《能言馬與男孩》第9期:道旁遇險(4)
"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, I'm ashamed of myself. I'm just as frightened as a common, dumb Calor mene horse. I am really. I don't feel like a Talking Horse at all. I don't mind swords and lances and arrows but I can't bear - those creatures. I think I'll 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 stone's 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. They'll 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 he did sheer away to his right. Oddly enough the other horse seemed also to be sheering away to the left, so that in a few seconds the space between them had widened a good deal. But as soon as it did so there came two more lions' roars, immediately after one another, one on the right and the other on the left, the horses began drawing nearer together. So, apparently, did the lions. The roaring of the brutes on each side was horribly close and they seemed to be keeping up with the galloping horses quite easily. Then the cloud rolled away. The moonlight, astonishingly bright, showed up everything almost as if it were broad day. The two horses and two riders were galloping neck to neck and knee to knee just as if they were in a race. Indeed Bree said (afterwards) that a finer race had never been seen in Calormen.
Shasta now gave himself up for lost and began to wonder whether lions killed you quickly or played with you as a cat plays with a mouse and how much it would hurt. At the same time (one sometimes does this at the most frightful moments) he noticed everything. He saw that the other rider was a very small, slender person, mail-clad (the moon shone on the mail) and riding magnificently. He had no beard.
Something flat and shining was spread out before them. Before Shasta had time even to guess what it was there was
a great splash and he found his mouth half full of salt water. The shining thing had been a long inlet of the sea. Both horses were swimming and the water was up to Shasta's knees. There was an angry roaring behind them and looking back Shasta saw a great, shaggy, and terrible shape crouched on the water's edge; but only one. "We must have shaken off the other lion," he thought.
The lion apparently did not think its prey worth a wetting; at any rate it made no attempt to take the water in pursuit. The two horses, side by side, were now well out into the middle of the creek and the opposite shore could be clearly seen. The Tarkaan had not yet spoken a word. "But he will," thought Shasta. "As soon as we have landed. What am I to say? I must begin thinking out a story."
Then, suddenly, two voices spoke at his side.
"Oh, I am so tired," said the one. "Hold your tongue, Hwin, and don't be a fool," said the other.
"I'm dreaming," thought Shasta. "I could have sworn that other horse spoke."
他們慢步行走時，布里說道：”沙斯塔，我爲我自己感到羞恥。我竟嚇得像匹卡樂門的平平常常的啞巴馬兒樣。我確實如此。我的感覺壓根兒不像能說話的馬兒。對於劍呀矛呀箭呀，我都滿不存呼，但我受不了——這些動物。我想我又要小跑會兒了。”
然而，一分鐘以後，它又開始奔馳起來了那也沒有什麼可奇怪的，因爲咆哮聲又響起來了，這回是從他們左邊樹林那個方向傳來的。
“兩頭獅子哩。”布里哀嘆道。
他們奔馳了好幾分鐘，不復有獅子的聲音傳來時，沙斯塔說道，”喂另一匹馬兒現在在我們的旁邊奔馳了。”
“那就更好了，”布里氣喘吁吁地說道，”泰坎騎在馬上——必定有把劍——保護我們大家。”
“可是，布里啊！”沙斯塔說，”我們若是被人逮住，倒不如被獅子殺死的好。要是被逮住，他們會把我吊起來絞死，因爲我偷馬。’他不像布里那麼害怕獅子，因爲他從來沒有遇見過獅子布里可遇見過。
布里只是噴着氣，沒有回答，但它的確向右轉了。很奇怪，另一匹馬似平也向左轉了。因此不會兒，它們之間的
距離就增大了。但就在這時，緊接着又傳來兩聲獅吼，聲在右聲在左。兩匹馬開始靠攏。顯然，獅子們也在靠攏。兩邊猛獸的吼聲近得可怕，似乎它們很容易就可以趕上正飛馳的馬兒。隨後雲散了，亮得出奇的月光把一切照得如同白晝。兩匹馬和兩個騎手幾乎是肩並肩腿碰腿地在飛馳，就好像他們是在比賽。布里後來的確說，在卡樂門從未見過這麼好的比賽。*
沙斯塔此時不知所措，他開始想道，獅子是很快把你殺死呢，還是會像貓戲弄老鼠一樣戲弄你，他還在想獅子傷起人來有多厲害。與此同時，他注意着一切(個人在極度恐懼時有時會這樣)。他看見另一位騎手是個小而瘦削的人，穿着鎧甲(月光照在鎧甲上)，騎馬的樣子很威嚴。他沒有鬍子。
有個平坦發亮的東兩鋪開存他們兩面前。沙斯塔還來不及想是什麼，嘩啦啦一陣子潑將過來，他發覺半個嘴巴里都是鹹水了。原來這發亮的東西是大海的一個長長的港灣。兩匹馬兒都在游泳，海水漫到沙斯塔的膝蓋上。他們的背後是陣憤怒的獅吼，沙斯塔回頭一望，但見一個毛髮蓬鬆的可怕的巨大形體蹲伏在水濱，然而只有一頭獅子。”我們必定把另一頭獅子甩掉了。”他心裏想。
這獅子顯然認爲不值得涉水捕食獵物無論如何，它不想在追逐他們時喝幾口成海水。兩匹馬兒並肩而行，現在已經進入港灣的中流，對岸已經清晰地看得見了。那泰坎聲也沒吭過。”但他必定會開口的，”沙斯塔心中想道，”我們一登上陸地他就要說話了。我該說什麼呢？我必須開始編造一個故事。”
接着，突然之間，他身邊兩個聲音說起話來了。
“啊，我真是疲倦極了。”一個聲音說。
“住口，赫溫，別做傻瓜。”另一個聲音說道。
“我在做夢，”沙斯塔心中想道，”我能對天發誓，另一匹馬兒在說話哩。”
