It was a most exciting idea to think that the iron ladder in the great cement-lined shaft might possiblylead to the tunnel they had been into that morning. Julian had seen water swirling2 at the bottom, whenthe tide was in - possibly if they went down it when the tide was going out, there would be no dangerof being trapped!
The storm was very fitful now - sometimes it came back again, and then the wind blew so hard that itseemed as if the buffeted3 light-house must fall! Rain fell in torrents4 that night, and during the darkearly hours of the morning, when the tide was in, great waves pounded over the rocks, sending sprayalmost over the top of the light-house. Julian awoke and looked out of the 80bedroom window in awe5.
'I hope there's no ship out anywhere near here tonight,' he said, and then gave a sudden exclamation,'What's that - something swept right across the sky!'
'It's the beam from the new light-house at High Cliffs,' said Dick. 'I saw it last night. It must have avery powerful beam, mustn't it, to show even on a night like this?'
They watched for a little while, and then Julian yawned.
'Let's try to go to sleep,' he said. 'We thought we were going away for a nice little holiday - andBANG - we're in the middle of something again!'
'Well, let's hope that we come out of it all right,' said Dick, settling down in his rugs once more.
'I must say that I feel a bit cut off from civilization at the moment. Night, Julian.'
In the morning the storm was still about, and the wind was terrific. Julian ran down to the entrancedoor to see if the milkman could possibly have come - and had seen their message for help.
But no - the paper was still half on their side, flapping on the mat. Obviously the milkman hadn'tdared to cross the rocks that morning, either on foot or by boat!
Dick had looked out of the window to make sure that their boat was still safely moored6 to the post -and to his surprise and distress7, it was no longer there! Tinker was very upset.
'Where's my little boat gone? Has somebody stolen it?'
'Maybe - or possibly the storm broke the mooring-rope, and the boat was smashed to pieces on therocks,' said Julian. 'Anyway, it's gone. Poor old Tinker. What a shame!'
Tinker was very sad, and Mischief8 tried to comfort him, doing all sorts of silly tricks to make himlaugh. But Tinker wouldn't laugh. He really was right down in the dumps.
They had rather a sparse9 breakfast, and were very silent. Anne cleared away and washed up, and thenJulian called them all together.
'Well, now we must decide about this descent down the shaft to what we hope will be the tunnel wewere in yesterday,' he said. 'I am going down myself.'
'Toss for it!' said Dick, at once. 'There's no reason why I shouldn't go, is there? Or what about us bothgoing, in case the other gets into trouble, and needs help?'
'Not a bad idea,' said Julian. 'Except that there won't be anyone to look after the girls and Tinker.'
'WOOF!' said Timmy, indignantly, standing10 up at once. Julian laughed and patted him.
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'It's all right, Timmy. I just wanted to see if you thought you could guard them well. All right -Dick and I will go down the shaft. The sooner the better. We simply must go while the tide is out.
What about now, Dick?'
Solemnly they all went down the spiral stairway to the entrance door, where the trap was that openedon to the great shaft. Julian pulled up the lid and gazed down into blackness. He shone his torchdown, but he could not see the bottom. 'Well - here goes!' he said, and lowered himself down into theshaft, his feet seeking the rungs of the iron ladder. 'Keep cheerful, girls. We'll get through the tunnelsand passages, and to the entrance in the cliff - and fetch help for you in no time at all!'
'Julian, please take care,' said Anne, in a shaky voice. 'Please, please do take care!'
Down went Julian, his torch now held between his teeth. After him went Dick. The girls shone theirown torches down the shaft, but soon the boys were so far down that they could not be seen. Onlytheir voices came up now and again, sounding very hollow and peculiar11.
'We're at the bottom!' shouted Julian, at last. 'It's rock, and there's no water at present! We've a clearway to follow! I crawled out of the hole at the bottom, and there's some kind of tunnel there all right.
We're off now - crawling out, and into the tunnel. Cheer up, all of you! See you soon!' And then thequeer hollow voice stopped, and the girls and Tinker heard nothing more.
Timmy began to whine12. He couldn't understand these queer goings-on at all!
