小说园

chater five the tr and what ca f it（第1页）

ITwasnearlythreeweeksaftertheirlandingthattheDawnTreaderwastowedoutofNarrowhavenharbour．Verysolemnfarewellshadbeenspokenandagreatcrowdhadassembledtoseeherdeparture．Therehadbeencheers，andtearstoo，whenCaspianmadehislastspeechtotheLoneIslandersandpartedfromtheDukeandhisfamily，butastheship，herpurplesailstillflappingidly，drewfurtherfromtheshore，andthesoundofCaspian’strumpetfromthepoopcamefainteracrossthewater，everyonebecamesilent．Thenshecameintothewind．Thesailswelledout，thetugcastoffandbeganrowingback，thefirstrealwaveranupundertheDawnTreader’sprow，andshewasaliveshipagain．Themenoffdutywentbelow，Driniantookthefirstwatchonthepoop，andsheturnedherheadeastwardroundthesouthofAvra．

Thenextfewdaysweredelightful．Lucythoughtshewasthemostfortunategirlintheworld；asshewokeeachmorningtosee　thereflectionsofthesunlitwaterdancingontheceilingofhercabinandlookedroundonallthenicenewthingsshehadgotintheLoneIslands-seabootsandbuskinsandcloaksandjerkinsandscarves．Andthenshewouldgoondeckandtakealookfromtheforecastleataseawhichwasabrighterblueeachmorninganddrinkinanairthatwasalittlewarmerdaybyday．Afterthatcamebreakfastandsuchanappetiteasoneonlyhasatsea．

ShespentagooddealoftimesittingonthelittlebenchinthesternplayingchesswithReepicheep．Itwasamusingtoseehimliftingthepieces，whichwerefartoobigforhim，withbothpawsandstandingontiptoesifhemadeamovenearthecentreoftheboard．Hewasagoodplayerandwhenherememberedwhathewasdoingheusuallywon．ButeverynowandthenLucywonbecausetheMousedidsomethingquiteridiculouslikesendingaknightintothedangerofaqueenandcastlecombined．Thishappenedbecausehehadmomentarilyforgottenitwasagameofchessandwasthinkingofarealbattleandmakingtheknightdowhathewouldcertainlyhavedoneinitsplace．Forhismindwasfullofforlornhopes，death-or-glorycharges，andlaststands．

Butthispleasanttimedidnotlast．TherecameaneveningwhenLucy，gazingidlyasternatthelongfurroworwaketheywereleavingbehindthem，sawagreatrackofcloudsbuildingitselfupinthewestwithamazingspeed．Thenagapwastorninitandayellowsunsetpouredthroughthegap．Allthewavesbehindthemseemedtotakeonunusualshapesandtheseawasadraboryellowishcolorlikedirtycanvas．Theairgrewcold．Theship　seemedtomoveuneasilyasifshefeltdangerbehindher．Thesailwouldbeflatandlimponeminuteandwildlyfullthenext．Whileshewasnotingthesethingsandwonderingatasinisterchangewhichhadcomeovertheverynoiseofthewind，Driniancried，“Allhandsondeck．”Inamomenteveryonebecamefranticallybusy．Thehatcheswerebatteneddown，thegalleyfirewasputout，menwentalofttoreefthesail．Beforetheyhadfinishedthestormstruckthem．ItseemedtoLucythatagreatvalleyintheseaopenedjustbeforetheirbows，andtheyrusheddownintoit，deeperdownthanshewouldhavebelievedpossible．Agreatgreyhillofwater，farhigherthanthemast，rushedtomeetthem；itlookedcertaindeathbuttheyweretossedtothetopofit．Thentheshipseemedtospinround．Acataractofwaterpouredoverthedeck；thepoopandforecastlewereliketwoislandswithafierceseabetweenthem．Upaloftthesailorswerelyingoutalongtheyarddesperatelytryingtogetcontrolofthesail．Abrokenropestoodoutsidewaysinthewindasstraightandstiffasifitwasapoker．

“Getbelow，Ma’am，”bawledDrinian．AndLucy，knowingthatlandsmen—andlandswomen—areanuisancetothecrew，begantoobey．Itwasnoteasy．TheDawnTreaderwaslistingterriblytostarboardandthedeckslopedliketheroofofahouse．Shehadtoclamberroundtothetopoftheladder，holdingontotherail，andthenstandbywhiletwomenclimbedupit，andthengetdownitasbestshecould．Itwaswellshewasalreadyholdingontightforatthefootoftheladderanotherwaveroaredacrossthedeck，uptohershoulders．Shewasalreadyalmostwetthroughwithsprayandrainbutthiswascolder．Thenshemadeadashforthecabindoorandgotinandshutoutforamomenttheappallingsightofthespeedwithwhichtheywererushingintothedark，butnotofcoursethehorribleconfusionofcreakings，groanings，snappings，clatterings，roaringsandboomingswhichonlysoundedmorealarmingbelowthantheyhaddoneonthepoop．

Andallnextdayandallthenextitwenton．Itwentontillonecouldhardlyevenrememberatimebeforeithadbegun．Andtherealwayshadtobethreemenatthetilleranditwasasmuchasthreecoulddotokeepanykindofacourse．Andtherealwayshadtobemenatthepump．Andtherewashardlyanyrestforanyone，andnothingcouldbecookedandnothingcouldbedried，andonemanwaslostoverboard，andtheyneversawthesun．

