The Five soon began to prepare for their evening meal, and Timmy trotted1 about pretending to 43help, always hopeful of being allowed to carry a loaf of bread or piece of cold ham in his mouth.
But he was never lucky!
As they sat eating their meal, Julian glanced uneasily at the western sky again. 'The rain's certainlycoming,' he said. 'That cloud has covered half the sky now, and swallowed up the evening sun. I thinkwe ought to put up the tents.'
'Blow! I suppose we ought,' said George.
'And we'd better do it quickly,' said Dick. 'I distinctly felt a nasty cold wind just then - the first reallycold air since we came here. We shall certainly want to roll up in our rugs tonight!'
'Well, let's get the things out from under the old gorse-bush,' said Julian. 'It won't take long to put upthe tents if we all get to work.'
In three-quarters of an hour the tents were up, set nicely in the shelter of the giant gorse-bush. 'Agood, business-like job,' said Dick, pleased. 'It would take a hurricane to blow the tents away -we'll be quite all right here. Let's pull up some more heather and pile it in the tents. We shall want ourrugs to wrap ourselves in, not to lie on tonight, so we might as well make our beds as soft aspossible.'
They piled heather into the tents, spread their macs there, too, and then looked at the sky. Yes, therewas no doubt about it - there was rain coming and probably a storm! Still, it might clear tomorrow,and be as fine as ever. If it wasn't they would go and explore the caves that Toby had told them about.
It was now almost dark and the children decided2 that they would all get into one tent and have theradio on again. They called Timmy, but he preferred to be outside.
They set the radio going - but almost immediately Timmy began to bark. George switched off atonce.
'That's the bark he gives when somebody is coming,' she said. 'I wonder who it is?'
'Toby, to say we'd better go to the farm for the night,' guessed Dick. 'Mr. Gringle hunting for moths3!'
said Anne with a giggle4.
'Old Mrs. Janes looking for things to make spells with!' said George.
Everyone laughed. 'Idiot!' said Dick. 'Though I must say this looks a night for witches!'
Timmy went on barking, and Julian put his head out of the tent. 'What's up, Tim?' he said. 'Who'scoming?'
'Wuff, wuff,' said Timmy, not turning his head to Julian, but seeming to watch something or 44someone in the half-light.
'It may be a hedgehog he's seen,' said George from inside the tent. 'He always barks at them becausehe knows he can't pick them up.'
'Well - may be you're right,' said Julian. 'But I think I'll just go out and get Timmy to take me towhatever it is he's barking at. I feel I'd like to know. He obviously hears or sees something!'
He slid out of the tent-opening and went to Timmy. 'Come on, Tim,' he said. 'Who is it? What'supsetting you?'
Timmy wagged his tail and ran in front of Julian. He obviously had no doubts about where he wasgoing. Julian followed him, stumbling over the heather and wishing he had brought his torch, for itwas now half-dark.
Timmy ran some way down the hill towards the airfield5, then rounded a clump6 of birch-trees andstopped. He barked loudly again. Julian saw a dark shadow moving there and called out.
'Who's there? Who is it?'
'It's only me - Mr. Brent,' said an annoyed voice, and Julian caught sight of a long stick with ashadowy net on the end. 'I've come out to examine our honey-traps before the rain comes and washesaway the moths feeding there.'
'Oh,' said Julian. 'I might have thought of that when Timmy barked. Is Mr. Gringle about, too?'
'Yes - so if your dog barks again you'll know it's only us,' said Mr. Brent. 'We're often prowlingaround at night - this is just as good a hill for moths at night as it is for butterflies by day. Can't youstop that dog barking at me? Really, he's very badly trained.'
'Shut up, Tim,' ordered Julian, and Timmy obediently closed his mouth, but still stood stiffly, staringat the man in the darkness.
'I'm going on to our next honey-trap,' said the man. 'So you can take that noisy dog back to whereveryou are camping.' Mr. Brent began to move away, flashing a torch in front of him.
'We're just up the hill,' said Julian. 'About a hundred yards. Oh - you've got a torch, I see. I wish I'dbrought mine.'
The man said nothing more, but went slowly on his way, the beam of his torch growing fainter.
Julian began to climb back up the hill to the tents, but in the growing darkness it was not easy!
He missed his way and went much too far to the right. Timmy was puzzled and went to him, tugginggently at his sleeve.
