THE SILVER CHAIR-第12章

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him。”

〃i　was　wondering；〃　remarked　puddleglum；　〃what　youd　really　see　if　you　　lifted　up　the　visor　of　that　helmet　and　looked　inside。”

〃hang　it　all；〃　said　scrubb。　〃think　of　the　shape　of　the　armour！　what　could　　be　inside　it　except　a　man？”

〃how　about　a　skeleton？〃　asked　the　marsh…wiggle　with　ghastly　cheerfulness。　　〃or　perhaps；〃　he　added　as　an　afterthought；　〃nothing　at　all。　i　mean；　nothing　you　　could　see。

someone　invisible。”

〃really；　puddleglum；〃　said　jill　with　a　shudder；　〃you　do　have　the　most　　horrible　ideas。

how　do　you　think　of　them　all？”

〃oh；　bother　his　ideas！〃　said　scrubb。　〃hes　always　expecting　the　worst；　and　　hes　always　wrong。　lets　think　about　those　gentle　giants　and　get　on　to　harfang　as　　quickly　as　we　can。

i　wish　i　knew　how　far　it　is。”

and　now　they　nearly　had　the　first　of　those　quarrels　which　puddleglum　had　　foretold：　not　that　jill　and　scrubb　hadnt　been　sparring　and　snapping　at　each　other　a　good　　deal　before；　but　this　was　the　first　really　serious　disagreement。　puddleglum　didnt　want　　them　to　go　to　harfang　at　all。　he　said　that　he　didnt　know　what　a　giants　idea　of　being　　〃gentle〃　might　be；　and　that；　anyway；　aslans　signs　had　said　nothing　about　staying　with　giants；　　gentle　or　otherwise。　the　children；　on　the　other　hand；　who　were　sick　of　wind　and　rain；　　and　skinny　fowl　roasted　over　campfires；　and　hard；　cold　earth　to　sleep　on；　were　　absolutely　dead　set　to　visit　the　gentle　giants。　in　the　end；　puddleglum　agreed　to　do　so；　but　only　　on　one　condition。　the　others　must　give　an　absolute　promise　that；　unless　he　gave　　them　leave；　they　would　not　tell　the　gentle　giants　that　they　came　from　narnia　or　that　they　　were　looking　for　prince　rilian。　and　they　gave　him　this　promise；　and　went　on。

after　that　talk　with　the　lady　things　got　worse　in　two　different　ways。　in　　the　first　place　the　country　was　much　harder。　the　road　led　through　endless；　narrow　valleys　down　　which　a　cruel　north　wind　was　always　blowing　in　their　faces。　there　was　nothing　that　　could　be　used　for　firewood；　and　there　were　no　nice　little　hollows　to　camp　in；　as　there　　had　been　on　the　moor。　and　the　ground　was　all　stony；　and　made　your　feet　sore　by　day　and　　every　bit　of　you　sore　by　night。

in　the　second　place；　whatever　the　lady　had　intended　by　telling　them　about　　harfang；　the　actual　effect　on　the　children　was　a　bad　one。　they　could　think　about　nothing　　but　beds　and　baths　and　hot　meals　and　how　lovely　it　would　be　to　get　indoors。　they　never　　talked　about　aslan；　or　even　about　the　lost　prince；　now。　and　jill　gave　up　her　habit　of　　repeating　the　signs　over　to　herself　every　night　and　morning。　she　said　to　herself；　at　　first；　that　she　was　too　tired；　but　she　soon　forgot　all　about　it。　and　though　you　might　have　　expected　that　the　idea　of　having　a　good　time　at　harfang　would　have　made　them　more　cheerful；　　it　really　made　them　more　sorry　for　themselves　and　more　grumpy　and　snappy　with　each　　other　and　with　puddleglum。

at　last　they　came　one　afternoon　to　a　place　where　the　gorge　in　which　they　　were　travelling　widened　out　and　dark　fir　woods　rose　on　either　side。　they　looked　ahead　and　　saw　that　they　had　e　through　the　mountains。　before　them　lay　a　desolate；　rocky　plain：　　beyond　it；　further　mountains　capped　with　snow。　but　between　them　and　those　further　　mountains　rose　a　low　hill　with　an　irregular　flattish　top。

