《The Horse and His Boy》第5章

way。　no；　well　just　have　to　creep　along the　coast。　up　here　on　the　downs　well　meet　nothing　but　sheep　and　rabbits　and　gulls　and　a few　shepherds。　and　by　the　way；　what　about　starting？”
shastas　legs　ached　terribly　as　he　saddled　bree　and　climbed　into　the saddle；　but　the　horse　was　kindly　to　him　and　went　at　a　soft　pace　all　afternoon。　when　evening twilight　came　they　dropped　by　steep　tracks　into　a　valley　and　found　a　village。　before　they　got into　it　shasta　dismounted　and　entered　it　on　foot　to　buy　a　loaf　and　some　onions　and radishes。　the　horse　trotted　round　by　the　fields　in　the　dusk　and　met　shasta　at　the　far　side。 this　became　their　regular　plan　every　second　night。
these　were　great　days　for　shasta；　and　every　day　better　than　the　last　as　his muscles　hardened　and　he　fell　less　often。　even　at　the　end　of　his　training　bree　still said　he　sat　like　a　bag　of　flour　in　the　saddle。　〃and　even　if　it　was　safe；　young　un；　id　be ashamed　to　be　seen　with　you　on　the　main　road。〃　but　in　spite　of　his　rude　words　bree　was　a patient　teacher。　no　one　can　teach　riding　so　well　as　a　horse。　shasta　learned　to　trot；　to　canter； to　jump；　and　to　keep　his　seat　even　when　bree　pulled　up　suddenly　or　swung　unexpectedly　to the　left　or　the　right　…　which；　as　bree　told　him；　was　a　thing　you　might　have　to　do　at　any moment　in　a　battle。　and　then　of　course　shasta　begged　to　be　told　of　the　battles　and　wars in　which　bree　had　carried　the　tarkaan。　and　bree　would　tell　of　forced　marches　and　the fording　of　swift　rivers；　of　charges　and　of　fierce　fights　between　cavalry　and　cavalry　when the　war　horses　fought　as　well　as　the　men；　being　all　fierce　stallions；　trained　to　bite　and kick；　and　to　rear　at　the　right　moment　so　that　the　horses　weight　as　well　as　the　riders　would e　down　on　a　enemys　crest　in　the　stroke　of　sword　or　battleaxe。　but　bree　did　not　want　to talk　about　the　wars　as　often　as　shasta　wanted　to　hear　about　them。　〃dont　speak　of　them； youngster；〃　he　would　say。　〃they　were　only　the　tisrocs　wars　and　i　fought　in　them　as　a slave　and　a　dumb　beast。　give　me　the　narnian　wars　where　i　shall　fight　as　a　free　horse　among my　own　people！　those　will　be　wars　worth　talking　about。　narnia　and　the　north！　bra…　ha…ha！　broo　hoo！”
shasta　soon　learned；　when　he　heard　bree　talking　like　that；　to　prepare　for　a gallop。
after　they　had　travelled　on　for　weeks　and　weeks　past　more　bays　and headlands　and　rivers　and　villages　than　shasta　could　remember；　there　came　a　moonlit　night　when they　started　their　journey　at　evening；　having　slept　during　the　day。　they　had　left　the downs　behind　them　and　were　crossing　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。”
〃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。”
〃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。”
〃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。”
〃what　shall　we　do？〃　said　shasta　in　a　lower　whisper　than　before。　〃do　you think　he　can　see　us　as　well　as　hear　us？”
〃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。”
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。”
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。”
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。”
〃all　the　b…better；〃　panted　bree。　〃tarkaan　on　it　…　will　have　a　sword　… protect　us　all。”
〃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