儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Snow CHAPTER 9 Tracks

The Aldens stood close together, silently looking at the fallen snow figures.

Henry put an arm around Benny’s shoulder. “Maybe it was an accident,” he said, hoping to comfort his brother.

Benny didn’t respond.

“What kind of accident?” Violet asked.

Henry shrugged¹. “Not an accident exactly,” he answered. “What I mean is, maybe an animal did it. A raccoon or something.”

Benny shook his head. “A person did it,” he said angrily. “On purpose. I just know it.”

Jessie saw something on the path beside the snow sculptures. She squatted² down for a better look. “Benny’s right,” she said. “Look at these.”

“They’re tracks,” Violet said.

“Boot tracks,” Henry added.

Benny knelt down on the snow. “Pete’s boots,” he said.

“How can you tell?” Henry asked.

“Look at the pattern,” Benny said. “It’s the same as the one Pete’s boots made in the dining room at lunch.”

Violet searched her memory. Pete’s large orange boots did leave a pattern of snow on the wood floor. “Stars,” she remembered.

Henry examined the print. The star shapes were barely visible outlines on the surface of the snow. Other shapes stood out more. It was the reverse of the pattern on the floor.

“The stars on the boot must be indented³ — sort of like cookie cutters,” he said.

“So the snow packs into them and drops out later,” Jessie concluded.

“Pete did it,” Benny said.

“You can’t be sure, Benny,” Violet said. “There could be other people with boots like that.”

“He left the dining room early, didn’t he?” Benny argued. “And I saw him out here.”

Henry was surprised. “You saw him?”

Jessie asked, “When?” and Violet, “Where?”

Benny pointed⁴ toward the back of the lodge⁵. “He was just going around that corner when we came out here.”

“You’re sure it was Pete?” Henry asked. “It’s pretty dark out here. Could it have been someone else?”

Benny shook his head. “It was Pete’s shadow,” he said.

“Pete’s shadow?” Violet repeated.

“If it was only a shadow, Benny, you can’t be sure it was Pete,” Jessie said.

“Let’s go back to the lodge, and think this through,” Henry suggested.

“I’m too upset to think,” Benny said.

“Are you too upset to have dessert?” Violet asked.

Benny sighed. “I suppose I could eat a little.”

Henry chuckled⁶. “That’s our Benny,” he said.

Benny found his teammates Jason, Alan, and Debbie in the lounge. He told them what had happened, but he didn’t mention Pete. They raced outside to see for themselves.

Pete was not in the lounge or the dining room.

“He’s probably hiding,” Benny decided⁷.

The Aldens picked up their dessert plates from the front table and sat down to eat. Watch lay down at Jessie’s feet.

“Why would Pete do such a thing?” Henry wondered aloud.

“He’s angry because he has to be timekeeper,” Violet said.

“But he’s on Freddy’s team,” Jessie reminded them. “Wouldn’t he want to get back at her?”

“Maybe he ruined their snow sculptures, too,” Benny put in.

That was possible. They decided to check.

“But first,” Benny suggested, “we should all have a second piece of pie.”

Jason, Alan, and Debbie came rushing up to the Aldens’ table.

“We know who did it!” Jason told Benny.

Benny looked up at him. “So do I,” he said.

“That dog of yours,” Jason said.

The Aldens looked at each other in disbelief.

“Watch did it all right,” Debbie said.

“What makes you think that?” Henry asked.

“The tracks,” Alan said.

“We saw dog tracks,” Debbie added.

“It had to be Watch,” Jason concluded. “He’s the only dog here.”

Watch lowered his head and scooted under the table.

1 shrugged   

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》

2 squatted   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 indented   

adj.锯齿状的，高低不平的；缩进排版

参考例句：

• His voyage was down Chile's indented coastline.他的航行沿智利参差曲折的海岸线行进。
• Each paragraph of the body is usually indented five blocks.正文每段开始，一般缩进五个英文字母。

4 pointed   

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。

5 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

6 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。