〃look！　look！〃　cried　jill；　and　pointed　across　the　plain；　and　there；　through　　the　gathering　dusk；　from　beyond　the　flat　hill；　everyone　saw　lights。　lights！　not　　moonlight；　nor　fires；　but　a　homely　cheering　row　of　lighted　windows。　if　you　have　never　been　in　the　　wild　wilderness；　day　and　night；　for　weeks；　you　will　hardly　understand　how　they　　felt。

〃harfang！〃　cried　scrubb　and　jill　in　glad；　excited　voices；　and　〃harfang；〃　　repeated　puddleglum　in　a　dull；　gloomy　voice。　but　he　added；　〃hullo！　wild　geese！〃　and　　had　the　bow　　

off　his　shoulder　in　a　second。　he　brought　down　a　good　fat　goose。　it　was　far　　too　late　to　think　of　reaching　harfang　that　day。　but　they　had　a　hot　meal　and　a　fire；　and　　started　the　night　warmer　than　they　had　been　for　over　a　week。　after　the　fire　had　gone　　out；　the　night　grew　bitterly　cold；　and　when　they　woke　next　morning；　their　blankets　were　　stiff　with　frost。

〃never　mind！〃　said　jill；　stamping　her　feet。　〃hot　baths　tonight！”





CHAPTER　SEVEN

（／／小｜//说//网）
the　hill　of　the　strange　trenches　　　there　is　no　denying　it　was　a　beast　of　a　day。　overhead　was　a　sunless　sky；　　muffled　in　clouds　that　were　heavy　with　snow；　underfoot；　a　black　frost；　blowing　over　　it；　a　wind　that　felt　as　if　it　would　take　your　skin　off。　when　they　got　down　into　the　plain　　they　found　that　this　part　of　the　ancient　road　was　much　more　ruinous　than　any　they　had　yet　　seen。　they　had　to　pick　their　way　over　great　broken　stones　and　between　boulders　and　across　　rubble：　hard　going　for　sore　feet。　and；　however　tired　they　got；　it　was　far　too　cold　for　a　　halt。

at　about　ten　oclock　the　first　tiny　snow　flakes　came　loitering　down　and　　settled　on　jills　arm。　ten　minutes　later　they　were　falling　quite　thickly。　in　twenty　minutes　　the　ground　was　noticeably　white。　and　by　the　end　of　half　an　hour　a　good　steady　snowstorm；　　which　looked　as　if　it　meant　to　last　all　day；　was　driving　in　their　faces　so　that　they　　could　hardly　see。

in　order　to　understand　what　followed；　you　must　keep　on　remembering　how　　little　they　could　see。　as　they　drew　near　the　low　hill　which　separated　them　from　the　　place　where　the　lighted　windows　had　appeared；　they　had　no　general　view　of　it　at　all。　it　was　　a　question　of　seeing　the　next　few　paces　ahead；　and；　even　for　that；　you　had　to　screw　up　　your　eyes。

needless　to　say；　they　were　not　talking。

when　they　reached　the　foot　of　the　hill　they　caught　a　glimpse　of　what　might　　be　rocks　on　each　side　…　squarish　rocks；　if　you　looked　at　them　carefully；　but　no　one　　did。　all　were　more　concerned　with　the　ledge　right　in　front　of　them　which　barred　their　way。　it　　was　about　four　feet　high。　the　marsh…wiggle；　with　his　long　legs；　had　no　difficulty　in　　jumping　onto　the　top　of　it；　and　he　then　helped　the　others　up。　it　was　a　nasty　wet　business　for　　them；　though　not　for　him；　because　the　snow　now　lay　quite　deep　on　the　ledge。　they　then　had　a　　stiff　climb　…　jill　fell　once　…　up　very　rough　ground　for　about　a　hundred　yards；　and　came　　to　a　second　ledge。　there　were　four　of　these　ledges　altogether；　at　quite　irregular　　intervals。

