《The Last Battle》第26章

the drum　boomed　on。　then；　to　their　horror；　tirian　and　his　friends　heard；　far　fainter　as　if from　a　long　way　off；　an　answering　drum。　another　body　of　calormenes　had　heard　rishdas signal　and　were　ing　to　support　him。　you　would　not　have　known　from　tirians　face　that　he had　now　given　up　all　hope。
〃listen；〃　he　whispered　in　a　matter…of…fact　voice；　〃we　must　attack　now； before　yonder　miscreants　are　strengthened　by　their　friends。”
〃bethink　you；　sire；〃　said　poggin；　〃that　here　we　have　the　good　wooden　wall of　the　stable　at　our　backs。　if　we　advance；　shall　we　not　be　encircled　and　get　sword…points between　our　shoulders？”
〃i　would　say　as　you　do；　dwarf；〃　said　tirian。　〃were　it　not　their　very　plan to　force　us　into　the　stable？　the　further　we　are　from　its　deadly　door；　the　better。”
〃the　king　is　right；〃　said　farsight。　〃away　from　this　accursed　stable；　and whatever　goblin　lives　inside　it；　at　all　costs。”
〃yes；　do　lets；〃　said　eustace。　〃im　ing　to　hate　the　very　sight　of　it。”
〃good；〃　said　tirian。　〃now　look　yonder　to　our　left。　you　see　a　great　rock that　gleams　white　like　marble　in　the　firelight。　first　we　will　fall　upon　those　calormenes。 you；　maiden；　shall　move　out　on　our　left　and　shoot　as　fast　as　ever　you　may　into　their　ranks： and　you；　eagle；　fly　at　their　faces　from　the　right。　meanwhile　we　others　will　be　charging them。　when　we　are　so　close；　jill；　that　you　can　no　longer　shoot　at　them　for　fear　of striking　us；　go　back　to　the　white　rock　and　wait。　you　others；　keep　your　ears　wide　even　in　the fighting。　we　must　put　them　to　flight　in　a　few　minutes　or　else　not　at　all；　for　we　are　fewer than　they。　as　soon　as　i　call　back；　then　rush　to　join　jill　at　the　white　rock；　where　we　shall have　protection　behind　us　and　can　breathe　awhile。　now；　be　off；　jill。”
feeling　terribly　alone；　jill　ran　out　about　twenty　feet；　put　her　right　leg back　and　her　left　leg　forward；　and　set　an　arrow　to　her　string。　she　wished　her　hands　were　not shaking　so。
〃thats　a　rotten　shot！〃　she　said　as　her　first　arrow　sped　towards　the　enemy and　flew　over　their　heads。　but　she　had　another　on　the　string　next　moment：　she　knew　that speed　was　what　mattered。　she　saw　something　big　and　black　darting　into　the　faces　of the　calormenes。　that　was　farsight。　first　one　man；　and　then　another；　dropped his　sword　and　put　up　both　his　hands　to　defend　his　eyes。　then　one　of　her　own　arrows　hit　a man；　and　another　hit　a　narnian　wolf；　who　had；　it　seemed；　joined　the　enemy。　but　she had　been　shooting　only　for　a　few　seconds　when　she　had　to　stop。　with　a　flash　of swords　and　of　the　boars　tusks　and　jewels　horn；　and　with　deep　baying　from　the　dogs；　tirian and　his　party　were　rushing　on　their　enemies；　like　men　in　a　hundred　yards　race。　jill　was astonished　to　see　how　unprepared　the　calormenes　seemed　to　be。　she　did　not　realize　that this　was　the　result　of　her　work　and　the　eagles。　very　few　troops　can　keep　on　looking steadily　to　the　front　if　they　are　getting　arrows　in　their　faces　from　one　side　and　being pecked　by　an　eagle　on　the　other。
〃oh　well　done。　well　done！〃　shouted　jill。　the　kings　party　were　cutting their　way　right　into　the　enemy。　the　unicorn　was　tossing　men　as　youd　toss　hay　on　a　fork。 even　eustace　seemed　to　jill　（who　after　all　didnt　know　very　much　about　swordsmanship）　to be　fighting　brilliantly。　the　dogs　were　at　the　calormenes　throats。　it　was　going　to work！　it　was　victory　at　last　…　with　a　horrible；　cold　shock　jill　noticed　a　strange　thing。 though　calormenes　were　falling　at　each　narnian　sword…stroke；　they　never　seemed　to get　any　fewer。　in　fact；　there　were　actually　more　of　them　now　than　when　the　fight began。　there　were　more　every　second。　they　were　running　up　from　every　side。　they　were　new　calormenes。　these　new　ones　had　spears。　there　was　such　a　crowd　of　them　that she　could　hardly　see　her　own　friends。　then　she　heard　tirians　voice　crying：
〃back！　to　the　rock！”
the　enemy　had　been　reinforced。　the　drum　had　done　its　work。
。。！
CHAPTER　TWELVE
。^生。网
through　the　stable　door jill　ought　to　have　been　back　at　the　white　rock　already　but　she　had　quite forgotten　that　part　of　her　orders　in　the　excitement　of　watching　the　fight。　now　she remembered。　she　turned　at　once　and　ran　to　it；　and　arrived　there　barely　a　second　before　the others。　it　thus　happened　that　all　of　them；　for　a　moment；　had　their　backs　to　the　enemy。　they all　wheeled　round　the　moment　they　had　reached　it。　a　terrible　sight　met　their　eyes。
a　calormene　was　running　towards　the　stable　door　carrying　something　that kicked　and　struggled。　as　he　came　between　them　and　the　fire　they　could　see　clearly　both the　shape　of　the　man　and　the　shape　of　what　he　carried。　it　was　eustace。
tirian　and　the　unicorn　rushed　out　to　rescue　him。　but　the　calormene　was　now far　nearer　to　the　door　then　they。　before　they　had　covered　half　the　distance　he　had flung　eustace　in　and　shut　the　door　on　him。　half　a　dozen　more　calormenes　had　run　up　behind him。　they　formed　a　line　on　the　open　space　before　the　stable。　there　was　no　getting　at it　now。
even　then　jill　remembered　to　keep　her　face　turned　aside；　well　away　from　her bow。　〃even　if　i　cant　stop　blubbing；　i　wont　get　my　string　wet；〃　she　said。
〃ware　arrows；〃　said　poggin　suddenly。
everyone　ducked　and　pulled　his　helmet　well　over　his nose。　the　dogs　crouched　behind。　but　though　a　few　arrows　came　their　way　it soon　became　clear　that　they　were　not　being　shot　at。　griffle　and　his　dwarfs　were at　their　archery　again。　this　time　they　were　coolly　shooting　at　the　calormenes。
〃keep　it　up；　boys！〃　came　griffles　voice。　〃all　together。　carefully。　we dont　want　darkies　any　more　than　we　want　monkeys　…　or　lions　…　or　kings。　the　dwarfs　are　for　the dwarfs。”
whatever　else　you　may　say　about　dwarfs；　no　one　can　say　they　arent　brave。 they　could　easily　have　got　away　to　some　safe　place。　they　preferred　to　stay　and　kill　as many　of　both　sides　as　they　could；　except　when　both　sides　were　kind　enough　to　save　them trouble　by　killing　one　another。　they　wanted　narnia　for　their　own。
what　perhaps　they　had　not　taken　into　account　was　that　the　calormenes　were mail…clad　and　the　horses　had　had　no　protection。　also　the　calormenes　had　a　leader。 rishda　tarkaans　voice　cried　out： 〃thirty　of　you　keep　watch　on　those　fools　by　the　white　rock