THE PACE QUICKENS
QUICK as lightning, Rishda Tarkaan leaped back out of reach of the King's sword. He was no coward, and would have fought single-handed against Tirian and the Dwarf1 if need were. But he could not take on the Eagle and the Unicorn2 as well. He knew how Eagles can fly into your face and peck at your eyes and blind you with their wings. And he had heard from his father (who had met Narnians in battle) that no man, except with arrows, or a long spear, can match a Unicorn, for it rears on its hind3 legs as it falls upon you and then you have its hoofs4 and its horn and its teeth to deal with all at once. So he rushed into the crowd and stood calling out:
"To me, to me, warriors6 of The Tisroc, may-he-liveforever. To me, all loyal Narnians, lest the wrath7 of Tashlan fall upon you!"
While this was happening two other things happened as well. The Ape had not realized his danger as quickly as the Tarkaan. For a second or so he remained squatting8 beside the fire staring at the newcomers. Then Tirian rushed upon the wretched creature, picked it up by the scruff of the neck, and dashed back to the stable shouting, "Open the door!" Poggin opened it. "Go and drink your own medicine, Shift!" said Tirian and hurled9 the Ape through into the darkness. But as the Dwarf banged the door shut again, a blinding greenish-blue light shone out from the inside of the stable, the earth shook, and there was a strange noise - a clucking and screaming as if it was the hoarse11 voice of some monstrous12 bird. The Beasts moaned and howled and called out "Tashlan! Hide us from him!" and many fell down, and many hid their faces in their wings or paws. No one except Farsight the Eagle, who has the best eyes of all living things, noticed the face of Rishda Tarkaan at that moment. And from what Farsight saw there he knew at once that Rishda was just as surprised, and nearly frightened, as everyone else. "There goes one," thought Farsight, "who has called on gods he does not believe in. How will it be with him if they have really come?"
The third thing - which also happened at the same moment - was the only really beautiful thing that night. Every single Talking Dog in the whole meeting (there were fifteen of them) came bounding and barking joyously13 to the King's side. They were mostly great big dogs with thick shoulders and heavy jaws14. Their coming was like the breaking of a great wave on the seabeach: it nearly knocked you down. For though they were Talking Dogs they were just as doggy as they could be: and they all stood up and put their front paws on the shoulders of the humans and licked their faces, all saying at once: "Welcome! Welcome! We'll help, we'll help, help, help. Show us how to help, show us how, how. How-how-how?"
It was so lovely that it made you want to cry. This, at last, was the sort of thing they had been hoping for. And when, a moment later, several little animals (mice and moles15 and a squirrel or so) came pattering up, squealing16 with joy, and saying "See, see. We're here," and when, after that, the Bear and the Boar came too, Eustace began to feel that perhaps, after all, everything might be going to come right. But Tirian gazed round and saw how very few of the animals had moved.
"To me! to me!" he called. "Have you all turned cowards since I was your King?"
"We daren't," whimpered dozens of voices. "Tashlan would be angry. Shield us from Tashlan."
"Where are all the Talking Horses?" said Tirian to the Boar.
"We've seen, we've seen," squealed17 the Mice. "The Ape has made them work. They're all tied - down at the bottom of the hill."
"Then all you little ones," said Tirian, "you nibblers and gnawers and nutcrackers, away with you as fast as you can scamper19 and see if the Horses are on our side. And if they are, get your teeth into the ropes and gnaw18 till the Horses are free and bring them hither."
"With a good will, Sire," came the small voices, and with a whisk of tails those sharp-eyed and sharp-toothed folk were off. Tirian smiled for mere20 love as he saw them go. But it was already time to be thinking of other things. Rishda Tarkaan was giving his orders.
"Forward," he said. "Take all of them alive if you can and hurl10 them into the stable or drive them into it. When they are all in we will put fire to it and make them an offering to the great god Tash."
"Ha!" said Farsight to himself. "So that is how he hopes to win Tash's pardon for his unbelief."
The enemy line - about half of Rishda's force - was now moving forward, and Tirian had barely time to give his orders.
"Out on the left, Jill, and try to shoot all you may before they reach us. Boar and Bear next to her. Poggin on my left, Eustace on my right. Hold the right wing, Jewel. Stand by him, Puzzle, and use your hoofs. Hover21 and strike, Farsight. You Dogs, just behind us. Go in among them after the sword-play has begun. Aslan to our aid!"
