Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 Tinker Bunks looked serious. "If he shows up, I'll give you a shout." "I'd appreciate that," Forest said. "He's running at Saratoga tomorrow." "Is he now!" Mr. Bunks said. "I wish you luck." They all left the barn. The sky had grown darker. As Forest drove through the woods, Dink heard thunder. Wind began to whip tree branches back and forth. Forest drove faster. "I'd better get us home before Josh and Ruth Rose have a shower!" he said.

第三章补锅匠班克斯神情严肃。 “如果他出现了，我会喊你的。” “我很感激，”福里斯特说。 “他明天要在萨拉托加赛跑。” “现在是他了!”班克斯先生说。 “祝你好运。”他们都离开了谷仓。 天空变得更暗了。当福里斯特开车穿过树林时，丁克听到了雷声。 风开始前后吹动树枝。 福里斯特开得更快了。“我最好赶在乔希和露丝·罗斯洗澡之前回家!”他说。

Forest parked behind his barn just as raindrops began to splatter the windshield. "Let's run for it!" he said, leaping from the cab. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose ran, squealing, as the clouds opened up. In seconds they were soaking wet. Inside the house, Forest handed them towels. They dried their hair and faces. "Why don't you settle in while I call the police," he said. "Ruth Rose, you're in the blue bedroom. Guys, you're bunking right across the hall." The kids grabbed their backpacks and headed toward the back of Forest's house. Ruth Rose stopped outside a bedroom with blue wallpaper. "See you guys in a minute," she said, and disappeared inside. Dink and Josh walked into their room and changed into dry shirts. A minute later, Ruth Rose knocked and came in. Her wet hair was even curlier than usual.

福里斯特把车停在他的谷仓后面，这时雨点开始飞溅在挡风玻璃上。 “我们快跑吧!”他说着，从马车上跳了下来。 丁克、乔希和露丝·罗斯尖叫着跑着，乌云散开了。 几秒钟后，他们全身湿透了。 进屋后，福雷斯特递给他们毛巾。 他们擦干头发和脸。 “我去报警，你先坐好，”他说。 “露丝·罗斯，你在蓝色卧室。 伙计们，你们的床铺就在走廊对面。” 孩子们抓起书包，朝福雷斯特家的后面走去。 露丝·罗斯在一间贴着蓝色墙纸的卧室外停了下来。 “一会儿见，”她说，然后消失在屋里。 丁克和乔希走进他们的房间，换上了干衬衫。 一分钟后，露丝·罗斯敲门走了进来。 她湿漉漉的头发比平时更卷了。

"What could have happened to Whirlaway?" she asked Dink and Josh. Dink looked out the bedroom window. Through the rain, he could see the barn. But he couldn't see the barn's rear doors. "You know, someone could have stolen him," Dink said. "Stolen him!" Josh said. "In broad daylight?" Dink pointed. "You can't see the back doors of the barn from the house," he said. "Anyone could go in and out that way." Ruth Rose peered through the streaming window. "How would you steal a horse?" she asked. "Would you need a trailer?" "Or the thief could just ride him away," Josh said. "Let's go look behind the barn for clues when the rain stops," Ruth Rose said. "Maybe the police had some good news for Forest," Dink said. They headed for the kitchen.

“旋风怎么了?”她问丁克和乔希。 丁克向卧室窗外望去。 透过雨，他能看到谷仓。 但他看不见谷仓的后门。 “你知道，他可能被人偷走了，”丁克说。 “偷了他!”杰克说。“在光天化日之下?”丁克指出。 “你从房子里看不到谷仓的后门，”他说。 “任何人都可以从那条路进出。” 露丝·罗斯透过流着水的窗户向外张望。 “你怎么会偷一匹马呢?”她问。 “你需要拖车吗?”“或者小偷可以骑着他走，”乔希说。 “等雨停了，我们去谷仓后面找找线索，”露丝·罗斯说。 “也许警察给福里斯特带来了好消息，”丁克说。 他们朝厨房走去。

Forest was also staring out the window into the rain. His shoulders were hunched, and he was nervously tapping his fingers on the counter. Uncle Warren was sitting at the table, drinking a mug of tea. "Did you call the police?" Dink asked. Forest turned away from the window and nodded. "Yes. They told me no one's called in about a stray horse," he said. "I'm getting worried." "Do you think someone might have stolen him?" Dink asked. Forest looked at him and blinked a few times. "Stolen Whirlaway? I suppose it's possible." "Forest, have you any neighbors who own horses?" Uncle Warren asked. "A few, why?" "Because Whirlaway may not be the only missing horse," Uncle Warren said. "Perhaps you should call around." "Good idea. I will," Forest said. "We'll help you look for him when the rain stops," Ruth Rose said. Forest nodded. "That'll be great. Now I'd better get on the phone," he said as he left the kitchen.

