小说园

chater ten the return f the l（第1页）

TOkeepalongtheedgeofthegorgewasnotsoeasyasithadlooked．Beforetheyhadgonemanyyardstheywereconfrontedwithyoungfirwoodsgrowingontheveryedge，andaftertheyhadtriedtogothroughthese，stoopingandpushingforabouttenminutes，theyrealizedthat，inthere，itwouldtakethemanhourtodohalfamile．Sotheycamebackandoutagainanddecidedtogoroundthefirwood．Thistookthemmuchfarthertotheirrightthantheywantedtogo，faroutofsightofthecliffsandoutofsoundoftheriver，tilltheybegantobeafraidtheyhadlostitaltogether．Nobodyknewthetime，butitwasgettingtothehottestpartoftheday．

Whentheywereableatlasttogobacktotheedgeofthegorge（nearlyamilebelowthepointfromwhichtheyhadstarted）theyfoundthecliffsontheirsideofitagooddeallowerandmorebroken．Soontheyfoundawaydownintothegorgeandcontinuedthejourneyattheriver’sedge．Butfirsttheyhadarestandalongdrink．Noonewastalkinganymoreaboutbreakfast，orevendinner，withCaspian．

TheymayhavebeenwisetosticktotheRushinsteadofgoingalongthetop．Itkeptthemsureoftheirdirection:andeversincethefirwoodtheyhadallbeenafraidofbeingforcedtoofaroutoftheircourseandlosingthemselvesinthewood．Itwasanoldandpathlessforest，andyoucouldnotkeepanythinglikeastraightcourseinit．Patchesofhopelessbrambles，fallentrees，boggyplacesanddenseundergrowthwouldbealwaysgettinginyourway．ButthegorgeoftheRushwasnotatallaniceplacefortravellingeither．Imean，itwasnotaniceplaceforpeopleinahurry．Foranafternoon’srambleendinginapicnicteaitwouldhavebeendelightful．Ithadeverythingyoucouldwantonanoccasionofthatsort—rumblingwaterfalls，silvercascades，deep，amber-colouredpools，mossyrocks，anddeepmossonthebanksinwhichyoucouldsinkoveryourankles，everykindoffern，jewel-likedragonflies，sometimesahawkoverheadandonce（PeterandTrumpkin．boththought）aneagle．ButofcoursewhatthechildrenandtheDwarfwantedtoseeassoonaspossiblewastheGreatRiverbelowthem，andBeruna，andthewaytoAslan’sHow．

Astheywenton，theRushbegantofallmoreandmoresteeply．Theirjourneybecamemoreandmoreofaclimbandlessandlessofawalk—inplacesevenadangerousclimboverslipperyrockwithanastydropintodarkchasms，andtheriverroaringangrilyatthebottom。

Youmaybesuretheywatchedthecliffsontheirlefteagerlyforanysignofabreakoranyplacewheretheycouldclimbthem;butthosecliffsremainedcruel．Itwasmaddening，becauseeveryoneknewthatifoncetheywereoutofthegorgeonthatside，theywouldhaveonlyasmoothslopeandafairlyshortwalktoCaspian’sheadquarters．

TheboysandtheDwarfwerenowinfavouroflightingafireandcookingtheirbear-meat．Susandidn’twantthis;sheonlywanted，asshesaid，“togetonandfinishitandgetoutofthesebeastlywoods”．Lucywasfartootiredandmiserabletohaveanyopinionaboutanything．Butastherewasnodrywoodtobehad，itmatteredverylittlewhatanyonethought．Theboysbegantowonderifrawmeatwasreallyasnastyastheyhadalwaysbeentold．Trumpkinassuredthemitwas．

Ofcourse，ifthechildrenhadattemptedajourneylikethisafewdaysagoinEngland，theywouldhavebeenwornout．IthinkIhaveexplainedbeforehowNarniawasalteringthem．EvenLucywasbynow，sotospeak，onlyone-thirdofalittlegirlgoingtoboardingschoolforthefirsttime，andtwo-thirdsofQueenLucyofNarnia．

“Atlast！”saidSusan．

“Oh，hurray！”saidPeter．

Therivergorgehadjustmadeabendandthewholeviewspreadoutbeneaththem．Theycouldseeopencountrystretchingbeforethemtothehorizonand，betweenitandthem，thebroadsilverribbonoftheGreatRiver．TheycouldseethespeciallybroadandshallowplacewhichhadoncebeentheFordsofBerunabutwasnowspannedbyalong，many-archedbridge．Therewasalittletownatthefarendofit．

“ByJove，”saidEdmund．“WefoughttheBattleofBerunajustwherethattownis！”

Thischeeredtheboysmorethananything．Youcan’thelpfeelingstrongerwhenyoulookataplacewhereyouwonagloriousvictorynottomentionakingdom，hundredsofyearsago．PeterandEdmundweresoonsobusytalkingaboutthebattlethattheyforgottheirsorefeetandtheheavydragoftheirmailshirtsontheirshoulders．TheDwarfwasinterestedtoo．

Theywereallgettingonataquickerpacenow．Thegoingbecameeasier．Thoughtherewerestillsheercliffsontheirleft，thegroundwasbecominglowerontheirright．Soonitwasnolongeragorgeatall，onlyavalley．Therewerenomorewaterfallsandpresentlytheywereinfairlythickwoodsagain．

