Chapter 13 A MEAL - A SLEEP - AND A DISAPPEARANCE

Chapter 13 A MEAL - A SLEEP - AND A DISAPPEARANCE¹
'I feel hungry again,' said George, who always had a very good appetite indeed. 'We've finished allthat ham, haven't we? I had to give old Timmy some. What about a barley² sugar, Dick?'
'Two more left for each of us - just ten,' said Dick, counting. 'Sorry, Timmy, old thing - none for youthis time. Have one, everybody? We'll have five left then!'
'Oh, I quite forgot to tell you,' said Wilfrid, taking a barley sugar. 'I brought some food in my boat! Ididn't think you'd taken any, and I guessed you'd soon be jolly hungry!'
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'You're a marvel³, Wilfrid!' said Julian, wondering why he had ever disliked the boy. 'What have youbrought?'
'Come and see,' said Wilfrid, and they all went over to the boat, Timmy walking as close to the boy ashe could. Higgledy-piggledy in the boat was a pile of tins, a large loaf of bread, and a pound packageof butter, looking rather soft.
'Gracious!' said Anne, in delight. 'How in the world did you carry all these from the cottage to yourboat? Look everyone, Wilfrid has even brought some plates and spoons!'
'I put everything into a sack, and carried them over my shoulder,' said Wilfrid, enjoying everyone'sdelighted surprise. 'I fell over going down the hill to the shore, and all the tins rolled out, and simplyshot down the slope!'
Everyone laughed at the thought of the tins rolling at top speed down the hill. Anne slipped her armthrough Wilfrid's and gave it a squeeze.
'You did jolly well,' she said, and Wilfrid beamed at her, astonished and pleased at everyone's warmfriendliness. Timmy went up to the boat and began sniffing⁴ at the bread. Then he turned and barkedas if to say 'Is there anything here for me?'
Wilfrid understood at once. 'Oh yes, Timmy!' he said.
'I brought a special tin of dogmeat for you - here you are - a large tin of Waggomeat!'
Timmy recognized the tin at once, and barked joyfully⁵. He pawed Wilfrid as if to say 'Come on, then- open it! I'm hungry!'
'Anyone got a tin-opener?' said George. 'It would be too dreadful if we couldn't open the tins!'
'Gosh - I never even thought about that!' said Wilfrid. 'What an ass⁶ I am!'
'It's all right. I've a thing on my pocket-knife that's supposed to open tins,' said Dick, taking out a verylarge closed knife. 'I've never bothered to use it - so let's hope it will work the trick. Chuck me a tin,Wilfrid.'
Wilfrid threw him the tin of Waggomeat. With everyone watching very anxiously indeed, Dickopened a peculiar-looking tool in his knife, and gashed⁷ the point into the top of the tin. It worked!
'First time I've ever used it,' said Dick, running the gadget⁸ round the tin-top. 'Three cheers for the manwho thought of including it in a knife!'
'Will Timmy be able to swallow yet?' asked George, anxiously. 'His throat must still be hurting himwhere that wooden ball choked him.'
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'Oh, Timmy will be able to judge that for himself,' said Julian. 'If I know anything about him, noteven a sore throat will stop him from wolfing half that tin!'
Julian was right. As soon as Wilfrid scraped out a third of the meat with his knife on to a flat stonenearby, Timmy was wolfing it in great gulps⁹!
'Nothing much the matter with your throat now, Tim!' said Anne, patting him. 'Dear old Tim.
Don't ever choke again. I simply couldn't bear it!'
'Let's have a meal ourselves now,' said George. 'We'll open more of those tins. We don't need to bestingy about them because we can leave in Wilfrid's boat at any time, and get back to the mainland.'
Soon they had opened a tin of tongue, two tins of fruit, and a large tin of baked beans. They cut thebig loaf into six pieces (one for Timmy, of course) and then sat down at the back of the cove¹⁰ to feast.
'Best meal I ever had in my life!' said Dick, enjoying himself. 'Tasty food - fresh air - sea nearby- sun on our heads - and friends sitting all round me!'
'Woof!' said Timmy, at once, and gave Dick a very wet lick.
'He says he couldn't agree more,' said Anne, with a laugh.
'The sun's going down,' said George. 'What are we going to do? Go back to the mainland in Wilfrid'sboat - or stay here for the night?'
'Stay here,' said Julian. 'Nobody knows we're here, and I want to snoop round a bit tonight, whenthose men can't see me. There's a lot of things that puzzle me. For instance, how on earth do theysend away the things from here - such as those packed statues we saw? It must mean that a fairly bigvessel comes along to collect them, I suppose. And I'd like to know how many men there are on theisland - presumably the guards we saw, with guns - and the men who have found that undergroundcave, where everything was hidden. Then we'll go back, tell the police, and leave things to them!'
'Couldn't Wilfrid take the two girls back to the mainland, then come back with the boat?' said Dick. 'Idon't think we ought to let them run any risk.'
Before Julian could reply, George spoke¹¹ quickly - and crossly. 'We're staying here - though Anne cango back if she wants to. But Timmy and I are staying with you boys, so that's that.'
'All right, all right, no need to shout!' said Dick, pretending to cover his ears. 'What about you,though, Anne? You're the youngest, and...'
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'I'm staying,' said Anne. 'I'd be worried stiff all night if I left you on the island. And I certainly don'twant to miss any excitement!'
'Right,' said Julian. 'We all stay then. Wilfrid, did you know that Timmy has his nose in the pocketwhere you keep your hedgehog?'
'Yes. They're just making friends,' said Wilfrid. 'Anyway, the hedgehog's only a baby - his quillswon't prick¹² Timmy's nose, they're still too soft. He's a dear little thing. I thought I'd call him Spiky¹³.'
'Wuff,' said Timmy, quite agreeing. He was sitting between George and Wilfrid, very happy indeed,for both fondled him and patted him at the same time.
'I think I'll take a walk round the island,' suddenly announced Wilfrid. 'Timmy, like to come withme?'
Timmy got up at once, but George pulled him down. 'Don't be an ass, Wilfrid,' she said.
'Timmy's been shot at once, by the men here - and I'm not going to risk it again - besides, we don'twant them to know we're here.'
'I'd be very careful,' persisted Wilfrid. 'I wouldn't let them spot me. They didn't spot me coming overin the boat.'
Julian sat up very suddenly. 'How do we know they didn't?' he said. 'I never thought of that!
They might have a telescope - they might keep watch all the time - they might even have seen us inour boat! After all, they can't risk being spied on!'
'I don't think they could have seen us,' said Dick. 'They would have made a search.'
'I'm jolly sure they didn't see me,' boasted Wilfrid. 'They'd have been waiting for me on the shore, ifthey had.' He got up and looked all round. 'I think I'll go for my walk now,' he said.
'NO! You are DEFINITELY not to go for a walk, Wilfrid,' said Julian, and lay back in the sun again.
It was sinking now, but still very bright. Dick began to think of the night, and how he and Julianwould snoop round and find the way into that strange place underground where those golden statuesstood silently in the darkness.
Then he fell fast asleep, and only awoke when Anne gave him a friendly punch. He sat up and begana long and leisurely¹⁴ conversation with his sister - and then Anne suddenly looked all round.
'Where's Wilfrid?' she said. They all sat up then, and looked startled. Wilfrid was nowhere to be seen!
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'He must have slipped away without a sound!' said Dick, angrily. 'The little idiot. He's been gonequite a long time! He'll get caught, as sure as can be. Good thing Timmy didn't go with him - hemight have been caught too - and shot!'
George put her arms round Timmy in fear. 'Timmy would never go with Wilfrid if I wasn't there too,'
she said. 'What a little fathead he is! I say - those men will guess there's someone else on the islandwith Wilfrid, won't they? They might even make him tell all he knew - and where the boat is, andeverything!'
'What shall we do?' said Anne. 'We'd better go after him.'
'Timmy will track him for us,' said George, getting up. 'Come on, Tim. Find Wilfrid. Find that sillydisobedient boy Wilfrid!'
Timmy understood at once. He put his nose to the ground, found Wilfrid's scent¹⁵, and began to walkaway. 'Not too fast, Timmy,' said George, and he at once slowed down. George looked round at thelittle place among the bushes where they had been sitting. 'Had we better take a tin or two with us?'
she said.
'Yes. Good idea,' said Julian. 'You just never know!'
He and Dick took a couple of tins each, stuffed uncomfortably into their pockets. Blow Wilfrid!
'He must have gone in this direction,' said Dick. 'I never spotted¹⁶ him slinking away, the littlenuisance! I'm surprised Timmy didn't make a sound! Track him, Tim, track him!'
'Listen!' said Anne, suddenly, and she stopped. 'Listen!' They all listened - and didn't at all like whatthey heard. It was Wilfrid's voice, yelling in fright.
'Let me go! Let me go!'
And then a stern, loud and threatening voice came. 'Who are you with? Where are they? You're notalone, we're certain of that!'
'Quick - we must hide!' said Julian, angry and worried. 'Dick, look about for a good place and I willtoo.'
'No good,' said Dick. 'They'll beat everywhere for us. Better climb trees.'
'Good idea!' said Julian. 'Anne, come with me. I'll give you a shove up. Hurry, everybody!
Hurry!'