as　they　struggled　on　to　the　fourth　ledge；　there　was　no　mistaking　the　fact　　that　they　were　now　at　the　top　of　the　flat　hill。　up　till　now　the　slope　had　given　them　some　　shelter；　here；　they　got　the　full　fury　of　the　wind。　for　the　hill；　oddly　enough；　was　quite　　as　flat　on　top　as　it　had　looked　from　a　distance：　a　great　level　tableland　which　the　storm　tore　　across　without　　

resistance。　in　most　places　the　snow　was　still　hardly　lying　at　all；　for　the　　wind　kept　catching　it　up　off　the　ground　in　sheets　and　clouds；　and　hurling　it　in　their　faces。　　and　round　their　feet　little　eddies　of　snow　ran　about　as　you　sometimes　see　them　doing　over　ice。　　and；　indeed；　in　many　places；　the　surface　was　almost　as　smooth　as　ice。　but　to　make　matters　　worse　it　was　crossed　and　crisscrossed　with　curious　banks　or　dykes；　which　sometimes　　divided　it　up　into　squares　and　oblongs。　all　these　of　course　had　to　be　climbed；　they　varied　　from　two　to　five　feet　in　height　and　were　about　a　couple　of　yards　thick。　on　the　north　side　of　　each　bank　the　snow　already　lay　in　deep　drifts；　and　after　each　climb　you　came　down　into　a　　drift　and　got　wet。

fighting　her　way　forward　with　hood　up　and　head　down　and　numb　hands　inside　　her　cloak；　jill　had　glimpses　of　other　odd　things　on　that　horrible　tableland　…　things　　on　her　right　that　looked　vaguely　like　factory　chimneys；　and；　on　her　left；　a　huge　cliff；　　straighter　than　any　cliff　ought　to　be。　but　she　wasnt　at　all　interested　and　didnt　give　them　a　　thought。　the　only　things　she　thought　about　were　her　cold　hands　（and　nose　and　chin　and　ears）　　and　hot　baths　and　beds　at　harfang。

suddenly　she　skidded；　slid　about　five　feet；　and　found　herself　to　her　horror　　sliding　down　into　a　dark；　narrow　chasm　which　seemed　that　moment　to　have　appeared　in　　front　of　her。

half　a　second　later　she　had　reached　the　bottom。　she　appeared　to　be　in　a　　kind　of　trench　or　groove；　only　about　three　feet　wide。　and　though　she　was　shaken　by　the　fall；　　almost　the　first　thing　she　noticed　was　the　relief　of　being　out　of　the　wind；　for　the　　walls　of　the　trench　rose　high　above　her。　the　next　thing　she　noticed　was；　naturally；　the　anxious　　faces　of　scrubb　and　puddleglum　looking　down　at　her　from　the　edge。

〃are　you　hurt；　pole？〃　shouted　scrubb。

〃both　legs　broken；　i　shouldnt　wonder；〃　shouted　puddleglum。

jill　stood　up　and　explained　that　she　was　all　right；　but　theyd　have　to　help　　her　out。

〃what　is　it　youve　fallen　into？〃　asked　scrubb。

〃its　a　kind　of　trench；　or　it　might　be　a　kind　of　sunken　lane　or　something；〃　　said　jill。　〃it　runs　quite　straight。”

〃yes；　by　jove；〃　said　scrubb。　〃and　it　runs　due　north！　i　wonder　is　it　a　sort　　of　road？　if　it　was；　wed　be　out　of　this　infernal　wind　down　there。　is　there　a　lot　of　snow　　at　the　bottom？”

〃hardly　any。　it　all　blows　over　the　top；　i　suppose。”

〃what　happens　farther　on？”

〃half　a　sec。　ill　go　and　see；〃　said　jill。　she　got　up　and　walked　along　the　　trench；　but　before　she　had　gone　far；　it　turned　sharply　to　the　right。　she　shouted　thi