Chapter 11 IN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT

Chapter 11 IN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT
Julian and the others made no attempt to follow Tinker. 'Let him go, the little ass¹!' said Julian.
'Come into one of the tents and have a low pow-wow before we get undressed and go to sleep.'
'I'm sorry poor old Tinker isn't going to camp out with us, our first night in the field,' said Anne.
'I don't think he meant to give anything away.'
'That's no excuse, Anne,' said George. 'He can be an awful little fathead at times, and he's got to learnnot to be. Let's go to our tent. I feel quite tired. Come along, Timmy!'
She yawned and Dick yawned too. Then Julian found himself yawning. 'Awfully² catching³, thisyawning business!' he said. 'Well, it's turned out to be a lovely night as regards weather - warm anddry - and there's a nice little half-moon to look at. Good night, girls, sleep tight! And don't scream if aspider wakes you, because I warn you, I am NOT going to get up to deal with a harmless spider!'
'You wait till one runs all over your face!' said Anne, 'and starts making a web from your nose toyour chin and catches flies in it!'
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'Don't, Anne,' said George. 'I'm not a bit scared of spiders, but that's a horrible idea of yours!
Timmy, please watch out for spiders, and give me warning of them!'
Everyone laughed. 'Well, good night, girls,' said Dick. 'Pity about young Tinker. Still, he's got tolearn a few things, and keeping his mouth shut is one of them.'
They were all quite tired, and it wasn't long before everyone's torch was out, and peace and quietdescended on the little camp. Much farther up the field the circus was also peaceful and quiet, thoughthere were still lights here and there in the tents. Someone belonging to the circus band wasstrumming a banjo, but not loudly, and the sound was pleasant to hear - strum-a-strum -strum-a-strum - strummmm...
A few clouds blew up and slid across the moon. One by one the lights went out in the circus tents.
The wind blew softly through the trees, and an owl⁴ hooted⁵.
Anne was still awake. She lay listening to the wind, and to the owl's 'Too-whoo-too-whit', and thenshe too fell asleep. Nobody heard someone stirring in the circus camp. Nobody saw a shadowy figurecreep out when the moon was safely behind a cloud. It was late, very late, and the two camps werelost in dreams.
Timmy was fast asleep too - but in his sleep he heard a faint sound, and at once he was awake.
He didn't move, except for his ears, which switched themselves up to listen. He gave a little growl,but not enough to wake George. So long as the person who was moving about in the circus camp didnot come near to George's tent, or the boys' tent, Timmy did not mean to bark.
He heard a tiny grunt⁶, and recognized it at once. Charlie the Chimp⁷! Well, that was all right!
Timmy fell asleep again.
Tinker, too, was fast asleep in his bed up at the house, Mischief⁸ at his feet. He had thought he wouldbe too miserable⁹ to sleep, but found himself half-dreaming in no time. He didn't hear a small noiseoutside, a very small noise indeed - a little scrape, as if someone's foot had caught against a stone.
Then there came other very small noises - and a whisper of a voice - and more noises again.
Nobody heard anything at all until Jenny woke up thirsty, and stretched out her hand to get a glass ofwater from her bed-table. She didn't switch her light on, and was about to lie down again when herquick ears caught a little sound.
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She sat up. 'That can't be the children,' she thought. 'They're camping down in the field. Oh mygoodness me, I hope it's not a burglar - or someone trying to steal the Professor's secrets. He's gotpapers all over the place. Thank goodness he keeps most of them in that tower of his!'
She listened and then lay down again. But soon she heard another little noise, and sat up, scared.
'It sounds as if it comes from the tower,' she thought, and got out of bed. No - there was no light inthe tower - no light anywhere, that she could see. The moon was behind a cloud. She'd just wait till itslid out and lighted up the courtyard below, and the tower. There! That was another little noise.
Could it be the wind? No, it couldn't. And now, what was that? It sounded just like someonewhispering down there in the courtyard. Jenny felt really frightened, and began to shake. She must goand wake the Professor! Suppose it was someone after his precious papers?
Or his wonderful new invention!
The moon swung out from behind the cloud and Jenny peered cautiously out of the window again.
She gave a loud scream, and staggered back into her room, still screaming. 'There's a man!
Help! Help! He's climbing up the wall of the tower! Professor! PROFESSOR HAYLING! Comequickly! Thieves, robbers, help, help! Get the police!'
There came a long slithering sound, and before Jenny dared to look out again, the moon had gonebehind another cloud, and she could not see a thing in the sudden darkness. There was a deep silenceafter the slithering noise, and Jenny couldn't bear it. She rushed out of her bedroom, yelling at the topof her voice. 'THIEVES! ROBBERS! SIR, COME QUICKLY!'
The Professor woke with a jump, threw off his bedclothes and rushed out into the passage, almostcolliding with Jenny. He clutched at her, thinking she was the thief, and she screamed again, sure thatone of the intruders had got hold of her. They struggled together, and then the Professor realized thathe wasn't holding a thief, he was holding poor, plump Jenny!
'JENNY! What on earth are you doing, waking up the whole household!' said the Professor,switching on the passage light. 'Have you had a bad dream - a nightmare?'
'No, sir, no sir,' panted Jenny, out of breath with her struggle. 'Sir, there's robbers about. I saw oneclimbing up the tower wall - and there must have been others below. I heard them whispering, sir.
Oh, I'm that scared! What shall we do? Can you telephone for the police, sir?'
'Well,' said the Professor, doubtfully. 'Are you quite sure, Jenny, that you didn't have a nightmare? Imean - if there really are robbers, I'll certainly telephone - but it's rather a long way for the police tocome out here, and...'
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'Oh, sir - then won't you just take a torch and look round the place?' begged Jenny. 'You know there'syour precious papers in that tower, sir. And isn't there that new invention of yours? Oh yes, I knowI'm not supposed to know anything about it, sir, but I do dust your rooms thoroughly¹⁰, you know, andI see quite a lot, though I keep my mouth shut, and...'
