Chapter 4 THE NEXT DAY
　　The four children waited at the open front door, listening to Timmy's angry, excited barking.
　　Anne was trembling, and Julian put his arm round her comfortingly.
　　'What was this dreadful face like?' he asked her. Anne shivered in his arm.
　　'I didn't see very much,' she said. 'You see, I just switched on my torch, and the beam was directed onthe window nearby - and it lighted up the face for a second. It had nasty gleaming eyes, and it lookedvery dark - perhaps it was a black man's face! Oh, I was frightened!'
　　'Then did it disappear?' asked Julian.
　　'I don't know,' said Anne. 'I was so frightened that I dropped my torch and the light went out.
　　Then George woke up and rushed to the window.'
　　'Where on earth was Timmy?' said Dick, feeling suddenly surprised that Timmy hadn't awakenedthem all by barking. Surely he must have heard the owner of the face climbing up to the window?
　　'I don't know. He came rushing into the bedroom when I screamed,' said Anne. 'Perhaps he had hearda noise and had gone down to see what it was.'
　　'That's about it,' said Julian. 'Never mind, Anne. It was a tramp, I expect. He found all the doors andwindows downstairs fastened - and shinned up the ivy¹ to see if he could enter by way of a bedroom.
　　Timmy will get him, that's certain.'
　　But Timmy didn't get him. He came back after a time, with his tail down, and a puzzled look in hiseyes. 'Couldn't you find him, Timmy?' asked George, anxiously.
　　'Woof,' said Timmy, mournfully, his tail still down. George felt him. He was wet through.
　　14
　　'Goodness! Where have you been to get so wet?' she said, in surprise. 'Feel him, Dick.'
　　Dick felt him, and so did the others. 'He's been in the sea,' said Julian. 'That's why he's wet. I guessthe burglar, or whatever he was, must have sprinted² down to the beach, when he knew Timmy wasafter him - and jumped into a boat! It was his only chance of getting away.'
　　'And Timmy must have swum after him till he couldn't keep up any more,' said George. 'Poor oldTim. So you lost him, did you?'
　　Timmy wagged his tail a little. He looked very downhearted indeed. To think he had heard noises andthought it was a rat - and now, whoever it was had got away from him. Timmy felt ashamed.
　　Julian shut and bolted the front door. He put up the chain, too. 'I don't think the Face will come backagain in a hurry,' he said. 'Now he knows there's a big dog here he'll keep away. I don't think we needworry any more.'
　　They all went back to bed again. Julian didn't go to sleep for some time. Although he had told theothers not to worry, he felt worried himself. He was sorry that Anne had been frightened, andsomehow the boldness of the burglar in climbing up to a bedroom worried him, too. He must havebeen

分享到：