Eustace stood with his heart beating terribly, hoping and hoping that he would be brave. He had never seen anything (though he had seen both a dragon and a seaserpent) that made his blood run so cold as that line of dark-faced bright-eyed men. There were fifteen Calormenes, a Talking Bull of Narnia, Slinkey the Fox, and Wraggle the Satyr. Then he heard twang-and-zipp on his left and one Calormene fell: then twang-andzipp again and the Satyr was down. "Oh, well done, daughter!" came Tirian's voice; and then the enemy were upon them.
Eustace could never remember what happened in the next two minutes. It was all like a dream (the sort you have when your temperature is over 100) until he heard Rishda Tarkaan's voice calling out from the distance:
"Retire. Back hither and re-form."
Then Eustace came to his senses and saw the Calormenes scampering22 back to their friends. But not all of them. Two lay dead, pierced by Jewel's horn, one by Tirian's sword. The Fox lay dead at his own feet, and he wondered if it was he who had killed it. The Bull also was down, shot through the eye by an arrow from Jill and gashed23 in his side by the Boar's tusk24. But our side had its losses too. Three dogs were killed and a fourth was hobbling behind the line on three legs and whimpering. The Bear lay on the ground, moving feebly. Then it mumbled25 in its throaty voice, bewildered to the last, "I - I don't understand," laid its big head down on the grass as quietly as a child going to sleep, and never moved again.
In fact, the first attack had failed. Eustace didn't seem able to be glad about it: he was so terribly thirsty and his arm ached so.
As the defeated Calormenes went back to their commander, the Dwarfs26 began jeering27 at them.
"Had enough, Darkies?" they yelled. "Don't you like it? Why doesn't your great Tarkaan go and fight himself instead of sending you to be killed? Poor Darkies!"
"Dwarfs," cried Tirian. "Come here and use your swords, not your tongues. There is still time. Dwarfs of Narnia! You can fight well, I know. Come back to your allegiance."
"Yah!" sneered28 the Dwarfs. "Not likely. You're just as big humbugs29 as the other lot. We don't want any Kings. The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs. Boo!"
Then the Drum began: not a Dwarf drum this time, but a big bull's hide Calormene drum. The children from the very first hated the sound. Boom - boom - ba-ba-boom it went. But they would have hated it far worse if they had known what it meant. Tirian did. It meant that there were other Calormene troops somewhere near and that Rishda Tarkaan was calling them to his aid. Tirian and Jewel looked at one another sadly. They had just begun to hope that they might win that night: but it would be all over with them if new enemies appeared.
Tirian gazed despairingly round. Several Narnians were standing30 with the Calormenes, whether through treachery or in honest fear of "Tashlan". Others were sitting still, staring, not likely to join either side. But there were fewer animals now: the crowd was much smaller. Clearly, several of them had just crept quietly away during the fighting.
Boom - boom - ba-ba-boom went the horrible drum. Then another sound began to mix with it. "Listen!" said Jewel: and then "Look!" said Farsight. A moment later there was no doubt what it was. With a thunder of hoofs, with tossing heads, widened nostrils31, and waving manes, over a score of Talking Horses of Narnia came charging up the hill. The gnawers and nibblers had done their work.
Poggin the Dwarf and the children opened their mouths to cheer but that cheer never came. Suddenly the air was full of the sound of twanging bow-strings and hissing32 arrows. It was the Dwarfs who were shooting and - for a moment Jill could hardly believe her eyes - they were shooting the Horses. Dwarfs are deadly archers33. Horse after Horse rolled over. Not one of those noble Beasts ever reached the King.
"Little Swine," shrieked34 Eustace, dancing in his rage. "Dirty, filthy35, treacherous36 little brutes37." Even Jewel said, "Shall I run after those Dwarfs, Sire, and spit ten of them on my horn at each plunge38?" 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 warrior5 scolds. Courteous39 words or else hard knocks are his only language."
But the Dwarfs jeered40 back at Eustace. "That was a surprise for you, little boy, eh? Thought we were on your side, did you? No fear. We don't want any Talking Horses. We don't want you to win any more than the other gang. You can't take us in. The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs."
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 Rishda's signal and were coming to support him. You would not have known from Tirian's face that he had now given up all hope.
"Listen," he whispered in a matter-of-fact voice, "we must attack now, before yonder miscreants41 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 let's," said Eustace. "I'm coming 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, maiden42, 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. "'That's 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 darting43 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 Boar's tusks44 and Jewel's 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 Eagle's. Very few troops can keep on looking steadily45 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 King's party were cutting their way right into the enemy. The Unicorn was tossing men as you'd toss hay on a fork. Even Eustace seemed to Jill (who after all didn't 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 Tirian's voice crying:
"Back! To the rock!"
