perhaps we can find out if the mist is still about, or if it'sgone. If it's gone, we'll go.'
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　　They fell asleep on the sandy floor, both glad to lie down flat. Nobody came to disturb them, and theyslept on and on, tired out.
　　Where were the boys? Still under the bush, half- sleeping, half- waking, for they were cold anduncomfortable. They hoped the girls were now safely at home. They must have gone right down therailway, and made their way back to the stables, thought Julian, every time he awoke. I do hope theyare safe and Timmy too. Thank goodness he is with them.
　　But Timmy wasn't with them, of course. He was padding across the misty¹¹ moor¹² all by himself,puzzled, and with a badly-aching head. Why had George sent him to Henry? He didn't like Henry. Hedidn't think that George did, either. And yet she had sent him to find her. Very strange!
　　Still, George had given him his orders, and he loved her and always obeyed her. He padded over theheather and grass. He didn't bother about keeping to the railway line. He knew the way back withouteven thinking about it!
　　It was still night, though soon the dawn would come. But the mist was so thick that even the dawnwould not be able to break through it. The sun would have to remain hidden behind the thick swathesof mist.
　　Timmy came to the stables. He paused to remember which was Henry's bedroom. Ah yes, it wasupstairs, next to the room that Anne and George had had.
　　Timmy leapt into the kitchen through a window left open for the cat. He padded upstairs and came toHenry's room. He pushed at the door and it opened.
　　In he went and put his paws on her bed. 'Woof,' he said in her ear. 'Woof! Woof! Woof!'

1 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

2 scribbled   

v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• She scribbled his phone number on a scrap of paper. 她把他的电话号码匆匆写在一张小纸片上。
• He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving. 临行前，他给妹妹草草写了一封短信。

3 squeals   

n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• There was an outburst of squeals from the cage. 铁笼子里传来一阵吱吱的叫声。 来自英汉文学
• There were squeals of excitement from the children. 孩子们兴奋得大声尖叫。 来自辞典例句

4 gulp   

vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽

参考例句：

• She took down the tablets in one gulp.她把那些药片一口吞了下去。
• Don't gulp your food,chew it before you swallow it.吃东西不要狼吞虎咽，要嚼碎了再咽下去。

5 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

6 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

7 thump   

v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声

参考例句：

• The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。
• The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。

8 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 muddle   

n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱

参考例句：

• Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。
• Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。

10 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

11 misty   

adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的

参考例句：

• He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿，看看是不是还有雾霭。
• The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。

12 moor   

n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊

参考例句：

• I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
• There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。