PRINCE CASPIAN- 第4部分

but　whether　by　some　magic　in　the　air　of　the　treasure　chamber　or　not；　the　　bow　was　still　in　working　order。　archery　and　swimming　were　the　things　susan　was　good　at。　in　a　　moment　she　had　bent　the　bow　and　then　she　gave　one　little　pluck　to　the　string。　it　　twanged：　a　chirruping　twang　that　vibrated　through　the　whole　room。　and　that　one　small　　noise　brought　back　the　old　days　to　the　childrens　minds　more　than　anything　that　had　　happened　yet。　all　the　battles　and　hunts　and　feasts　came　rushing　into　their　heads　together。

then　she　unstrung　the　bow　again　and　slung　the　quiver　at　her　side。

next；　peter　took　down　his　gift　…　the　shield　with　the　great　red　lion　on　it；　　and　the　royal　sword。　he　blew；　and　rapped　them　on　the　floor；　to　get　off　the　dust。　he　　fitted　the　shield　on　his　arm　and　slung　the　sword　by　his　side。　he　was　afraid　at　first　that　it　　might　be　rusty　and　stick　to　the　sheath。　but　it　was　not　so。　with　one　swift　motion　he　drew　it　　and　held　it　up；　shining　in　the　torchlight。

〃it　is　my　sword　rhindon；〃　he　said；　〃with　it　i　killed　the　wolf。〃　there　was　a　　new　tone　in　his　voice；　and　the　others　all　felt　that　he　was　really　peter　the　high　king　　again。　then；　after　a　little　pause；　everyone　remembered　that　they　must　save　the　battery。

they　climbed　the　stair　again　and　made　up　a　good　fire　and　lay　down　close　　together　for　warmth。　the　ground　was　very　hard　and　unfortable；　but　they　fell　asleep　in　　the　end。

。。！



CHAPTER　THREE

　生
the　dwarf　　　

the　worst　of　sleeping　out　of　doors　is　that　you　wake　up　so　dreadfully　early。　　and　when　you　wake　you　have　to　get　up　because　the　ground　is　so　hard　that　you　are　　unfortable。

and　it　makes　matters　worse　if　there　is　nothing　but　apples　for　breakfast　and　　you　have　had　nothing　but　apples　for　supper　the　night　before。　when　lucy　had　said　…　truly　　enough　that　it　was　a　glorious　morning；　there　did　not　seem　to　be　anything　else　nice　to　be　　said。　edmund　said　what　everyone　was　feeling；　〃weve　simply　got　to　get　off　this　island。”

when　they　had　drunk　from　the　well　and　splashed　their　faces　they　all　went　　down　the　stream　again　to　the　shore　and　stared　at　the　channel　which　divided　them　from　　the　mainland。

〃well　have　to　swim；〃　said　edmund。

〃it　would　be　all　right　for　su；〃　said　peter　（susan　had　won　prizes　for　　swimming　at　school）。

〃but　i　dont　know　about　the　rest　of　us。〃　by　〃the　rest　of　us〃　he　really　　meant　edmund　who　couldnt　yet　do　two　lengths　at　the　school　baths；　and　lucy；　who　could　hardly　　swim　at　all。

〃anyway；〃　said　susan；　〃there　may　be　currents。　father　says　its　never　wise　　to　bathe　in　a　place　you　dont　know。”

〃but；　peter；〃　said　lucy；　〃look　here。　i　know　i　cant　swim　for　nuts　at　home　…　　in　england；　i　mean。　but　couldnt　we　all　swim　long　ago　…　if　it　was　long　ago　…　when　we　were　　kings　and　queens　in　narnia？　we　could　ride　then　too；　and　do　all　sorts　of　things。　dont　　you　think　…？”

〃ah；　but　we　were　sort　of　grown…up　then；〃　said　peter。

〃we　reigned　for　years　and　years　and　learned　to　do　things。　arent　we　just　　back　at　our　proper　ages　again　now？”

〃oh！〃　said　edmund　in　a　voice　which　made　everyone　stop　talking　and　listen　to　　him。