The enemy had been reinforced. The drum had done its work.
11步伐加快了
迅速如闪电，“泰坎”利什达跳了回去，国王的剑砍不到他了。他倒不是个懦夫，如果需要，他会独自一人跟蒂莲和小矮人们作战的。但他没法儿对付老鹰，也没法儿对付独角兽。他知道老鹰如何飞到你脸上啄你的眼睛，而且用翅膀遮得你看也看不出。他还从他父亲那里听说过(他在战争中碰到过纳尼亚军队)：除非射箭或使用长矛，没有人能战胜独角兽的，因为独角兽向你扑上来时，就用后腿站起来了，那时你就得立刻同时对付它的蹄子、独角和牙齿。所以利什达奔到群众里头，站着喊道：
“听我的，听我的指挥，‘蒂斯罗克’(愿他万寿无疆)的战士们。听我的，一切忠诚的纳尼亚子民们，不然的话，塔什兰的愤怒就要落到你们身上了!”
这件事发生的时候，还同时发生了另外两件事。无尾猿不像那“泰坎”那样迅速地认识到处境的危险。大约有一两秒钟，它依旧蹲在篝火旁，定晴望着新来的野兽们。接着蒂莲就向那倒霉的家伙猛扑过去，抓住它的颈背把它拎了起来，然后冲回马厩，大叫道：“开门。”波金打开马厩的门。
“诡谲，进去喝你自己的药吧!”蒂莲一边说，一边把无尾猿往马厩里的黑暗中扔了进去。但小矮人砰的一声重新把门关上时，一道令人目眩的蓝绿色的强光从马厩里照射出来，大地震动了，响起了一种奇怪的声音——一种咯咯的叫嚣声，仿佛是某种怪鸟嘶哑的叫声。野兽们呜咽、号哭、大声呼喊。“塔什兰!遮掩我们，别让它看见!”许多禽兽倒下了，许多禽兽把自己的脸躲在翅膀或是脚爪下面。此时此刻，除了生着一切生物中最好的眼睛的老鹰外，没有哪一个注意过
“泰坎”利什达的脸。千里眼老鹰凭它所看到的情况立刻就知道：利什达同大家一模一样的感到奇怪，几乎同大家一样的诚惶诚恐。“一个走了，”老鹰心中想道，“他曾向他并不相信的诸神呼吁。如果诸神真的来了，他将怎么办呢?”
也在同时发生的第三件事，是那天夜里真正美丽的事情。大会上的每头会说人话的狗儿(总共十五头)欢乐地跳着吠着跑到国王这边来了。它们大部分是了不得的大狗，肩膀厚实，上下腭厚重。群狗的来势像是巨浪冲击海滩，几乎要把你冲倒。因为，它们虽然是会人话的狗儿，却又是尽可能发挥狗性的狗儿：它们都双脚站了起来，前腿的爪子搭在人的肩膀上，用舌头舔舔人的脸，它们大家立刻说道：“欢迎!欢迎!我们决心帮忙，帮忙，帮忙。告诉我们怎么个帮法，怎么个帮法，怎么，怎么——怎么——怎么?”
这情景是那么动人，叫你简直想哭；因为，他们一直盼望的那种情景，最后终于出现了。片刻之后，当几只小动物(老鼠和鼹鼠，以及一只松鼠什么的)嗒嗒地走来，欢乐地吱吱乱叫，并且说道：“瞧，瞧，我们来了。”在此之后，当熊和野猪也来了，尤斯塔斯开始觉得，也许，毕竟一切都可能变得顺利了。但蒂莲向四周打量，看到了已在有所行动的野兽只是极少数。
“听我的!听我的指挥!”他呼唤道，“自从我成了你们的国王，难道你们都变成懦夫了吗?”
