按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ossing a wide plain with a forest about half a mile away on their left。
the sea； hidden by low sandhills； was about the same distance on their right。 they had jogged along for about an hour； sometimes trotting and sometimes walking； when bree suddenly stopped。
〃whats up？〃 said shasta。
〃s…s…ssh！〃 said bree； craning his neck round and twitching his ears。 〃did you hear something？ listen。鈥�
〃it sounds like another horse … between us and the wood；〃 said shasta after he had listened for about a minute。
〃it is another horse；〃 said bree。 〃and thats what i dont like。鈥�
〃isnt it probably just a farmer riding home late？〃 said shasta with a yawn。
〃dont tell me！〃 said bree。 〃thats not a farmers riding。 nor a farmers horse either。 cant you tell by the sound？ thats quality； that horse is。 and its being ridden by a real horseman。 i tell you what it is； shasta。 theres a tarkaan under the edge of that wood。
not on his war horse … its too light for that。 on a fine blood mare； i should say。鈥�
〃well； its stopped now； whatever it is；〃 said shasta。
〃youre right；〃 said bree。 〃and why should he stop just when we do？ shasta； my boy； i do believe theres someone shadowing us at last。鈥�
〃what shall we do？〃 said shasta in a lower whisper than before。 〃do you think he can see us as well as hear us？鈥�
〃not in this light so long as we stay quite still；〃 answered bree。 〃but look！ theres a cloud ing up。 ill wait till that gets over the moon。 then well get off to our right as quietly as we can； down to the shore。 we can hide among the sandhills if the worst es to the worst。鈥�
they waited till the cloud covered the moon and then； first at a walking pace and afterwards at a gentle trot； made for the shore。
the cloud was bigger and thicker than it had looked at first and soon the night grew very dark。 just as shasta was saying to himself； 〃we must be nearly at those sandhills by
now；〃 his heart leaped into his mouth because an appalling noise had suddenly risen up out of the darkness ahead； a long snarling roar； melancholy and utterly savage。 instantly bree swerved round and began galloping inland again as fast as he could gallop。
〃what is it？〃 gasped shasta。
〃lions！〃 said bree； without checking his pace or turning his head。
after that there was nothing but sheer galloping for some time。 at last they splashed across a wide； shallow stream and bree came to a stop on the far side。 shasta noticed that he was trembling and sweating all over。
〃that water may have thrown the brute off our scent；〃 panted bree when he had partly got his breath again。 〃we can walk for a bit now。鈥�
as they walked bree said； 〃shasta； im ashamed of myself。 im just as frightened as a mon； dumb calor mene horse。 i am really。 i dont feel like a talking horse at all。 i dont mind swords and lances and arrows but i cant bear … those creatures。 i think ill trot for a bit。鈥�
about a minute later； however； he broke into a gallop again； and no wonder。 for the roar broke out again； this time on their left from the direction of the forest。
〃two of them；〃 moaned bree。
when they had galloped for several minutes without any further noise from the lions shasta said； 〃i say！ that other horse is galloping beside us now。 only a stones throw away。鈥�
〃all the b…better；〃 panted bree。 〃tarkaan on it … will have a sword … protect us all。鈥�
〃but； bree！〃 said shasta。 〃we might just as well be killed by lions as caught。 or 1 might。
theyll hang me for horsestealing。〃 he was feeling less frightened of lions than bree because he had never met a lion； bree had。
bree only snorted in answer but he did sheer away to his right。 oddly enough the other horse seemed also to be sheering away to the left； so that in a few seconds the space between them had widened a good deal。 but as soon as it did so there came two more lions roars； immediately after one another； one on the right and the other on the left； the horses began drawing nearer together。 so； apparently； did the lions。 the roaring of the brutes on each side was horribly close and they seemed to be keeping up with the galloping horses quite easily。 then the cloud rolled away。 the moonlight； astonishingly bright； showed up everything almost as if it were broad day。 the two horses and two riders were galloping neck to neck and knee to knee just as if they were in a race。 indeed bree said （afterwards） that a finer race had never been seen in calormen。
