《The Horse and His Boy》第35章

harged　me　not　to　carry　it　monly　to　the wars　and　to　keep　it　only　for　great　extremities！”
what　had　happened　was　this。　as　soon　as　corin　had　spoken　to　shasta；　corins elbow　had　been　plucked　by　a　dwarf　in　the　army　called　thornbut。
〃what　is　it；　thornbut？〃　corin　had　said。
〃your　royal　highness；〃　said　thornbut；　drawing　him　aside；　〃our　march　today will　bring　us　through　the　pass　and　right　to　your　royal　fathers　castle。　we　may　be　in battle　before　night。”
〃i　know；〃　said　corin。　〃isnt　it　splendid！”
〃splendid　or　not；〃　said　thornbut；　〃i　have　the　strictest　orders　from　king edmund　to　see　to　it　that　your　highness　is　not　in　the　fight。　you　will　be　allowed　to　see　it； and　thats　treat　enough　for　your　highnesss　little　years。”
〃oh　what　nonsense！〃　corin　burst　out。　〃of　course　im　going　to　fight。　why； the　queen　lucys　going　to　be　with　the　archers。”
〃the　queens　grace　will　do　as　she　pleases；〃　said　thornbut。　〃but　you　are　in my　charge。
either　i　must　have　your　solemn　and　princely　word　that　youll　keep　your　pony beside　mine　…　not　half　a　neck　ahead　…　till　i　give　your　highness　leave　to　depart：　or else　…　it　is　his　majestys　word　…　we　must　go　with　our　wrists　tied　together　like　two prisoners。”
〃ill　knock　you　down　if　you　try　to　bind　me；〃　said　corm。
〃id　like　to　see　your　highness　do　it；〃　said　the　dwarf。
that　was　quite　enough　for　a　boy　like　corin　and　in　a　second　he　and　the　dwarf were　at　it　hammer　and　tongs。　it　would　have　been　an　even　match　for；　though　corin　had longer　arms　and　more　height；　the　dwarf　was　older　and　tougher。　but　it　was　never　fought out　（thats　the　worst　of　fights　on　a　rough　hillside）　for　by　very　bad　luck　thornbut　trod　on a　loose　stone；　came　flat　down　on　his　nose；　and　found　when　he　tried　to　get　up　that　he　had sprained　his　ankle：　a　real　excruciating　sprain　which　would　keep　him　from　walking　or riding　for　at　least　a　fortnight。
〃see　what　your　highness　has　done；〃　said　king　edmund。　〃deprived　us　of　a proved　warrior　on　the　very　edge　of　battle。”
〃ill　take　his　place；　sire；〃　said　corin。
〃pshaw；〃　said　edmund。　〃no　one　doubts　your　courage。　but　a　boy　in　battle　is　a danger　only　to　his　own　side。”
at　that　moment　the　king　was　called　away　to　attend　to　something　else；　and corin；　after　apologizing　handsomely　to　the　dwarf；　rushed　up　to　shasta　and　whispered； 〃quick。　theres　a　spare　pony　now；　and　the　dwarfs　armour。　put　it　on　before anyone　notices。”
〃what　for？〃　said　shasta。
〃why；　so　that　you　and　i　can　fight　in　the　battle　of　course！　dont　you　want to？”
〃oh　…　ah；　yes；　of　course；〃　said　shasta。　but　he　hadnt　been　thinking　of doing　so　at　all；　and　began　to　get　a　most　unfortable　prickly　feeling　in　his　spine。
〃thats　right；〃　said　corin。　〃over　your　head。　now　the　sword…belt。　but　we must　ride　near　the　tail　of　the　column　and　keep　as　quiet　as　mice。　once　the　battle　begins everyone　will　be　far　too　busy　to　notice　us。”
CHAPTER　THIRTEEN
小说
the　fight　at　anvard by　about　eleven　oclock　the　whole　pany　was　once　more　on　the　march； riding　westward　with　the　mountains　on　their　left。　corin　and　shasta　rode　right　at the　rear　with　the　giants　immediately　in　front　of　them。　lucy　and　edmund　and　peridan　were　busy with　their　plans　for　the　battle　and　though　lucy　once　said；　〃but　where　is　his　goosecap highness？”