“我们，我们不敢，”十几个声音呜呜咽咽地说道，“塔什兰会震怒的。替我们挡住塔什兰吧。”
“所有会说人话的马儿都到哪儿去了?”蒂莲问道。
“我们见过的，见过的，”老鼠吱吱地说道，“无尾猿叫它们干活。它们都累极了——在小山底下干活。”
“你们这些小不点儿们，”蒂莲说道，“你们这些能啃、能啮、能咬碎硬壳的小不点儿们，你们能跳跳蹦蹦得多快，就尽量快跑到山底下去，去看看马儿是否站在我们这一边。
如果马儿站在我们这一边，那就用你们的牙齿咬断绳索，一直咬到马儿解除束缚，你们就带它们上这儿来。”
“愿意效劳，陛下。”传来小声的回答，尾巴一甩，这些眼睛尖、牙齿锋利的小家伙就已经跑开了。蒂莲瞧着它们离开时，出于深情厚爱，莞尔微笑，但已经是该考虑其他事情的时候了。“泰坎”利什达正在下达命令哩。
“冲向前去，”利什达说，“如果办得到的话，活捉他们全体人马，把他们扔进马厩；或者把他们赶到马厩里去。他和大家都进了马厩时，我们就放火烧掉马厩，把他们当做献给伟大的塔什神的祭品。”
“哈哈!”老鹰对自己说，“原来他指望用这个办法来争取塔什宽恕他的不信神哩。”敌人的阵线——一半儿是利什达的军队——现在正向前推进，蒂莲勉强来得及下达命令。
“吉尔，从左翼出击，竭尽全力在敌人到达之前射出箭去。野猪和熊跟在她的后面。波金在我的左边，尤斯塔斯在我的右边。珍宝守住右翼。迷惑站在珍宝旁边，运用你的蹄子作战。千里眼老鹰，在天空盘旋、出击。你们这些狗儿，就守在我们的后边。刀剑交锋开始后你们就闯到敌人之中去。阿斯兰保佑我们!”
尤斯塔斯站在那里，心怦怦乱跳，他希望，希望自己会大胆勇敢。他从来没有看见过像面孔墨黑眼睛发亮的队伍那样使他血液冰凉的东西，尽管他看见过一条飞龙和一条海蛇。敌方是十五个卡乐门兵，一头纳尼亚的会说人话的公牛，狐狸斯林基，半神半兽的森林之神拉格尔。然后他听到左边儿嘣的一响、嗖的一声，一个卡乐门士兵应声倒下了；接着又是蹦的一响、嗖的一声，半神半兽的森林之神也应声倒下了。“啊，射得好，女儿!”传来了蒂莲的赞美声；接着是敌人向他们进攻。
尤斯塔斯怎么也记不得后来两分钟内发生的事了。这全像是在梦里(你发高烧时做的那种梦)。他终于听到“泰坎”利什达在远处喊叫的声音。
“撤退。撤回到那儿；重整旗鼓。”
于是尤斯塔斯恢复了知觉，看见卡乐门士兵向他们的朋友们惊惶地跑回去。但并非都跑回去了。两个倒毙在地上，一个是珍宝的独角戳死的，一个是蒂莲的剑杀死的。狐狸死在他脚边，他弄不清是不是他自己把它宰了的。公牛也倒下了，吉尔的一箭射中了它的眼睛，野猪的獠牙口叫它胁部裂开了。但我方也有损失。三条狗被杀死了，第四条狗凭着三条腿在战线后面蹒跚行走，嘴里呜咽哀鸣。熊躺在地上，虚弱无力地挪动着。它最终还是迷惑不解，喉咙里咕咕哝哝地说道：“我——我不——明白。”接着就像一个小孩儿落入睡眠一样，大脑袋平静地落到草地上，永远不再动弹了。
事实上，敌人的第一次攻击失败了。尤斯塔斯似乎未能为之高兴，他渴得厉害，他的胳膊也疼得厉害。
被打败的卡乐门士兵回到他们的指挥官那儿时，小矮人们开始嘲笑他们。“打够了，黑皮?”他们叫着说道，“你们不喜欢打仗?为什么你们伟大的‘泰坎’自己不去作战，却派你们去送死?可怜的黑皮!”
