five children and it-第20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！



foot　of　the　tower　where　the　biggest　window　was。



'We　ought　to　have　defended　THIS！'　he　cried　to　the　others　as　they

followed　him。　　He　was　just　in　time。　　Another　man　had　swum　over；　and

his　fingers　were　on　the　window…ledge。　　Robert　never　knew　how　the

man　had　managed　to　climb　up　out　of　the　water。　　But　he　saw　the

clinging　fingers；　and　hit　them　as　hard　as　he　could　with　an　iron　bar

that　he　caught　up　from　the　floor。　　The　man　fell　with　a　plop…plash

into　the　moat…water。　　In　another　moment　Robert　was　outside　the

little　room；　had　banged　its　door　and　was　shooting　home　the　enormous

bolts；　and　calling　to　Cyril　to　lend　a　hand。



Then　they　stood　in　the　arched　gate…house；　breathing　hard　and

looking　at　each　other。　　jane's　mouth　was　open。



'Cheer　up；　jenny；'　said　Robert　…　'it　won't　last　much　longer。'



There　was　a　creaking　above；　and　something　rattled　and　shook。　　The

pavement　they　stood　on　seemed　to　tremble。　　Then　a　crash　told　them

that　the　drawbridge　had　been　lowered　to　its　place。



'That's　that　beast　Jakin；'　said　Robert。　　'There's　still　the

portcullis；　I'm　almost　certain　that's　worked　from　lower　down。'



And　now　the　drawbridge　rang　and　echoed　hollowly　to　the　hoofs　of

horses　and　the　tramp　of　armed　men。

'Up　…　quick！'　cried　Robert。　　'Let's　drop　things　on　them。'



Even　the　girls　were　feeling　almost　brave　now。　　They　followed　Robert

quickly；　and　under　his　directions　began　to　drop　stones　out　through

the　long　narrow　windows。　　There　was　a　confused　noise　below；　and

some　groans。



'Oh　dear！'　said　Anthea；　putting　down　the　stone　she　was　just　going

to　drop　out。　　'I'm　afraid　we've　hurt　somebody！'



Robert　caught　up　the　stone　in　a　fury。



'I　should　just　hope　we　HAD！'　he　said；　'I'd　give　something　for　a

jolly　good　boiling　kettle　of　lead。　　Surrender；　indeed！'



And　now　came　more　tramping；　and　a　pause；　and　then　the　thundering

thump　of　the　battering…ram。　　And　the　little　room　was　almost　quite

dark。



'We've　held　it；'　cried　Robert；　'we　won't　surrender！　　The　sun　MUST

set　in　a　minute。　　Here　…　they're　all　jawing　underneath　again。　　Pity

there's　no　time　to　get　more　stones！　　Here；　pour　that　water　down　on

them。　　It's　no　good；　of　course；　but　they'll　hate　it。'



'Oh　dear！'　said　Jane；　'don't　you　think　we'd　better　surrender？'



'Never！'　said　Robert；　'we'll　have　a　parley　if　you　like；　but　we'll

never　surrender。　　Oh；　I'll　be　a　soldier　when　I　grow　up　…　you　just

see　if　I　don't。　　I　won't　go　into　the　Civil　Service；　whatever　anyone

says。'



'Let's　wave　a　handkerchief　and　ask　for　a　parley；'　Jane　pleaded。　　'I

don't　believe　the　sun's　going　to　set　to…night　at　all。'



