《神奇树屋》 第三十四册 Season of the Sandstorm 05 bandits

　　Jack 1 looked around widely, dark figures and horses were gallopingacross the sand towards them. They were yelling and shouting.



Oh! No! cried jack. What shall we do?



We will fight them off! Said mammon. You and Anne take box rightto the dunes 4.



Mammon pulled his saber out, and one of his saddle bags, hethrust bags into jack’s hands.



Hurry! Ride as fast asyou can! Protect it with your lives.



Jack frantically 5 tried to pull the box into his shoulder bag. Butmammon slapped back jack’s camel and she ran forward. Jack.



The rein 6 slapped jack’s hands he grabbed the saddle horn with onehand and clutched the boxin the other. He held it unto his life andbeauty fast galloped 7 across the desert.



Anne’s camel ran beside jack’s. like as two racing 8 horses, beautyand cutie sound cross the sand, toward the distant dunes. Rockingcrazily through from side to side jack from the bags.



Slow down! He yelled. Please!



It was no use.



Beauty ran like the wind. She and her sister ran over the desertunder the starry 9 sky. Jack wanted his camel to stop, and at thesame time he wanted mammon get far away from the bandits.



He began to ride. Finaly the camels began to slow their pace, jacklooked back.



He couldn’t see the caravan 10 at all, and no one seem to followingthemWhen the two camels reached the dunes, they began to paw alongthe deep hale hails holes. Once they were nestled safely to thesand dress. They started to rest.



Cutie grinded, beauty snauted,Thanks1 thanks! Girls!



Anne petted them,I hope mammon and others are safe from the bandits. Said jack.



Me too. Said AnneWhat’s in the box he give us?



Jack held upflat with the box,I don’t know. He said. but mammon said we should protect it as ourlives.



Maybe it is precious spice. Said Anne.



I hope it’s more than that. Said jack. And it’s deserve my life tosesame, pepper and vanilla 11.



Should we look? Said Anne.



I don’t know. Said jack.



Mammon may not want us to do.



But don’t you think we could protect it better if we know what it was?



Said Anne.



Maybe. Said jackHe couldn’t reject Anne’s point.



Ok!



Jack tried to open the lid of the box, but he couldn’tHe put his finger against the key hole,Forget it. He said. it’s locked.



Shh.. listen! Said Anne.



Jack listened.



He heard high pitch the movement of rolling sound. It’s sound likemusic from violent a violin. Wafting 12 through the dry dunes thehunting music alouder.



What is that? Said jack.



Ah..oh..said Anne.



Now are here something else.



Jack held his breath, he heard hooves of galloping 2 over the desert.



The bandits! He said.



We have to protect the box! Said Anne.



Where? Said jack.



In the sand! SaidAnne.



She closed her tongue, in cutie not down on the ground, beauty nottoo. Jack and Anne jumped out their saddles and started digging inthe sand. The hoof 13 of galloping became louder and louder, jack andAnne dag frenetically, they threw sand like puppies digging in thebackyard.



That’s dig enough! Said jack.



He pleased the box in the hole and hide the dagger 14 and Annepushed the piles of sand back on top of it. When they stood up,Anne gasped 15.



Look!



Dark figure on the camels, salivated against thestorm of the sky.



The rider was riding with the dunes toward them. Jack’s heartnearly pumped out of his chest.



Should we use the magic realm? Anne askedWe don’t have time. Said jack.



The rider rode closer, until he stopped in front of jack and Anne.



You’re safe, now. said the rider. He said.



Mammon! Said Anne.



Relief flooded through jack, he laughed.



Yes! We’re safe . he said. and you’re safe tooMammon for a while. Said mammon.



The thieves fled a few bags of pepper and painted bees.



And we keptbox safe too. Said Anne proudlyShe and jack dug the sand and uncovered the wooded box. Shehanded it to mammon.



Ah! Very good. You carried ...mammon said.



What’s in the box? Asked Anne?



A priceless treasure. Said mammon. I brought it all the way throughGreek and I’m taking it to Baghdad. Thank you both for guarding itwith your lives. You’re very special.



You're welcome. Said jack.



He still wonder what in the box. Gold? Silver, precious jewelry 16?



But mammon did not say. He put the box back into his saddlebag,Let why not. He said.



Jack climbed on top to his camel, he clicked his tongue, he wassurprised, cutie and beauty were on her tall legsYou will catch up others on back camel back to Baghdad. Saidmammon. Far goes well we river we will arrive the city afternoon.



We must head east towards the sun.



Mammon rode out of the dunes, jack and Anne followed himAs the camels walked the to the chilly 17 dune 3, daylight shivered overthe sand.



Mammon last night we were dreamed the songs of the dune.



Dunes.



Said Anne.



Like a music playing.



Ah! Yes. Said mammon. The whistling of the sands.



What’s the whistling of sands? Asked jack.



Some site of magic. Said mammon. But l believe that all thingshave their nature in their wizards. That is why I like study ofscience.



Science says we must reserve our world. We must make itexperiment, try to find out why things happened we have learnedthe whistling by sands and shadow in the drifts.



Oh! Said Anne. I hope I was a magician.



Learning the reasons for things is real magic. Said mammon. Truthknowledge win the tide to the world. And that’s the magical thing inthe world.



Yes! Said jack.



Anne nodded thoughtfully. I guess when you put it that way. Shesaid.



Swing from side to side, they rode on camels, the camel riderswere down. It’s the sun higher shinning in the sky, the desertbecame very hot and the dry wind through the air making snakypaddle in sand.



Mammon held his camel and he looked around,What’s wrong? Said jack.



No one in the desert worried him now. he said it’s restless.



He clicked his tongue, his camel began walking again. As they rodeover the restless desert the wind picked up the lose sand in toastinto the air.



Jack and Anne lowed their heads and kept the sands from blowinginto their eyes.



Their head cloves 18 in the wind, more and moresands started blowing. Together the same the sand shifted andswirledMammon stopped again and looked about, the sneaky pad on thesand were blowing in the ground patterns. Jack couldn’t whirlingthe morning soundIs there the whistling of sand again? He asked hopefully.



No. said mammon.



That is the cry of terrible sand storm. and it will soon be come to us.