《The Horse and His Boy》第30章

eyes　blinded　them　and　made　them　smart。　he　was　unsteady　on　his　feet　too；　and　more　than once　he　nearly　turned　his　ankle　on　a　loose　stone。
the　trees　were　thicker　now　than　they　had　yet　been　and　in　the　more　open spaces　there　was　bracken。　the　sun　had　gone　in　without　making　it　any　cooler。　it　had　bee one　of　those　hot；　grey　days　when　there　seem　to　be　twice　as　many　flies　as　usual。　shastas face　was　covered　with　them；　he　didnt　even　try　to　shake　them　off　…　he　had　too　much else　to　do。
suddenly　he　heard　a　horn　…　not　a　great　throbbing　horn　like　the　horns　of tashbaan　but　a　merry　call；　ti…ro…to…to…ho！　next　moment　he　came　out　into　a　wide　glade　and found　himself　in　a　crowd　of　people。
at　least；　it　looked　a　crowd　to　him。　in　reality　there　were　about　fifteen　or twenty　of　them；　all　gentlemen　in　green　huntingdress；　with　their　horses；　some　in　the　saddle and　some　standing　by　their　horses　heads。　in　the　centre　someone　was　holding　the stirrup　for　a　man　to　mount。　and　the　man　he　was　holding　it　for　was　the　jolliest；　fat； applecheeked；　twinkling　eyed　king　you　could　imagine。
as　soon　as　shasta　came　in　sight　this　king　forgot　all　about　mounting　his horse。　he　spread　out　his　arms　to　shasta；　his　face　lit　up；　and　he　cried　out　in　a　great；　deep voice　that　seemed　to　e　from　the　bottom　of　his　chest： 〃corin！　my　son！　and　on　foot；　and　in　rags！　what…”
〃no；〃　panted　shasta；　shaking　his　head。　〃not　prince　corin。　i　…　i　…　know　im like　him。。。　saw　his　highness　in　tashbaan。。。　sent　his　greetings。”
the　king　was　staring　at　shasta　with　an　extraordinary　expression　on　his face。
〃are　you　k…king　lune？〃　gasped　shasta。　and　then；　without　waiting　for　an answer；　〃lord　king　…　fly　…　anvard　shut　the　gates　…　enemies　upon　you　…　rabadash　and　two hundred　horse。”
〃have　you　assurance　of　this；　boy？〃　asked　one　of　the　other　gentlemen。
〃my　own　eyes；〃　said　shasta。　〃ive　seen　them。　raced　them　all　the　way　from tashbaan。”
〃on　foot？〃　said　the　gentleman；　raising　his　eyebrows　a　little。
horses…with　the　hermit；〃　said　shasta。
〃question　him　no　more；　darrin；〃　said　king　lune。　〃i　see　truth　in　his　face。 we　must　ride　for　it；　gentlemen。　a　spare　horse　there；　for　the　boy。　you　can　ride　fast； friend？”
for　answer　shasta　put　his　foot　in　the　stirrup　of　the　horse　which　had　been led　towards　him　and　a　moment　later　he　was　in　the　saddle。　he　had　done　it　a　hundred　times with　bree　in　the　last　few　weeks；　and　his　mounting　was　very　different　now　from　what　it　had been　on　that　first　night　when　bree　had　said　that　he　climbed　up　a　horse　as　if　he　were climbing　a　haystack。
he　was　pleased　to　hear　the　lord　darrin　say　to　the　king；　〃the　boy　has　a　true horsemans　seat；　sire。　ill　warrant　theres　noble　blood　in　him。”
〃his　blood；　aye；　theres　the　point；〃　said　the　king。　and　he　stared　hard　at shasta　again　with　that　curious　expression；　almost　a　hungry　expression；　in　his　steady；　grey eyes。
