《能言马与男孩》第9期:道旁遇险(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."
他们慢步行走时，布里说道：”沙斯塔，我为我自己感到羞耻。我竟吓得像匹卡乐门的平平常常的哑巴马儿样。我确实如此。我的感觉压根儿不像能说话的马儿。对于剑呀矛呀箭呀，我都满不存呼，但我受不了——这些动物。我想我又要小跑会儿了。”
然而，一分钟以后，它又开始奔驰起来了那也没有什么可奇怪的，因为咆哮声又响起来了，这回是从他们左边树林那个方向传来的。
“两头狮子哩。”布里哀叹道。
他们奔驰了好几分钟，不复有狮子的声音传来时，沙斯塔说道，”喂另一匹马儿现在在我们的旁边奔驰了。”
“那就更好了，”布里气喘吁吁地说道，”泰坎骑在马上——必定有把剑——保护我们大家。”
“可是，布里啊！”沙斯塔说，”我们若是被人逮住，倒不如被狮子杀死的好。要是被逮住，他们会把我吊起来绞死，因为我偷马。’他不像布里那么害怕狮子，因为他从来没有遇见过狮子布里可遇见过。
布里只是喷着气，没有回答，但它的确向右转了。很奇怪，另一匹马似平也向左转了。因此不会儿，它们之间的
距离就增大了。但就在这时，紧接着又传来两声狮吼，声在右声在左。两匹马开始靠拢。显然，狮子们也在靠拢。两边猛兽的吼声近得可怕，似乎它们很容易就可以赶上正飞驰的马儿。随后云散了，亮得出奇的月光把一切照得如同白昼。两匹马和两个骑手几乎是肩并肩腿碰腿地在飞驰，就好像他们是在比赛。布里后来的确说，在卡乐门从未见过这么好的比赛。*
沙斯塔此时不知所措，他开始想道，狮子是很快把你杀死呢，还是会像猫戏弄老鼠一样戏弄你，他还在想狮子伤起人来有多厉害。与此同时，他注意着一切(个人在极度恐惧时有时会这样)。他看见另一位骑手是个小而瘦削的人，穿着铠甲(月光照在铠甲上)，骑马的样子很威严。他没有胡子。
有个平坦发亮的东两铺开存他们两面前。沙斯塔还来不及想是什么，哗啦啦一阵子泼将过来，他发觉半个嘴巴里都是咸水了。原来这发亮的东西是大海的一个长长的港湾。两匹马儿都在游泳，海水漫到沙斯塔的膝盖上。他们的背后是阵愤怒的狮吼，沙斯塔回头一望，但见一个毛发蓬松的可怕的巨大形体蹲伏在水滨，然而只有一头狮子。”我们必定把另一头狮子甩掉了。”他心里想。
这狮子显然认为不值得涉水捕食猎物无论如何，它不想在追逐他们时喝几口成海水。两匹马儿并肩而行，现在已经进入港湾的中流，对岸已经清晰地看得见了。那泰坎声也没吭过。”但他必定会开口的，”沙斯塔心中想道，”我们一登上陆地他就要说话了。我该说什么呢？我必须开始编造一个故事。”
接着，突然之间，他身边两个声音说起话来了。
“啊，我真是疲倦极了。”一个声音说。
“住口，赫温，别做傻瓜。”另一个声音说道。
“我在做梦，”沙斯塔心中想道，”我能对天发誓，另一匹马儿在说话哩。”
