The Horse and His Boy-第17章

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for　the　next　few　seconds　aravis　was　busy　kissing　the　noses　and　patting　the　　necks　of　hwin　and　bree　just　as　if　they　were　quite　ordinary　horses。

〃and　here　es　shasta！　thanks　be　to　the　lion！〃　said　bree。

aravis　looked　round；　and　there；　right　enough；　was　shasta　who　had　e　out　　of　hiding　the　moment　he　saw　the　groom　going　away。

〃and　now；〃　said　aravis。　〃theres　not　a　moment　to　lose。〃　and　in　hasty　words　　she　told　them　about　rabadashs　expedition。

〃treacherous　hounds！〃　said　bree；　shaking　his　mane　and　stamping　with　his　　hoof。　〃an　attack　in　time　of　peace；　without　defiance　sent！　but　well　grease　his　oats　　for　him。　well　be　there　before　he　is。”

〃can　we？〃　said　aravis；　swinging　herself　into　hwins　saddle。　shasta　wished　　he　could　mount　like　that。

〃brooh…hoo！〃　snorted　bree。　〃up　you　get；　shasta。　can　we！　and　with　a　good　　start　too！”

〃he　said　he　was　going　to　start　at　once；〃　said　aravis。

〃thats　how　humans　talk；〃　said　bree。　〃but　you　dont　get　a　pany　of　two　　hundred　horse　and　horsemen　watered　and　victualled　and　armed　and　saddled　and　started　all　　in　a　minute。

now：　whats　our　direction？　due　north？

〃no；〃　said　shasta。　〃i　know　about　that。　ive　drawn　a　line。　ill　explain　　later。　bear　a　bit　to　our　left；　both　you　horses。　ah　here　it　is！”

〃now；〃　said　bree。　〃all　that　about　galloping　for　a　day　and　a　night；　like　in　　stories；　cant　really　be　done。　it　must　be　walk　and　trot：　but　brisk　trots　and　short　walks。　　and　whenever　we　walk　you　two　humans　can　slip　off　and　walk　too。　now。　are　you　ready；　hwin？　　off　we　go。　narnia　and　the　north！”

at　first　it　was　delightful。　the　night　had　now　been　going　on　for　so　many　　hours　that　the　sand　had　almost　finished　giving　back　all　the　sun…heat　it　had　received　　during　the　day；　and　the　air　was　cool；　fresh；　and　clear。　under　the　moonlight　the　sand；　in　every　　direction　and　as　far　as　they　could　see；　gleamed　as　if　it　were　smooth　water　or　a　great　silver　　tray。　except　for　the　noise　of　brees　and　hwins　hoofs　there　was　not　a　sound　to　be　heard。　　shasta　would　nearly　have　fallen　asleep　if　he　had　not　had　to　dismount　and　walk　every　now　　and　then。

this　seemed　to　last　for　hours。　then　there　came　a　time　when　there　was　no　　longer　any　moon。　they　seemed　to　ride　in　the　dead　darkness　for　hours　and　hours。　and　　after　that　there　came　a　moment　when　shasta　noticed　that　he　could　see　brees　neck　and　head　in　　front　of　him　a　little　more　clearly　than　before；　and　slowly；　very　slowly；　he　began　to　　notice　the　vast　grey　flatness　on　every　side。　it　looked　absolutely　dead；　like　something　in　a　　dead　world；　and　shasta　felt　quite　terribly　tired　and　noticed　that　he　was　getting　cold　　and　that　his　lips　were　dry。　and　all　the　time　the　squeak　of　the　leather；　the　jingle　of　the　　bits；　and　the　noise　of　the　hoofs…not　propputtypropputty　as　it　would　be　on　a　hard　road；　but　　thubbudythubbudy　on　the　dry　sand。

at　last；　after　hours　of　riding；　far　away　on　his　right　there　came　a　single　　long　streak　of　paler　grey；　low　down　on　the　horizon。　then　a　streak　of　red。　it　was　the　morning　at　　last；　but　without　a　single　bird　to　sing　about　it。　he　was　glad　of　the　walking　bits　　now；　for　he　was　colder　than　ever。

