prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第16章

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〃edmund？〃　said　peter。

〃well；　theres　just　this；〃　said　edmund；　speaking　quickly　and　turning　a　　little　red。　〃when　we　first　discovered　narnia　a　year　ago　…　or　a　thousand　years　ago；　whichever　　it　is　…　it　was　lucy　who　discovered　it　first　and　none　of　us　would　believe　her。　i　was　the　　worst　of　the　lot；　i　know。　yet　she　was　right　after　all。　wouldnt　it　be　fair　to　believe　her　　this　time？　i　vote　for　going　up。鈥�

〃oh；　ed！〃　said　lucy　and　seized　his　hand。

〃and　now　its　your　turn；　peter；〃　said　susan；　〃and　i　do　hope　…鈥�

〃oh；　shut　up；　shut　up　and　let　a　chap　think；〃　interrupted　peter。　〃id　much　　rather　not　have　to　vote。　鈥�

〃youre　the　high　king；〃　said　trumpkin　sternly。

〃down；〃　said　peter　after　a　long　pause。　〃i　know　lucy　may　be　right　after　all；　　but　i　cant　help　it。　we　must　do　one　or　the　other。鈥�

so　they　set　off　to　their　right　along　the　edge；　downstream。　and　lucy　came　　last　of　the　party；　crying　bitterly。





CHAPTER　TEN

？灏弜iaoshuo璇磘xt澶╁爞
the　return　of　the　lion　　to　keep　along　the　edge　of　the　gorge　was　not　so　easy　as　it　had　looked。　　before　they　had　gone　many　yards　they　were　confronted　with　young　fir　woods　growing　on　the　　very　edge；　and　after　they　had　tried　to　go　through　these；　stooping　and　pushing　for　　about　ten　minutes；　they　realized　that；　in　there；　it　would　take　them　an　hour　to　do　half　a　mile。　　so　they　came　back　and　out　again　and　decided　to　go　round　the　fir　wood。　this　took　them　　much　farther　to　their　right　than　they　wanted　to　go；　far　out　of　sight　of　the　cliffs　and　out　　of　sound　of　the　river；　till　they　began　to　be　afraid　they　had　lost　it　altogether。　nobody　　knew　the　time；　but　it　was　getting　to　the　hottest　part　of　the　day。

when　they　were　able　at　last　to　go　back　to　the　edge　of　the　gorge　（nearly　a　　mile　below　the　point　from　which　they　had　started）　they　found　the　cliffs　on　their　side　of　　it　a　good　deal　lower　and　more　broken。　soon　they　found　a　way　down　into　the　gorge　and　　continued　the　journey　at　the　rivers　edge。　but　first　they　had　a　rest　and　a　long　drink。　no　　one　was　talking　any　more　about　breakfast；　or　even　dinner；　with　caspian。

they　may　have　been　wise　to　stick　to　the　rush　instead　of　going　along　the　　top。　it　kept　them　sure　of　their　direction：　and　ever　since　the　fir　wood　they　had　all　been　　afraid　of　being　forced　too　far　out　of　their　course　and　losing　themselves　in　the　wood。　it　　was　an　old　and　pathless　forest；　and　you　could　not　keep　anything　like　a　straight　course　in　　it。　patches　of　hopeless　brambles；　fallen　trees；　boggy　places　and　dense　undergrowth　would　　be　always　getting　in　your　way。　but　the　gorge　of　the　rush　was　not　at　all　a　nice　place　　for　travelling　either。　i　mean；　it　was　not　a　nice　place　for　people　in　a　hurry。　for　an　　afternoons　ramble　ending　in　a　picnic　tea　it　would　have　been　delightful。　it　had　everything　you　　could　want　on　an　occasion　of　that　sort　…　rumbling　waterfalls；　silver　cascades；　deep；　　amber…coloured　pools；　mossy　rocks；　and　deep　moss　on　the　banks　in　which　you　could　sink　over　　your　ankles；　every　kind　of　fern；　jewel…like　dragon　flies；　sometimes　a　hawk　　overhead　and　once　（peter　and　trumpkin。　both　thought）　an　eagle。　but　of　course　what　the　　children　and　the　dwarf　wanted　to　see　as　soon　as　possible　was　the　great　river　below　them；　and　　beruna；　and　the　way　to　aslans　how。

as　they　went　on；　the　rush　began　to　fall　more　and　more　steeply。　their　　journey　became　more　and　more　of　a　climb　and　less　and　less　of　a　walk　…　in　places　even　a　　dangerous　climb　over　slippery　rock　with　a　nasty　drop　into　dark　chasms；　and　the　river　　roaring　angrily　at　the　bottom。

you　may　be　sure　they　watched　the　cliffs　on　their　left　eagerly　for　any　sign　　of　a　break　or　any　place　where　they　could　climb　them；　but　those　cliffs　remained　cruel。　it　　was　maddening；　because　everyone　knew　that　if　once　they　were　out　of　the　gorge　on　　that　side；　they　would　have　only　a　smooth　slope　and　a　fairly　short　walk　to　caspians　　headquarters。

the　boys　and　the　dwarf　were　now　in　favour　of　lighting　a　fire　and　cooking　　their　bear…meat。　susan　didnt　want　this；　she　only　wanted；　as　she　said；　〃to　get　on　and　　finish　it　and　get　out　of　these　beastly　woods〃。　lucy　was　far　too　tired　and　miserable　to　have　　any　opinion　about　anything。　but　as　there　was　no　dry　wood　to　be　had；　it　mattered　very　　little　what　anyone　thought。　the　boys　began　to　wonder　if　raw　meat　was　really　as　nasty　as　　they　had　always　been　told。　trumpkin　assured　them　it　was。

of　course；　if　the　children　had　attempted　a　journey　like　this　a　few　days　ago　　in　england；　they　would　have　been　knocked　up。　i　think　i　have　explained　before　how　narnia　　was　altering　them。　even　lucy　was　by　now；　so　to　speak；　only　one…third　of　a　　little　girl　going　to　boarding　school　for　the　first　time；　and　two…thirds　of　queen　lucy　of　narnia。

