It was very dark inside the cliff. The children's torches made bright streaks1 everywhere, and werevery useful indeed for seeing the safest places to tread. As Julian had told the others, there was a 68curious little stream flowing down the middle of the steep passage, with uneven2 ledges3 on each sideof it. It had worn this little channel for itself during the many many years it had flowed down insidethe cliff!
'It's probably water draining from the surface of the cliffs,' said Julian in a low voice, picking his waycarefully. 'Be careful here - the ledges are very slippery!'
'Oooh!' said Wilfrid, treading on a slippery bit, and finding one of his feet in ice-cold water.
The echo took up the noise at once. 'OOOOH-OOOOOOH-OOOOOH!' Poor Wilfrid's little'Oooh' echoed up and down and all round them! It was very weird4 indeed and nobody liked it.
Anne pressed close to Julian, and he squeezed her arm comfortingly.
'Sorry about my Oooh,' said Wilfrid, in a low voice. 'My oooh, oooh, oooh!' said the echo at once,and George simply couldn't help giving a giggle5, which at once repeated itself a score of times!
'You really will have to be quiet now,' came Julian's serious voice, almost in a whisper. 'I have afeeling we're coming to some big opening. There's suddenly a great draught6 blowing down this steeppassage - I can feel it round my head.'
The others felt it too, as they climbed higher up the steep passage, trying to avoid the tiny stream thatsplashed down its worn channel. It made a nice little noise - very cheerful, Anne thought -and gleamed brightly in the light of their torches.
Julian wondered how in the world anyone could take crates7 or boxes down such a steep dark passage!
'It's wide enough, I suppose,' he thought. 'But only just - and the bends in it must be very awkward forboxes to get round! I do hope we don't meet anyone round a bend, carrying a crate8 or two! My word -the draught is quite a wind now. There must be an opening somewhere.'
'Ju - we've not only gone upwards9, we've gone a good way forward too,' whispered Anne. 'Wasn't theold castle somewhere in this direction?'
'Yes - I suppose it would be,' answered Julian, stopping to think. 'Gosh - I wonder if this passagecomes up in one of its cellars! An old castle like that would have huge cellars - and probably adungeon or two for prisoners! Let me think - we must have left the cliff behind now - and yes - Ithink we may be heading for the castle. Why didn't I think of that before!'
'Well, then - the well-wall must run down beside the castle foundations!' said Dick, in much too louda voice. The echo made everyone jump violently, and Julian stopped climbing and hissed11 at Dick.
'Whisper, can't you, idiot! You nearly made me jump out of my skin!'
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'Skin, skin, skin!' said the echo, in a peculiar12 whisper that made George want to laugh.
'Sorry!' whispered back Dick.
'I think you may be right about the well-wall running down beside the foundations of the castle,'
Julian said, whispering again. 'I never thought of that. The castle wasn't very far from the well. Itwould probably have enormous cellars spreading underground.'
'The wall in the well that that queer little door was in, was terrifically thick,' said Dick. 'I bet I waslooking into one of the castle cellars, when I peeped through it!'
This was all very interesting. Julian thought about it as they went on and on through the endlesspassage. It ran more or less level now, and was easy to walk through, for it was much wider.
'I think this part of the passage was man-made,' said Julian, stopping and facing the others, his facebright in the light of their torches. He went on in a loud whisper, 'Up through the cliff the passagewas a natural one, awfully13 difficult to climb - but here it's quite different - look at these old brickshere - probably put there to strengthen the tunnel.'
'Yes - a secret way from the castle to the sea!' said Dick, almost forgetting to keep his voice down, inhis excitement. 'I say - isn't it thrilling!'
Everyone began to feel even more excited - all except Timmy, who didn't much like dark, secretpassages, and couldn't imagine why Julian was taking them for such a gloomy and peculiar walk.
He had splashed solemnly through the stream the whole time, finding the stone ledges much tooslippery for his paws.
The draught grew stronger and was very cold indeed. 'We're coming near to the opening where thedraught comes from,' whispered Julian. 'All quiet, now, please!'
They were as quiet as possible, and Anne began to feel almost sick with excitement. Where were theycoming to? Then suddenly Julian gave a low exclamation14.
'Here we are! An iron gate!'
They all tried to crowd round Julian to see. The gate was a big strong one, with criss-cross bars ofiron. They could easily see between the bars, and they shivered in the draught that swept through thegreat gate.
Julian shone his torch through the bars, his hand shaking in excitement. The bright ray of light ran allround what looked like a stone room - quite small - with a stout, nail-studded door at the far end. Thisdoor was wide open, and it was through this that the steady draught blew.
