Chapter 12 VERY SUSPICIOUS

Chapter 12 VERY SUSPICIOUS
The children, with the two dogs barking excitedly, ran to the other, seaward side of the island.
Great rocks lay out there, and the sea splashed over them.
'There it is - a motor-boat!' cried Dick. They all stood and watched the boat riding over the sea at avery fast speed.
'Where are the glasses - did we bring them with us?' said Julian. 'I'd like to focus them on the boatand see if I can read the name - or even see the men in it!'
But the glasses had been left behind at Kirrin Cottage - what a pity!
'They must have anchored their motor-boat out there, and somehow clambered inshore over therocks,' said George. 'It's a dangerous thing to do if you don't know the best way.'
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'Yes - and if they came last night, as I think they must have done, because I'm sure now it was theengine of the motor-boat that I heard,' said Anne, 'if they came last night, they must have clamberedto the shore in the dark. I wonder they managed it!'
'It must have been the light of a lantern or a torch you saw on the island in the night,' said Julian.
'They probably didn't want to be seen arriving on the island, and that's why they went to the otherside, the seaward side. I wonder if they were men spying to find out if Berta is with us or not.'
'Let's snoop around a bit more and see if we can find anything else,' said Anne. 'The motor-boat isalmost out of sight now.'
They went back to the other side of the island. Berta looked with awe¹ at the old ruined castle in themiddle. Jackdaws circled round a tower, calling loudly. 'Chack-chack-chack!'
'Once upon a time my castle had strong walls all round it,' said George. 'And there were two greattowers. One's almost in ruins, as you can see, but the other is fairly good. Come right into the castle.'
Berta followed the others in, struck dumb with awe. To think that this island, and this wonderful oldruined castle, belonged to George! How very, very lucky she was!
She went through a great doorway², and found herself in a dark room, with stone walls enclosing it.
Two narrow, slit-like windows brought in all the light there was.
'It's strange and old and mysterious,' said Berta, half to herself. 'It's asleep and dreaming of the olddays when people lived here. It doesn't like us being here!'
'Wake up!' said Dick. 'You look quite dopey!' Berta shook herself and looked round again. Then shewent on through the castle and looked at other rooms, some without roofs, some without one or twoof their walls.
'It's a honey of a castle!' she said to George. 'A real honey. Wunnerful. WonDERful.'
They wandered all round, showing the awe-struck Berta everything. 'We'll show you the dungeonstoo,' said George, very pleased to be impressing Berta so much.
'Dungeons³! You've got dungeons too - oh, of course, you told me about them,' said Berta.
'Dungeons! You don't say! My my, I'll never forget this afternoon.'
As they walked over the old courtyard Timmy suddenly growled⁴ and stood still, his tail down, thehackles on his neck rising. Everyone automatically stood still too.
'What is it, Tim? asked George, in a whisper. Timmy's nose was pointing towards the little harbourwhere they had left their boat.
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'There must be someone there,' said Dick. 'Don't say they're going off with our boat!'
George gave a scream. Her boat! Her precious boat! She set off at top speed with Timmy bounding infront.
'Come back, George - there may be danger!' shouted Julian, but George didn't listen. She ran over therocks that led down to the little harbour-beach, and then stopped still in surprise.
Two policemen were walking up the sandy beach! Their boat was drawn⁵ up beside George's.
They saluted⁶ her and grinned.
'Afternoon, Miss George!'
'What are you doing on my island?' demanded George, recognising them. 'Why have you come here?'
'Someone reported suspicious people on the island,' said the first policeman.
'Who did?' said George. 'Nobody knew about it but us!'
'I bet I know who reported it,' said Dick suddenly. 'Joan did! She didn't like us going off by ourselves;she said we ought to telephone the police.'
'That's right,' said the policeman. 'So we came to see for ourselves. Found anyone?'
Julian took command then, and related how they had first seen the cigarette ends, and then heard themotor-boat starting up, and had gone to see it roaring away from the island.
'Ah,' said both policemen, profoundly. 'Ah!'
'What do you mean - 'AH'?' asked Dick.
'Fred here heard a motor-boat somewhere in the bay in the night,' said the first man. 'What was itdoing there, I'd like to know?'
'So would we,' said Julian. 'We saw someone on the island looking through binoculars⁷ at the beachthis morning.'
This brought forth⁸ two more 'Ahs', and the policemen exchanged glances.
'Good thing you've got a couple of dogs with you,' said the one called Fred. 'Well - we'll just have abit of a look round, and then we'll go back on our beats again. And mind you ring us up next timeanything turns up, Miss George, see?'
Off they went together, looking closely at the ground. They found the cigarette ends and picked themup. Then on they went again.
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'Let's go back,' said George, in a low voice. 'It spoils things if other people are on the island. I don'twant to have a picnic here now. We'll go off in the boat somewhere and have a picnic tea in a cove⁹.'
