669小说网

chater eight narrw ecae（第1页）

EVERYONEwascheerfulastheDawnTreadersailedfromDragonIsland．TheyhadfairwindsassoonastheywereoutofthebayandcameearlynextmorningtotheunknownlandwhichsomeofthemhadseenwhenflyingoverthemountainswhileEustacewasstilladragon．Itwasalowgreenislandinhabitedbynothingbutrabbitsandafewgoats，butfromtheruinsofstonehuts，andfromblackenedplaceswherefireshadbeen，theyjudgedthatithadbeenpeoplednotlongbefore．Therewerealsosomebonesandbrokenweapons．

“Pirates’work，”saidCaspian．

“Orthedragon’s，”saidEdmund．

Theonlyotherthingtheyfoundtherewasalittleskinboat，orcoracle，onthesands．Itwasmadeofhidestretchedoverawickerframework．Itwasatinyboat，barelyfourfeetlong，andthepaddlewhichstilllayinitwasinproportion．Theythoughtthateitherithadbeenmadeforachildorelsethatthepeopleofthat

countryhadbeenDwarfs．Reepicheepdecidedtokeepit，asitwasjusttherightsizeforhim；soitwastakenonboard．TheycalledthatlandBurntIsland，andsailedawaybeforenoon．

Forsomefivedaystheyranbeforeasouth-southeastwind，outofsightofalllandsandseeingneitherfishnorgull．Thentheyhadadaythatrainedhardtilltheafternoon．EustacelosttwogamesofchesstoReepicheepandbegantogetlikehisoldanddisagreeableselfagain，andEdmundsaidhewishedtheycouldhavegonetoAmericawithSusan．ThenLucylookedoutofthesternwindowsandsaid：

“Hello！Idobelieveit’sstopping．Andwhat’sthat？”

TheyalltumbleduptothepoopatthisandfoundthattherainhadstoppedandthatDrinian，whowasonwatch，wasalsostaringhardatsomethingastern．Orrather，atseveralthings．Theylookedalittlelikesmoothroundedrocks，awholelineofthemwithintervalsofaboutfortyfeetinbetween．

“Buttheycan’tberocks，”Drinianwassaying，“becausetheyweren’ttherefiveminutesago．”

“Andone’sjustdisappeared，”saidLucy．

“Yes，andthere’sanotheronecomingup，”saidEdmund．

“Andnearer，”saidEustace．

“Hangit！”saidCaspian．“Thewholethingismovingthisway．”

“Andmovingagreatdealquickerthanwecansail，Sire，”saidDrinian．“It’llbeupwithusinaminute．”

Theyallheldtheirbreath，foritisnotatallnicetobepursuedbyanunknownsomethingeitheronlandorsea．Butwhatitturnedouttobewasfarworsethananyonehadsuspected．Suddenly，onlyaboutthelengthofacricketpitchfromtheirportside，anappallingheadreareditselfoutofthesea．Itwasallgreensandvermilionswithpurpleblotches—exceptwhereshellfishclungtoit—andshapedratherlikeahorse’s，thoughwithoutears．Ithadenormouseyes，eyesmadeforstaringthroughthedarkdepthsoftheocean，andagapingmouthfilledwithdoublerowsofsharpfish-liketeeth．Itcameuponwhattheyfirsttooktobeahugeneck，butasmoreandmoreofitemergedeveryoneknewthatthiswasnotitsneckbutitsbodyandthatatlasttheywereseeingwhatsomanypeoplehavefoolishlywantedtosee—thegreatSeaSerpent．Thefoldsofitsgigantictailcouldbeseenfaraway，risingatintervalsfromthesurface．Andnowitsheadwastoweringuphigherthanthemast．

Everymanrushedtohisweapon，buttherewasnothingtobedone，themonsterwasoutofreach．“Shoot！Shoot！”criedtheMasterBowman，andseveralobeyed，butthearrowsglancedofftheSeaSerpent’shideasifitwasiron—plated．Then，foradreadfulminute，everyonewasstill，staringupatitseyesandmouthandwonderingwhereitwouldpounce．

Butitdidn’tpounce．Itshotitsheadforwardacrosstheshiponalevelwiththeyardofthemast．Nowitsheadwasjustbesidethefightingtop．Stillitstretchedandstretchedtillitsheadwasoverthestarboardbulwark．Thendownitbegantocome—notontothecrowdeddeckbutintothewater，sothatthewholeshipwasunderanarchofserpent．Andalmostatoncethatarchbegantogetsmaller：indeedonthestarboardtheSeaSerpentwasnowalmosttouchingtheDawnTreader’sside．

Eustace（whohadreallybeentryingveryhardtobehavewell，tilltherainandthechessputhimback）nowdidthefirstbravethinghehadeverdone．HewaswearingaswordthatCaspianhadlenthim．Assoonastheserpent’sbodywasnearenoughonthestarboardsidehejumpedontothebulwarkandbeganhackingatitwithallhismight．ItistruethatheaccomplishednothingbeyondbreakingCaspian’ssecond-bestswordintobits，butitwasafinethingforabeginnertohavedone．

OtherswouldhavejoinedhimifatthatmomentReepicheephadnotcalledout，“Don’tfight！Push！”ItwassounusualfortheMousetoadviseanyonenottofightthat，eveninthatterriblemoment，everyeyeturnedtohim．Andwhenhejumpedupontothebulwark，forwardofthesnake，andsethislittlefurrybackagainstitshugescaly，slimyback，andbeganpushingashardashecould，quiteanumberofpeoplesawwhathemeantandrushedtobothsidesoftheshiptodothesame．Andwhen，amomentlater，theSeaSerpent’sheadappearedagain，thistimeontheportside，andthistimewithitsbacktothem，theneveryoneunderstood．

