Chapter 19 A MORNING OF WORK

Chapter 19 A MORNING OF WORK
There was a dead silence after Mr. Thomas had said those despairing words - 'Nobody knows whereto look!' Where were Jeff and Ray lying, worried and anxious, knowing their planes to be stolen,picturing them in the hands of an alien country, being dismantled¹ to discover the new and secretdevices built into them!
'They must be absolutely furious to think how easily it was all done!' said Dick. 'Taken by surpriselike that! Surely there must be someone on the airfield² who was in the secret?'
'Bound to be,' said Mr. Thomas. 'These things are carefully planned to the very last detail - and, ofcourse, it was a bit of luck for the men to have a storm going on just at the time when they neededsomething to make their getaway unseen and unheard - unheard, that is, until the planes were actuallyup in the air, and then it didn't matter!'
'Yes - the rain simply slashed³ down that night,' said George, remembering. 'Nobody would be out init - even the guards on the airfield would be under shelter somewhere. It was a bit of luck for thosefellows!'
'I expect they were delighted to look out of that tiny little window at the cottage and see a stormblowing up on the very night they wanted one!' said Dick.
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'It beats me how Mr. Gringle and Mr. Brent never heard or suspected anything - with four strangemen hanging about Butterfly Farm,' said Julian.
'There can't be anything in their heads but butterflies or moths,' said Toby. 'I bet the police will havesomething to say to them!'
'The thing is - what's to be done now?' said Julian, frowning. He turned to Mr. Thomas, who wasdeep in thought. 'What do you think, sir? Is there anything we can do?'
'I doubt it,' said Mr. Thomas. 'The police have had reports of two men driving a closed van at a fastspeed - the number was taken by two or three people who complained - and they think that it mighthave been one used to transport Jeff and Ray to some distant hiding-place - somewhere in a disusedquarry - or in some deserted⁴ cellar. Likely places of that sort.'
Everyone groaned⁵. There certainly was absolutely nothing they could do, then - it would beimpossible to hunt for miles for old quarries⁶ or other hiding-places!
'Well - I must get on with my work,' said Mr. Thomas. 'Where's your mother, Toby? You'd better tellher about all this.'
'She's gone shopping,' said Toby, looking at the clock. 'She'll be back just before dinner-time.'
'I suppose Benny has gone with her,' said Mr. Thomas, going to the door. 'Where's Curly, his pigling?
Surely he hasn't taken him, too!'
'I expect he has,' said Toby. He looked at the other four children, suddenly remembering something. 'Isay - aren't you a bit short of food up at the camp? Shall I get you some to take back with you?'
'Well - if it isn't an awful bother,' said Julian, apologetically. It seemed rather dreadful to think aboutfood when probably Jeff and Ray were lying tied up somewhere, hungry and thirsty, with no chanceof food of any sort.
'I'll get some. You come with me, Anne, and say what you want,' said Toby, and he and Anne wentoff together to the kitchen, and opened the door of the immense larder⁷. Soon Anne was choosingwhat she wanted, trying to cheer up poor, downcast Toby at the same time.
'Can we stay and help you this morning, Toby?' asked Julian, when he and Anne came back. Heknew that Toby had many jobs to do on the farm, although it was a holiday week - and he thought,too, that it would be good for the boy to have company that worrying morning.
'Yes. I'd like you to!' said Toby, brightening at once. 'I told Dad I'd limewash the hen-houses today -it's just the kind of day for that, nice and dry with a little breeze. You and Dick could help 77and we'd get them all done by dinner-time.'
'Right. We'll help you all morning, then we'll go back to our camp and have a picnic lunch,' saidJulian. 'If you've finished all the jobs you have to do, you could come back with us - and we could goon a hike or something this afternoon.'
'Oh yes!' said Toby, cheering up considerably⁸. 'Come on, then - we'll get the lime and find thebrushes. Hey, Binky, come and help us - and you, too, Timmy.'
'Wait a minute - can't we help?' said George. 'I can limewash hen-houses as well as anyone!'
'Oh, no, George - it's a messy job - a job for boys not girls,' said Toby, and went off with Dick andJulian, leaving George looking furious.
'Now you've offended George,' said Dick, grinning. Toby was genuinely surprised.
'Have I really?' he said. 'Oh, of course - I forgot she doesn't like to be girlish! Half a minute!' He ranback to the window of the sitting-room⁹ and called through it.
'Hie, George! What about doing a job for my mother? She never has time to weed her flower-gardenand she is always upset because it's so untidy. I suppose you and Anne couldn't do something aboutthat?'
'Yes, of course!' called Anne, going out of the door. 'Let's find a trowel each, and something to putweeds in. George! Don't look so gloomy! Let's weed the whole bed and make it marvellous for Mrs.
Thomas. She's so kind and generous, I'd like to do something for her.'
'All right. So would I,' said George, more graciously, and went with her cousin into the garden.
'I wish little Benny was at home,' said Anne, as she and George began their task a few minutes later,complete with trowels and two old tin pails for the weeds. 'I'd like him running round us, askingquestions in that dear little high voice of his. And Curly, his pigling, running about like a funny littlepig-puppy!'
'Yes. I like Benny, too,' said George, pulling up a handful of weeds. 'My word - there are more weedsthan flowers in this bed.'
'Let's take Benny up to the camp with us this afternoon, if Toby comes,' said Anne. 'Then Toby cantake him back with him when he goes. I love little Benny - I could look after him while you and theboys go hiking this afternoon.'
'All right,' said George, torn between wanting to stay with Anne and little Benny and his pig andgoing with the boys. 'Help - I've been stung by a most vicious nettle¹⁰!'
All the children worked hard that morning. The hen-houses had been scrubbed down and well 78and truly lime-washed. Now they were drying quickly, the doors flung open to sun and wind.
The girls had practically cleared the big flower-bed of weeds and were feeling rather pleased with it -and with themselves too!
There came the sound of a car at about a quarter to one. 'That must be Mrs. Thomas coming backfrom her shopping,' said George. 'Quick, let's finish this bed before she sees us - we've only about tenminutes' more work.'
'Benny will soon come running to see what we are doing,' said Anne. 'And little Curly, too. My word- I've just filled my ninth pail of weeds!'
The three boys came by just then, swinging their empty pails and carrying their big brushes.
Timmy came, too, with quite a few white patches on his coat!
'Hallo, girls!' said Dick. 'My word you've done a fine job on that bed - you can actually see theflowers now!'
The girls sat back, pleased. 'Yes, it looks a bit better,' said Anne, pushing back her hair. 'Yourmother's home, I think, Toby. We'd better go now, because you'll soon be having your dinner, andwe'll be as hungry as hunters by the time we get back to our camp.'
'Right,' said Toby. 'Here, I'll take those pails of weeds for you - and the trowels!'
'Oh - thanks,' said George. 'Dick, Anne and I will go off to the camp now, with Timmy, and take thesalad and stuff that wants washing under the spring - you bring the rest of the food, will you?'
'Of course,' said Dick. 'You take one basket, and we'll take the other.'
They went off with Toby. Anne and George went to look for Mrs. Thomas, but she had gone into thedairy and was not to be seen.
'Never mind - she'll be busy,' said Anne. 'We'll go off straight away and get our lunch ready.'
They went off to the farm-gate and up the path on to the steep slopes of Billycock Hill, the basketbetween them. Soon they were out of sight.
The boys washed their hands under a pump in the yard. Toby had gone to see his mother and to tellher what the police had said - but his father had already told her. She was very worried indeed.
'Poor Jeff! Poor Ray!' she said. Then she looked round as she heard the footsteps of Dick and Julian.
'Oh,' she said, 'I thought it was Benny. Where is he?'
'Benny - well, he was with you, wasn't he?' said Toby. 'You didn't leave him in the car, did you?'
'What do you mean, Toby?' said Mrs. Thomas, looking startled. 'I left Benny here at the farm. I 79didn't take him with me - I never do when I have a lot of shopping, he gets so bored!'
'But, Mother - I've not seen him all morning!' said Toby. 'He's not at the farm. I've not seen him forhours!'
'Oh, Toby!' said his mother, looking frightened. 'Toby, what's happened to him then? I thought you'dlook after him, as you usually do!'
'And I thought he'd gone with you,' groaned Toby. 'Dick - Julian have you seen Benny, or Curly?'
'No - we haven't set eyes on him this morning!' said Dick. 'Gosh - where's he got to? He may havegone up Billycock Hill to try and find our camp - I know he wanted to.'
'Toby - the horse-pond!' said Mrs. Thomas, looking pale. 'Go there - he may have fallen in. Look inthe loft¹¹ of the barn, too - and go into the machinery¹² shed. Oh, Benny, Benny, where are you?'
She turned to Dick and Julian, standing¹³ anxiously beside her. 'Go up to your camp,' she said.
'Hunt and call all the way. He may be lost on the hill-side. My little Benny! Perhaps his pigling''runned away'' again, as he so often tells us - and he followed and got lost! Oh, dear, whatever shall Ido?'