shasta now gave himself up for lost and began to wonder whether lions killed you quickly or played with you as a cat plays with a mouse and how much it would hurt。 at the same time （one sometimes does this at the most frightful moments） he noticed everything。 he saw that the other rider was a very small； slender person； mail…clad （the moon shone on the mail） and riding magnificently。 he had no beard。
something flat and shining was spread out before them。 before shasta had time even to guess what it was there was a great splash and he found his mouth half full of salt water。 the shining thing had been a long inlet of the sea。 both horses were swimming and the water was up to shastas knees。
there was an angry roaring behind them and looking back shasta saw a great； shaggy； and terrible shape crouched on the waters edge； but only one。 〃we must have shaken off the other lion；〃 he thought。
the lion apparently did not think its prey worth a wetting； at any rate it made no attempt to take the water in pursuit。 the two horses； side by side； were now well out into the middle of the creek and the opposite shore could be clearly seen。 the tarkaan had not yet spoken a word。 〃but he will；〃 thought shasta。 〃as soon as we have landed。 what am i to say？ i must begin thinking out a story。鈥�
then； suddenly； two voices spoke at his side。
〃oh； i am so tired；〃 said the one。 〃hold your tongue； hwin； and dont be a fool；〃 said the other。
〃im dreaming；〃 thought shasta。 〃i could have sworn that other horse spoke。鈥�
soon the horses were no longer swimming but walking and soon with a great sound of water running off their sides and tails and with a great crunching of pebbles under eight hoofs； they came out on the farther beach of the inlet。 the tarkaan； to shastas surprise； showed no wish to ask questions。 he did not even look at shasta but seemed anxious to urge his horse straight on。 bree； however； at once shouldered himself in the other horses way。
〃broo…hoo…hah！〃 he snorted。 〃steady there！ i heard you； i did。 theres no good pretending； maam。 1 heard you。 youre a talking horse； a narnian horse just like me。鈥�
〃whats it got to do with you if she is？〃 said the strange rider fiercely； laying hand on sword…hilt。 but the voice in which the words were spoken had already told shasta something。
〃why； its only a girl！〃 he exclaimed。
〃and what business is it of yours if i am only a girl？〃 snapped the stranger。 〃youre probably only a boy： a rude； mon little boy … a slave probably； whos stolen his masters horse。鈥�
〃thats all you know；〃 said shasta。
〃hes not a thief； little tarkheena；〃 said bree。 〃at least； if theres been any stealing； you might just as well say i stole him。 and as for its not being my business； you wouldnt expect me to pass a lady of my own race in this strange country without speaking to her？
its only natural i should。鈥�
〃i think its very natural too；〃 said the mare。
〃i wish youd held your tongue； hwin；〃 said the girl。 〃look at the trouble youve got us into。鈥�
〃i dont know about trouble；〃 said shasta。 〃you can clear off as soon as you like。 we shant keep you。鈥�
〃no； you shant；〃 said the girl。
〃what quarrelsome creatures these humans are；〃 said bree to the mare。 〃theyre as bad as mules。 lets try to talk a little sense。 i take it； maam； your story is the same as mine？
captured in early youth … years of slavery among the calormenes？鈥�
〃too true； sir；〃 said the mare with a melancholy whinny。
〃and now； perhaps … escape？鈥�
〃tell him to mind his own business； hwin；〃 said the girl。
〃no； i wont； aravis；〃 said the mare putting her ears back。 〃this is my escape just as much as yours。 and im sure a noble war…horse like this is not going to betray us。 we are trying to escape； to get to narnia。鈥�
〃and so； of course； are we；〃 said bree。 〃of course you guessed that at once。 a little boy in rags riding （or trying to ride） a war…horse at dead of night couldnt mean anything but an escape of some sort。 and； if i may say so； a highborn tarkheena riding alone at night … dressed up in her brothers armour … and very anxious for everyone to mind their own business and ask her no questions … well； if thats not fishy； call me a cob！鈥�
〃all right then；〃 said aravis。 〃youve guessed it。 hwin and i are running away。 we are trying to get to narnia。 and now； what about it？鈥�
〃why； in that case； what is to prevent us all going together？〃 said bree。 〃i trust； madam hwin； you will accept such assistance and protection as i may be able to give you on the journey？鈥�
〃why do you keep talking to my horse instead of to me？〃 asked the girl。
〃excuse me； tarkheena；〃 said bree （with just the slightest backward tilt of his ear