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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Lost Mine CHAPTER 6 Lights Out!

时间:2017-08-22 06:47来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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Benny sat up in bed. He listened carefully for the familiar sounds of the humming refrigerator and air conditioner. He heard only Grandfather’s faint snoring.

A darting1 shape outside the window caught his attention. A tall, dark figure flitted between the Garcias’ RV and Mr. Tobias’s trailer.

“Henry!” Benny reached across and shook his brother.

Henry was awake in an instant. “What?”

“The air conditioner’s not running,” Benny said. “And I just saw somebody outside. Maybe it’s the prowler Jessie saw the other night.”

The air inside the RV was getting stuffy2. Henry climbed out of his bunk3 and flicked4 on the light switch. The lights didn’t turn on, either.

“The power’s off,” Henry reported. He climbed up to Grandfather’s bed. “Grandfather, wake up. Something’s happened to the power.”

James Alden was up quickly. He began pulling his clothes on. The boys dressed hurriedly in the dark. By now the girls were awake, too.

“What is it?” Jessie called from the other end of the trailer. “How come the lights won’t come on?”

“Something’s wrong with the power,” Grandfather said, grabbing his flashlight. “Henry and I will check it out.”

“Me, too!” Benny scrambled5 after them.

Outside, all the RVs in the D Block were shrouded6 in darkness. Only small, overhead street lamps cast weak pools of light.

The door to the Garcias’ trailer opened. Mr. Garcia and Luis stumbled down the steps. Mrs. Garcia followed them.

“Our power is out,” said Mr. Garcia to Grandfather.

“Ours, too. Maybe a fuse in the main building blew,” guessed James Alden.

“I’ll go check with the management.” Mr. Garcia headed toward the office. Mrs. Garcia went with him.

Luis came over to the Aldens’ trailer. “I wonder what’s wrong?” he asked.

Henry shone his flashlight around the hookup area. “Here’s the problem,” he said. “The cable’s been disconnected.” He held up the loose end of the plug.

Grandfather reconnected the cable. “That’s strange.”

Luis ran over to his RVs hookup. “Our plug has also been pulled! Yet the sewer7 and water pipes are still connected.”

Inside the Aldens’ RV, Violet tugged8 at Jessie’s sleeve. “Look,” she said. “There are two people hanging around Mr. Tobias’s trailer. Do you think we should warn him?”

“It’s Mr. and Mrs. Clark,” Jessie said, as the couple approached. She and Violet went outside. It was creepy inside the dark RV.

“Our electricity has been disconnected!” Mrs. Clark complained to Grandfather. “Yours, too? And the Garcias’?”

Mr. Clark was angry. “If this is somebody’s idea of a prank9, it’s not funny. These trailers can get very hot.”

“Fortunately, it’s nighttime,” said Grandfather. “The desert always cools down after dark.”

Benny shivered and wondered if the prowler was watching them.

Henry and Luis refastened the cables to the Garciases’ RV. Then they helped Mr. Clark fix his hookup.

Violet pointed10 to Mr. Tobias’s RV. “What about Mr. Tobias? Should we check his hookup, too?”

Benny ran over. “It’s okay,” he called.

“That’s funny,” Jessie mused11. “Everyone’s electricity was disconnected, except Mr. Tobias’s.”

“And he never even came out to see what was wrong.” Henry stared at the metallic-colored trailer.

“Unless,” Benny added, “he was the guy I saw running between the trailers.”

This time Jessie shivered. “I sure hope we catch this prowler.”

“Excitement’s over,” Grandfather said, herding12 them toward the RV. “Back to bed. We’ll solve the mystery in the morning.”

And if they didn’t, thought Jessie, what would happen next?

Early the next morning, Gerald McCrae came by to pick up Grandfather. The Alden children rose early, too.

Jessie and Henry packed breakfast and lunch while Violet and Benny tidied the RV.

Luis knocked on the door.

“We’re almost ready,” Jessie told him. “Henry’s filling the canteens now.”

Luis looked pale in the faint morning light. “Someone got into our RV last night. The photographs of the stone maps were stolen!”

Henry turned from the sink. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I knew we’d need them today. But when I opened the drawer, the folder13 was gone.”

“Maybe your mother put it someplace else,” Violet suggested.