〃ive　just　seen　it　all；〃　he　said。

〃seen　what？〃　asked　peter。

〃why；　the　whole　thing；〃　said　edmund。　〃you　know　what　we　were　puzzling　about　　last　night；　that　it　was　only　a　year　ago　since　we　left　narnia　but　everything　　looks　as　if　no　one　had　lived　in　cair　paravel　for　hundreds　of　years？　well；　dont　you　see？　you　　know　that；　however　long　we　seemed　to　have　lived　in　narnia；　when　we　got　back　through　　the　wardrobe　it　seemed　to　have　taken　no　time　at　all？”

〃go　on；〃　said　susan。　〃i　think　im　beginning　to　understand。”

〃and　that　means；〃　continued　edmund；　〃that；　once　youre　out　of　narnia；　you　　have　no　idea　how　narnian　time　is　going。　why　shouldnt　hundreds　of　years　have　gone　past　　in　narnia　while　only　one　year　has　passed　for　us　in　england？”

〃by　jove；　ed；〃　said　peter。　〃i　believe　youve　got　it。　in　that　sense　it　　really　was　hundreds　of　years　ago　that　we　lived　in　cair　paravel。　and　now　were　ing　back　to　　narnia　just　as　if　we　were　crusaders　or　anglo…saxons　or　ancient　britons　or　someone　ing　back　　to　modern　england？”

〃how　excited　theyll　be　to　see　us　…〃　began　lucy；　but　at　the　same　moment　　everyone　else　said；　〃hush！〃　or　〃look！〃　for　now　something　was　happening。

there　was　a　wooded　point　on　the　mainland　a　little　to　their　right；　and　they　　all　felt　sure　that　just　beyond　that　point　must　be　the　mouth　of　the　river。　and　now；　round　that　　point　there　came　into　sight　a　boat。　when　it　had　cleared　the　point；　it　turned　and　began　　ing　along　the　channel　towards　them。　there　were　two　people　on　board；　one　rowing；　the　　other　sitting　in　the　stern　and　holding　a　bundle　that　twitched　and　moved　as　if　it　were　　alive。　both　these　people　seemed　to　be　soldiers。　they　had　steel　caps　on　their　heads　and　light　　shirts　of　chain…mail。　their　faces　were　bearded　and　hard。　the　children　drew　back　from　the　　beach　into　the　wood　and　watched　without　moving　a　finger。

〃thisll　do；〃　said　the　soldier　in　the　stern　when　the　boat　had　e　about　　opposite　to　them。

〃what　about　tying　a　stone　to　his　feet；　corporal？〃　said　the　other；　resting　　on　his　oars。

〃garn！〃　growled　the　other。　〃we　dont　need　that；　and　we　havent　brought　one。　　hell　drown　sure　enough　without　a　stone；　as　long　as　weve　tied　the　cords　right。〃　with　　these　words　he　rose　and　lifted　his　bundle。　peter　now　saw　that　it　was　really　alive　and　was　　in　fact　a　dwarf；　bound　hand　and　foot　but　struggling　as　hard　as　he　could。　next　moment　he　　heard　a　twang　just　beside　his　ear；　and　all　at　once　the　soldier　threw　up　his　arms；　　dropping　the　dwarf　into　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　and　fell　over　into　the　water。　he　floundered　away　to　　the　far　bank　and　peter　knew　that　susans　arrow　had　struck　on　his　helmet。　he　turned　and　　saw　that　she　was　very　pale　but　was　already　fitting　a　second　arrow　to　the　string。　but　it　　was　never　used。

as　soon　as　he　saw　his　panion　fall；　the　other　soldier；　with　a　loud　cry；　　jumped　out　of　the　boat　on　the　far　side；　and　lie　also　floundered　through　the　water　（which　　was　apparently　just　in　his　depth）　and　disappeared　into　the　woods　of　the　mainland。

