The storm blew itself out that evening, and next day was much calmer. The sky still looked angry,and rain fell now and again, but it was possible to get out of the light-house door in the morning, andgo down the steps on to the rocks.
'Shall we go shopping first - or look for the hole?' said Julian.
'Look for the hole,' said Dick, promptly1. 'The wind is still pretty strong, and the storm might blow upagain - just look at that angry sky! We wouldn't be able to mess about round the edge of the rocks ifthe sea gets any rougher.'
They spread out and went cautiously over the great rocks on which the light-house was built. At lowtide the rocks stood well up, out of the sea. The light-house was built on the highest part, and seemedto tower over the searchers as they clambered here and there, seeking for any hole that looked as if itmight lead down into some tunnel below.
'Here's a hole!' called Anne, suddenly, and they all clambered over to her in excitement, Timmy too.
Julian looked down to where Anne was pointing. 'Yes - it does look a likely one,' he said.
'Big enough to take a man, too. I'll climb down and see.'
He slid down the hole, holding on to projecting pieces of rock as he went. The others watched,thrilled. Timmy barked. He didn't like to see Julian disappearing like this!
But before Julian quite disappeared, he shouted again. 'I'm afraid it's no good! It's come to a suddenend! I'm standing2 on firm rock, and though I've felt all round it with my feet, there's no openinganywhere. It's a blind end!'
What a disappointment! 'Blow!' said Dick, lying down on the rocks and putting his arm down thehole to help Julian to climb up again. 'I had high hopes then! Julian - here's my hand. Do you wantany help?'
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'Thanks - it is a bit difficult!' said Julian. He climbed up with difficulty, and squeezed out of the holethankfully. 'I wouldn't like to get wedged in here!' he said. 'Especially with the tide coming in!'
'It's beginning to pour with rain again!' said Anne. 'Shall we go shopping now - or wait a bit?'
'Oh, let's wait,' said George. 'I'm cold and wet now. Let's go into the light-house and make some hotcoffee. WHAT a disappointment! Never mind - we can always go down the tunnels we were inyesterday and search around - maybe Mischief3 will show us where he found the gold coin!'
They all went into the light-house, and once more Julian jammed the door. 'I wish that locksmithwould come,' he said. 'If we go down into the caves, we'll have to leave old Timmy behind on guard -and it is such a shame!'
'Woof,' said Timmy, heartily4 agreeing. They all went upstairs and Anne began to make the coffee. Asthey were sitting drinking it, Timmy suddenly sprang to his feet with a most blood-curdling growl5.
Everyone jumped, and Anne spilt her coffee.
'Timmy! What's up?' said George, in alarm. Timmy was standing with his nose towards the closeddoor of the room, his hackles rising up on his neck. He looked truly fierce!
'What on earth is the matter, Tim?' said Julian, going to the door. 'There can't be anyone on thestairway - the entrance door's jammed!'
Timmy raced out of the door as soon as Julian opened it and tore down the spiral stairway at such aspeed that he fell, and rolled to the bottom. George gave a terrified scream. 'Timmy!
Have you hurt yourself?'
But Timmy leapt to his feet at once, and ran to the entrance door, growling6 so ferociously7 that Annefelt really frightened. Julian ran down and went to the door. It was still well and truly jammed.
'Timmy! Maybe it's just the poor milkman, come with some milk again,' he said, and unjammed thedoor. He took hold of the handle to open it.
It wouldn't open! Julian pulled and tugged8, but it was of no use. The door simply would NOTopen!
By this time everyone was down beside him. 'Let me try,' said Dick. 'The door must just have stuck.'
No - he couldn't open it either! Julian looked gravely round at everyone. 'I'm afraid - very muchafraid - that SOMEBODY has locked us in!' he said.
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There was a horrified9 silence. Then George cried out in anger. 'Locked us in! How dare they!
Who's done this!'
'Well - I think we can guess,' said Julian. 'It was whoever came and stole our key the other day!'
'Ebenezer - no, Jacob!' cried Dick. 'One of the two, anyway. How DARE they? What are we to do?
We can't get out. Why have they done this - this - silly - wicked thing?'
'I'm afraid it's because they think we might go looking for the treasure - and find it,' said Julian, hisface grave. 'We felt sure that Mischief might remember where he had found that gold coin -and lead us there - and I'm pretty sure they think the same. So this is their way of making sure theyhave time to find the treasure, before we do!'
'They're wicked, they're wicked!' cried George, taking hold of the handle of the door, and pulling itviolently. 'We're prisoners!'
'Don't pull the handle off, old thing,' said Julian. 'That wouldn't help at all. Let's go upstairs and talkabout it. We'll have to think of some way out of this unexpected difficulty.'