'This is a cellar - or a dungeon10, more likely!' said Julian. 'I wonder if the gate is locked.'
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He shook it - and it swung open quite easily, as if it had been well-oiled! Julian stepped into thedungeon flashing his torch all round the dark and dismal15 little place.
He shivered. 'It's cold as ice, even on this warm day!' he said. 'My word, I wonder how many poor,miserable16 prisoners have been kept down here in the cold!'
'Look - here's a staple17 in the wall,' said Dick, standing18 beside him, examining the half-hoop of iron,deeply embedded19 in the stone wall. 'I suppose the unhappy prisoner was tied up to this, to make hispunishment even worse.'
Anne shivered. 'How could people be so cruel?' she said, her vivid imagination seeing wretched menhere, with perhaps only crusts of bread to eat, water to drink, no warmth, no bed, only the stone floor!
'Perhaps some of them escaped out of the gate, and went down the cliff-passage,' she said, hopefully.
'No - it's much more likely that the passage was used to get rid of the prisoners,' said Dick. 'Theycould be dragged down to the sea and drowned - and nobody would ever know.'
'Don't tell me things like that,' said Anne. 'It makes me feel I shall hear groans20 and cries. I don't likethis place. Let's go.'
'I hate it too,' said George. 'And Timmy's tail is right down. I feel as if this horrid21 dungeon is full ofmiserable memories. Julian, do let's go.'
Julian walked over to the nail-studded door, and went through the doorway22. He looked out on to astone paved passage, with stone walls and ceiling. He could see other doors iron-barred, along adismal stone passage. He came back to the others.
'Yes - these are the castle dungeons,' he said. 'I expect the castle cellars are somewhere near too -where they stored wine and food and other things. Come on - let's explore. I can't hear a sound. Ithink this place is absolutely empty.'
They all followed Julian down the stone passage, looking in at each miserable dungeon as theypassed. Horrible! Dirty, damp, cold, bare - poor, poor prisoners of long ago!
At the end of the passage was another iron-barred door, but that too was wide open. They wentthrough it and came out into an enormous cellar. Old boxes were there, old worm-eaten chests,broken chairs, loose papers that rustled23 as their feet touched them - the kind of junk that can be foundin a thousand cellars! It all smelt24 rather musty, though, as Julian said, the draught that bleweverywhere took away some of the smell.
71
They came to some stone steps and went up them. At the top was another great door, with anenormous bolt on it. 'Fortunately the bolt is our side,' said Julian, and slid it out of its socket25. He wassurprised that it went so smoothly26 - he had expected it to be rusted27 and stiff. 'It's been oiled recently,'
he said, shining his torch on it. 'Well, well - other people have been here not long ago, and used thisdoor. We'd better go quietly in case they are still here!'
Anne's heart began to beat loudly again. She hoped there was no one waiting round a corner to jumpout at them! 'Be careful, Julian,' she said. 'Somebody may have heard us! They may be waiting toambush us. They...'
'All right, Anne - don't worry!' said Julian. 'Old Timmy would give us a warning growl28 if he heard asingle foot-step!'
And good gracious - at that VERY moment Timmy did give a growl - an angry, startled growl thatmade everyone jump, and then stand still, holding their breath.
Dick looked round at Timmy, who was growling29 again. His head was down and he was looking atsomething on the floor. What was it? Dick swung down his torch to see. Then he gave a small laugh.
'It's all right. We don't need to be scared yet. Look what Timmy's growling at!'
They all looked down - and saw a great fat toad30, its brilliant eyes staring steadily31 up at them. As theyexclaimed at it, it turned aside, and crawled slowly and clumsily to a little damp spot in the corner ofthe wall.
'I've never seen such a big toad in my life!' said Anne. 'It must be a hundred years old! Goodness,Timmy, you made me jump when you suddenly growled32 like that!'
The toad squatted33 down in its corner, facing them. It seemed to glare at poor Timmy. 'Come away,Tim,' said Dick. 'Toads34 can ooze35 out a very nasty-smelling, nasty-tasting stuff. Never bite a toad!'
Julian had now gone through the door at the top of the steps. He gave a loud exclamation - so loudthat the others rushed to him in alarm, wondering what was exciting him.
'Look!' said Julian, shining his torch into the dark space beyond. 'See where we've come to! Did youever see such a store-house of wonders!'
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收听单词发音
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1
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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uneven
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| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 | |
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ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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6
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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crates
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| n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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12
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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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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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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17
staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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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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embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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25
socket
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| n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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rusted
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| v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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29
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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toad
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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32
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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33
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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34
toads
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 ) | |
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35
ooze
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| n.软泥，渗出物；vi.渗出，泄漏；vt.慢慢渗出，流露 | |
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