〃quick！　before　she　drifts！〃　shouted　peter。　he　and　susan；　fully　dressed　as　　they　were；　plunged　in；　and　before　the　water　was　up　to　their　shoulders　their　hands　were　　on　the　side　of　the　boat。　in　a　few　seconds　they　had　hauled　her　to　the　bank　and　lifted　the　　dwarf　out；　and　edmund　was　busily　engaged　in　cutting　his　bonds　with　the　pocket　knife。　　（peters　sword　would　have　been　sharper；　but　a　sword　is　very　inconvenient　for　this　sort　of　　work　because　you　cant　hold　it　anywhere　lower　than　the　hilt。）　when　at　last　the　dwarf　was　　free；　he　sat　up；　rubbed　his　arms　and　legs；　and　exclaimed：　　〃well；　whatever　they　say；　you　dont　feel　like　ghosts。”

like　most　dwarfs　he　was　very　stocky　and　deep…chested。　he　would　have　been　　about　three　feet　high　if　he　had　been　standing　up；　and　an　immense　beard　and　whiskers　of　　coarse　red　hair　left　little　of　his　face　to　be　seen　except　a　beak…like　nose　and　　twinkling　black　eyes。

〃anyway；〃　he　continued；　〃ghosts　or　not；　youve　saved　my　life　and　im　　extremely　obliged　to　you。”

〃but　why　should　we　be　ghosts？〃　asked　lucy。

〃ive　been　told　all　my　life；〃　said　the　dwarf；　〃that　these　woods　along　the　　shore　were　as　full　of　ghosts　as　they　were　of　trees。　thats　what　the　story　is。　and　thats　why；　　when　they　want　to　get　rid　of　anyone；　they　usually　bring　him　down　here　（like　they　were　　doing　with　me）

and　say　theyll　leave　him　to　the　ghosts。　but　i　always　wondered　if　they　　didnt　really　drown　em　or　cut　their　throats。　i　never　quite　believed　in　the　ghosts。　but　those　　two　cowards　youve　just　shot　believed　all　right。　they　were　more　frightened　of　taking　me　　to　my　death　than　i　was　of　going！”

〃oh；〃　said　susan。　〃so　thats　why　they　both　ran　away。”

〃eh？　whats　that？〃　said　the　dwarf。

〃they　got　away；〃　said　edmund。　〃to　the　mainland。”

〃i　wasnt　shooting　to　kill；　you　know；〃　said　susan。　she　would　not　have　liked　　anyone　to　think　she　could　miss　at　such　a　short　range。

〃hm；〃　said　the　dwarf。　〃thats　not　so　good。　that　may　mean　trouble　later　on。　　unless　they　hold　their　tongues　for　their　own　sake。”

〃what　were　they　going　to　drown　you　for？〃　asked　peter。

〃oh；　im　a　dangerous　criminal；　i　am；〃　said　the　dwarf　cheerfully。　〃but　　thats　a　long　story。

meantime；　i　was　wondering　if　perhaps　you　were　going　to　ask　me　to　breakfast？　　youve　no　idea　what　an　appetite　it　gives　one；　being　executed。〃　　　〃theres　only　apples；〃　said　lucy　dolefully。

〃better　than　nothing；　but　not　so　good　as　fresh　fish；〃　said　the　dwarf。　〃it　　looks　as　if　ill　have　to　ask　you　to　breakfast　instead。　i　saw　some　fishing　tackle　in　that　　boat。　and　anyway；　we　must　take　her　round　to　the　other　side　of　the　island。　we　dont　want　　anyone　from　the　mainland　ing　down　and　seeing　her。”

〃i　ought　to　have　thought　of　that　myself；〃　said　peter。

the　four　children　and　the　dwarf　went　down　to　the　waters　edge；　pushed　off　　the　boat　with　some　difficulty；　and　scrambled　aboard。　the　dwarf　at　once　took　charge。　the　　oars　were　of　course　too　big　for　him　to　use；　so　peter　rowed　and　the　dwarf　steered　them　　north　along　the　channel　and　presently　eastward　round　the　tip　of　the　island。　from　here　the　　children　could　see　right　up　the　river；　and　all　the　bays　and　headlands　of　the　coast　beyond　　it。　they　thought　they　could　recognize　bits　of　it；　but　the　woods；　which