WhenitwasoverEustacemadethefollowingentryinhisdiary：

“September3．ThefirstdayforageswhenIhavebeenabletowrite．Wehadbeendrivenbeforeahurricaneforthirteendaysandnights．IknowthatbecauseIkeptacarefulcount，thoughtheothersallsayitwasonlytwelve．Pleasanttobeembarkedonadangerousvoyagewithpeoplewhocan’tevencountright！Ihavehadaghastlytime，upanddownenormouswaveshourafterhour，usuallywettotheskin，andnotevenanattemptatgivinguspropermeals．Needlesstosaythere’snowirelessorevenarocket，sonochanceofsignallinganyoneforhelp．ItallproveswhatIkeepontellingthem，themadnessofsettingoutinarottenlittletublikethis。Itwouldbebadenoughevenifonewaswithdecentpeopleinsteadoffiendsinhumanform．CaspianandEdmundaresimplybrutaltome。

Thenightwelostourmast（there’sonlyastumpleftnow），thoughIwasnotatallwell，theyforcedmetocomeondeckandworklikeaslave．LucyshovedheroarinbysayingthatReepicheepwaslongingtogoonlyhewastoosmall．Iwondershedoesn’tseethateverythingthatlittlebeastdoesisallforthesakeofshowingoff。Evenatheragesheoughttohavethatamountofsense．Todaythebeastlyboatislevelatlastandthesun’soutandwehaveallbeenjawingaboutwhattodo．Wehavefoodenough，prettybeastlystuffmostofit，tolastforsixteendays．（Thepoultrywereallwashedoverboard。Eveniftheyhadn’tbeen，thestormwouldhavestoppedthemlaying．）Therealtroubleiswater．Twocasksseemtohavegotaleakknockedinthemandareempty．（Narnianefficiencyagain．）Onshortrations，halfapintadayeach，we’vegotenoughfortwelvedays．（There’sstilllotsofrumandwinebuteventheyrealizethatwouldonlymakethemthirstier．）

“Ifwecould，ofcourse，thesensiblethingwouldbetoturnwestatonceandmakefortheLoneIslands．Butittookuseighteendaystogetwhereweare，runninglikemadwithagalebehindus．Evenifwegotaneastwinditmighttakeusfarlongertogetback．Andatpresentthere’snosignofaneastwind—infactthere’snowindatall．Asforrowingback，itwouldtakefartoolongandCaspiansaysthemencouldn’trowonhalfapintofwateraday．I’mprettysurethisiswrong．Itriedtoexplainthatperspirationreallycoolspeopledown，sothemenwouldneedlesswateriftheywereworking．Hedidn’ttakeanynoticeofthis，whichisalwayshiswaywhenhecan’tthinkofananswer．Theothersallvotedforgoingoninthehopeoffindingland．Ifeltitmydutytopointoutthatwedidn’tknowtherewasanylandaheadandtriedtogetthemtoseethedangersofwishfulthinking．InsteadofproducingabetterplantheyhadthecheektoaskmewhatIproposed．SoIjustexplainedcoollyandquietlythatIhadbeenkidnappedandbroughtawayonthisidioticvoyagewithoutmyconsent，anditwashardlymybusinesstogetthemoutoftheirscrape．

“September4．Stillbecalmed．VeryshortrationsfordinnerandIgotlessthananyone．CaspianisverycleverathelpingandthinksIdon’tsee！LucyforsomereasontriedtomakeuptomebyofferingmesomeofhersbutthatinterferingprigEdmundwouldn’tlether．Prettyhotsun．Terriblythirstyallevening．

“September5．Stillbecalmedandveryhot．FeelingrottenalldayandamsureI’vegotatemperature．Ofcoursetheyhaven’tthesensetokeepathermometeronboard．

“September6．Ahorribleday．WokeupinthenightknowingIwasfeverishandmusthaveadrinkofwater．Anydoctorwouldhavesaidso．HeavenknowsI’mthelastpersontotrytogetanyunfairadvantagebutIneverdreamedthatthiswater-rationingwouldbemeanttoapplytoasickman．InfactIwouldhavewokentheothersupandaskedforsomeonlyIthoughtitwouldbeselfishtowakethem。SoIjustgotupandtookmycupandtiptoedoutoftheBlackHolewesleptin，takinggreatcarenottodisturbCaspianandEdmund，forthey’vebeensleepingbadlysincetheheatandtheshortwaterbegan。Ialwaystrytoconsiderotherswhethertheyarenicetomeornot．Igotoutallrightintothebigroom，ifyoucancallitaroom，wheretherowingbenchesandtheluggageare．Thethingofwaterisatthisend．Allwasgoingbeautifully，butbeforeI’ddrawnacupfulwhoshouldcatchmebutthatlittlespyReep．ItriedtoexplainthatIwasgoingondeckforabreathofair（thebusinessaboutthewaterhadnothingtodowithhim）andheaskedmewhyIhadacup．Hemadesuchanoisethatthewholeshipwasroused．Theytreatedmescandalously．Iasked，asIthinkanyonewouldhave，whyReepicheepwassneakingaboutthewatercaskinthemiddleofthenight．Hesaidthatashewastoosmalltobeanyuseondeck，hedidsentryoverthewatereverynightsothatonemoremancouldgotosleep．Nowcomestheirrottenunfairness：theyallbelievedhim．Canyoubeatit？