Julian and Dick were feeling rather pleased with themselves. It hadn't been very difficult to squeezeout of the arches at the bottom of the shaft. Now they were in a dark narrow tunnel, whose roofsometimes came down so low that they had to bend double. It smelt13 damp and seaweedy, but thereseemed to be plenty of air. In fact at times quite a little breeze seemed to flow round them.
'I shall be glad when we come into a tunnel we recognize!' said Julian, at last. 'We surely must benear where we were yesterday. Hallo, what's this? Dick - look, Dick!'
Dick looked to where Julian's torch was shining and gave a shout. 'A gold coin - another one!
We must be near where old Mischief ran off to yesterday. Look - there's another - and another.
Where on earth did they come from?'
The boys shone their torches all around, and saw at last where the coins had fallen from. Above theirhead was a dark hole, running up into the rock. As they shone their torches on it, a gold coin slid outand dropped down to join the others.
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'This is where Mischief found the coin!' cried Dick. 'Julian there must be a box or something up there,which is rotting away, and letting out the money it contains bit by bit.'
'Whoever would have guessed at such a hiding-place!' said Julian, marvelling14 as he shone his torchabove his head. 'There's absolutely nothing to be seen except that dark hole - no box, nothing. It musthave been pushed right into a recess15 at the side of the hole, by someone who knew a good hiding-place was there.'
'Give me a leg-up so that I can put in my hand and feel,' said Dick. 'Buck16 up - this is too exciting forwords!'
Julian gave him a leg-up, and Dick put his head and shoulders into the hole. He felt to one side -nothing - felt to the other side, and his hand came across something hard and cold - an iron bandperhaps? He ran his hand over it and touched something soft and crumbly - old, old wood rottingaway, maybe - possibly a wooden chest - only held together by the iron bands. He scrabbled aboutand Julian gave a sudden shout.
'Hey - you've showered me with money! Whew - I never saw so many gold coins in my life!'
'Julian - I think there's more than one box or chest up there,' said Dick, jumping down, and looking atthe big heap of shining coins at his feet. 'There may be a fortune there! Talk about treasure-trove!
Look - let's not disturb anything else up that hole. No one knows about it except ourselves. Bettergather up these coins though, just in case that awful Ebby takes it into his head to come down thisway!'
So they filled their pockets with the coins and then made their way onwards again. To their joy theysoon recognized one of the tunnels they had been in the day before. 'Plain sailing now,' said Dickjoyfully. 'We'll soon be out, and then we'll get the locksmith to pick the lock of the lighthouse, so thatwe can get in.'
'Sh!' said Julian, suddenly. 'I think I can hear something.' They listened, but went on again, thinkingthat Julian was mistaken.
But he wasn't! As they turned a dark corner that led into a cave, someone leapt at them! Julian wentdown to the ground at once, and Dick followed. He just had time to see that Ebenezer was there withsomeone else - Jacob perhaps?
As Dick fell, gold coins spilled out of his pocket. Ebenezer gave a cry and bent17 down to them at once.
Julian tried to take his chance and slip by him - but the other man caught him and sent him spinningbackwards. 'Where did you find that money? You tell us or you'll be sorry!'
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shouted Ebenezer, and the echo came back at once, 'Sorry - sorry - sorry!'
'Run, Dick!' panted Julian. 'It's our only chance!' He gave Ebenezer a terrific shove, which sent himinto the other man - yes, it was Jacob - and then he and Dick were off at once, running as fast as theycould, back along the way they had come. 'You come here!' yelled Ebenezer, and they heard himpounding after them.
'Hurry!' panted Dick. 'If only we can get to the shaft, we're all right.'
But alas18, they took the wrong turning, and soon found themselves in a cave they had never seenbefore. Ebenezer and Jacob blundered past without seeing them. 'Better stay here a while,' said Julian.
'Let them get a good way off.'
So they stayed still and quiet, and then at last ventured out of their hiding-place and tried to find theirway back to the right path.
'You know - if we get lost down here, we're done for!' said Julian. 'And once the tide flows in, weshall be in a pretty poor way! Somehow we've got to get out through the cliff way or back to theshaft. Hang on to me, Dick. We mustn't get separated, whatever happens!'
