the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第16部分
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〃little swine；〃 shrieked eustace； dancing in his rage。 〃dirty； filthy； treacherous little brutes。〃 even jewel said； 〃shall i run after those dwarfs； sire； and spit ten of them on my horn at each plunge？〃 but tirian with his face as stern as stone； said； 〃stand fast； jewel。
if you must weep； sweetheart （this was to jill）； turn your face aside and see you wet not your bow…string。 and peace； eustace。 do not scold； like a kitchen…girl。 no warrior scolds。
courteous words or else hard knocks are his only language。鈥�
but the dwarfs jeered back at eustace。 〃that was a surprise for you； little boy； eh？
thought we were on your side； did you？ no fear。 we dont want any talking horses。 we dont want you to win any more than the other gang。 you cant take us in。 the dwarfs are for the dwarfs。鈥�
rishda tarkaan was still talking to his men； doubtless making arrangements for the next attack and probably wishing he had sent his whole force into the first。 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。鈥�
〃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？鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃the king is right；〃 said farsight。 〃away from this accursed stable； and whatever goblin lives inside it； at all costs。鈥�
〃yes； do lets；〃 said eustace。 〃im ing to hate the very sight of it。鈥�
〃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。鈥�
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！鈥�
the enemy had been reinforced。 the drum had done its work。
w锛贰。xia oshuotx锛础ｏ迹om
CHAPTER TWELVE
銆傚皬％璇碸t*xt…澶ｅ爞
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。鈥�
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。 the rest； after me； that we may teach these sons of earth a lesson。鈥�
tirian and his friends； still panting from their fight and thankful for a few minutes rest； stood and looked on while the tarkaan led his men against the dwarfs。 it was a strange scene by now。 the fire had sunk lower： the light it gave was now less and of a darker red。
as far as one could see； the whole place of assembly was now empty except for the dwarf and the calormenes。 in that light one couldnt make out much of what was happening。 it sounded as if the dwarfs were putting up a good fight。 tirian could hear griffle using dreadful language； and every now and then the tarkaan calling； 〃take all you can alive！ take them alive！鈥�
whatever that fight may have been like； it did not last long。 the noise of it died away。
then jill saw the tarkaan ing back to the stable： eleven men followed him； dragging eleven bound dwarfs。 （whether the others had all been killed； or whether some of them had got away； was never known。）
〃throw them into the shrine of tash；〃 said rishda tarkaan。
and when the eleven dwarfs； one after the other； had been flung or kicked into that dark doorway and the door had been shut again； he bowed low to the stable and said： 〃these also are for thy burnt offering； lord tash。鈥�
and all the calormenes banged the flats of their swords on their shields and shouted； 〃tash！ tash！ the great god tash！ inexorable tash！〃 （there was no nonsense about 〃tashlan〃 now。）
the little party by the white rock watched these doings and whispered to one another。
they had found a trickle of water ing down the rock and all had drunk eagerly … jill and poggin and the king in their hands； while the four…footed ones lapped from the little pool which it had made at the foot of the stone。 such was their thirst that it seemed the most delicious drink they had ever had in their lives； and while they were drinking they were perfectly happy and could not think of anything else。
〃i feel in my bones；〃 said poggin； 〃that we shall all； one by one； pass through that dark door before morning。 i can think of a hundred deaths i would rather have died。鈥�
〃it is indeed a grim door；〃 said tirian。 〃it is more like a mouth。鈥�
〃oh； cant we do anything to stop it？〃 said jill in a shaken voice。
〃nay； fair friend；〃 said jewel； nosing her gently。 〃it may be for us the door to aslans country and we shall sup at his table tonight。鈥�
rishda tarkaan turned his back on the stable and walked slowly to a place in front of the white rock。
〃hearken；〃 he said。 〃if the boar and the dogs and the unicorn will e over to me and put themselves in my mercy； their lives shall be spared。 the boar shall go to a cage in the tisrocs garden； the dogs to the tisrocs kennels； and the unicorn； when i have sawn his horn off； shall draw a cart。 but the eagle； the children； and he who was the king shall be offered to tash this night。鈥�
the only answer was growls。
〃get on； warriors；〃 said the tarkaan。 〃kill the beasts； but take t
