03-02-04-牙齿和爪子 [7]
． But the child's mother did not believe this． She said she had heard a scream—— and the scream came from the hill，a long way away from the water．
It's impossible， of course， said Van Cheele to himself．But the child disappeared two months ago， and the boy talked about child meat． He was joking， of course…but what a horrible joke！
Van Cheele usually talked to his aunt about the birds，plants and animals he saw on his walks． But today he said nothing． He was an important man in his village． If there was a thief living in his woods， he did not want anyone to know．If people hear about the boy， he thought， perhaps they will want me to pay for their lost chickens and their disappearing sheep．
He was unusually quiet at dinner．'What's the matter with you？'joked his aunt．'Did you see a wolf on your walk？'
At breakfast the next morning Van Cheele realized that he still felt uncomfortable about yesterday's adventure． I know what I' 11 do， he said to himself． I' 11 take the train to London and I'11 go and see Cunningham． I'11 ask him If he was joking when he said there was a wild animal in my woods．
After he had decided this，Van Cheele felt better．He sang a happy little song as he walked to the sitting-room for his morning cigarette．His fat old dog walked beside him．
As Van Cheele entered the sitting-room， the song died on his lips and his dog ran away with his tail between his legs．There on the day－bed， with his hands comfortably behind his head， lay the boy from the woods． He was drier than yesterday， but he was still naked．
'What are you doing here？ asked Van Cheele angrily．
'You told me I couldn't stay in the woods，'said the boy calmly．
'But I didn't tell you to come here． What if my aunt sees you？ What will she think？'
Van Cheele hurriedly covered his unwanted guest's nakedness with a newspaper． At that moment his aunt entered the room．
'This is a poor boy，' explained Van Cheele quickly．'He has lost his way—and lost his memory too． He doesn't know who he is， or where he comes from．'
Miss Van Cheele was very interested．'Perhaps his name is on his underclothes，' she said．
'He has lost his underclothes too，' said Van Cheele． The newspaper was slipping off the boy's naked body． Van Cheele hurried to replace it．
Miss Van Cheele was a kind old lady． She felt sorry for this naked， helpless child．
'We must help him，' she said． She sent the housekeeper to a neighbour's house to borrow some clothes．
Soon the boy was clean and tidy， and dressed in shirt，trousers and shoes． Van Cheele thought he looked just as strange and wolfish as before． But Miss Van Chee1e thought he was sweet．
'We must give him a name until we know who he really is，' she said．' Gabriel Ernest， I think． Those are nice， suitable names．'
Van Cheele agreed． But he was not sure that the boy was a nice， suitable boy． Van Cheele's old dog， when he saw the boy， had run away in fear and would not come back into the house． Van Cheele decided to go and see Cunningham at once．
As he got ready to go to the station， his aunt was busily arranging a children's tea party in the church hall．
'Gabriel Ernest will help me with the little ones，' she said happily．
When Van Cheele got to London， Cunningham did not want to talk at first．You'll think I'm crazy，' he said．
'But what did you see？' asked Van Cheele．
'I saw something—something unbelievable． On the last evening of my visit to you I was standing half-hidden in the bushes， watching the sun go down． Suddenly I noticed a naked boy． He has been swimming in a pool somewhere， I said to myself． He was standing on the hillside and he too was watching the sun go down． Then the sun disappeared behind the hill and its light was gone． At the same moment a very surprising thing happened—the boy disappeared too．'
'What？He disappeared just like that？' said Van Cheele excitedly．
'No． It was much more horrible than that． On the open hillside where the boy had been，I saw a large，blackish-grey wolf with long white teeth and yellow eyes． You' ll think I'm crazy—'
But Van Cheele did not wait
It's impossible， of course， said Van Cheele to himself．But the child disappeared two months ago， and the boy talked about child meat． He was joking， of course…but what a horrible joke！
Van Cheele usually talked to his aunt about the birds，plants and animals he saw on his walks． But today he said nothing． He was an important man in his village． If there was a thief living in his woods， he did not want anyone to know．If people hear about the boy， he thought， perhaps they will want me to pay for their lost chickens and their disappearing sheep．
He was unusually quiet at dinner．'What's the matter with you？'joked his aunt．'Did you see a wolf on your walk？'
At breakfast the next morning Van Cheele realized that he still felt uncomfortable about yesterday's adventure． I know what I' 11 do， he said to himself． I' 11 take the train to London and I'11 go and see Cunningham． I'11 ask him If he was joking when he said there was a wild animal in my woods．
After he had decided this，Van Cheele felt better．He sang a happy little song as he walked to the sitting-room for his morning cigarette．His fat old dog walked beside him．
As Van Cheele entered the sitting-room， the song died on his lips and his dog ran away with his tail between his legs．There on the day－bed， with his hands comfortably behind his head， lay the boy from the woods． He was drier than yesterday， but he was still naked．
'What are you doing here？ asked Van Cheele angrily．
'You told me I couldn't stay in the woods，'said the boy calmly．
'But I didn't tell you to come here． What if my aunt sees you？ What will she think？'
Van Cheele hurriedly covered his unwanted guest's nakedness with a newspaper． At that moment his aunt entered the room．
'This is a poor boy，' explained Van Cheele quickly．'He has lost his way—and lost his memory too． He doesn't know who he is， or where he comes from．'
Miss Van Cheele was very interested．'Perhaps his name is on his underclothes，' she said．
'He has lost his underclothes too，' said Van Cheele． The newspaper was slipping off the boy's naked body． Van Cheele hurried to replace it．
Miss Van Cheele was a kind old lady． She felt sorry for this naked， helpless child．
'We must help him，' she said． She sent the housekeeper to a neighbour's house to borrow some clothes．
Soon the boy was clean and tidy， and dressed in shirt，trousers and shoes． Van Cheele thought he looked just as strange and wolfish as before． But Miss Van Chee1e thought he was sweet．
'We must give him a name until we know who he really is，' she said．' Gabriel Ernest， I think． Those are nice， suitable names．'
Van Cheele agreed． But he was not sure that the boy was a nice， suitable boy． Van Cheele's old dog， when he saw the boy， had run away in fear and would not come back into the house． Van Cheele decided to go and see Cunningham at once．
As he got ready to go to the station， his aunt was busily arranging a children's tea party in the church hall．
'Gabriel Ernest will help me with the little ones，' she said happily．
When Van Cheele got to London， Cunningham did not want to talk at first．You'll think I'm crazy，' he said．
'But what did you see？' asked Van Cheele．
'I saw something—something unbelievable． On the last evening of my visit to you I was standing half-hidden in the bushes， watching the sun go down． Suddenly I noticed a naked boy． He has been swimming in a pool somewhere， I said to myself． He was standing on the hillside and he too was watching the sun go down． Then the sun disappeared behind the hill and its light was gone． At the same moment a very surprising thing happened—the boy disappeared too．'
'What？He disappeared just like that？' said Van Cheele excitedly．
'No． It was much more horrible than that． On the open hillside where the boy had been，I saw a large，blackish-grey wolf with long white teeth and yellow eyes． You' ll think I'm crazy—'
But Van Cheele did not wait