Chapter 19 RICHARD HAS HIS OWN ADVENTURE
　　Richard had been having a much too exciting time. He had gone with the car, of course, crouching¹ inthe boot at the back, with a box of tools digging into him, and a can of petrol smelling horriblynearby, making him feel sick.
　　Through the gates went the car, and down the hill. It went at a good pace, and once stopped verysuddenly. It had gone round a corner and almost collided with a stationary² lorry, so that Mr.
　　Perton had put the brake on in a hurry. Poor Richard was terrified. He bumped his head hard on theback of the boot and gave a groan³.
　　He sat curled up, feeling sick and scared. He began to wish he had not tried to be a hero and get help.
　　Being any kind of a hero was difficult - but this was a dreadful way of being heroic.
　　The car went on for some miles; Richard had no idea where it was going. At first he heard no othertraffic at all - then he heard the sound of many wheels on the road, and knew he must be getting neara town. Once they must have gone by a railway station or railway line because Richard coulddistinctly hear the noise of a train, and then a loud hooting⁴.
　　The car stopped at last. Richard listened intently. Was it stopping just for traffic lights - or was Mr.
　　Perton getting out? If so, that was his chance to escape!
　　He heard the car door slam. Ah – Mr. Perton was out of the car then. Richard pressed hard at thecover of the boot. Julian had wedged it rather tightly, but it gave at last, and the lid of the bootopened. It fell back with rather a noise.
　　Richard looked out cautiously. He was in a dark street. A few people were walking on the pavementopposite. A lamp-post was some way away. Could he get out now - or would Mr.
　　Perton be about and see him?
　　He stretched out a leg to slide from the boot and jump to the ground - but he had been huddled⁵ up inan awkward position for so long that he was too stiff to move. Cramp⁶ caught him and he feltmiserably uncomfortable as he tried to straighten himself out.

分享到：