1 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

2 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

3 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

4 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

6 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

7 gashed   

v.划伤，割破( gash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He gashed his hand on a sharp piece of rock. 他的手在一块尖石头上划了一个大口子。
• He gashed his arm on a piece of broken glass. 他的胳膊被玻璃碎片划了一个大口子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 gadget   

n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿

参考例句：

• This gadget isn't much good.这小机械没什么用处。
• She has invented a nifty little gadget for undoing stubborn nuts and bolts.她发明了一种灵巧的小工具用来松开紧固的螺母和螺栓。

9 gulps   

n.一大口（尤指液体）( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住

参考例句：

• He often gulps down a sob. 他经常忍气吞声地生活。 来自辞典例句
• JERRY: Why don't you make a point with your own doctor? (George gulps) What's wrong? 杰瑞：你为啥不对你自个儿的医生表明立场？有啥问题吗？ 来自互联网

10 cove   

n.小海湾，小峡谷

参考例句：

• The shore line is wooded,olive-green,a pristine cove.岸边一带林木蓊郁，嫩绿一片，好一个山外的小海湾。
• I saw two children were playing in a cove.我看到两个小孩正在一个小海湾里玩耍。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 prick   

v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛

参考例句：

• He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时，他感到剧烈的疼痛。
• He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳，气球就爆了。

13 spiky   

adj.长而尖的，大钉似的

参考例句：

• Your hairbrush is too spiky for me.你的发刷，我觉得太尖了。
• The spiky handwriting on the airmail envelope from London was obviously hers.发自伦敦的航空信封上的尖长字迹分明是她的。

14 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

15 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

16 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。