the story of the glittering plain-第21章

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they　had　done　he　spake　and　said：　　〃Abideth　now　in　wallet　and　bottle

but　one　more　full　meal　for　us；　and　then　no　more　save　a　few　crumbs　and

a　drop　or　two　of　wine　if　we　husband　it　well。〃



Said　the　second　elder：　　〃Get　we　to　the　road；　then；　and　make　haste。　　I

have　been　seeking；　and　meseemeth；　though　the　way　be　long；　it　is　not

utterly　blind　for　us。　　Or　look　thou；　Raven…son；　is　there　not　a　path

yonder　that　leadeth　onward　up　to　the　brow　of　the　ghyll　again？　and　as

I　have　seen；　it　leadeth　on　again　down　from　the　said　brow。〃



Forsooth　there　was　a　track　that　led　through　the　stony　tangle　of　the

wilderness；　so　they　took　to　the　road　with　a　good　heart；　and　went　all

day；　and　saw　no　living　thing；　and　not　a　blade　of　grass　or　a　trickle

of　water：　　nought　save　the　wan　rocks　under　the　sun；　and　though　they

trusted　in　their　road　that　it　led　them　aright；　they　saw　no　other

glimpse　of　the　Glittering　Plain；　because　there　rose　a　great　ridge

like　a　wall　on　the　north　side；　and　they　went　as　it　were　down　along　a

trench　of　the　rocks；　albeit　it　was　whiles　broken　across　by　ghylls；

and　knolls；　and　reefs。



So　at　sunset　they　rested　and　ate　their　victual；　for　they　were　very

weary；　and　thereafter　they　lay　down；　and　slept　as　soundly　as　if　they

were　in　the　best　of　the　halls　of　men。　　On　the　morrow　betimes　they

arose　soberly　and　went　their　ways　with　few　words；　and；　as　they

deemed；　the　path　still　led　them　onward。　　And　now　the　great　ridge　on

the　north　rose　steeper　and　steeper；　and　their　crossing　it　seemed　not

to　be　thought　of；　but　their　half…blind　track　failed　them　not。　　They

rested　at　even；　and　ate　and　drank　what　little　they　had　left；　save　a

mouthful　or　two　of　wine；　and　then　went　on　again　by　the　light　of　the

moon；　which　was　so　bright　that　they　still　saw　their　way。　　And　it

happened　to　Hallblithe；　as　mostly　it　does　with　men　very　travel…worn；

that　he　went　on　and　on　scarce　remembering　where　he　was；　or　who　his

fellows　were；　or　that　he　had　any　fellows。



So　at　midnight　they　lay　down　in　the　wilderness　again；　hungry　and

weary。　　They　rose　at　dawn　and　went　forward　with　waning　hope：　　for　now

the　mountain　ridge　on　the　north　was　close　to　their　path；　rising　up

along　a　sheer　wall　of　pale　stone　over　which　nothing　might　go　save　the

fowl　flying；　so　that　at　first　on　that　morning　they　looked　for　nothing

save　to　lay　their　bones　in　that　grievous　desert　where　no　man　should

find　them。



But；　as　beset　with　famine；　they　fared　on　heavily　down　the　narrow

track；　there　came　a　hoarse　cry　from　Hallblithe's　dry　throat　and　it

was　as　if　his　cry　had　been　answered　by　another　like　to　his；　and　the

seekers　turned　and　beheld　him　pointing　to　the　cliff…side；　and　lo！

half…way　up　the　pale　sun…litten　crag　stood　two　ravens　in　a　cranny　of

the　stone；　flapping　their　wings　and　croaking；　with　thrusting　forth

and　twisting　of　their　heads；　and　presently　they　came　floating　on　the

thin　pure　air　high　up　over　the　heads　of　the　wayfarers；　croaking　for

the　pleasure　of　the　meeting；　as　though　they　laughed　thereat。



Then　rose　the　heart　of　Hallblithe；　and　he　smote　his　palms　together；

and　fell　to　singing　an　old　song　of　his　people；　amidst　the　rocks

whereas　few　men　had　sung　aforetime。





Whence　are　ye　and　whither；　O　fowl　of　our　fathers？

What　field　have　ye　looked　on；　what　acres　unshorn？

What　land　have　ye　left　where　the　battle…folk　gathers；

And　the　war…helms　are　white　o'er　the　paths　of　the　corn？



What　tale　do　ye　bear　of　the　people　uncraven；

Where　amidst　the　long　hall…shadow　sparkle　the　spears；

Where　aloft　on　the　hall…ridge　now　flappeth　the　raven；

And　singeth　the　song　of　the　nourishing　years？



There　gather　the　lads　in　the　first　of　the　morning；

While　white　lies　the　battle…day's　dew　on　the　grass；

And　the　kind　steeds　trot　up　to　the　horn's　voice　of　warning；

And　the　winds　wake　and　whine　in　the　dusk　of　the　pass。



O　fowl　of　our　fathers；　why　now　are　ye　resting？

Come　over　the　mountains　and　look　on　the　foe。

Full　fair　after　fight　won　shall　yet　be　your　nesting；

