Chapter 12 JEREMIAH'S TALE

Chapter 12 JEREMIAH'S TALE
'Now when I was a boy,' began the old man, 'a boy not much older than this here youngster,' and hepoked Tinker with his horny forefinger¹, 'there wasn't no light-house out there - but there was alwaysthem wicked rocks! And many's the time in a stormy season when ships have been caught by theirteeth, a - glittering there, waiting. You know what they're called, don't you?'
'Yes. Demon's Rocks,' said Tinker.
'Well, up on that high cliff there, lived a wicked old man,' said Jeremiah. 'And he had a son as bad ashimself, and a nephew too. The Three Wreckers, they were called, and I'll tell you how they came bytheir name.'
'Did you know them?' asked Dick.
'That I did! And if I was hidden behind a bush when they came marching by, I'd send a stoneskedaddling after them!' said the old man. 'Mean and cruel and wicked they were. And everyone wasskeered of them, right down afraid! There was One-Ear, the old man. They say his left ear waschewed off by a monkey, but do I blame that monkey? No, I do not, no more than I'd blame yourmonkey for chewing off the ear of somebody else I know - but I won't mention no names, 45he might hear me.'
The old fellow looked over his shoulder as if the man he was thinking of might be about.
'Well - there was One-Ear, the old man - and there was Nosey, the son - and Bart his nephew -and not a pin to choose between them for meanness. There was only one thing they were after -and that was money! And a mighty³ wicked way they chose to get it.' The old man stopped and spat⁴ indisgust on the pavement.
'Pah! I'll tell you how they got rich, oh yes, I'll tell you. And I'll tell you what happened to them in theend too. Be a lesson to you and to everyone! Well now, you see that high cliff away down the coastthere - the one with the flag-post and the flag a - waving in the wind?'
'Yes,' said everyone, looking at the waving flag.
'Now ships mustn't hug the coast beyond that point!' said grandad. 'If they do, they'll be forced inlandby the current, and thrown on them rocks down there - Demon's Rocks. And that's the end of them.
No ship has ever been able to escape the sharp teeth of them wicked rocks, once she's caught in thatcurrent. Well now, to stop the ships going near to the cliff in those days, they flew a flag in the day-time - and lighted a lamp up there at night. And both said as plain as could be ''BEWARE! KEEPOUT! DANGER!'''
'Of course, all sailors knew the flag and the lamp too, and many a one blessed them, and took theirships out to sea, away from Demon's Rocks. But that didn't suit old One-Ear Bill. He didn't mind awreck or two! He'd be down on the beach picking up what he could, if a ship came smashing downon the rocks. And would he save a single soul - not he! There was some people said he was theDemon of Demon's Rocks himself!'
'What a wicked old man!' said Anne horrified⁵.
'Aye, you're right missie,' said the old fellow. 'Well, the wrecks⁶ didn't come often enough for him andNosey and Bart. So they put their ugly heads together and thought up as wicked a plan as any mancould think of!'
'What was it?' said Tinker, his eyes almost falling out of his head.
'Well, on a stormy night he put out the lamp a-shining brightly on the far cliff, and he and Noseycarried it to that bit of cliff over yonder, see?' and the old man pointed⁷ to a jutting-out piece nearby.
'And you know what's just below that cliff, don't you - all round the light-house!'
'Rocks! Sharp, horrible rocks - the Demon's Rocks!' said George, horrified.
'Do you mean to say that One-Ear Bill and the others deliberately⁸ shone the lamp there on 46stormy nights, to guide ships straight on to the rocks?' said Julian.
'Aye, that's what I do mean,' said Jeremiah Boogle. 'And what's more I met old One-Ear Bill meselfone dark night when the storms were on - and what was he carrying between himself and Nosey - thelamp! They'd doused⁹ the light, of course, but I'd my own little lantern with me, and I saw the lampplain enough. Aye, that I did! And when they saw me, they set Bart on to me, to push me over thecliff, so that I wouldn't tell on them. But I got away, and I DID tell on 'em!
Ho, yes, I told all right. And One-Ear Bill went to prison, and serve him right, the wicked man.
But he didn't care - and why should he? He was rich! RICH!'
'But how was he rich?' asked Dick.
'Well, young sir, the ships that came sailing round this coast in those days, came from far- offcountries, and many of them carried treasure,' said Jeremiah. 'And One-Ear Bill stole so much goldand silver and pearls and other things from the wrecks that he knew he wouldn't need to do anotherday's work when he came out of prison. A rich man he would be - he wouldn't even need to wreck² aship again!'
'But why weren't the stolen goods taken from him?' said Julian.
'He'd hidden them!' said the old man. 'Ah he'd hidden them well, too. Not even Nosey his son, norBart his nephew knew where he'd put them. They were sure he'd got everything hidden in one of thecaves in the cliff - but search as they might, they never found the treasure! They went to prison too,but they came out long afore old One-Ear Bill was due out, - and how they hunted for the gold andsilver, and all that One-Ear had hidden away!'
'Did One-Ear Bill get it when he came out of prison?' asked Dick, thinking this was a much moreexciting story than he had ever read in a book - and a true one too!