Luis shook his head. “No. I’m certain the photographs were in the drawer last night.”

“It must have happened when we were all outside!” Benny exclaimed.

“Benny could be right,” said Henry. “The prowler could have sneaked14 into your trailer while everyone was fixing their electrical cables.”

“We were all there,” said Jessie. “Everyone except Mr. Tobias.”

“What would Mr. Tobias do with my photographs?” Luis asked. “He hardly ever comes out of his trailer. We need those maps to find the exact location of Weaver’s Needle.”

“Wait!” Violet flipped15 open her drawing tablet. “I made some drawings of the stone maps. They aren’t perfect, but I have a pretty good memory.”

Luis inspected her sketches16. “Not bad. These seem fairly accurate. Nice work, Violet.”

Pleased, Violet stashed17 her drawings into the backpack containing their food.

Henry strapped18 on the backpack and passed out the canteens. “If we hurry, we’ll be at the stables by six.”

Rex was waiting for them. Their horses had been saddled and fed. Each horse carried extra water rations19.

“Have a good ride,” Rex said, waving them off.

After a while they passed a sign that said “Peralta Canyon20 Trail.”

“We’re on the right track,” Luis commented.

Once more they rode single file with Luis in the lead and Henry at the rear. They stopped once to eat their breakfast and again to drink and check their bearings.

“Are we almost there?” asked Benny.

Violet got out her maps. “I see Weaver’s Needle,” she said, pointing to the heart-shaped formation in the distance.

Luis nodded. “Soon we’ll have to leave our horses and hike in.”

After a while the trail ended, narrowing to a path that vanished in the brush. They tied the horses to the trees, and began climbing on foot.

“I keep thinking about old Jake out here. He must be really tough,” Henry said.

“I hope he’s all right,” said Jessie.

Benny slowed his pace. “I don’t see Weaver’s Needle anymore,” he said to Luis.

“That’s because we’re getting closer,” Luis said.

Violet couldn’t believe how quiet it was up here. Earlier the mountains echoed with birdcalls. Now the hills were completely silent.

Luis explained, “It’s the heat. Animals and birds go under cover during the day. They come out to feed after sundown or in the early morning.”

“I wish I could find some cover.” Benny slumped21 down on a stone. His cheeks were pink.

“Watch out!” Luis cried. He checked the boulder22 Benny sat on. “Always look before you sit down. A rattler could be sunning itself.”

Benny jumped. “I sure don’t want to sit on a snake!”

Henry had climbed over the next rise. “Hey, look what I found!”

The others hurried over the hill at the urgency in Henry’s voice.

Henry stood in the middle of a small campsite. Charred23 sticks smoked from a recent fire. Paper cups and trash littered the area.

Violet picked up a coffee cup. “Is this Jake’s camp? The fire is still warm. He’s probably nearby.”

Luis kicked at the smoldering24 ashes. “Jake is too smart to leave a mess like this. Anyone with wilderness25 experience would smother26 the fire with sand. And Jake would never leave trash.”

“Then whose camp is it?” Benny asked.

“Somebody who obviously doesn’t care.” Henry was disgusted by all the trash lying around.

Jessie felt eyes boring into her. Looking up, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure in the rocks high above.

“Maybe it’s his camp!”

Luis cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey, up there!”

“Halloo!” Henry yelled. His voice bounced around the canyon.

But the figure disappeared into the rocks.

“Whoever it was,” Benny said, “he didn’t want to be found.”

“We might as well eat,” Jessie said. Henry shrugged27 off the backpack and Jessie began taking out rolls and cheese.

No one was very hungry. They were all disappointed they hadn’t found Jake or his camp.

Violet couldn’t stop thinking about the figure on the rocks. “That person we saw wasn’t Jake,” she said firmly.

“How do you know?” Henry asked, chewing a cookie.

“Because Jake isn’t tall. And that person was tall.”

“Like Tom,” Jessie said thoughtfully.

“Or Mr. Clark,” Luis added.

“Or,” Henry said, “Mr. Tobias.”

“Why would Mr. Tobias be out in these hills?” asked Violet. “He’s always in his trailer.”

Henry began picking up trash to stuff in his backpack. “Maybe he’s not always in his trailer. Maybe he just wants us to think he is.”

