Chapter 23 MARKHOFF GOES HUNTING
　　George took the big key and looked at it with awe¹. 'Jo! Is this really the key - and you've locked themall in? Honestly, I think you're a marvel².'
　　'She is,' said Dick, and to Jo's enormous delight he gave her a sudden quick hug. 'I never knew such agirl in my life. Never. She's got the pluck of twenty!'
　　'It was easy, really,' said Jo, her eyes shining joyfully³ in the light of the torch. 'You trust me now,Dick, don't you? You won't be mean to me any more, any of you, will you?'
　　90
　　'Of course not,' said Julian. 'You're our friend for ever!'
　　'Not George's,' said Jo at once.
　　'Oh yes you are,' said George. 'I take back every single mean thing I said about you. You're as goodas a boy.'
　　This was the very highest compliment that George could ever pay any girl. Jo beamed and gaveGeorge a light punch.
　　'I did it all for Dick, really,' she said. 'But next time I'll do it for you!'
　　'Goodness, I hope there won't be a next time,' said George, with a shiver. 'I can't say I enjoyed onesingle minute of the last few days.'
　　Timmy suddenly put his head on Jo's knee. She stroked him. 'Look at that!' she said. 'He remembersme. He's better, isn't he, George?'
　　George carefully removed Timmy's head from Jo's knee to her own. She felt decidedly friendlytowards Jo now, but not to the extent of having Timmy put his head on Jo's knee. She patted him.
　　'Yes, he's better,' she said. 'He ate half the sausage roll I gave him, though he sniffed⁴ at it likeanything first. I think he knows something has been put into his food and now he's suspicious of it.
　　Good old Timmy.'
　　They all felt much more lively and cheerful now that they were no longer so dreadfully empty.
　　Julian looked at his watch. 'It's getting on towards evening now,' he said. 'I wonder what all thosefellows are doing.'
　　Three of them were still locked up! No matter how Markhoff had tried to batter⁵ in the door, it held. Itwas old and immensely strong, and the lock held without showing any sign of giving way even aneighth of an inch. Two other men had been called in from the garage to help, but except that the doorlooked decidedly worse for wear, it stood there just the same, sturdy and unbreakable.

分享到：