Then—allatonce—whizz，andasoundratherlikethestrokeofawoodpecker．Thechildrenwerestillwonderingwhere（agesago）theyhadheardasoundjustlikethatandwhytheydislikeditso，whenTrumpkinshouted，“Down，”atthesamemomentforcingLucy（whohappenedtobenexttohim）flatdownintothebracken．Peter，whohadbeenlookinguptoseeifhecouldspotasquirrel，hadseenwhatitwas—alongcruelarrowhadsunkintoatreetrunkjustabovehishead．AshepulledSusandownanddroppedhimself，anothercameraspingoverhisshoulderandstruckthegroundathisside．

“Quick！Quick！Getback！Crawl！”pantedTrumpkin．

Theyturnedandwriggledalonguphill，underthebrackenamidcloudsofhorriblybuzzingflies．Arrowswhizzedroundthem。

OnestruckSusan’shelmetwithasharppingandglancedoff．Theycrawledquicker．Sweatpouredoffthem．Thentheyran，stoopingnearlydouble．Theboysheldtheirswordsintheirhandsforfeartheywouldtripthemup．

Itwasheart-breakingwork—alluphillagain，backoverthegroundtheyhadalreadytravelled．Whentheyfeltthattheyreallycouldn’trunanymore，eventosavetheirlives，theyalldroppeddowninthedampmossbesideawaterfallandbehindabigboulder，panting．Theyweresurprisedtoseehowhightheyhadalreadygot．

Theylistenedintentlyandheardnosoundofpursuit．

“Sothat’sallright，”saidTrumpkin，drawingadeepbreath。“They’renotsearchingthewood．Onlysentries，Iexpect．ButitmeansthatMirazhasanoutpostdownthere．Bottlesandbattledores！though，itwasanearthing．”

“Ioughttohavemyheadsmackedforbringingusthiswayatall，”saidPeter．

“Onthecontrary，yourMajesty，”saidtheDwarf．“Foronethingitwasn’tyou，itwasyourroyalbrother，KingEdmund，whofirstsuggestedgoingbyGlasswater．”

“I’mafraidtheD．L．F．’sright，”saidEdmund，whohadquitehonestlyforgottenthiseversincethingsbegangoingwrong．

“Andforanother，”continuedTrumpkin，“ifwe’dgonemyway，we’dhavewalkedstraightintothatnewoutpost，mostlikely;oratleasthadjustthesametroubleavoidingit．IthinkthisGlasswaterroutehasturnedoutforthebest．”

“Ablessingindisguise，”saidSusan．

“Somedisguise！”saidEdmund．

“Isupposewe’llhavetogorightupthegorgeagainnow，”saidLucy。

“Lu，you’reahero，”saidPeter．“That’sthenearestyou’vegottodaytosayingItoldyouso．Let’sgeton．”

“Andassoonaswe’rewellupintotheforest，”saidTrumpkin，

“whateveranyonesays，I’mgoingtolightafireandcooksupper。Butwemustgetwellawayfromhere．”

Thereisnoneedtodescribehowtheytoiledbackupthegorge．Itwasprettyhardwork，butoddlyenougheveryonefeltmorecheerful．Theyweregettingtheirsecondwind;andthewordsupperhadhadawonderfuleffect．

Theyreachedthefirwoodwhichhadcausedthemsomuchtroublewhileitwasstilldaylight，andbivouackedinahollowjustaboveit．Itwastediousgatheringthefirewood;butitwasgrandwhenthefireblazedupandtheybeganproducingthedampandsmearyparcelsofbear-meatwhichwouldhavebeensoveryunattractivetoanyonewhohadspentthedayindoors．TheDwarfhadsplendidideasaboutcookery．Eachapple（theystillhadafewofthese）waswrappedupinbear’smeat—asifitwastobeappledumplingwithmeatinsteadofpastry，onlymuchthicker—andspikedonasharpstickandthenroasted．Andthejuiceoftheappleworkedallthroughthemeat，likeapplesaucewithroastpork．Bearthathaslivedtoomuchonotheranimalsisnotverynice，butbearthathashadplentyofhoneyandfruitisexcellent，andthisturnedouttobethatsortofbear．Itwasatrulygloriousmeal．And，ofcourse，nowashingup—onlylyingbackandwatchingthesmokefromTrumpkin’spipeandstretchingone’stiredlegsandchatting．EveryonefeltquitehopefulnowaboutfindingKingCaspiantomorrowanddefeatingMirazinafewdays．Itmaynothavebeensensibleofthemtofeellikethis，buttheydid．

Theydroppedofftosleeponebyone，butallprettyquickly．

Lucywokeoutofthedeepestsleepyoucanimagine，withthefeelingthatthevoiceshelikedbestintheworldhadbeencallinghername．Shethoughtatfirstitwasherfather’svoice，butthatdidnotseemquiteright．ThenshethoughtitwasPeter’svoice，butthatdidnotseemtofiteither．Shedidnotwanttogetup;notbecauseshewasstilltired—onthecontraryshewaswonderfullyrestedandalltheacheshadgonefromherbones-butbecauseshefeltsoextremelyhappyandcomfortable．ShewaslookingstraightupattheNarnianmoon，whichislargerthanours，andatthestarrysky，fortheplacewheretheyhadbivouackedwascomparativelyopen．

“Lucy，”camethecallagain，neitherherfather’svoicenorPeter’s．Shesatup，tremblingwithexcitementbutnotwithfear．Themoonwassobrightthatthewholeforestlandscapearoundherwasalmostasclearasday，thoughitlookedwilder．Behindherwasthefirwood;awaytoherrightthejaggedcliff-topsonthefarsideofthegorge;straightahead，opengrasstowhereagladeoftreesbeganaboutabow-shotaway．Lucylookedveryhardatthetreesofthatglade．

“Why，Idobelievethey’removing，”shesaidtoherself．“They’rewalkingabout．”