'No. No, he didn't get it,' said Jeremiah, puffing¹⁰ out a cloud of smoke. 'And glad I am to say that.
He died in prison, the wicked old man.'
'Well then - what happened to the treasure from the wrecked¹¹ ships?' asked George. 'Who found it?'
'No one,' said the old man. 'No one at all! It's still there, hidden wherever that old rascal¹² put it.
His secret went with him. Bart looked for it, and Nosey too - ho, I've seen 'em in those caves dayafter day, and with a lamp night after night. But they never found even a pearl necklace. Ho- that was a good joke, that was! They're dead and gone now - but there's relatives of theirs still livingin Demon's Rocks, who could do with a bit of that treasure - poor as church mice they are, 47with two children as skinny as ever you'd see!'
'Doesn't anyone even have an idea where the loot from the wrecked ships is?' asked Julian.
'What about the cave we've been hearing about - the Wreckers' Cave?'
'Oh aye - we've a Wreckers' Cave, all right,' said the old man, knocking out his pipe. 'And I reckonabout five thousand people have been in it, scouting¹³ round, looking into holes and corners hoping tofind what Bart and Nosey never did find! Or maybe ten thousand, who knows? I don't mind tellingyou, I've been there meself - but not a smell of a little gold coin did I ever see! I'll take you theremeself some day if you like. But mind - don't you hope to find anything. It's my belief that One-EarBill never did hide his treasure there - he just said it was there to fool Nosey and Bart!'
'We'd love to go and see the Cave,' said Dick, and George nodded her head in delight. 'Not to hunt fortreasure, of course - it's pretty obvious it's not there now - maybe somebody did find it, and took itaway secretly!'
'Maybe,' said Jeremiah. 'All right, young sir - you come and tell me when you're ready. I'm sittinghere most days. And if you've a nice bit of baccy you don't have no use for, you think of me, see?'
'We'll go and buy you some straightaway,' said Julian. He couldn't help laughing. 'What tobacco doyou smoke?'
'Oh you tell Tom the Tobacconist it's for old Jeremiah Boogle - he'll give you what I like,' said theold man. 'And mind now - don't you go snooping round them old caves by yourselves - you might getlost. It's a proper laby - laby...'
'Labyrinth,' said Julian, smiling. 'Right - we'll be careful.'
The Five went off, Timmy glad to be on the move again. He couldn't understand the old man's story,of course, and he wondered why George hadn't taken him for his usual after-breakfast walk. He gavea little whine¹⁴, and she patted his big head.
'Sorry, Timmy!' she said. 'That old man told such an interesting story that I quite forgot you werelonging for a walk. We'll go for one now.'
'Let's call in at the tobacconist's first, shall we?' said Julian. 'That old chap deserves an extra smokefor his tale. Goodness knows how much was true - but he certainly told it well!'
'Of course it was true!' said George. 'Why ever should he tell lies?'
'Well - he might have to get extra tobacco, you know!' said Julian, smiling. 'I don't blame him!
48
It's a jolly good story - but please don't think there's any treasure still hidden somewhere, George. It'sno use believing that.'
'Well, I do believe it!' said George, defiantly¹⁵. 'I think he was telling the truth, tobacco or no tobacco.
Don't you, Tinker?'
'Oh yes,' said Tinker. 'You wait till you see the caves round about here! Hoo - there might be anyamount of treasure there, and no one would ever know! I did hunt round a bit myself - but thosecaves are scary, and when I coughed once, my cough came echoing back to me a hundred times and Iwas so scared I ran for my life - and fell splash into a pool!'
Everyone laughed. 'Let's buck¹⁶ up and do our shopping,' said Dick. 'And then what about going for agood long walk?'
'Well, I don't want to carry eggs and bread and milk for miles,' said George. 'I say a walk first -and then we'll come back, have ice-creams, do our shopping - and go back to the light-house.'
'Right!' said Julian. 'Come on, Timmy. We're off for a WALK - a WALK! Ha, that's the word to setyour tail wagging, isn't it? Look at it Mischief¹⁷. Don't you wish you could wag your tail like that!'

1 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

2 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

3 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

4 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

5 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

6 wrecks   

n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉

参考例句：

• The shores are strewn with wrecks. 海岸上满布失事船只的残骸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune. 第二件我所关心的事就是集聚破产后的余财。 来自辞典例句

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

9 doused   

v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火]

参考例句：

• The car was doused in petrol and set alight. 这辆汽车被浇上汽油点燃了。
• He doused the lamp,and we made our way back to the house. 他把灯熄掉，我们就回到屋子里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 puffing   

v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

12 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

13 scouting   

守候活动，童子军的活动

参考例句：

• I have people scouting the hills already. 我已经让人搜过那些山了。
• Perhaps also from the Gospel it passed into the tradition of scouting. 也许又从《福音书》传入守望的传统。 来自演讲部分

14 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。

15 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

17 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。