'Am I going wrong?' said Julian. 'Blow! I'd soon get lost on this lonely hill-side. Dick! George!
45
Anne! Give a shout, will you? I don't know where I am.'
But he had wandered so far off the path that the three didn't hear him - and Timmy had to guide himfor a good way before he saw the torches of the others flashing up above. He felt most relieved. Hehad no wish to be caught in a heavy rain-storm on the exposed side of Billycock Hill!
'Is that you, Julian?' called Anne's anxious voice. 'What a long time you've been! Did you get lost?'
'Almost!' said Julian. 'Like a fat-head I went without my torch - but Timmy here knew the way allright. I'm glad I'm back - it's just beginning to rain!'
'Who was Tim barking at?' asked George.
'One of the Butterfly Men - Mr. Brent, the one Dick and I saw today,' said Julian. 'I just caught theglint of his dark glasses in the half-light, and saw the butterfly net he carried. He said Mr.
Gringle was out, too.'
'But whatever for, with a storm coming?' marvelled8 Anne. 'All the moths would be well in hiding.'
'They've come out to examine their moth-traps, as they call them,' said Julian. 'They spread stickystuff like honey or something round the trunks of trees - and the moths fly down to it by the score.
Then they come along and collect any they want to take back.'
'I see - and I suppose Mr. Brent was afraid the rain might wash away the clinging moths,' said Dick.
'Well, they'll both be caught in the storm, that's certain. Hark at the rain pelting9 down on the tentnow!'
Timmy squeezed into the tent, not liking10 the sting of the heavy raindrops. He sat down by Georgeand Anne.
'You do take up a lot of room in a small tent, Tim,' said George. 'Can't you make yourself a bitsmaller?'
Timmy couldn't. He was a big dog, and rather a sprawly one. He put his wet head on George's kneeand heaved a heavy sigh. George patted him.
'Humbug11!' she said. 'What are you sighing about? Because you've finished your bone? Because it'sraining and you can't go and sit and bark at anything moving on the hill?'
'What shall we do now?' said Julian, setting his torch on the radio set, so that it more or less lightedup the tent. 'There's nothing on the radio we want to hear.'
46
'I've got a pack of cards in the pocket of my mac,' said George, much to everybody's joy, and she gotthem out. 'Let's have a game of some sort.'
It was rather dificult in the small tent, with Timmy sometimes getting up just when all the cards wereneatly dealt, and upsetting the piles. The storm grew fiercer and the rain tried its best to lash7 its waythrough the canvas of the little tent.
Then Timmy began to bark again, startling everyone very much. He climbed over legs and knees andpoked his head out of the tent opening, barking loudly.
'Good gracious - you almost gave me a heart attack!' said Dick, pulling him back. 'You'll get soakedout there, Tim. Come back - it's only those mad Moth-men out there picking moths off rain-soakedhoney-traps. Don't worry about them. They're probably enjoying themselves enormously.'
But Timmy simply would NOT stop barking, and even growled12 when Julian tried to drag him intothe tent.
'Whatever's up with him?' said Julian, bewildered. 'Oh, stop it, Timmy! You're deafening13 us!'
'Something's upsetting him - something unusual,' said George. 'Listen - was that a yell?'
Everyone listened, but the rain was pelting down so hard that it was impossible to hear anything butthe slashing14 rain and the wind.
'Well, we can't do much about it, whatever it is that's upsetting Timmy,' said Dick. 'We can't possiblygo wandering about in this storm - we'd get soaked through and probably lost!'
Timmy was still barking, and George grew cross. 'Timmy! Stop! Do you hear me? I won't have it.'
It was so seldom that George was angry with him that Timmy turned in surprise. George pounced15 athis collar and dragged him forcibly into the tent. 'Now - be QUIET!' she commanded.
'Whatever it is, we can't do anything about it!'
Just then another noise rose above the howling of the wind and the torrents16 of rain, and the Fivepricked up their ears at once, sitting absolutely still.
'R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R! R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R!'
They all looked round at one another. 'Aeroplanes!' said Dick. 'Aeroplanes! In this weather, too.
Whatever is going on?'
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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2
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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3
moths
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| n.蛾( moth的名词复数 ) | |
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4
giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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5
airfield
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| n.飞机场 | |
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6
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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8
marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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11
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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12
growled
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| 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 | |
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13
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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14
slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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15
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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16
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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