And　your　fledglings　the　sons　of　the　kindred　shall　know。





Therewith　he　strode　with　his　head　upraised；　and　above　him　flew　the

ravens；　croaking　as　if　they　answered　his　song　in　friendly　fashion。



It　was　but　a　little　after　this　that　the　path　turned　aside　sharp

toward　the　cliffs；　and　the　seekers　were　abashed　thereof；　till

Hallblithe　running　forward　beheld　a　great　cavern　in　the　face　of　the

cliff　at　the　path's　ending：　　so　he　turned　and　cried　on　his　fellows；

and　they　hastened　up；　and　presently　stood　before　that　cavern's　mouth

with　doubt　and　joy　mingled　in　their　minds；　for　now；　mayhappen；　they

had　reached　the　gate　of　the　Glittering　Plain；　or　mayhappen　the　gate

of　death。



The　sad　man　hung　his　head　and　spake：　　〃Doth　not　some　new　trap　abide

us？　　What　do　we　here？　is　this　aught　save　death？〃



Spake　the　Elder　of　Elders：　　〃Was　not　death　on　either　hand　e'en　now；

even　as　treason　besetteth　the　king　upon　his　throne？〃



And　the　second　said：　　〃Yea；　we　were　as　the　host　which　hath　no　road

save　through　the　multitude　of　foe…men。〃



But　Hallblithe　laughed　and　said：　　〃Why　do　ye　hang　back；　then？　　As　for

me；　if　death　be　here；　soon　is　mine　errand　sped。〃　　Therewith　he　led

the　way　into　the　dark　of　the　cave；　and　the　ravens　hung　about　the　crag

overhead　croaking；　as　the　men　left　the　light。



So　was　their　way　swallowed　up　in　the　cavern；　and　day　and　its　time

became　nought　to　them；　they　went　on　and　on；　and　became　exceeding

faint　and　weary；　but　rested　not；　for　death　was　behind　them。　　Whiles

they　deemed　they　heard　waters　running；　and　whiles　the　singing　of

fowl；　and　to　Hallblithe　it　seemed　that　he　heard　his　name　called；　so

that　he　shouted　back　in　answer；　but　all　was　still　when　the　sound　of

his　voice　had　died　out。



At　last；　when　they　were　pressing　on　again　after　a　short　while　of

resting；　Hallblithe　cried　out　that　the　cave　was　lightening：　　so　they

hastened　onward；　and　the　light　grew　till　they　could　dimly　see　each

other；　and　dimly　they　beheld　the　cave　that　it　was　both　wide　and　high。

Yet　a　little　further；　and　their　faces　showed　white　to　one　another；

and　they　could　see　the　crannies　of　the　rocks；　and　the　bats　hanging

garlanded　from　the　roof。　　So　then　they　came　to　where　the　day　streamed

down　bright　on　them　from　a　break　overhead；　and　lo！　the　sky　and　green

leaves　waving　against　it。



To　those　way…worn　men　it　seemed　hard　to　clamber　out　that　way；　and

especially　to　the　elders：　　so　they　went　on　a　little　further　to　see　if

there　were　aught　better　abiding　them；　but　when　they　found　the

daylight　failing　them　again；　they　turned　back　to　the　place　of　the

break　in　the　roof；　lest　they　should　waste　their　strength　and　perish

in　the　bowels　of　the　mountain。　　So　with　much　ado　they　hove　up

Hallblithe　till　he　got　him　first　on　to　a　ledge　of　the　rocky　wall；　and

so；　what　by　strength；　what　by　cunning；　into　the　daylight　through　the

rent　in　the　roof。　　So　when　he　was　without　he　made　a　rope　of　his

girdle　and　strips　from　his　raiment；　for　he　was　ever　a　deft　craftsman；

and　made　a　shift　to　heave　up　therewith　the　sad　man；　who　was　light　and

lithe　of　body；　and　then　the　two　together　dealt　with　the　elders　one

after　another；　till　they　were　all　four　on　the　face　of　the　earth

again。



The　place　whereto　they　had　gotten　was　the　side　of　a　huge　mountain；

stony　and　steep；　but　set　about　with　bushes；　which　seemed　full　fair　to

those　wanderers　amongst　the　rocks。　　This　mountain…slope　went　down

towards　a　fair　green　plain；　which　Hallblithe　made　no　doubt　was　the

outlying　waste　of　the　Glittering　Plain：　　nay；　he　deemed　that　he　could

see　afar　off　thereon　the　white　walls　of　the　Uttermost　House。　　So　much

he　told　the　seekers　in　few　words；　and　then　while　they　grovelled　on

the　earth　and　wept　for　pure　joy；　whereas　the　sun　was　down　and　it　was

beginning　to　grow　dusk；　he　went　and　looked　around　soberly　to　see　if

he　might　find　water　and　any　kind　of　victual；　and　presently　a　little

down　the　hillside　he　came　upon　a　place　where　a　spring　came　gushing　up

out　of　the　earth　and　ran　down　toward　the　plain；