福里斯特也凝视着窗外的雨。 他耸着肩膀，紧张地用手指敲着柜台。 沃伦叔叔正坐在桌旁，喝着一杯茶。 “你报警了吗?”丁克问道。 弗瑞斯特从窗口转过身来，点了点头。 “是的。他们告诉我没有人因为一匹迷路的马而打电话来。”他说。 “我开始担心了。”“你觉得会不会有人把他偷走了?”丁克问道。 福雷斯特看着他，眨了几下眼睛。 “偷来的Whirlaway ?我想这是可能的。” “福瑞斯特，你有养马的邻居吗?”沃伦叔叔问。 “几个，怎么了?”“因为旋风可能不是唯一一匹失踪的马，”沃伦叔叔说。 “也许你应该四处打听一下。” “好主意。我会的，”福里斯特说。 “等雨停了，我们会帮你找他的，”露丝·罗斯说。 林点了点头。“那太好了。 现在我最好去接电话，”他说着离开了厨房。

The kids drank milk and ate cookies with Uncle Warren. They watched the rain streak down the windows. Forest came back a few minutes later. "I called two friends who own horses," he said. "None are missing, but my friends said they'd keep an eye out for Whirlaway." The rain continued. They played Scrabble. When it wasn't his turn, Forest kept jumping up to call more neighbors. Finally the rain stopped and the clouds cleared. When Dink looked out the window, sunlight sparkled off trees and bushes. "I'll go pick up some food for dinner," Uncle Warren said. He took a set of car keys from a hook and left the house. "Okay, kids, let's go look for my horse," Forest said. He and the kids put on sneakers and headed through the kitchen door to the yard. The wet grass squished under their feet.

孩子们和沃伦叔叔一起喝牛奶，吃饼干。 他们看着雨水顺着窗户泻下来。 几分钟后，福雷斯特回来了。 “我给两个养马的朋友打了电话，”他说。 “没有人失踪，但我的朋友们说他们会留意惠拉韦。” 雨继续下着。他们玩拼字游戏。 当不轮到他的时候，福里斯特一直跳起来叫更多的邻居。 雨终于停了，云也散去了。 丁克向窗外望去，阳光在树木和灌木上闪闪发光。 “我要去买些吃的，”沃伦叔叔说。 他从钩子上取下一串车钥匙，离开了房子。 “好了，孩子们，我们去找我的马吧，”福里斯特说。 他和孩子们穿上运动鞋，穿过厨房的门来到院子里。 湿草在他们脚下压扁了。

They walked behind the barn. Forest headed toward the woods, whistling and yelling, "Whirlaway!" Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose checked the wet ground for tire tracks or footprints. "Nothing," Josh muttered. "Even if there were clues, the rain washed them away." Suddenly the kids heard a soft whinny from inside the barn. Dink yelled for Forest, who came running. "Whirlaway?" Forest said. They all ran into the barn. Standing outside Whirlaway's stall was a wet, muddy horse. "Where have you been, boy?" Forest asked his horse. Whirlaway shook his head. Water and mud flew off his mane. He stomped his front foot and gazed at the humans. Forest walked over and grasped Whirlaway's halter. It, too, was muddy. Forest laughed and shook his head. "Looks like you've been rolling in a big mud puddle," he said. "Kids, do you know how to wash a horse?"

他们走在谷仓后面。 弗瑞斯特朝树林走去，一边吹着口哨，一边大喊:“旋转!”丁克、乔希和露丝·罗斯在潮湿的地面上寻找轮胎印或脚印。 “没什么。”乔希喃喃地说。“即使有线索，也被雨水冲走了。” 突然，孩子们听到从谷仓里传来一阵轻柔的呜呜声。 丁克大声喊福里斯特，福里斯特跑了过来。 “Whirlaway ?”森林说。他们都跑进了谷仓。 韦拉韦的马厩外面站着一匹湿漉漉、浑身泥泞的马。 “你上哪儿去了，孩子?”福里斯特问他的马。 旋风摇了摇头。水和泥从他的鬃毛上飞了下来。 他跺着前脚，凝视着人群。 福雷斯特走过去，抓住韦斯莱威的笼头。 它也是泥泞的。弗瑞斯特笑着摇了摇头。 “看来你在一个大泥坑里打滚了，”他说。 “孩子们，你们知道怎么给马洗澡吗?”