the story of the treasure seekers-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



back　over　the　wall　long　before　they'd　got　the　door　open；　even　if

they　started　to　do　it　at　once。'



There　were　holes　at　the　top　of　the　shutters　the　shape　of　hearts；

and　the　yellow　light　came　out　through　them　as　well　as　through　the

chinks　of　the　shutters。



Oswald　said　if　Dicky　went　he　should；　because　he　was　the　eldest；　and

Alice　said；　'If　any　one　goes　it　ought　to　be　me；　because　I　thought

of　it。'



So　Oswald　said；　'Well；　go　then'；　and　she　said；　'Not　for　anything！'

And　she　begged　us　not　to；　and　we　talked　about　it　in　the　tree　till

we　were　all　quite　hoarse　with　whispering。



At　last　we　decided　on　a　plan　of　action。



Alice　was　to　stay　in　the　tree；　and　scream　'Murder！'　if　anything

happened。　　Dicky　and　I　were　to　get　down　into　the　next　garden　and

take　it　in　turns　to　peep。



So　we　got　down　as　quietly　as　we　could；　but　the　tree　made　much　more

noise　than　it　does　in　the　day；　and　several　times　we　paused；　fearing

that　all　was　discovered。　　But　nothing　happened。



There　was　a　pile　of　red　flower…pots　under　the　window　and　one　very

large　one　was　on　the　window…ledge。　　It　seemed　as　if　it　was　the　hand

of　Destiny　had　placed　it　there；　and　the　geranium　in　it　was　dead；

and　there　was　nothing　to　stop　your　standing　on　it　…　so　Oswald　did。　

He　went　first　because　he　is　the　eldest；　and　though　Dicky　tried　to

stop　him　because　he　thought　of　it　first　it　could　not　be；　on　account

of　not　being　able　to　say　anything。



So　Oswald　stood　on　the　flower…pot　and　tried　to　look　through　one　of

the　holes。　　He　did　not　really　expect　to　see　the　coiners　at　their

fell　work；　though　he　had　pretended　to　when　we　were　talking　in　the

tree。　　But　if　he　had　seen　them　pouring　the　base　molten　metal　into

tin　moulds　the　shape　of　half…crowns　he　would　not　have　been　half　so

astonished　as　he　was　at　the　spectacle　now　revealed。



At　first　he　could　see　little；　because　the　hole　had　unfortunately

been　made　a　little　too　high；　so　that　the　eye　of　the　detective　could

only　see　the　Prodigal　Son　in　a　shiny　frame　on　the　opposite　wall。　

But　Oswald　held　on　to　the　window…frame　and　stood　on　tiptoe　and　then

he　saw。



There　was　no　furnace；　and　no　base　metal；　no　bearded　men　in　leathern

aprons　with　tongs　and　things；　but　just　a　table　with　a　table…cloth

on　it　for　supper；　and　a　tin　of　salmon　and　a　lettuce　and　some

bottled　beer。　　And　there　on　a　chair　was　the　cloak　and　the　hat　of

the　mysterious　stranger；　and　the　two　people　sitting　at　the　table

were　the　two　youngest　grown…up　daughters　of　the　lady　next　door；　and

one　of　them　was　saying　…



'So　I　got　the　salmon　three…halfpence　cheaper；　and　the　lettuces　are

only　six　a　penny　in　the　Broad…　way；　just　fancy！　　We　must　save　as

much　as　ever　we　can　on　our　housekeeping　money　if　we　want　to　go　away

decent　next　year。'



And　the　other　said；　'I　wish　we　could　all　go　every　year；　or　else　…

Really；　I　almost　wish　…'



