16 UNPLEASANT SURPRISES

CHAPTER SIXTEEN UNPLEASANT SURPRISES SOMEBODY CAME up out of the shadows very suddenly and quietly. The boys swung round at his voice. 'And what are you doing here?' It was the tall, stooping man they had seen coming out of the building and getting on the bus! Yes, hat well pulled down, squared shoulders, odd hand! They couldn't see his face even now, under the shade of his black hat. The boys, taken by surprise, didn't know what to say. The man suddenly opened a

第十六章令人不快的意外有人突然悄悄地从暗处走了出来。 听到他的声音，孩子们转过身来。 “你在这儿干什么？”这就是他们看到的那个高个子、驼背的男人，他从大楼里走出来，上了公共汽车！是的，帽子拉得很低，肩膀挺拔，手很怪！即使现在，在他黑帽子的阴影下，他们也看不见他的脸。 孩子们吓了一跳，不知道说什么好。 那人突然打开了一扇门

nearby cage, and spoke loudly. 'Guard them, Kip.' The enormous Alsatian leapt out, went to the boys and glared at them, snarling and showing his teeth. Scamper shrank back, afraid. The boys didn't like it at all, either. They didn't dare to move a step. The man laughed. 'That's right. Keep still. See my hand with two fingers off? Well, that's what an Alsatian did to me when I moved while he was guarding me!' The boys said nothing. Peter felt wild with himself. They had thought themselves so clever, getting down to explore these cellars and see what they could find, and now they were trapped, and guarded by the fiercest Alsatian he had ever seen. He hoped and hoped that Scamper would not do anything silly. Kip would gobble him up in a mouthful. The man fired questions at them. 'How did you come here? What for? Does anyone know

旁边的笼子里，大声说话。 “保护他们，基普。”巨大的阿尔萨斯人跳了出来，走到孩子们面前，怒吼着，露出牙齿。 斯坎普害怕地向后退缩。 男孩们也一点也不喜欢。 他们一步也不敢动。 那人笑了。这是正确的。 保持不动。看到我少了两根手指的手了吗？ 嗯，一个阿尔萨斯人在我移动的时候就是这么对我的！”男孩们什么也没说。 彼得自鸣得意。 他们本以为自己很聪明，下去探索这些地窖，看看能找到什么，现在他们被困住了，由他所见过的最凶猛的阿尔萨斯人看守着。 他希望斯坎普不要做傻事。 基普会一口把他吃掉。 那人向他们提出一连串的问题。 “你怎么到这儿来的？”对什么? 有人知道吗？

you are here? Do you know the kind of things that happen to boys who poke their noses into things that are no concern of theirs? You don't? Then you soon will!' He gave a sudden sharp order to the bald old man, who was muttering to himself in his creaking voice. 'Got your keys? Then lock these boys up in the cages. Kip, bring them here.' Kip rounded up the boys as if they had been sheep, and hustled them in front of the man. Then one by one the Alsatian propelled each of them into a cage, snarling if they resisted. The old bald man locked them in, chortling to himself. Colin saw there was a scar across his face as the man looked up at him. There was no doubt about it, he was the old man that Janet had read about in the police notice! But not one of them could tell the police that the fellow was here, because they were all well and truly locked up.

你在这儿？你知道那些爱管闲事的男孩会有什么下场吗？ 你不?那你很快就会知道了！”他突然向秃顶老人发出了一个尖锐的命令，那老人正在用他那颤抖的声音自言自语。 “拿到钥匙了吗？”那就把他们关在笼子里。 基普，把他们带来。”基普把孩子们围在一起，好像他们是羊一样，把他们推到那人面前。 然后，阿尔萨斯人一个接一个地把他们推进笼子里，如果他们反抗，就咆哮。 老秃头把他们锁在里面，自己咯咯地笑着。 当那人抬头看着他时，科林看到他脸上有一道伤疤。 毫无疑问，他就是珍妮特在警方通告上读到的那个老人！但是没有一个人能告诉警察这个家伙在这里，因为他们都被牢牢地锁起来了。

The dogs were roaming about, growling and uneasy. The stooping man had them under control, though, and one sharp word from him was obeyed at once by any dog. He stood in front of the cages mockingly. Scamper was not in a cage, but crouched outside Peter's, frightened and puzzled. 'I'm going now,' said the tall man to the little bald fellow. 'I'm taking the dogs in the car. You won't see me again. It's too dangerous here now. You don't need to know anything if anyone comes asking quesions. Just play the idiot– that should be easy for you!'

狗在四处乱窜，狂吠不安。 不过，这个弯腰驼背的人已经把它们控制住了，只要他说一句尖刻的话，任何一条狗都会立刻服从。 他嘲弄地站在笼子前。 斯坎普没有被关在笼子里，而是蹲在彼得的笼子外面，既害怕又困惑。 “我现在要走了，”高个子对小秃头说。 “我要把狗带到车里去。 你不会再见到我了。现在这里太危险了。 如果有人来问问题，你什么都不需要知道。 装傻就好了——这对你来说应该很容易！”

'I'm afraid of the police,' creaked the old man. 'Well, hide away in the cellars,' said the other. 'It's a warren of a place. No one will ever find you. Let these kids out in twenty

“我怕警察，”老人吱吱地说。 “好吧，躲到地窖里去，”另一个说。 “这地方可真怪。 没人会找到你的。 二十分钟后把这些孩子放出来

four hours' time. I'll be well away by then, so it doesn't matter what kind of tale they tell! They don't know anything, anyway.' 'We do!' said Peter, boldly. 'We know that all these dogs are stolen. We know that this bald man is wanted by the police. We know the young man who brings the dogs here for you! We know you use the building above this cellar for your headquarters. We know—' The tall man limped over to Peter's cage. For one moment the boy saw his furious, gleaming eyes and was afraid. Scamper thought he was about to harm Peter, and he flew at him and bit him hard on the ankle! The man gave an exclamation and kicked out at Scamper. He caught him in the mouth, and the dog fled away yelping, and was lost in the shadows. Then the man was gone, and with him went the dogs, cowed and obedient. He obviously had some extraordinary control over them

四个小时的时间。到那时我早就走了，所以他们讲什么故事都没关系！反正他们什么都不知道。“是的！”彼得大胆地说。 “我们知道这些狗都是偷来的。 我们知道警察正在通缉这个秃头男人。 我们认识那个给你带狗来的年轻人！我们知道你把地窖上面的那栋楼作为你的总部。 我们知道——”高个子一瘸一拐地走到彼得的笼子跟前。 有那么一瞬间，男孩看到了他愤怒的、闪闪发光的眼睛，感到害怕。 斯坎普以为他要伤害彼得，就朝他扑过去，狠狠地咬了他的脚踝！那人叫了一声，朝斯坎普踢去。 他咬住了它的嘴，狗叫着跑开了，消失在阴影里。 然后那个人走了，跟着他走的是狗，它们被吓得很听话。 他显然对他们有着非凡的控制力