ThebrutehadmadealoopofitselfroundtheDawnTreaderandwasbeginningtodrawthelooptight．Whenitgotquitetight—snap！—therewouldbefloatingmatchwoodwheretheshiphadbeenanditcouldpickthemoutofthewateronebyone．Theironlychancewastopushtheloopbackwardtillitslidoverthestern；orelse（toputthesamethinganotherway）topushtheshipforwardoutoftheloop．

Reepicheepalonehad，ofcourse，nomorechanceofdoingthisthanofliftingupacathedral，buthehadnearlykilledhimselfwithtryingbeforeothersshovedhimaside．Verysoonthewholeship’scompanyexceptLucyandtheMouse（whichwasfainting）wasintwolonglinesalongthetwobulwarks，eachman’schesttothebackofthemaninfront，sothattheweightofthewholelinewasinthelastman，pushingfortheirlives．Forafewsickeningseconds（whichseemedlikehours）nothingappearedtohappen．Jointscracked，sweatdropped，breathcameingruntsandgasps．Thentheyfeltthattheshipwasmoving．Theysawthatthesnake-loopwasfurtherfromthemastthanithadbeen．Buttheyalsosawthatitwassmaller．Andnowtherealdangerwasathand．Couldtheygetitoverthepoop，orwasitalreadytootight？Yes．Itwouldjustfit．Itwasrestingonthepooprails．Adozenormorespranguponthepoop．Thiswasfarbetter．TheSeaSerpent’sbodywassolownowthattheycouldmakealineacrossthepoopandpushsidebyside．Hoperosehightilleveryonerememberedthehighcarvedstern，thedragontail，oftheDawnTreader．Itwouldbequiteimpossibletogetthebruteoverthat．

“Anaxe，”criedCaspianhoarsely，“andstillshove．”Lucy，whoknewwhereeverythingwas，heardhimwhereshewasstandingonthemaindeckstaringupatthepoop．Inafewsecondsshehadbeenbelow，gottheaxe，andwasrushinguptheladdertothepoop．Butjustasshereachedthetoptherecameagreatcrashingnoiselikeatreecomingdownandtheshiprockedanddartedforward．Foratthatverymoment，whetherbecausetheSeaSerpentwasbeingpushedsohard，orbecauseitfoolishlydecidedtodrawthenoosetight，thewholeofthecarvedsternbrokeoffandtheshipwasfree．

TheothersweretooexhaustedtoseewhatLucysaw．There，afewyardsbehindthem，theloopofSeaSerpent’sbodygotrapidlysmalleranddisappearedintoasplash．Lucyalwayssaid（butofcourseshewasveryexcitedatthemoment，anditmayhavebeenonlyimagination）thatshesawalookofidioticsatisfactiononthecreature’sface．Whatiscertainisthatitwasaverystupidanimal，forinsteadofpursuingtheshipitturneditsheadroundandbegannosingallalongitsownbodyasifitexpectedtofindthewreckageoftheDawnTreaderthere．ButtheDawnTreaderwasalreadywellaway，runningbeforeafreshbreeze，andthemenlayandsatpantingandgroaningallaboutthedeck，tillpresentlytheywereabletotalkaboutit，andthentolaughaboutit．Andwhensomerumhadbeenservedouttheyevenraisedacheer；andeveryonepraisedthevalourofEustace（thoughithadn’tdoneanygood）andofReepicheep．

Afterthistheysailedforthreedaysmoreandsawnothingbutseaandsky．Onthefourthdaythewindchangedtothenorthandtheseasbegantorise；bytheafternoonithadnearlybecomeagale．Butatthesametimetheysightedlandontheirportbow．

“Byyourleave，Sire，”saidDrinian，“wewilltrytogetundertheleeofthatcountrybyrowingandlieinharbour，maybetillthisisover．”Caspianagreed，butalongrowagainstthegaledidnotbringthemtothelandbeforeevening．Bythelastlightofthatdaytheysteeredintoanaturalharbourandanchored，butnoonewentashorethatnight．Inthemorningtheyfoundthemselvesinthegreenbayofarugged，lonely-lookingcountrywhichslopeduptoarockysummit．Fromthewindynorthbeyondthatsummitcloudscamestreamingrapidly．Theyloweredtheboatandloadedherwithanyofthewatercaskswhichwerenowempty．

“Whichstreamshallwewaterat，Drinian？”saidCaspianashetookhisseatinthestern-sheetsoftheboat．“Thereseemtobetwocomingdownintothebay．”

“Itmakeslittleodds，Sire，”saidDrinian．“ButIthinkit’sashorterpulltothatonthestarboard—theeasternone．”

“Herecomestherain，”saidLucy．

“Ishouldthinkitdoes！”saidEdmund，foritwasalreadypeltinghard．“Isay，let’sgototheotherstream．Therearetreesthereandwe’llhavesomeshelter．”

“Yes，let’s，”saidEustace．“Nopointingettingwetterthanweneed．”

ButallthetimeDrinianwassteadilysteeringtothestarboard，liketiresomepeopleincarswhocontinueatfortymilesanhourwhileyouareexplainingtothemthattheyareonthewrongroad．

“They’reright，Drinian，”saidCaspian．“Whydon’tyoubringherheadroundandmakeforthewesternstream？”