but　by　now　…the　whole　party　was　moving　off　at　a　brisk　canter。　shastas　seat was　excellent　but　he　was　sadly　puzzled　what　to　do　with　his　reins；　for　he　had　never touched　the　reins　while　he　was　on　brees　back。　but　he　looked　very　carefully　out　of　the corners　of　his　eyes　to　see　what　the　others　were　doing　（as　some　of　us　have　done　at　parties　when we　werent　quite　sure　which　knife　or　fork　we　were　meant　to　use）　and　tried　to　get　his fingers　right。　but　he　didnt　dare　to　try　really　directing　the　horse；　he　trusted　it　would follow　the　rest。　the　horse　was　of　course　an　ordinary　horse；　not　a　talking　horse；　but　it　had quite　wits　enough　to　realize　that　the　strange　boy　on　its　back　had　no　whip　and　no　spurs　and was　not　really　master　of　the　situation。　that　was　why　shasta　soon　found　himself　at　the　tail end　of　the　procession。
even　so；　he　was　going　pretty　fast。　there　were　no　flies　now　and　the　air　in his　face　was　delicious。　he　had　got　his　breath　back　too。　and　his　errand　had　succeeded。 for　the　first　time　since　the　arrival　at　tashbaan　（how　long　ago　it　seemed！）　he　was beginning　to　enjoy　himself。
he　looked　up　to　see　how　much　nearer　the　mountain　tops　had　e。　to　his　disappointment　he　could　not　see　them　at　all：　only　a　vague　greyness；　rolling down　towards　them。　he　had　never　been　in　mountain　country　before　and　was　surprised。　〃its a　cloud；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃a　cloud　ing　down。　i　see。　up　here　in　the　hills　one　is really　in　the　sky。
i　shall　see　what　the　inside　of　a　cloud　is　like。　what　fun！　ive　often wondered。〃　far　away　on　his　left　and　a　little　behind　him；　the　sun　was　getting　ready　to　set。
they　had　e　to　a　rough　kind　of　road　by　now　and　were　making　very　good speed。　but　shastas　horse　was　still　the　last　of　the　lot。　once　or　twice　when　the　road made　a　bend　（there　was　now　continuous　forest　on　each　side　of　it）　he　lost　sight　of　the others　for　a　second　or　two。
then　they　plunged　into　the　fog；　or　else　the　fog　rolled　over　them。　the　world became　grey。
shasta　had　not　realized　how　cold　and　wet　the　inside　of　a　cloud　would　be； nor　how　dark。
the　grey　turned　to　black　with　alarming　speed。
someone　at　the　head　of　the　column　winded　the　horn　every　now　and　then；　and each　time　the　sound　came　from　a　little　farther　off。　he　couldnt　see　any　of　the　others now；　but　of　course　hed　be　able　to　as　soon　as　he　got　round　the　next　bend。　but　when　he rounded　it　he　still　couldnt　see　them。　in　fact　he　could　see　nothing　at　all。　his　horse　was walking　now。
〃get　on；　horse；　get　on；〃　said　shasta。　then　came　the　horn；　very　faint。　bree had　always　told　him　that　he　must　keep　his　heels　well　turned　out；　and　shasta　had　got the　idea　that　something　very　terrible　would　happen　if　he　dug　his　heels　into　a　horses sides。　this　seemed　to　him　an　occasion　for　trying　it。　〃look　here；　horse；〃　he　said；　〃if you　dont　buck　up；　do　you　know　what　ill　do？　ill　dig　my　heels　into　you。　i　really　will。〃 the　horse；　however；　took　no　notice　of　this　threat。　so　shasta　settled　himself　firmly　in the　saddle；　gripped　with　his　knees；　clenched　his　teeth；　and　punched　both　the　horses sides　with　his　heels　as　hard　as　he　could。
the　only　result　was　that　the　horse　broke　into　a　kind　of　pretence　of　a　trot for　five　or　six　paces　and　then　subsided　into　a　walk　again。　and　now　it　was　quite　dark　and they　seemed　to　have　given　up　blowing　that　horn。　the　only　sound　was　a　steady　drip…drip　from the　bra