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！
stroke after stroke： and no gate can stand it for ever。 but wait！ something up by stormness has scared the birds。 theyre ing out in masses。 and wait again 。 。 。 i cant see yet 。 。 。 ah！ now i can。 the whole ridge； up on the east； is black with horsemen。 if
only the wind would catch that standard and spread it out。 theyre over the ridge now； whoever they are。 aha！ ive seen the banner now。 narnia； narnia！ its the red lion。
theyre in full career down the hill now。 i can see king edmund。 theres a woman behind among the archers。 oh！ …鈥�
〃what is it？〃 asked hwin breathlessly。
〃all his cats are dashing out from the left of the line。鈥�
〃cats？〃 said aravis。
〃great cats； leopards and such；〃 said the hermit impatiently。 〃i see； i see。 the cats are ing round in a circle to get at the horses of the dismounted men。 a good stroke。 the calormene horses are mad with terror already。 now the cats are in among them。 but rsh has reformed his line and has a hundred men in the saddle。 theyre riding to meet the narnians。 theres only a hundred yards between the two lines now。 only fifty。 i can see king edmund； i can see the lord peridan。 there are two mere children in the narnian line。 what can the king be about to let them into battle？ only ten yards … the lines have met。 the giants on the narnian right are doing wonders 。 。 。 but ones down 。 。 。
shot through the eye； i suppose。 the centres all in a muddle。 i can see more on the left。
there are the two boys again。 lion alive！ one is prince corm。 the other； like him as two peas。 its your little shasta。 corm is fighting like a man。 hes killed a calormene。 i can see a bit of the centre now。 rsh and edmund almost met then； but the press has separated them …鈥�
〃what about shasta？〃 said aravis。
〃oh the fool！〃 groaned the hermit。 〃poor； brave little fool。 he knows nothing about this work。 hes making no use at all of his shield。 his whole sides exposed。 he hasnt the faintest idea what to do with his sword。 oh； hes remembered it now。 hes waving it wildly about 。 。 。 nearly cut his own ponys head off； and he will in a moment if hes not careful。 its been knocked out of his hand now。 its mere murder sending a child into the battle； he cant live five minutes。 duck you fool … oh； hes down。鈥�
〃killed？〃 asked three voices breathlessly。
〃how can i tell？〃 said the hermit。 〃the cats have done their work。 all the riderless horses are dead or escaped now： no retreat for the calormenes on them。 now the cats are turning back into the main battle。 theyre leaping on the rams…men。 the ram is down。 oh； good！ good！ the gates are opening from the inside： theres going to be a sortie。 the first three are out。 its king lune in the middle： the brothers dar and darrin on each side of him。 behind them are tran and shar and cole with his brother colin。 there are ten … twenty … nearly thirty of them out by now。 the calormen line is being forced back upon them。 king edmund is dealing marvellous strokes。 hes just slashed corradins head off。
lots of calormenes have thrown down their arms and are running for the woods。 those that remain are hard pressed。 the giants are closing in on the right … cats on the left …
king lune from their rear。 the calormenes are a little knot now； fighting back to back。
your tarkaans down； bree。 lune and azrooh are fighting hand to hand； the king looks like winning … the king is keeping it up well … the king has won。 azroohs down。 king edmunds down … no； hes up again： hes at it with rsh。 theyre fighting in the very gate of the castle。 several calormenes have surrendered。 darrin has killed ilgamuth。 i cant see whats happened to rsh。 i think hes dead； leaning against the castle wall； but i dont know。 chlamash and king edmund are still fighting but the battle is over everywhere else。 chlamash has surrendered。 the battle is over。 the calormenes are utterly defeated。鈥�
when shasta fell off his horse he gave himself up for lost。 but horses； even in battle； tread on human beings very much less than you would suppose。 after a very horrible ten minutes or so shasta realized suddenly that there were no longer any horses stamping about in the immediate neighbourhood and that the noise （for there were still a good many noises going on） was no longer that of a battle。 he sat up and stared about him。
even he； little as he knew of battles； could soon see that the archenlanders and narnians had won。 the only living calormenes he could see were prisoners； the castle gates were wide open； and king lune and king edmund were shaking hands across the battering ram。 from the circle of lords and warriors around them there arose a sound of breathless and excited； but obviously cheerful conversation。 and then； suddenly； it all united and swelled into a great roar of laughter。
shasta。 picked himself up； feeling unmonly stiff； and ran towards the sound to see what the joke was。 a very curious sight met his eyes。 the unfortunate rsh appeared to be suspended from the castle walls。 his feet； which were about two feet from the ground； were kicking wildly。 his chain…shirt was somehow hitched up so that it was horribly tight under the arms and came half way over his face。 in fact he looked just as a man looks if you catch him in the very act of getting into a stiff shirt that is a little too small for him。 as far as could be made out afterwards （and you may be sure the story was well talked over for many a day） what happened was something like this。 early in the battle one of the giants had made an unsuccessful stamp at rsh with his spiked boot： unsuccessful because it didnt crush rsh； which was what the giant had intended； but not quite useless because one of the spikes tore the chain mail； just as you or i might tear an ordinary shirt。 so rsh； by the time he encountered edmund at the gate； had a hole in the back of his hauberk。 and when edmund pressed him back nearer and nearer to the wall； he jumped up on a mounting block and stood there raining down blows on edmund from above。 but then； finding that this position； by raising him above the heads of everyone else； made him a mark for every arrow from the narnian bows； he decided to jump down again。 and he meant to look and sound … no doubt for a moment he did look and sound … very grand and very dreadful as he jumped； crying； 〃the bolt of tash falls from above。〃 but he had to jump sideways because the crowd in front of him left him no landing place in that direction。 and then； in the neatest way you could wish； the tear in the back of his hauberk caught on a hook in the wall。 （ages ago this hook had had a ring in it for tying horses to。） and there he found himself； like a piece of washing hung up to dry； with everyone laughing at him。