They went soberly upstairs again, and sat down in the living- room. Yes - they were certainlyprisoners!
'What are we going to do?' said Dick. 'We are in a real fix, Julian.'
'Yes. You're right,' said Julian, looking worried. 'We can't get out of the light-house, that's certain. Onthe other hand - how can we get help? No telephone. Shouting would never be heard. Can't use ourboat. No one would ever know we are prisoners - they've seen us going in and out of the light-house,and if we suddenly don't appear any more, they'll simply think we have gone home, and that the light-house is empty again!'
'We shall die of starvation!' said Anne, scared.
'Oh no - I expect we shall think of something,' said Dick, seeing that Anne was really frightened. 'Allthe same, it's a puzzle. We can't get out - and no one can get in! Whoever locked that door hascertainly taken the key away with him.'
They talked and they talked, and finally they felt hungry, so they had a meal - though they felt thatthey ought to eat sparingly, in case their food ran short too quickly.
'And I feel so hungry,' complained George. 'I keep feeling hungry here.'
'That's what I told you. Living in a light-house somehow makes you feel hungry all the time!'
said Tinker.
'We'll try and catch the milkman tomorrow morning,' said Julian, suddenly. 'Let's see, now - we 78could write a note, and push it under the door, so that he would see it tomorrow when he comes.
We could put ''HELP - WE ARE LOCKED IN''.'
'It would blow away,' said George. 'You know it would.'
'We could pin it down our side - and then it wouldn't,' said Anne. 'Half of it would still stick outunder the door.'
'Well, it's worth trying,' said Dick, and immediately wrote out the note on a large sheet of paper.
He shot downstairs to pin it to the mat - and shoved half the paper underneath10 so that it stuck out onthe other side of the door.
He ran back upstairs. 'I don't for a moment think that the milkman will come across the rocks in thisweather,' he said. 'They'll be almost impassable. Still we'll hope for the best!'
There didn't seem anything else to do. The evening came early, for the sky was very dark again, andthe wind once more got up, and howled dismally11. Even the gulls13 decided14 that it was no longer a goodidea to glide15 to and fro.
They played games that evening, and tried to laugh and make jokes. But secretly everyone wasworried. Suppose that the stormy weather went on and on, and nobody guessed they were locked inthe light-house, and the milkman didn't bring any milk, and didn't see the note - and they ate all theirfood and...
'Cheer up, everyone,' said Julian, seeing the dismal12 looks around the table. 'We've been in worse fixesthan this.'
'Well, I don't think we have!' said Anne. 'I just can't see ANY way out of this one!'
There was rather a long silence during which Timmy sighed heavily, as if he too was worrying!
Only the monkey seemed cheerful, and went head-over-heels at top speed round the room, sitting upfor laughs at the end. But nobody laughed. Nobody even seemed to notice him.
Mischief felt very sad, and crept over to Timmy for comfort.
'There is one idea that might be a good one,' said Julian, at last. 'It's been running round in my mindfor a while - and I'm not sure whether it's possible or not. Anyway, it's one we might try tomorrow, ifhelp doesn't come.'
'What?' asked everyone, at once, and Timmy lifted his head and whined16, as if he too quiteunderstood.
'Well, do you remember that I went down that foundation shaft17?' said Julian, 'and saw the waterswirling at the bottom? Now - do you suppose it's at all possible that that shaft was bored down 79through a natural hole - and the light-house builders chose to put the foundation shaft there becausethere was a ready-made shaft they could use - a fine hole going right down through the rock! Andthey made the hole into a cement-lined shaft, strong and everlasting18, so that the lighthouse wouldnever be at the mercy of waves and wind - but would stand firm, whatever happened?'
This was a new idea to everyone, and it took a little while to sink in. Then Dick smacked19 the table-top and made them all jump.
'Julian! You've got it! Yes - that strong cement-lined shaft runs down a natural hole - and that holemust be the one we've been looking for! The one that connects up with the tunnels we were in thismorning! No wonder we couldn't find it when we hunted all over the rocks! The shaft-makers usedit!'
There was silence again. Everyone was taking this in, even Tinker. Julian looked round the table andsmiled. 'Have you all jumped to it?' he said. 'If that is the hole we were looking for - what about oneof us going down that iron ladder again to the bottom - and finding out if it does lead into the tunnelwe were in today?'
'And walking through it, and up the passage and coming out through the cliff entrance we used thismorning!' said George. 'Julian! What an absolutely wonderful idea! We could escape that way! Whata shock for Ebby and Jacob! We'll do it somehow - we'll do it!'
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1
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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4
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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7
ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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13
gulls
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| n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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16
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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17
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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18
everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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smacked
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| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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