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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Lost Mine CHAPTER 4 A Warning!

时间:2017-08-22 06:46来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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The next morning, after Grandfather left early to help Mr. McCrae, the Aldens walked over to the Chuck Wagon1. They shared a table in the corner with Luis.

Over a hearty2 rancher’s breakfast of flapjacks and sausage, they discussed the prowler Jessie had seen around the Garcias’ RV.

“Maybe it was Mr. or Mrs. Garcia,” Henry suggested.

Luis shook his head. “No, we were all in bed.”

“Maybe it was Mr. Clark,” said Violet. “Or Mr. Tobias. He’s always up late.”

“But why would he be checking the windows in the Garcias’ RV?” asked Jessie.

“Maybe,” said Benny, “it was somebody else.”

Henry looked at him. “Like who?”

“Somebody who isn’t staying at this campground.”

Jessie said, “RV Haven3 is several miles from the nearest town, right? There aren’t any houses around. If the prowler isn’t from the campground, then he—or she—would have to be from the mountains.”

“Maybe Janine Crawford knows if anyone else lives around here,” Henry said.

Janine hurried by just then with a pot of coffee.

“Excuse me, Janine.” Henry used his politest tone. “Does anyone live out here? I mean, not on the campground.”

“Nobody with a grain of sense,” she snapped, slapping their check on the table. She left, her mood as sour as ever.

“Well, that was no help,” Violet remarked.

Tom stopped by their table. “Going gold hunting today?”

“We’re going riding,” Henry replied cautiously.

Tom laughed, went over to the counter, and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“How did he know we’re looking for the mine?” Henry asked Luis.

Luis shrugged4. “It’s kind of a joke around here. The mine is no secret. Remember, lots of people have looked.”

Violet was quiet. She noticed that the Clarks, who sat across from them in a booth, kept getting up and passing their table. First Mr. Clark got up for a copy of the daily newspaper. Then Mrs. Clark walked by to get a bottle of catsup. Mr. Clark rose again to refill his coffee cup.

“Is it my imagination, or are the Clarks listening to us?” Violet said in a hushed voice.

“Violet’s right,” said Jessie. “They keep getting up and going right by our table. I think Tom Parker was listening, too, when we were talking about the prowler.”

“Let’s not mention the prowler to anyone,” Henry advised. “Not until we find out more. Right now, everyone is a suspect.”

Benny blissfully scooped5 up his last bite of hotcake. “Another mystery! We didn’t have to find one—it found us!”

As they were making plans to rent trail horses, the door burst open.

Old Jake tottered6 into the restaurant. His battered7 felt hat was covered with dust. His clothes looked more rumpled8 than ever.

Jake glanced around, as if searching for a friendly face. His gray eyes rested on the Aldens. He headed in their direction.

“You loaned me some money,” he said to Henry. “You seem like decent kids.”

“Why don’t you sit down?” Henry offered. Jake acted as though he had something important on his mind.

“Thankee.” Jake pulled up an extra chair. He stuck out a calloused9 hand. “Name’s Jake.”

Henry shook his hand. “I’m Henry Alden. This is my sister Jessie, my sister Violet, and that’s my brother, Benny. And our friend Luis Garcia.”

Jake nodded at each in turn. “Nice to make your acquaintance.” Suddenly lowering his voice, Jake asked, “Can you keep a secret?”

“Yeah!” Benny replied immediately. “What is it?” Old Jake must have found the Lost Dutchman’s mine!

Jake pulled a crumpled10 piece of paper from his pocket. “When I got up this morning to start my campfire, I found this.” He smoothed the paper on the table. Crudely cut-out letters spelled a single sentence.

Henry picked up the paper. “Looks like somebody wrote this using letters cut out of a flyer or something. But it’s in Spanish. I can’t read it.”

“I can.” Luis studied the note. “It says, ‘This path is dangerous.’ ”

“What does that mean?” asked Violet.

“It means I’d better watch my back,” Jake said, stuffing the note into his pocket.

“Who would send you that letter?” Luis wanted to know.

“Good question.” Jake sighed. “When you’re a prospector11, there’s always somebody trying to jump your claim.”

“Then you have found the mine!” Benny exclaimed. “Where is it? We won’t tell anyone, promise!”

But Jake clammed12 up. With a gruff “Thanks for your help,” he pushed back his chair and hurried into the store section.

Janine followed Jake, grumbling13, “Where is Tom? He’s never around when I have to deal with difficult customers.”

Suddenly Jessie thought of something. “Jake!” she cried. “He lives in the hills. Could he be the prowler I saw last night?”

“It’s something to think about,” Henry said. “Jake is certainly a strange character.”

The Garcias came in then.

“You early birds!” Mrs. Garcia teased as Violet gave up her seat. “Please don’t get up.”

“We were leaving anyway,” Violet said.

“We’re going horseback riding.”

“Mr. Garcia, if someone did find the

Dutchman’s mine, how would they say it was theirs?” Henry asked.

“Well, you’re supposed to file a claim with the local government,” Mr. Garcia replied.

“But no one is permitted to stake a claim on federally protected land,” added Luis’s mother. “The Superstition14 Mountains are part of the Tonto National Forest. If anyone is digging in those hills, they are breaking the law.”

Jessie and Henry looked at each other. Jake talked as if he had been digging in the hills. Was he in trouble with the law?