then　suddenly　the　sun　rose　and　everything　changed　in　a　moment。　the　grey　　sand　turned　yellow　and　twinkled　as　if　it　was　strewn　with　diamonds。　on　their　left　the　　shadows　of　shasta　and　hwin　and　bree　and　aravis；　enormously　long；　raced　beside　them。　　the　double　peak　of　mount　pire；　far　ahead；　flashed　in　the　sunlight　and　shasta　saw　they　　were　a　little　out　of　the　course。　〃a　bit　left；　a　bit　left；〃　he　sang　out。　best　of　all；　when　　you　looked　back；　tashbaan　was　already　small　and　remote。　the　tombs　were　quite　invisible：　　swallowed　up　in　that　single；　jagged…edged　hump　which　was　the　city　of　the　tisroc。　　everyone　felt　better。

but　not　for　long。　though　tashbaan　looked　very　far　away　when　they　first　saw　　it；　it　refused　to　look　any　further　away　as　they　went　on。　shasta　gave　up　looking　back　at　　it；　for　it　only　gave　him　the　feeling　that　they　were　not　moving　at　all。　then　the　light　　became　a　nuisance。

the　glare　of　the　sand　made　his　eyes　ache：　but　he　knew　he　mustnt　shut　them。　　he　must　screw　them　up　and　keep　on　looking　ahead　at　mount　pire　and　shouting　out　　directions。

then　came　the　heat。　he　noticed　it　for　the　first　time　when　he　had　to　　dismount　and　walk：　as　he　slipped　down　to　the　sand　the　heat　from　it　struck　up　into　his　face　as　if　　from　the　opening　of　an　oven　door。　next　time　it　was　worse。　but　the　third　time；　as　his　bare　　feet　touched　the　sand　he　screamed　with　pain　and　got　one　foot　back　in　the　stirrup　and　the　　other　half　over　brees　back　before　you　could　have　said　knife。

〃sorry；　bree；〃　he　gasped。　〃i　cant　walk。　it　burns　my　feet。〃　〃of　course！〃　　panted　bree。

〃should　have　thought　of　that　myself。　stay　on。　cant　be　helped。”

〃its　all　right　for　you；〃　said　shasta　to　aravis　who　was　walking　beside　　hwin。　〃youve　got　shoes　on。”

aravis　said　nothing　and　looked　prim。　lets　hope　she　didnt　mean　to；　but　she　　did。

on　again；　trot　and　walk　and　trot；　jingle…jingle…jingle；　squeak…squeak…　squeak；　smell　of　hot　horse；　smell　of　hot　self；　blinding　glare；　headache。　and　nothing　at　all　　different　for　mile　after　mile。　tashbaan　would　never　look　any　further　away。　the　mountains　would　　never　look　any　nearer。　you　felt　this　had　been　going　on　for　always　…　jingle…　jingle…jingle；　squeaksqueak…squeak；　smell　of　hot　horse；　smell　of　hot　self。

of　course　one　tried　all　sorts　of　games　with　oneself　to　try　to　make　the　time　　pass：　and　of　course　they　were　all　no　good。　and　one　tried　very　hard　not　to　think　of　　drinks…iced　sherbet　in　a　palace　in　tashbaan；　clear　spring　water　tinkling　with　a　dark　earthy　　sound；　cold；　smooth　milk　just　creamy　enough　and　not　too　creamy　…　and　the　harder　you　　tried　not　to　think；　the　more　you　thought。

at　last　there　was　something　different　…　a　mass　of　rock　sticking　up　out　of　　the　sand　about　fifty　yards　long　and　thirty　feet　high。　it　did　not　cast　much　shadow；　for　the　　sun　was　now　very　high；　but　it　cast　a　little。　into　that　shade　they　crowded。　there　they　　ate　some　food　and　drank　a　little　water。　it　is　not　easy　giving　a　horse　a　drink　out　of　a　skin　　bottle；　but　bree　and　hwin　were　clever　with　their　lips。　no　one　had　anything　like　enough。　no　one　　spoke。　the　horses　were　flecked　with　foam　and　their　breathing　was　noisy。　the　children　　were　pale。