They stumbled on, not really knowing whether they were going in the right direction or not.
They seemed to go through endless tunnels and caves - what a labyrinth19 there was in that great strataof rocks! Then they heard voices!
'That's Ebby's voice - and Jacob's too,' whispered Julian. 'They're coming this way. Hide here, andkeep still!'
So they hid quietly, and listened to Ebby and Jacob. 'Those boys have got to come back here,'
said Ebby. 'We'll wait. Don't make a sound!'
'We'll have to make a dash for it, and hope for the best!' whispered Julian. 'Come on! We'll be caughtby the tide soon if we're not quick!'
They both made a sudden rush, and passed the surprised Ebby and Jacob at a run. Then down thetunnel beyond them they went as fast as they could, bumping their arms and legs and heads againstthe rocky walls, but holding their torches steadily20 in front of them. On they went and on- and behind them, breathing heavily, came Ebby and Jacob.
'I think this must be a bad dream!' panted Dick. 'JULIAN! JULIAN! Look - there's water comingalong this tunnel! The tide's coming in!'
'Come on,' said Julian. 'I feel as if the shaft isn't far away now. I seem to know this tunnel - and thiscave. Come on, Dick, we haven't a minute to spare! We've GOT to get to the ladder!'
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'Look! There's the shaft!' yelled Dick at last. 'Come on - we shall just about be able to squeeze underthe arch at the bottom! Hurry Julian - the water's up to our ankles now!'
They reached the shaft and squeezed under the small archway that let the water run through from sideto side over the rocky bottom of the shaft. They began to mount the ladder, and then stopped to hearif there were any sounds from Ebby or Jacob.
They heard yells. 'EBBY! COME BACK! Tide's flowing in!' and then they heard Ebby's angry voice.
'I'm coming! They've gone farther down - and they won't like it! They'll be drowned before they getmuch farther!'
Dick grinned. 'Come on, Ju, - up we go! I can see the light through the trap-door at the top. The girlshave left it open, bless them!'
And soon the two boys were clambering out of the trap-door, with Timmy barking madly and lickingtheir necks, the girls and Tinker too excited for words!
'What happened? Didn't you get out of the tunnel to find help for us? Were those men there?
What happened?'
'Plenty!' said Julian. 'But unfortunately we didn't get past Ebby and Jacob, who were lying in wait forus. So we're still stuck in this light-house, with nobody to help us. BUT...'
'But what?' asked George, shaking his arm 'Julian, you look excited. What's happened?'
'We found the treasure!' said Julian. 'Come on - we'll tell you all about it!' And he led the way up thespiral stairway, with Tinker and the excited girls close behind.
Soon the boys were telling their story, and George and Anne and Tinker listened and exclaimed anddanced about, and were altogether marvellous listeners to a marvellous tale.
'It MUST have been the treasure - in an iron-bound chest - oh, Ju, weren't you excited when the coinspoured out?'
'Yes. It was certainly a very fine moment,' said Julian. 'Mischief, stop pulling my hair. My word. It'sbeen an exciting morning! What about a drink of lemonade - and by the way, what's the weather beenlike? We couldn't see a thing down below!'
'Oh, it's awful again, Julian!' said Anne. 'There's another storm coming - look at those scurrying21 blackclouds.'
'It does look bad,' said Julian, his excitement leaving him, as he saw clearly that another big stormwas blowing up. 'We certainly shouldn't be able to get out of here today, even if we could 85get out of the door!'
'Julian, Tinker found his father's old pocket radio in a cupboard,' said Anne. 'And it still works.
We listened to the weather report, and it gave an important warning to all ships at sea or by the coast.
It said they must run to safety as soon as they could.'
'Well, I'm blessed if I know what to do for the best,' said Julian, looking out of the window.
'How in the world are we to let people know we're here, marooned22 in the light-house? We'll simplyhave to think of something!'
But that was easier said than done! How did one get help when there was no way to get help?
How did one escape out of a locked light-house when there was no key?
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1
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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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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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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8
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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9
sparse
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| adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的 | |
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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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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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12
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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13
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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marvelling
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的现在分词 ) | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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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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marooned
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| adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的 | |
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