〃let me down； edmund；〃 howled rsh。 〃let me down and fight me like a king and a man； or if you are too great a coward to do that； kill me at once。鈥�
〃certainly；〃 began king edmund； but king lune interrupted。
〃by your majestys good leave；〃 said king lune to edmund。 〃not so。〃 then turning to rsh he said； 〃your royal highness； if you had given that challenge a week ago； ill answer for it there was no one in king edmunds dominion； from the high king down to the smallest talking mouse； who would have refused it。 but by attacking our castle of anvard in time of peace without defiance sent； you have proved yourself no knight； but a traitor； and one rather to be whipped by the hangman than to be suffered to cross swords with any person of honour。 take him down； bind him； and carry him within till our pleasure is further known。鈥�
strong hands wrenched rshs sword from him and he was carried away into the castle； shouting； threatening； cursing； and even crying。 for though he could have faced torture he couldnt bear being made ridiculous。 in tashbaan everyone had always taken him seriously。
at that moment corin ran up to shasta； seized his hand and started dragging him towards king lune。 〃here he is； father； here he is；〃 cried corin。
〃aye； and here thou art； at last；〃 said the king in a very gruff voice。 〃and bast been in the battle； clean contrary to your obedience。 a boy to break a fathers heart！ at your age a rod to your breech were fitter than a sword in your fist； ha！〃 but everyone； including corin； could see that the king was very proud of him。
〃chide him no more； sire； if it please you；〃 said lord darrin。 〃his highness would not be your son if he did not inherit your conditions。 it would grieve your majesty more if he had to be reproved for the opposite fault。鈥�
〃well； well；〃 grumbled the king。 〃well pass it over for this time。 and now …〃 what came next surprised shasta as much as anything that had ever happened to him in his life。 he found himself suddenly embraced inn bear…like hug by king lune and kissed on both cheeks。 then the king set him down again and said； 〃stand here together； boys； and let all the court see you。 hold up your heads。 now； gentlemen； look on them both。
has any man any doubts？鈥�
and still shasta could not understand why everyone stared at him and at corin nor what all the cheering was about。
xi锛shuotx锛础锛辑
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
灏�*璇�**t*xt**澶�*鍫�
how bree became a wiser horse we must now return to aravis and the horses。 the hermit； watching his pool； was able to tell them that shasta was not killed or even seriously wounded； for he saw him get up and saw how affectionately he was greeted by king lune。 but as he could only see； not hear； he did not know what anyone was saying and； once the fighting had stopped and the talking had begun； it was not worth while looking in the pool any longer。
next morning； while the hermit was indoors； the three of them discussed what they should do next。
〃ive had enough of this；〃 said hwin。 〃the hermit has been very good to us and im very much obliged to him im sure。 but im getting as fat as a pet pony； eating all day and getting no exercise。 lets go on to narnia。鈥�
〃oh not today； maam；〃 said bree。 〃i wouldnt hurry things。 some other day； dont you think？鈥�
〃we must see shasta first and say good…bye to him … and … and apologize；〃 said aravis。
〃exactly！〃 said bree with great enthusiasm。 〃just what i was going to say。鈥�
〃oh； of course；〃 said hwin。 〃i expect he is in anvard。 naturally wed look in on him and say good…bye。 but thats on our way。 and why shouldnt we start at once？ after all； i thought it was narnia we all wanted to get to？鈥�
〃i suppose so；〃 said aravis。 she was beginning to wonder what exactly she would do when she got there and was feeling a little lonely。
〃of course； of course；〃 said bree hastily。 〃but theres no need to rush things； if you know what i mean。鈥�
〃no； i dont know what you mean；〃 said hwin。 〃why dont you want to go？鈥�
〃m…m…m； broo…hoo；〃 muttered bree。 〃well； dont you see； maam … its an important occasion … returning to ones country … entering society … the best society … it is so essential to make a good impression … not perhaps looking quite ourselves； yet； eh？鈥�
hwin broke out into a horse…laugh。 〃its your tail； bree！ i see it all now。 you want to wait till your tails grown again！ and we dont even know if tails are worn long in narnia。
really； bree； youre as vain as that tarkheena in tashbaan！鈥�
〃you are silly； bree；〃 said aravis。
〃by the lions mane； tarkheena； im nothing of the sort；〃 said bree indignantly。 〃i have a proper respect for myself and for my fellow horses； thats all。鈥�
〃bree；〃 said aravis； who was not very interested in the cut of his tail； 〃ive been wanting to ask you something for a long time。 why do you keep on swearing by the lion and by the lions mane？ i thought you hated lions。鈥�
〃so i do；〃 answered bree。 〃but when i speak of the lion of course i mean aslan； the great deliverer of narnia who drove away the witch and the winter。 all narnians swear by him。鈥�
〃but is he a lion？鈥�
〃no； no； of course not；〃 said bree in a rather shocked voice。
〃all the stories about him in tashbaan say he is；〃 replied aravis。 〃and if he isnt a lion why do you call him a lion？鈥�
〃well； youd hardly understand that at your age；〃 said bree。 〃and i was only a little foal when i left so i dont quite fully unde