edmund　only　replied；　〃not　in　the　front；　and　thats　good　news　enough。　leave well　alone。”
shasta　told　corin　most　of　his　adventures　and　explained　that　he　had　learned all　his　riding　from　a　horse　and　didnt　really　know　how　to　use　the　reins。　corin　instructed him　in　this；　besides　telling　him　all　about　their　secret　sailing　from　tashbaan。
〃and　where　is　the　queen　susan？”
〃at　cair　paravel；〃　said　corin。　〃shes　not　like　lucy；　you　know；　whos　as good　as　a　man；　or　at　any　rate　as　good　as　a　boy。　queen　susan　is　more　like　an　ordinary　grown…up lady。　she　doesnt　ride　to　the　wars；　though　she　is　an　excellent　archer。”
the　hillside　path　which　they　were　following　became　narrower　all　the　time and　the　drop　on　their　right　hand　became　steeper。　at　last　they　were　going　in　single　file along　the　edge　of　a　precipice　and　shasta　shuddered　to　think　that　he　had　done　the　same　last night　without　knowing　it。　〃but　of　course；〃　he　thought；　〃i　was　quite　safe。　that　is　why　the lion　kept　on　my　left。　he　was　between　me　and　the　edge　all　the　time。”
then　the　path　went　left　and　south　away　from　the　cliff　and　there　were　thick woods　on　both　sides　of　it　and　they　went　steeply　up　and　up　into　the　pass。　there　would　have been　a　splendid　view　from　the　top　if　it　were　open　ground　but　among　all　those　trees you　could　see　nothing　…　only；　every　now　and　then；　some　huge　pinnacle　of　rock　above　the tree…tops；　and　an　eagle　or　two　wheeling　high　up　in　the　blue　air。
〃they　smell　battle；〃　said　corin；　pointing　at　the　birds。　〃they　know　were preparing　a　feed　for　them。”
shasta　didnt　like　this　at　all。
when　they　had　crossed　the　neck　of　the　pass　and　e　a　good　deal　lower　they reached　more　open　ground　and　from　here　shasta　could　see　all　archenland；　blue　and hazy；　spread
out　below　him　and　even　（he　thought）　a　hint　of　the　desert　beyond　it。　but　the sun；　which　had　perhaps　two　hours　or　so　to　go　before　it　set；　was　in　his　eyes　and　he couldnt　make　things　out　distinctly。
here　the　army　halted　and　spread　out　in　a　line；　and　there　was　a　great　deal of　rearranging。　a　whole　detachment　of　very　dangerous…looking　talking　beasts　whom　shasta　had not　noticed　before　and　who　were　mostly　of　the　cat　kind　（leopards；　panthers；　and the　like）
went　padding　and　growling　to　take　up　their　positions　on　the　left。　the giants　were　ordered　to　the　right；　and　before　going　there　they　all　took　off　something　they　had been　carrying　on　their　backs　and　sat　down　for　a　moment。　then　shasta　saw　that　what　they　had been　carrying　and　were　now　putting　on　were　pairs　of　boots：　horrid；　heavy；　spiked boots　which　came　up　to　their　knees。　then　they　sloped　their　huge　clubs　over　their shoulders　and　marched　to　their　battle　position。　the　archers；　with　queen　lucy；　fell　to　the rear　and　you　could　first　see　them　bending　their　bows　and　then　hear　the　twangtwang　as they　tested　the　strings。　and　wherever　you　looked　you　could　see　people　tightening　girths； putting　on　helmets；　drawing　swords；　and　throwing　cloa