〃at　last！〃　said　susan。

〃oh；　hurray！〃　said　peter。

the　river　gorge　had　just　made　a　bend　and　the　whole　view　spread　out　beneath　　them。　they　could　see　open　country　stretching　before　them　to　the　horizon　and；　between　　it　and　them；　the　broad　silver　ribbon　of　the　great　river。　they　could　see　the　specially　　broad　and　shallow　place　which　had　once　been　the　fords　of　beruna　but　was　now　spanned　by　a　　long；　many…arched　bridge。　there　was　a　little　town　at　the　far　end　of　it。

〃by　jove；〃　said　edmund。　〃we　fought　the　battle　of　beruna　just　where　that　　town　is！鈥�

this　cheered　the　boys　more　than　anything。　you　cant　help　feeling　stronger　　when　you　look　at　a　place　where　you　won　a　glorious　victory　not　to　mention　a　kingdom；　　hundreds　of　years　ago。　peter　and　edmund　were　soon　so　busy　talking　about　the　battle　that　they　　forgot　their　sore　feet　and　the　heavy　drag　of　their　mail　shirts　on　their　shoulders。　the　　dwarf　was　interested　too。

they　were　all　getting　on　at　a　quicker　pace　now。　the　going　became　easier。　　though　there　were　still　sheer　cliffs　on　their　left；　the　ground　was　being　lower　on　　their　right。　soon　it　was　no　longer　a　gorge　at　all；　only　a　valley。　there　were　no　more　waterfalls　　and　presently　they　were　in　fairly　thick　woods　again。

then　…　all　at　once　…　whizz；　and　a　sound　rather　like　the　stroke　of　a　　woodpecker。　the　children　were　still　wondering　where　（ages　ago）　they　had　heard　a　sound　just　　like　that　and　why　they　disliked　it　so；　when　trumpkin　shouted；　〃down；　at　the　same　moment　　forcing　lucy　（who　happened　to　be　next　to　him）　flat　down　into　the　bracken。　peter；　　who　had　been　looking　up　to　see　if　he　could　spot　a　squirrel；　had　seen　what　it　was　…　a　　long　cruel　arrow　had　sunk　into　a　tree　trunk　just　above　his　head。　as　he　pulled　susan　down　and　　dropped　himself；　another　came　rasping　over　his　shoulder　and　struck　the　ground　at　his　side。

〃quick！　quick！　get　back！　crawl！〃　panted　trumpkin。

they　turned　and　wriggled　along　uphill；　under　the　bracken　amid　clouds　of　　horribly　buzzing　flies。　arrows　whizzed　round　them。　one　struck　susans　helmet　with　a　　sharp　ping　and　glanced　off。　they　crawled　quicker。　sweat　poured　off　them。　then　they　　ran；　stooping　nearly　double。　the　boys　held　their　swords　in　their　hands　for　fear　they　　would　trip　them　up。

it　was　heart…breaking　work　…　all　uphill　again；　back　over　the　ground　they　　had　already　travelled。　when　they　felt　that　they　really　couldnt　run　any　more；　even　to　　save　their　lives；　they　all　dropped　down　in　the　damp　moss　beside　a　waterfall　and　behind　a　big　　boulder；　panting。　they　were　surprised　to　see　how　high　they　had　already　got。

they　listened　intently　and　heard　no　sound　of　pursuit。

〃so　thats　all　right；〃　said　trumpkin；　drawing　a　deep　breath。　〃theyre　not　　searching　the　wood。　only　sentries；　i　expect。　but　it　means　that　miraz　has　an　outpost　down　　there。　bottles　and　battledores！　though；　it　was　a　near　thing。鈥�

〃i　ought　to　have　my　head　smacked　for　bringing　us　this　way　at　all；〃　said　　peter。

〃on　the　contrary；　your　majesty；〃　said　the　dwarf。　〃for　one　thing　it　wasnt　　you；　it　was　your　royal　brother；　king　edmund；　who　first　suggested　going　by　glasswater。鈥�

〃im　afraid　the　d。l。f。s　right；〃　said　edmund；　who　had　quite　honestly　　forgotten　this　ever　since　things　began　going　wrong。

〃and　for　another；〃　continued　trumpkin；　〃if　wed　gone　my　way；　wed　have　　walked　straight　into　that　new　outpost；　most　likely；　or　at　least　had　just　the　same　　trouble　avoiding　it。　i　think　this　glasswater　route　has　turned　out　for　the　best。鈥�

〃a　blessing　in　disguise；〃　said　susan。

〃some　disguise！〃　said　edmund。

〃i　suppose　well　have　to　go　r