They discussed this as they hiked to the stables.

“Jake might not know he’s breaking the law,” Violet said. “Someone should tell him.”

“He’s been living in this area a long time,” Henry said. “Seems like he would know.”

“But what if he found the mine?” Benny asked. “Suppose he’s already found the gold? Would he have to put it back?”

No one could answer that question. They were silent the rest of the way to the Mountain Shadows Stables.

A young man came out of the small office. “I’m Rex. Looks like you youngsters aim to go riding.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Luis. “Do you have five saddle horses available?”

“Right this way.” The man took them into the dim stables.

Violet loved the smell of hay and horses. She thought her horse was beautiful.

“What’s his name?” she asked.

“Dusty,” Rex replied. He brought out three horses for Luis, Jessie, and Henry. Then he led out a pony15 for Benny.

“This is Ginger16,” Rex told Benny. “If you give her a lump of sugar, she’ll love you forever.” He handed Benny a sugar cube.

Benny fed the sugar to Ginger. Her lips were soft and damp. “She tickles17!” He giggled18.

Then Rex saddled the horses and helped the children mount them.

Riding his cream-colored horse over the rocky ground, Henry felt like a cowboy from the Old West. “Which way is Weaver’s Needle?” he asked Luis.

Luis studied the compass he had brought. “That way,” he said, pointing. “I don’t know how far it is, though. Let’s give it a try.”

He led his horse to the beginning of the trail. The horses formed a single file with Luis at the head. Benny was next, followed by Jessie and Violet. Henry brought up the rear.

The trail wound upward between boulders19 and large cacti20. The horses moved at a steady pace.

After they had been riding some time, Jessie turned around on her horse, Diamond, and grinned at Violet.

“Isn’t this great?” she said.

At that moment, Luis cried out, “Benny!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
2 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
3 haven 8dhzp     
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所
参考例句:
  • It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后,这真是一个安乐窝。
  • The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。
4 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》
5 scooped a4cb36a9a46ab2830b09e95772d85c96     
v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等)
参考例句:
  • They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块,在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 tottered 60930887e634cc81d6b03c2dda74833f     
v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠
参考例句:
  • The pile of books tottered then fell. 这堆书晃了几下,然后就倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wounded soldier tottered to his feet. 伤员摇摇晃晃地站了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 battered NyezEM     
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损
参考例句:
  • He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
  • The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
8 rumpled 86d497fd85370afd8a55db59ea16ef4a     
v.弄皱,使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She rumpled his hair playfully. 她顽皮地弄乱他的头发。
  • The bed was rumpled and strewn with phonograph records. 那张床上凌乱不堪,散放着一些唱片。 来自辞典例句
9 calloused 7897851b401f223edd1460a8f5ec37f3     
adj.粗糙的,粗硬的,起老茧的v.(使)硬结,(使)起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 );(使)冷酷无情
参考例句:
  • A most practical and emotionally calloused Youth interrupted. 一个非常讲究实际而心肠很硬的年轻人插了一嘴。 来自辞典例句
  • McTeague exhibited his hard, calloused palms. 麦克梯格摊开那双生满老茧坚硬的手掌。 来自辞典例句
10 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
11 prospector JRhxB     
n.探矿者
参考例句:
  • Although he failed as a prospector, he succeeded as a journalist.他作为采矿者遭遇失败,但作为记者大获成功。
  • The prospector staked his claim to the mine he discovered.那个勘探者立桩标出他所发现的矿区地以示归己所有。
12 clammed a2d89f20e634ac1e6f72e3f4df4e537c     
v.(在沙滩上)挖蛤( clam的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He always clammed up when we asked him about his family. 我们一问到他的家庭时,他总是闭口不言。 来自辞典例句
  • The suspect clammed up and wouln't answer the police officer's questions. 嫌疑犯保持沉默,不回答警官的问题。 来自辞典例句
13 grumbling grumbling     
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的
参考例句:
  • She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
  • We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。
14 superstition VHbzg     
n.迷信,迷信行为
参考例句:
  • It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
  • Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。
15 pony Au5yJ     
adj.小型的;n.小马
参考例句:
  • His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
  • They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。
16 ginger bzryX     
n.姜,精力,淡赤黄色;adj.淡赤黄色的;vt.使活泼,使有生气
参考例句:
  • There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
  • Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。
17 tickles b3378a1317ba9a2cef2e9e262649d607     
(使)发痒( tickle的第三人称单数 ); (使)愉快,逗乐
参考例句:
  • My foot [nose] tickles. 我的脚[鼻子]痒。
  • My nose tickles from the dust and I want to scratch it. 我的鼻子受灰尘的刺激发痒,很想搔它。
18 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 boulders 317f40e6f6d3dc0457562ca415269465     
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾
参考例句:
  • Seals basked on boulders in a flat calm. 海面风平浪静,海豹在巨石上晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The river takes a headlong plunge into a maelstrom of rocks and boulders. 河水急流而下,入一个漂砾的漩涡中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 cacti gSuyU     
n.(复)仙人掌
参考例句:
  • There we could see nothing but cacti.那里除了仙人掌我们什么也看不到。
  • Cacti can survive the lack of rainfall in the desert.仙人掌在降水稀少的沙漠中也能生存下去。
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