The Five spent most of the afternoon talking about the mystery of the man who had pretended to beMr. Brent. It really was difficult to understand why anyone should do such a foolish thing, especiallyas it could be so easily found out.
'I can only think there's a madman about who has got it into his head that he is Mr. Brent!' said Dickat last. 'No wonder he didn't seem to recognize that butterfly we took him!'
'Do you know what I think would be a good idea?' suddenly said George. 'Why don't we slip down toButterfly Farm tonight, when it's getting dark, and see if the false Mr. Brent is there, and the real one- whom we've never seen, by the way, and Mr. Gringle?'
'Hm - yes - quite an idea,' said Julian, seriously. 'But only Dick and I will go - not you or Anne.'
'I'll come, too,' said Toby.
'Right,' said Julian. 'But we'll have to be jolly careful - because if there is something funny going ondown there, we don't want to be caught. It wouldn't be at all pleasant, I fear!'
'Take Timmy with you,' said George at once.
'No. He might bark or something,' said Dick. 'We'll be all right, George. Gracious - we've had enoughadventures by now to teach us how to go about things like this! Ha - I shall look forward to tonight!'
Everyone suddenly felt much more cheerful, even Toby. He managed a very small smile, and stoodup to brush the crumbs1 off his jersey2.
'I'm going now,' he said. 'I've a lot of farm jobs to do this afternoon - I'll meet you at the big oak-treebehind the Butterfly Farm - did you notice it?'
'Yes - an enormous one,' said Julian. 'Right. Be there at - say - ten o'clock. No, eleven - it will be darkby then, or almost.'
'So long!' said Toby and plunged3 down the hill, accompanied for a little way by Timmy.
'Well - I feel much better now we've made a definite plan,' said Dick. 'My goodness, it's half past fivealready! Don't suggest tea, George - we had our lunch so late!'
'I wasn't going to,' said George. 'We'll miss it out and have a really good supper later on. And don'tlet's forget to listen to the news at six o'clock - there might be some about Jeff and his friend Ray -and the aeroplanes.'
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So, just before six o'clock, they switched on the little radio set, and listened intently for the news.
It came at last - and almost the first piece was about the stolen aeroplanes. The children listened,holding their breath, bending close to the set.
'The two aeroplanes stolen from Billycock Airfield4 last night, flown away by Flight- LieutenantJeffrey Thomas and Flight-Lieutenant Ray Wells, have been found. Both planes apparently5 crashedinto the sea, but were seen, and there is a chance of their being salvaged6. The pilots were not found,and are presumed to have been drowned. At Edinburgh this afternoon there was a grand rally of...'
Julian switched off the news and looked at the others soberly. 'Well - that's that! Crashed, both ofthem! That was because of the storm, I suppose. Well, at least no enemy will be able to get hold ofthe new devices that were incorporated in the planes.'
'But - that means Toby's cousin is drowned - or killed,' said Anne, her face very white.
'Yes. But remember, if he flew away in that plane, he was a traitor7 to his country,' said Dick gravely.
'And traitors8 deserve to die.'
'But Toby's cousin didn't seem like a traitor,' said George. 'He seemed so - well, so very British, and Ican't say anything finer than that. I feel as if I shall never trust my judgment9 of anyone again. I likedhim so very much.'
'So did I,' said Dick, frowning. 'Well, these things happen - but I just wish it hadn't been Toby'scousin. He was such a hero to him. I don't feel as if Toby will ever be quite the same after this -it's something so absolutely beastly!'
Nobody said anything for a little while. They were all profoundly shocked - not only by the idea ofCousin Jeff being a traitor, but also by the news that he had been drowned. It seemed such a horribleend to come to that bright-eyed, smiling your airman they had joked with only the other day - and yetit was an end that a traitor deserved - and that the other man deserved, too.
'Do you think we ought to pack up and go home?' said Anne. 'I mean - won't it be awkward for theThomas's to have us hanging round when they must feel shocked and unhappy?'
'No, we don't need to bother them much at the farm,' said Julian. 'And I don't think we can desert oldToby at the moment. It will help him to have friends around, you know.'
'Yes. You're right,' said Dick. 'This is the sort of time to have good friends - poor old Toby. He'll beknocked out by this last piece of news.'
