Chapter 18 GEORGE'S TRICK
　　George sat in the darkness of the cave, hearing Anne's peaceful breathing nearby, waiting for Snifferto come back. She was longing¹ to see Timmy again. Was the cut on his head very bad?
　　A thought came into her mind. She would send Timmy back to the stables with a note! He was veryclever, he knew what to do when he had a note tied to his collar. Then help would come very quicklyindeed. Timmy would know his way all right out of this hill, once he had been in it!
　　Ah, here was Sniffer coming back again. Was Timmy with him? She heard Sniffer's sniff-sniff-sniff,but no sound of Timmy. Her heart sank.
　　Sniffer appeared cautiously in the cave.
　　'I didn't dare to take Timmy,' he said. 'My father has him tied up too near to him, and I'd have wakedhim. But I've brought you a knife, look.'
　　'Thank you, Sniffer,' said George, taking the knife and putting it into her pocket. 'Listen, there'ssomething important I'm going to do and you've got to help.'
　　'I'm scared,' said Sniffer. 'I'm real scared.'
　　81
　　'Think of that bicycle,' said George. 'A red one, perhaps, with silver handles?'
　　Sniffer thought of it. 'All right,' he said. 'What are you going to do?'
　　'I'm going to write a note,' said George, feeling in her pocket for her note-book and pencil. 'And Iwant you to tie it on to Timmy's collar, under his chin, and set him free somehow. Will you do that?
　　He'll run off back to the stables with the note, and then Anne and I will be rescued, and you will getthe most beautiful bicycle in the world!'
　　'And a house to live in,' said Sniffer, at once. 'So's I can ride my bike to school?'
　　'All right,' said George, hoping that somehow he could have that too. 'Now, wait a minute.'
　　She scribbled² the note, but she had hardly written more than a few words, when a sound came up thepassage. Someone was coughing.
　　'It's my father!' said Sniffer, in fright. 'Listen, if you cut your ropes and escape, can you find your wayout from here? It's very twisty and turny.'
　　'I don't know. I don't think I can!' whispered George, in a panic.
　　'I'll leave patrins for you!' said Sniffer. 'Look out for them! Now I'm going to slip into the cave nextdoor, and wait till my father's finished talking to you. Then I'll go back to Timmy.'
　　He slipped out just in time. The lantern shone into George's cave and Sniffer's father stood there.
　　'Have you seen Sniffer?' he asked. 'I missed him when I woke just now. If I catch him in here I'llwhip him till he

分享到：