Chapter Sixteen THE STICKS GET A FRIGHT
　　BUT the Sticks didn't go! The children peeped out of the spy-hole at the top of the cave-roof everynow and again, and saw one or other of the Sticks. The evening went on and it began to be dark. Stillthe Sticks didn't go. Julian ran down to the nearby shore and discovered a small boat there. So theSticks had managed to find their way round the island, rowed near the wreck¹, maybe landed on it too,and then come to the shore, cleverly avoiding the rocks they might strike against.
　　"It looks as if the Sticks have come to stay for the night," said Julian, gloomily. "This is going tospoil our stay here, isn't it? We rush away here to escape from the Sticks - and lo and behold²! theSticks are on top of us again. It's too bad.""Let's frighten them," said George, her eyes shining by the light of the one candle in the cave.
　　"What do you mean?" said Dick, cheering up. He always liked George's ideas, mad as theysometimes were.
　　"Well, I suppose they must be living down in one of the dungeon³ rooms, mustn't they?" said George.
　　"There is no place in the ruins to live in proper shelter, or we'd be there ourselves - and the only otherplace is down in the dungeons⁴. I wouldn't care to sleep there myself, but I don't suppose the Stickswould mind."
　　"Well, what about it?" said Dick. "What's your idea?""Couldn't we creep down, and do a bit of shouting, so that the echoes start up all round?" saidGeorge. "You know how frightening we found the echoes when we first went down into the 73dungeons. We only had to say one or two words, and the echoes began saying them over and overagain shouting them back at us."
　　"Oh yes, I remember," said Anne. "And wasn't Timmy frightened when he barked! The echoesbarked back at him, and he thought there were thousands of dogs hiding down there! He was awfullyfrightened."
　　"It's a good idea," said Julian. "Serve the Sticks right for coming to our island like this! If we canfrighten them away, that would be one up to us! Let's do it.""What about Timothy?" said Anne. "Hadn't we better leave him behind?""No. He can come and stand at the dungeon entrance to guard it for us," said George. "Then if any ofthe real smugglers happened to come, Timmy could give us warning. I'm not going to leave himbehind."

分享到：