So they dragged the boat down to the water and jumped in. Sally was very pleased to be back in theboat and ran from end to end wagging her stiff little tail in delight. Timmy followed her up and downand got in everyone's way.
'How can I row if you keep on jumping over me, Timmy?' complained Dick. 'Sally, you're just asbad. Berta, are you all right? You look a bit green?'
'It's only excitement and the bumpy¹⁰ bit past the rocks,' said Berta, anxious not to appear seasick¹¹ infront of the others. 'I'll be all right as soon as we get on to calm waters.'
But she wasn't, so it was regretfully decided¹² that they must row to the shore. They had a lazy tea onthe beach, and Berta recovered enough to join in heartily¹³.
'Anyone got room for an ice-cream?' asked Anne. 'Because if so I'll stroll down to the shops and getsome. I want to buy a new pair of shoe-laces too. One of mine broke this morning.'
Everyone appeared to have room for an ice-cream, so Anne set off with Sally, who wanted to comewith her. She went to the draper's and got the laces, and then went to the tea-shop that sold ices.
'Seven, please,' she said. The girl in the shop smiled.
'Seven! You used to ask for five.'
'Yes, I know. But we've got someone staying with us - and another dog,' explained Anne. 'And bothdogs like ice-creams.'
'That reminds me - someone was in my shop yesterday asking about your uncle,' said the girl.
'He said he knew him. He wanted to know how many children were staying at Kirrin Cottage, and Ithought only the four of you were there - and Timmy, of course. He seemed surprised, and said,surely there was another girl?'
'Good gracious!' said Anne, startled. 'Did he really? How inquisitive¹⁴! What did you say then?'
'I just said there were two boys and a girl, and a girl who liked to dress as a boy,' said the girl.
Anne was glad to think the shop-girl hadn't known about Berta. 'What was the man like?' she asked.
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'Quite ordinary,' said the girl, trying to remember. 'He wore dark glasses like so many visitors do inthe bright sun. I noticed he had a large gold ring on his finger when he paid my bill. That's all I canremember.'
'Well, if anyone else asks you about us, just say we've got a friend staying with us called Lesley,'
said Anne. 'Good-bye.'
She went off at top speed, anxious to tell the others. The man in the tea-shop must have been one ofthose who had gone to the island to watch the beach - he might have been staring at the five of themas they had played together. He must be one of the men now in the motor-boat. Anne didn't like it,and it made her feel very uneasy.
She told the others what the shop girl had said as they sat in the sand and ate their ice-creams.
Timmy gobbled his almost at once, and sat patiently watching for Sally to deal with hers, hoping thatshe would leave some.
All the four listened intently to Anne's little story.
'That settles it,' said Dick. 'Those men are certainly snooping round trying to find out if Lesley ishere.'
'They are getting uncomfortably close,' said Julian.
'Still, your uncle and aunt come back tomorrow,' said Berta. 'We'll tell them, and maybe they'll havesome good plan.'
'I hope those men don't know that they are away,' said Dick, uneasily. 'I think we'll have to keep apretty close watch from now on. I wonder if Berta ought to stay on here with us.'
'See what Father says tomorrow,' said George. So it was decided that nothing should be done exceptto keep a sharp look-out until George's parents came back. They all went back rather soberly toKirrin Cottage and told Joan what had happened on the island.
'You telephoned to the police, Joan!' said Dick, shaking his finger at her.
'I did. And I was right to,' said Joan. 'And what's more Master Lesley's bed is going to be movedaway from the window tonight and the window's going to be fastened even if we melt, and the doorwill be locked.'
'I'll lend you Timmy, too, if you like,' said George. 'He can sleep in the room with Sally. You oughtto be safe then!'
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She really only meant it as a joke, but to her surprise Joan accepted at once. 'Thank you, Miss,'
she said. 'I'd be glad of Timmy. I feel all of a dither, left on my own like this, and kidnappers¹⁵ closingin on us!'
Julian laughed. 'Oh, it's not so bad as that, Joan! Only one more night and Uncle Quentin and AuntFanny will be back.'
'Oh - I quite forgot to tell you,' said Joan. 'Look, there's a telegram come. They're staying away awhole week! That's why I feel so scared. A week - well a lot can happen in a week!'

1 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

3 dungeons   

n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

4 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 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》

7 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 cove   

n.小海湾，小峡谷

参考例句：

• The shore line is wooded,olive-green,a pristine cove.岸边一带林木蓊郁，嫩绿一片，好一个山外的小海湾。
• I saw two children were playing in a cove.我看到两个小孩正在一个小海湾里玩耍。

10 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

11 seasick   

adj.晕船的

参考例句：

• When I get seasick,I throw up my food.我一晕船就呕吐。
• He got seasick during the voyage.在航行中他晕船。

12 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。

13 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。

14 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

15 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》