And　all　the　time　Oswald　was　looking　Dicky　was　pulling　at　his　jacket

to　make　him　get　down　and　let　Dicky　have　a　squint。　　And　just　as　she

said　'I　almost；'　Dicky　pulled　too　hard　and　Oswald　felt　himself

toppling　on　the　giddy　verge　of　the　big　flower…pots。　　Putting　forth

all　his　strength　our　hero　strove　to　recover　his　equi…

what's…its…name；　but　it　was　now　lost　beyond　recall。



'You've　done　it　this　time！'　he　said；　then　he　fell　heavily　among　the

flower…pots　piled　below。　　He　heard　them　crash　and　rattle　and　crack；

and　then　his　head　struck　against　an　iron　pillar　used　for　holding　up

the　next…door　veranda。　　His　eyes　closed　and　he　knew　no　more。



Now　you　will　perhaps　expect　that　at　this　moment　Alice　would　have

cried　'Murder！'　　If　you　think　so　you　little　know　what　girls　are。　

Directly　she　was　left　alone　in　that　tree　she　made　a　bolt　to　tell

Albert's　uncle　all　about　it　and　bring　him　to　our　rescue　in　case　the

coiner's　gang　was　a　very　desperate　one。　　And　just　when　I　fell；

Albert's　uncle　was　getting　over　the　wall。　　Alice　never　screamed　at

all　when　Oswald　fell；　but　Dicky　thinks　he　heard　Albert's　uncle　say；

'Confound　those　kids！'　which　would　not　have　been　kind　or　polite；　so

I　hope　he　did　not　say　it。



The　people　next　door　did　not　come　out　to　see　what　the　row　was。　

Albert's　uncle　did　not　wait　for　them　to　come　out。　　He　picked　up

Oswald　and　carried　the　insensible　body　of　the　gallant　young

detective　to　the　wall；　laid　it　on　the　top；　and　then　climbed　over

and　bore　his　lifeless　burden　into　our　house　and　put　it　on　the　sofa

in　Father's　study。　　Father　was　out；　so　we　needn't　have　crept　so

when　we　were　getting　into　the　garden。　　Then　Oswald　was　restored　to

consciousness；　and　his　head　tied　up；　and　sent　to　bed；　and　next　day

there　was　a　lump　on　his　young　brow　as　big　as　a　turkey's　egg；　and

very　uncomfortable。



Albert's　uncle　came　in　next　day　and　talked　to　each　of　us

separately。　　To　Oswald　he　said　many　unpleasant　things　about

ungentlemanly　to　spy　on　ladies；　and　about　minding　your　own

business；　and　when　I　began　to　tell　him　what　I　had　heard　he　told　me

to　shut　up；　and　altogether　he　made　me　more　uncomfortable　than　the

bump　did。



Oswald　did　not　say　anything　to　any　one；　but　next　day；　as　the

shadows　of　eve　were　falling；　he　crept　away；　and　wrote　on　a　piece　of

paper；　'I　want　to　speak　to　you；'　and　shoved　it　through　the　hole

like　a　heart　in　the　top　of　the　next…door　shutters。

And　the　youngest　young　lady　put　an　eye　to　the　heart…shaped　hole；

and　then　opened　the　shutter　and　said　'Well？'　very　crossly。　　Then

Oswald　said　…



'I　am　very　sorry；　and　I　beg　your　pardon。　　We　wanted　to　be

detectives；　and　we　thought　a　gang　of　coiners　infested　your　house；

so　we　looked　through　your　window　last　night。　　I　saw　the　lettuce；

and　I　heard　what　you　said　about　the　salmon　being　three…halfpence

cheaper；　and　I　know　it　is　very　dishonourable　to　pry　into　other

people's　secrets；　especially　ladies'；　and　I　never　will　again　if　you

will　forgive　me　this　once。'



Then　the　lady　frowned　and　then　she　laughed；　and　then　she　said　…



'So　it　was　you　tumbling　into　the　flower…pots　last　night？　　We

thought　it　was　burglars。　　It　frightened　us　horribly。　　Why；　what　a

bump　on　your　poor　head！'



And　then　she　talked　to　me　a　bit；　and　presently　she　said　she　and　her

sister　had　not　wished　people　to　know　they　were　at　home；　because　…

And　then　she　stopped　short　and　grew　very　red；　and　I　said；　'I

thought　you　were　all　at　Scarborough；　your　servant　told　Eliza　so。　

Why　didn't　you　want　people　to　know　you　were　at　home？'



The　lady　got　redder　still；　and　then　she　laughed　and　said　…



'Never　mind　the　reason　why。　　I　hope　your　head　doesn't　hurt　much。　

Thank　you　for　your　nice；　manly　little　speech。　　You've　nothing　to　be

ashamed　of；　at　any　rate。'　　Then　she　kissed　me；　and　I　did　not　mind。　

And　then　she　said；　'Run　away　now；　dear。　　I'm　going　to　…　I'm　going

to　pull　up　the　blinds　and　open　the　shutters；　and　I　want　to　do　it　at

once；　before　it　gets　dark；　so　that　every　one　can　see　we're　at　home；

and　not　at　Scarborough。'