'Give　them　the　water　first　…　the　brutes！'　said　the　bloodthirsty

Robert。　　So　Anthea　tilted　the　pot　over　the　nearest　lead…hole；　and

poured。　　They　heard　a　splash　below；　but　no　one　below　seemed　to　have

felt　it。　　And　again　the　ram　battered　the　great　door。　　Anthea

paused。



'How　idiotic；'　said　Robert；　lying　flat　on　the　floor　and　putting　one

eye　to　the　lead　hole。　　'Of　course　the　holes　go　straight　down　into

the　gate…house　…　that's　for　when　the　enemy　has　got　past　the　door

and　the　portcullis；　and　almost　all　is　lost。　　Here；　hand　me　the

pot。'　　He　crawled　on　to　the　three…cornered　window…ledge　in　the

middle　of　the　wall；　and；　taking　the　pot　from　Anthea；　poured　the

water　out　through　the　arrow…slit。



And　as　he　began　to　pour；　the　noise　of　the　battering…ram　and　the

trampling　of　the　foe　and　the　shouts　of　'Surrender！'　and　'De　Talbot

for　ever！'　all　suddenly　stopped　and　went　out　like　the　snuff　of　a

candle；　the　little　dark　room　seemed　to　whirl　round　and　turn

topsy…turvy；　and　when　the　children　came　to　themselves　there　they

were　safe　and　sound；　in　the　big　front　bedroom　of　their　own　house　…

the　house　with　the　ornamental　nightmare　iron…top　to　the　roof。



They　all　crowded　to　the　window　and　looked　out。　　The　moat　and　the

tents　and　the　besieging　force　were　all　gone　…　and　there　was　the

garden　with　its　tangle　of　dahlias　and　marigolds　and　asters　and　late

roses；　and　the　spiky　iron　railings　and　the　quiet　white　road。



Everyone　drew　a　deep　breath。



'And　that's　all　right！'　said　Robert。　　'I　told　you　so！　　And；　I　say；

we　didn't　surrender；　did　we？'



'Aren't　you　glad　now　I　wished　for　a　castle？'　asked　Cyril。



'I　think　I　am　NOW；'　said　Anthea　slowly。　　'But　I　wouldn't　wish　for

it　again；　I　think；　Squirrel　dear！'



'Oh；　it　was　simply　splendid！'　said　Jane　unexpectedly。　　'I　wasn't

frightened　a　bit。'



'Oh；　I　say！'　Cyril　was　beginning；　but　Anthea　stopped　him。



'Look　here；'　she　said；　'it's　just　come　into　my　head。　　This　is　the

very　first　thing　we've　wished　for　that　hasn't　got　us　into　a　row。　

And　there　hasn't　been　the　least　little　scrap　of　a　row　about　this。　

Nobody's　raging　downstairs；　we're　safe　and　sound；　we've　had　an

awfully　jolly　day　…　at　least；　not　jolly　exactly；　but　you　know　what

I　mean。　　And　we　know　now　how　brave　Robert　is　…　and　Cyril　too；　of

course；'　she　added　hastily；　'and　Jane　as　well。　　And　we　haven't　got

into　a　row　with　a　single　grown…up。'



The　door　was　opened　suddenly　and　fiercely。



'You　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　yourselves；'　said　the　voice　of　Martha；

and　they　could　tell　by　her　voice　that　she　was　very　angry　indeed。　

'I　thought　you　couldn't　last　through　the　day　without　getting　up　to

some　doggery！　　A　person　can't　take　a　breath　of　air　on　the　front

doorstep　but　you　must　be　emptying　the　wash…hand　jug　on　to　their

heads！　　Off　you　go　to　bed；　the　lot　of　you；　and　try　to　get　up　better

children　in　the　morning。　　Now　then　…　don't　let　me　have　to　tell　you

twice。　　If　I　find　any　of　you　not　in　bed　in　ten　minutes　I'll　let　you

know　it；　that's　all！　　A　new　cap；　and　everything！'



She　flounced　out　amid　a　disregarded　chorus　of　regrets　and

apologies。　　The　children　were　very　sorry；　but　really　it　was　not

their　faults。　　You　can't　help　it　if　you　are　pouring　water　on　a

besieging　foe；　and　your　castle　suddenly　changes　into　your　house　…

and　everything　changes　with　it　except　the　water；　and　that　happens

to　fall　on　somebody　else's　clean　cap。



'I　don't　know　why　the　water　didn't　change　into　nothing；　though；'

said　Cyril。



'Why　should　it？'　asked　Robert。　　'Water's　water　all　the　world　over。'

'I　expect　the　castle　well　was　the　same　as　ours　in　the　stable…yard；'

said　Jane。　　And　that　was　really　the　case。



'I　thought　we　couldn't　get　through　a　wish…day　without　a　row；'　said

Cyril；　'it　was　much　too　good　to　be　true。　　Come　on；　Bobs；　my

military　hero。　　If　we　lick　into　bed　sharp　she　won't　be　so　frumious；

and　perhaps　she'll　bong　us　up　some　supper。　　I'm　jolly　hungry！

Good…night；　kids。'