'Will he be waiting for you at the old oak-tree tonight, do you think?' asked George.
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'Don't know,' said Julian. 'It doesn't matter if he's not there, anyway - Dick and I can do all thesnooping round that is necessary. And it will take our minds off this shock a bit - to try and solve themystery down at Butterfly Farm!'
They went for a walk round the hill, with Timmy leaping over the heather in delight. He couldn'tunderstand the lack of laughter and the unusual solemnity shown by his four friends, and he waspleased to be able to forget any troubles and sniff10 for rabbits.
They had their suppers at eight o'clock and then turned on the radio to listen to a programme.
'We'll hear the news at nine,' said Dick. 'Just in case there might be any more.'
But the nine o'clock news only repeated what had been said about the two planes in the six o'clockbroadcast, and not a word more. Dick switched off and gazed down at the airfield below.
There were still quite a lot of planes there, though some of them had taken off and flown away duringthe day. Julian trained his field-glasses on the field.
'Not so many men scurrying12 about now.' he said. 'Things are quietening down. My word - what ashock it must have been for everyone there last night, to hear the planes revved13 up, and then flownaway! They must have been amazed!'
'May be they didn't hear them go, in the storm,' said George.
'They must have,' said Dick. 'We heard them up here. Well, what about you girls turning-in?
Dick and I don't want to, in case we fall off to sleep - we've got to slip away about half past ten or weshan't be down at the oak-tree at eleven.'
'I wish you'd take Timmy with you,' said George uneasily. 'I don't like Butterfly Farm - or the witch-like old woman there - or the man you met with dark glasses who wasn't Mr. Brent, or the son youhaven't seen.'
'Don't be an ass11, George,' said Julian. 'We shall be back by twelve, I expect - and Timmy is sure tobark in welcome, so you'll know we're safe.'
The girls wouldn't go to their tent to sleep, so they all sat and talked, and watched the sun slip behindthe clear horizon. The weather was now perfect again, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
It was difficult to imagine the sweeping14 rain and howling wind of last night's storm.
'Well,' said Julian at last, looking at his watch. 'Time we went. Timmy, look after the girls as usual.'
'Woof,' said Timmy, understanding perfectly15.
'And you look after yourselves,' said Anne. 'We'll come down a little way with you - it's such a 62lovely evening.'
They all set off together, and the girls went halfway16 to the Butterfly Farm and then turned back withTimmy. 'Well, Tim - mind you bark at twelve, when they come back,' said Anne. 'Though somehow Ithink that both George and I will still be awake!'
The two boys went on down the hill and round to the right across towards Butterfly Farm. It wasalmost dark now, though the June night was very clear and bright. 'Better be careful we're not seen,'
muttered Julian. 'It's such a clear night.'
They made their way to the big old oak-tree that stood at the back of the Butterfly Farm. Toby wasnot there - but in about two minutes they heard a slight rustling17 noise, and saw Toby, panting a little,as if he had been hurrying. Then he was close beside them.
'Sorry I'm a bit late,' he whispered. 'I say - did you hear the six o'clock news?'
'Yes - we were awfully18 sorry about it,' said Julian.
'Well - as I still don't believe that Cousin Jeff stole the aeroplanes with Ray Wells, but that somebodyelse did, I wasn't any more upset than before,' said Toby. 'If Jeff didn't steal the plane, he wasn't in itwhen it crashed, so he's not drowned. See?'
'Yes. I see,' said Julian, glad that Toby had taken the news in that way, but convinced himself thatthere wasn't really much hope.
'What are your plans?' whispered Toby. 'There are lights in the cottage windows - and I don't thinkany curtains are pulled. We could go and peep into each one and see exactly who is there!'
'Good idea,' said Julian. 'Come on - and, for goodness' sake, don't make a noise. Single file, of course.
I'll lead the way.'
And silently and slowly they went round the oak-tree and down to the tumble-down cottage.
What would they see there, when they looked through those lighted windows?
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1
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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airfield
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| n.飞机场 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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6
salvaged
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| （从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的过去式和过去分词 )； 回收利用（某物） | |
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7
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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9
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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revved
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| v.（使）加速( rev的过去式和过去分词 )；（数量、活动等）激增；（使发动机）快速旋转；（使）活跃起来 | |
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14
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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15
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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17
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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