CHAPTER　4

GOOD　HUNTING





When　we　had　got　that　four　shillings　by　digging　for　treasure　we

ought；　by　rights；　to　have　tried　Dicky's　idea　of　answering　the

advertisement　about　ladies　and　gentlemen　and　spare　time　and　two

pounds　a　week；　but　there　were　several　things　we　rather　wanted。



Dora　wanted　a　new　pair　of　scissors；　and　she　said　she　was　going　to

get　them　with　her　eight…pence。　　But　Alice　said　…



'You　ought　to　get　her　those；　Oswald；　because　you　know　you　broke　the

points　off　hers　getting　the　marble　out　of　the　brass　thimble。'



It　was　quite　true；　though　I　had　almost　forgotten　it；　but　then　it

was　H。　O。　who　jammed　the　marble　into　the　thimble　first　of　all。　　So

I　said　…



'It's　H。　O。's　fault　as　much　as　mine；　anyhow。　　Why　shouldn't　he

pay？'



Oswald　didn't　so　much　mind　paying　for　the　beastly　scissors；　but　he

hates　injustice　of　every　kind。



'He's　such　a　little　kid；'　said　Dicky；　and　of　course　H。　O。　said　he

wasn't　a　little　kid；　and　it　very　nearly　came　to　being　a　row　between

them。　　But　Oswald　knows　when　to　be　generous；　so　he　said　…



'Look　here！　　I'll　pay　sixpence　of　the　scissors；　and　H。　O。　shall　pay

the　rest；　to　teach　him　to　be　careful。'



H。　O。　agreed：　he　is　not　at　all　a　mean　kid；　but　I　found　out

afterwards　that　Alice　paid　his　share　out　of　her　own　money。



Then　we　wanted　some　new　paints；　and　NoEl　wanted　a　pencil　and　a

halfpenny　account…book　to　write　poetry　with；　and　it　does　seem　hard

never　to　have　any　apples。　　So；　somehow　or　other　nearly　all　the

money　got　spent；　and　we　agreed　that　we　must　let　the　advertisement

run　loose　a　little　longer。



'I　only　hope；'　Alice　said；　'that　they　won't　have　got　all　the　ladies

and　gentlemen　they　want　before　we　have　got　the　money　to　write　for

the　sample　and　instructions。'



And　I　was　a　little　afraid　myself；　because　it　seemed　such　a　splendid

chance；　but　we　looked　in　the　paper　every　day；　and　the　advertisement

was　always　there；　so　we　thought　it　was　all　right。



Then　we　had　the　detective　try…on　…　and　it　proved　no　go；　and　then；

when　all　the　money　was　gone；　except　a　halfpenny　of　mine　and

twopence　of　Noel's　and　three…pence　of　Dicky's　and　a　few　pennies

that　the　girls　had　left；　we　held　another　council。



Dora　was　sewing　the　buttons　on　H。　O。's　Sunday　things。　　He　got

himself　a　knife　with　his　money；　and　he　cut　every　single　one　of　his

best　buttons　off。　　You've　no　idea　how　many　buttons　there　are　on　a

suit。　　Dora　counted　them。　　There　are　twenty…four；　counting　the

little　ones　on　the　sleeves　that　don't　undo。



Alice　was　trying　to　teach　Pincher　to　beg；　but　he　has　too　much　sense

when　he　knows　you've　got　nothing　in　your　hands；　and　the　rest　of　us

were　roasting　potatoes　under　the　fire。　　We　had　made　a　fire　on

purpose；　though　it　was　rather　warm。　　They　are　very　good　if　you　cut

away　the　burnt　parts　…　but　you　ought　to　wash　them　first；　or　you　are

a　dirty　boy。



'Well；　what　can　we　do？'　said　Dicky。　　'You　are　so　fond　of　saying

〃Let's　do　something！〃　and　never　saying　what。'



'We　can't　try　the　advertisement　yet。　　Shall　we　try　rescuing　some

one？'　sa