1 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

2 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

3 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

5 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 quarries   

n.（采）石场( quarry的名词复数 )；猎物（指鸟，兽等）；方形石；（格窗等的）方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石

参考例句：

• This window was filled with old painted glass in quarries. 这窗户是由旧日的彩色菱形玻璃装配的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They hewed out the stones for the building from nearby quarries. 他们从邻近的采石场开凿出石头供建造那栋房子用。 来自辞典例句

7 larder   

n.食物贮藏室，食品橱

参考例句：

• Please put the food into the larder.请将您地食物放进食物柜内。
• They promised never to raid the larder again.他们答应不再随便开食橱拿东西吃了。

8 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

9 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

10 nettle   

n.荨麻；v.烦忧，激恼

参考例句：

• We need a government that will grasp the nettle.我们需要一个敢于大刀阔斧地处理问题的政府。
• She mightn't be inhaled as a rose,but she might be grasped as a nettle.她不是一朵香气扑鼻的玫瑰花，但至少是可以握在手里的荨麻。

11 loft   

n.阁楼，顶楼

参考例句：

• We could see up into the loft from bottom of the stairs.我们能从楼梯脚边望到阁楼的内部。
• By converting the loft,they were able to have two extra bedrooms.把阁楼改造一下，他们就可以多出两间卧室。

12 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

13 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。