'Good…night。　　I　hope　the　castle　won't　come　creeping　back　in　the

night；'　said　Jane。



'Of　course　it　won't；'　said　Anthea　briskly；　'but　Martha　will　…　not

in　the　night；　but　in　a　minute。　　Here；　turn　round；　I'll　get　that

knot　out　of　your　pinafore　strings。'



'Wouldn't　it　have　been　degrading　for　Sir　Wulfric　de　Talbot；'　said

Jane　dreamily；　'if　he　could　have　known　that　half　the　besieged

garrison　wore　pinafores？'



'And　the　other　half　knickerbockers。　　Yes　…　frightfully。　　Do　stand

still　…　you're　only　tightening　the　knot；'　said　Anthea。







CHAPTER　8

BIGGER　THAN　THE　BAKER'S　BOY





'Look　here；'　said　Cyril。　　'I've　got　an　idea。'



'Does　it　hurt　much？'　said　Robert　sympathetically。



'Don't　be　a　jackape！　　I'm　not　humbugging。'



'Shut　up；　Bobs！'　said　Anthea。



'Silence　for　the　Squirrel's　oration；'　said　Robert。



Cyril　balanced　himself　on　the　edge　of　the　water…butt　in　the

backyard；　where　they　all　happened　to　be；　and　spoke。



'Friends；　Romans；　countrymen　…　and　women　…　we　found　a　Sammyadd。　　We

have　had　wishes。　　We've　had　wings；　and　being　beautiful　as　the　day

…　ugh！　…　that　was　pretty　jolly　beastly　if　you　like　…　and　wealth　and

castles；　and　that　rotten　gipsy　business　with　the　Lamb。　　But　we're

no　forrader。　　We　haven't　really　got　anything　worth　having　for　our

wishes。'



'We've　had　things　happening；'　said　Robert；　'that's　always

something。'



'It's　not　enough；　unless　they're　the　right　things；'　said　Cyril

firmly。　　'Now　I've　been　thinking　…'

'Not　really？'　whispered　Robert。



'In　the　silent　what's…its…names　of　the　night。　　It's　like　suddenly

being　asked　something　out　of　history　…　the　date　of　the　Conquest　or

something；　you　know　it　all　right　all　the　time；　but　when　you're

asked　it　all　goes　out　of　your　head。　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　know

jolly　well　that　when　we're　all　rotting　about　in　the　usual　way　heaps

of　things　keep　cropping　up；　and　then　real　earnest　wishes　come　into

the　heads　of　the　beholder　…'



'Hear；　hear！'　said　Robert。



'…　of　the　beholder；　however　stupid　he　is；'　Cyril　went　on。　　'Why；

even　Robert　might　happen　to　think　of　a　really　useful　wish　if　he

didn't　injure　his　poor　little　brains　trying　so　hard　to　think。　　…

Shut　up；　Bobs；　I　tell　you！　…　You'll　have　the　whole　show　over。'



A　struggle　on　the　edge　of　a　water…butt　is　exciting；　but　damp。　　When

it　was　over；　and　the　boys　were　partially　dried；　Anthea　said：



'It　really　was　you　began　it；　Bobs。　　Now　honour　is　satisfied）　do　let

Squirrel　go　on。　　We're　wasting　the　whole　morning。'



'Well　then；'　said　Cyril；　still　wringing　the　water　out　of　the　tails

of　his　jacket；　'I'll　call　it　pax　if　Bobs　will。'



'Pax　then；'　said　Robert　sulkily。　　'But　I've　got　a　lump　as　big　as　a

cricket　ball　over　my　eye。'



Anthea　patiently　offered　a　dust…coloured　handkerchief；　and　Robert

bathed　his　wounds　in　silence。　　'Now；　Squirrel；'　she　said。



'Well　then　…　let's　just　play　bandits；　or　forts；　or　soldiers；　or　any

of　the　old　games。　　We're　dead　sure　to　think　of　something　if　we　try

not　to。　　You　always　do。'



The　others　consented。　　Bandits　was　hastily　chosen　for　the　game。　

'It's　as　good　as　anything　else；'　said　Jane　gloomily。　　It　must　be

owned　that　Robert　was　at　first　but　a　half…hearted　bandit；　but　when

Anthea　had　borrowed　from　Martha　the　red…spotted　handkerchief　in

which　the　keeper　had　brought　her　mushrooms　that　morning；　and　had

tied　up　Robert's　head　wi