小说园

小说园>纳尼亚传奇凯斯宾王子美国 > chater ten the return f the l(第1页)

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.”

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