A pebble28 rolled down the rock wall. Henry froze. “He’s still up there.”

“What is he doing?” Jessie asked fearfully. “Why won’t he answer us?”

“He’s trying to scare us,” Benny said.

“Well, it’s working.” Violet put her camera back in its case. She didn’t feel like taking pictures.

“Violet’s right,” said Luis. “I think we should head back to camp.”

“But we didn’t find the mine,” Benny cried.

“Or Jake,” Violet said sadly.
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 darting darting     
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
2 stuffy BtZw0     
adj.不透气的,闷热的
参考例句:
  • It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
  • It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热,我们感到空气都是潮的。
3 bunk zWyzS     
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位;废话
参考例句:
  • He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
  • Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。
4 flicked 7c535fef6da8b8c191b1d1548e9e790a     
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等)
参考例句:
  • She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
  • I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。
5 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 shrouded 6b3958ee6e7b263c722c8b117143345f     
v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 );保密
参考例句:
  • The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
  • The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 sewer 2Ehzu     
n.排水沟,下水道
参考例句:
  • They are tearing up the street to repair a sewer. 他们正挖开马路修下水道。
  • The boy kicked a stone into the sewer. 那个男孩把一石子踢进了下水道。
8 tugged 8a37eb349f3c6615c56706726966d38e     
v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
  • A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 prank 51azg     
n.开玩笑,恶作剧;v.装饰;打扮;炫耀自己
参考例句:
  • It was thought that the fire alarm had been set off as a prank.人们认为火警报警器响是个恶作剧。
  • The dean was ranking the boys for pulling the prank.系主任正在惩罚那些恶作剧的男学生。
10 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
11 mused 0affe9d5c3a243690cca6d4248d41a85     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
12 herding herding     
中畜群
参考例句:
  • The little boy is herding the cattle. 这个小男孩在放牛。
  • They have been herding cattle on the tableland for generations. 他们世世代代在这高原上放牧。
13 folder KjixL     
n.纸夹,文件夹
参考例句:
  • Peter returned the plan and charts to their folder.彼得把这份计划和表格放回文件夹中。
  • He draws the document from its folder.他把文件从硬纸夹里抽出来。
14 sneaked fcb2f62c486b1c2ed19664da4b5204be     
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状
参考例句:
  • I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
  • She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
15 flipped 5bef9da31993fe26a832c7d4b9630147     
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 ); 按(开关); 快速翻转; 急挥
参考例句:
  • The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转,撞毁了。
  • The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。
16 sketches 8d492ee1b1a5d72e6468fd0914f4a701     
n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概
参考例句:
  • The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
  • You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 stashed 07562c5864f6b713d22604f8e1e43dae     
v.贮藏( stash的过去式和过去分词 );隐藏;藏匿;藏起
参考例句:
  • She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她有一大笔钱存在几个不同的银行账户下。
  • She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她在不同的银行账户上秘密储存了一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 strapped ec484d13545e19c0939d46e2d1eb24bc     
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带
参考例句:
  • Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 rations c925feb39d4cfbdc2c877c3b6085488e     
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量
参考例句:
  • They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
  • The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。
20 canyon 4TYya     
n.峡谷,溪谷
参考例句:
  • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
  • The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
21 slumped b010f9799fb8ebd413389b9083180d8d     
大幅度下降,暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 ); 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]
参考例句:
  • Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
  • The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上,疲惫得睡着了。
22 boulder BNbzS     
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
参考例句:
  • We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
  • He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
23 charred 2d03ad55412d225c25ff6ea41516c90b     
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式);烧焦
参考例句:
  • the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
  • The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 smoldering e8630fc937f347478071b5257ae5f3a3     
v.用文火焖烧,熏烧,慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
  • The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句
25 wilderness SgrwS     
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
26 smother yxlwO     
vt./vi.使窒息;抑制;闷死;n.浓烟;窒息
参考例句:
  • They tried to smother the flames with a damp blanket.他们试图用一条湿毯子去灭火。
  • We tried to smother our laughter.我们强忍住笑。
27 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 pebble c3Rzo     
n.卵石,小圆石
参考例句:
  • The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋,想去孵它。
  • The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
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