'Yes, yes, Jenny, I know,' said poor Professor Hayling, trying to stop Jenny's stream of talk. 'Buthonestly, everything seems quiet now. I've looked out into the courtyard. There's no one there.
And you know as well as I do that nobody can get into my tower. It has three different keys - one tounlock the bottom door - one for the middle door, half-way up - and one for the top door.
Jenny, be sensible. Nobody could have used my three keys. Look, there they are on my dressing-table.'
Jenny began to calm down, but she still wasn't satisfied. 'I did hear whispering, and I did see someonehalf-way up the wall of the tower, sir. Please do come down with me, sir, and let's look around. Idaren't go on my own. But I shan't sleep again tonight till I know nobody's forced the tower door, ortaken a ladder to go up the tower.'
'All right, Jenny,' said the Professor, with a sigh. 'Put on your dressing-gown, and I'll put mine on too- we'll try the doors, and we'll look for a ladder - though, mind you, it would have to be an absolutelycolossal one to reach the top of that tower. Nobody could possibly bring one that size and length intoour small courtyard! All right, all right - we'll go.'
And so, a few minutes later, Jenny and the Professor were down in the courtyard. There was no signof any ladder at all - no sign of anyone climbing up the wall - and the downstairs tower door wassafely locked! 'You unlock the door, sir, and go up to the top room and see if that door's locked too,'
begged Jenny.
'I think you're being rather silly now, Jenny,' said the Professor impatiently. 'Here, take the keysyourself. This one's locked, of course - and if the middle door is still locked, you'll know nobodycould have got into my top room. Hurry, Jenny.'
So Jenny, still trembling, slid a key into the bottom lock, opened the door, and began to climb thespiral stair that led upwards¹¹. Half-way was another door, also safely locked. She unlocked this too.
She began to feel rather silly. Nobody could have gone through locked doors. And there now- the top one was well and truly locked also! She gave a sigh of relief and ran down the spiralstairway, locking the middle door, and then the bottom one. She gave the keys to the Professor, whoby now was feeling rather chilly¹²!
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'All locked, sir,' said Jenny. 'But I'm still sure someone was about. I could have sworn I saw someoneup that tower-wall, and heard somebody else whispering below.'
'I expect you were so scared that you imagined things, Jenny,' said the Professor, yawning. 'I thinkyou'll agree with me that the wall is far too steep for anyone to climb - and I'm pretty certain I'd haveheard it if a ladder had been dragged about the courtyard!'
'Well, I'm sure I'm very sorry, sir,' said poor Jenny. 'It's a good thing we didn't wake Tinker -though I'm surprised Mischief didn't hear something and come running down the stairs.'
'But Mischief is surely with Tinker, camping out in the field!' said the Professor in surprise.
'No - Tinker and Mischief are back, sir. I found them asleep in bed - but not the others!' said Jenny.
'Maybe Tinker has quarrelled with them. Funny that Mischief didn't come running out to see whatwas up - he must have heard us!'
'Mischief is clever - but not clever enough to open Tinker's bedroom door,' said the Professor,yawning again. 'Good night, Jenny. Don't worry. You'll feel all right in the morning, and that will bethat!'
The Professor went sleepily to his room. He looked out of the window down into the courtyard andthen across at the tower, and smiled. Dear Jenny! She did rather let her imagination run away withher! As if anyone in the world could get up into that tower room without a ladder! And now could along, long ladder be brought into that small courtyard without either being seen or heard?
The Professor yawned once more and climbed into bed.
But someone had been in the tower room! Someone very clever, someone very light-fingered!
What a shock for poor Professor Hayling next morning, when he crossed the courtyard, unlocked thebottom door of the tower - walked up the spiral stairway - unlocked the middle door, and went on upthe stairway again - and finally unlocked the top door and opened it wide.
He stood and stared in horror. The place was upside down! All his papers were scattered¹³ everywhere.
He crouched¹⁴ down at once to see if any were missing. Yes - quite a lot! But they seemed to have beentaken quite haphazardly¹⁵ - a few pages from this note-book - a few pages from that - some letters hehad written and left on his desk to post - and good gracious, the ink was spilt all over the place - andthe little clock was gone from the mantelpiece. So Jenny was right - a thief had been about last night.
A thief that could apparently¹⁶ get through three locked doors - or else could climb up a long, longladder that he had put outside without being seen -and taken away again!
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'I'll have to ring the police,' he thought. 'But I must say it's a mystery! I wonder if Tinker heardanything in the night? No, he couldn't have, or he would have run to fetch me. It's a mystery - a realpuzzle of a MYSTERY!'

1 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。

2 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

5 hooted   

（使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• An owl hooted nearby. 一只猫头鹰在附近啼叫。
• The crowd hooted and jeered at the speaker. 群众向那演讲人发出轻蔑的叫嚣和嘲笑。

6 grunt   

v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝

参考例句：

• He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
• I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

7 chimp   

n.黑猩猩

参考例句：

• In fact,the color of gorilla and chimp are light-color.其实大猩猩和黑猩猩的肤色是较为浅的。
• The chimp is the champ.猩猩是冠军。

8 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。

9 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

10 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

11 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

12 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

13 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

14 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

15 haphazardly   

adv.偶然地，随意地，杂乱地

参考例句：

• The books were placed haphazardly on the shelf. 书籍乱七八糟地堆放在书架上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is foolish to haphazardly adventure. 随便冒险是愚蠢的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。