after　a　very　short　rest　they　went　on　again。　same　noises；　same　smells；　same　　glare；　till　at　last　their　shadows　began　to　fall　on　their　right；　and　then　got　longer　and　　longer　till　they　seemed　to　stretch　out　to　the　eastern　end　of　the　world。　very　slowly　the　sun　　drew　nearer　to　the　western　horizon。　and　now　at　last　he　was　down　and；　thank　goodness；　the　　merciless　glare　was　gone；　though　the　heat　ing　up　from　the　sand　was　still　as　bad　as　　ever。　four　pairs　of　eyes　were　looking　out　eagerly　for　any　sign　of　the　valley　that　　sallowpad　the　raven　had　spoken　about。　but；　mile　after　mile；　there　was　nothing　but　level　　sand。　and　now　the　day　was　quite　definitely　done；　and　most　of　the　stars　were　out；　and　　still　the　horses　thundered　on　and　the　children　rose　and　sank　in　their　saddles；　miserable　　with　thirst　and　weariness。　not　till　the　moon　had　risen　did　shasta　…　in　the　strange；　barking　　voice　of　someone　whose　mouth　is　perfectly　dry…shout　out：　　〃there　it　is！”

there　was　no　mistaking　it　now。　ahead；　and　a　little　to　their　right；　there　　was　at　last　a　slope：　a　slope　downward　and　hummocks　of　rock　on　each　side。　the　horses　were　far　too　　tired　to　speak　but　they　swung　round　towards　it　and　in　a　minute　or　two　they　were　　entering　the　gully。　at　first　it　was　worse　in　there　than　it　had　been　out　in　the　open　　desert；　for　there　was　a　breathless　stuffiness　between　the　rocky　walls　and　less　moonlight。　the　slope　　continued　　

steeply　downwards　and　the　rocks　on　either　hand　rose　to　the　height　of　　cliffs。　then　they　began　to　meet　vegetation　…　prickly　cactus…like　plants　and　coarse　grass　of　　the　kind　that　would　prick　your　fingers。　soon　the　horse…hoofs　were　falling　on　pebbles　and　　stones　instead　of　sand。　round　every　bend　of　the　valley　…　and　it　had　many　bends　…　　they　looked　eagerly　for　water。　the　horses　were　nearly　at　the　end　of　their　strength　now；　　and　hwin；　stumbling　and　panting；　was　lagging　behind　bree。　they　were　almost　in　despair　　before　at　last　they　came　to　a　little　muddiness　and　a　tiny　trickle　of　water　through　　softer　and　better　grass。　and　the　trickle　became　a　brook；　and　the　brook　became　a　stream　with　　bushes　on　each　side；　and　the　stream　became　a　river　and　there　came　（after　more　　disappointments　than　i　could　possibly　describe）　…a　moment　when　shasta；　who　had　been　in　a　kind　of　　doze；　suddenly　realized　that　bree　had　stopped　and　found　himself　slipping　off。　　before　them　a　little　cataract　of　water　poured　into　a　broad　pool：　and　both　the　horses　were　　already　in　the　pool　with　their　heads　down；　drinking；　drinking；　drinking。　〃o…o…oh；〃　said　　shasta　and　plunged　in　…　it　was　about　up　to　his　knees　…　and　stooped　his　head　right　into　　the　cataract。　it　was　perhaps　the　loveliest　moment　in　his　life。

it　was　about　ten　minutes　later　when　all　four　of　them　（the　two　children　wet　　nearly　all　over）

came　out　and　began　to　notice　their　surroundings。　the　moon　was　now　high　　enough　to　peep　down　into　the　valley。　there　was　soft　grass　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　and　　beyond　the　grass；　trees　and　bushes　sloped　up　to　the　bases　of　the　cliffs。　there　must　　have　been　some　wond