英语小说网

They slipped between trees. And more trees. And more trees.

"Do you think we're still going east?" asked Jack.

All the trees looked the same. Jack got confused. Were they still going in the right direction?

"Okay, let's go," said Annie.

1. use nature

3. follow nature

Annie spoke first. "Well, I guess the tall ninja was pointing to the east," she said. "I guess that's the way we go."

"Good idea," Jack whispered. He pulled his hood up, too.

"Look, Jack," whispered Annie. "Do I look like a ninja?"

She did look like a ninja -- a very small one.

Jack and Annie stood still for a long moment.

2. be nature

"Wait," said Jack. "I need to write some stuff down."

Jack put his notebook away. Then he and Annie headed east into the woods.

"Wait," he said.

He took out his notebook. In the moonlight, he wrote:

Annie stopped. They both stared at the woods around them.

He looked at her. She had pulled her sweatshirt hood over her head and tied the strings tightly.

"Okay. Then that means the shadow's pointing east," said Jack.

"Wait, I remember something --" Jack closed his eyes.

"It looks like it," said Annie.

"How do we do that?" said Annie.

"The ninja master said to use nature," he said.

"We can't just guess," said Jack. "We have to know for sure."

Annie picked up a stick. "Here --" she said.

"The stick's shadow looks like it's more than six inches," said Jack. "What do you think?"

"I guess so," said Annie.

He opened his eyes. "I've got it! First we need a stick," he said.

Just then the master's words came back to Jack.

"There --" said Annie.

"How do we do that?" said Annie. "We don't have a compass."

"Great, now we just need a space with moonlight," said Jack.

They moved into a moonlit space between the shadows.

"Now push the stick into the ground," Jack said.

"Neat," said Annie.

"So that way is east!" Jack pointed to a new direction. "At least I hope it is."

He remembered something in a camping book. Now what was it?

Annie pushed the stick into the ground.

They took off -- heading east, they hoped.

"Yikes," she said softly.

Squeak, said the mouse.

"Yep," said Jack. "Maybe we are. Come on!"

"Let's check our direction again," said Jack.

There were flames of fire coming up the mountain. The samurai!

"We're real ninjas now!" said Annie.

Annie stuck another stick into the dirt.

Soon they were out of the pine woods and walking down the rocky mountainside. They moved slowly from rock to rock. Finally they rested against a giant rock.

Jack looked, too. His heart nearly stopped.

Annie peeked over the rock, down the mountain.

Jack and Annie ducked behind the rock.

"There," he said. He pointed to the shadow on the ground. "That way --"

"Quiet, Peanut," said Annie.

Jack reached into his pack. He pulled out the ninja book.

Jack flipped through page after page until he found what he was looking for. It was a picture of warriors wearing bamboo armor. They were holding swords. He read: The samurai were fierce Japanese fighters. They carried two swords to cut down their enemies.

"I hope something in here can help us," he said.

A figure was coming down toward them. He was very near.

Jack looked at her.

Annie tapped Jack on the shoulder.

It was a samurai warrior!

She pointed up the mountain.

In the moonlight, his bamboo armor was shining. His two swords were gleaming.