“小矮人们，”蒂莲喊道，“过来吧，用你们的剑作战，可别用你们的舌头舌战。时间还是有的。纳尼亚的小矮人们，我知道。你们打得很好。回来效忠你们的国家吧。”
“呀!”小矮人嘲弄道，“不见得吧。你们就跟另外一帮子一样，都是大骗子。小矮人总是为小矮人而奋斗的。我们不要什么国王。呸!”于是战鼓开始响起来了：这一回可不是小矮人的小鼓，而是卡乐门的公牛皮大鼓。孩子们一开头就憎恨这种鼓声。嘭一嘭吧一吧一嘭地响下去。但如果孩子们明白这鼓声的用意，他们就会更加厉害地憎恨它了。蒂莲明白，附近什么地方有别的卡乐门军队，鼓声的用意就是“泰坎”利什达在向他们呼救求援。蒂莲和珍宝烦恼地面面相觑。他们刚开始指望他们今夜能获全胜，但如果新的敌军来到，那就全都完蛋了。蒂莲绝望地向四周打量。有几头纳尼亚野兽跟卡乐门兵站在一起，不论他们是背信弃义还是由于真心害怕“塔什兰”。其他的正一动也不动地坐着，目不转晴地瞧着，不像要参加那一方作战。然而，现在野兽的数量更少了，形成的群也更小了。十分清楚，好几头野兽在战斗时悄悄溜掉了。可怕的鼓声继续擂下去：嘭一嘭一吧一吧一嘭。接着是另一种声音掺入了鼓声。“听!”珍宝说。“瞧!”老鹰道。片刻之后，这究竟是什么，已经是毫无疑问的了。二十多匹会说人话的马儿，蹄声如雷鸣隆隆，摇晃着脑袋，张大着鼻孔，抖动着鬃毛，正在冲上山来。会啃会啮的小不点儿们已经做了工作，马儿成群结队地来支援了。
小矮人波金和孩子们张开嘴巴欢呼，但那欢呼可没有喊出声音来。空中突然充满了嘣嘣的弓弦声和嗖嗖的射箭声。正在射箭的小矮人们——吉尔在片刻之间简直没法儿相信自己的眼睛——小矮人正向马儿射箭哩。小矮人都是致人死命的弓箭手。马儿一匹又一匹地滚翻了。这些高贵的马儿没有一匹到达国王身边。
“小猪猡，”尤斯塔斯愤怒得双脚直跳，尖声骂道，“肮脏龌龊的背信弃义的小畜生。”甚至珍宝也说：“可要我追上这些小矮人，用我的独角一戳过去就刺穿十个?”但蒂莲的面色严峻如石头，说道：“站定了，珍宝。宝贝儿(这是对吉尔说的)，如果你一定要哭，那就转过脸去，留神别让泪水沾湿了弓弦。尤斯塔斯，你安静点儿，别像厨娘一样骂人。战士可不骂人的。有礼貌的言词或者强有力的打击，是战士惟一的语言。”
但小矮人们对尤斯塔斯报之以嘲笑：“小家伙，这事叫你吃了一惊，啊?你认为我们是站在你们一边的吧，你可认为?别害怕。我们不要什么说人话的马儿。我不希望你们比另外一帮子赢得更多。你们没法儿叫我们受骗上当。小矮人总是为小矮人而奋斗。”
“泰坎”利什达仍旧在对他的部队讲话，毫无疑问是在为第二次攻击做好安排，很可能指望把他的整个军事力量都投入先头部队。战鼓继续冬冬地响。接着，使他们惊惶的是，蒂莲和他的朋友们听到了一种遥相呼应的轻微鼓声，仿佛是从老远的地方传来的鼓声。另一支卡乐门部队听到了利什达的信号，正在赶来支援他了。蒂莲现在已经放弃了一切希望，但你从他脸上神情可看不出来。
“听着，”他用镇定的声调低语道，“我们现在必须攻击了，趁那边的凶恶敌人还没有得到友军的增援。”
“陛下，请你考虑一下，”波金说道，“我们在这儿背后有马厩坚实的木板墙挡着。我们如果向前挺进，难道我们不会受到包围，难道两肩之间不会挨到刀尖吗?”.
“小矮人，我也会像你这样说话的，”蒂莲说道，“把我们逼进马厩，难道不是他们的阴谋诡计吗?我们离你那致命的门愈远愈好。”
“国王说得对，”老鹰说道，“不惜一切代价，离开这可恶的马厩，不管它里边住的是什么妖怪。”
“是啊，让我们离开这马厩吧，”尤斯塔斯说道，“我变得一看见马厩心头就恨恨的。”
“行，”蒂莲说道，“现在往我们的左边瞧瞧。你看到一块大石头，在火光里像大理石一样闪耀着雪白的光彩。首先我们要袭击那些卡乐门士兵，小姐，你运动到我们的左边，尽力把箭迅速射进他们的队伍里去；老鹰，你从左边飞过去，袭击他们的脸。与此同时，我们其他的人马就向他们冲去。当我们逼近敌人时，吉尔，怕误射了自己人，你就不能再射箭了，你可以回到白石头那儿等候。你们其他的人，即使在作战时也要竖起耳朵细听。我们必须在几分钟之内把他们打得四散逃跑，不然就压根儿打不跑他们了，因为我们的人员比他们少。我一叫后退，你们就跑到大石头那儿与吉尔会合，我们在那石头后面可以有个掩护，可以有一会儿歇口气。现在，吉尔，出发吧。”
吉尔觉得孤零零得可怕，她向前跑了二十英尺光景，右腿右伸，左腿前伸，箭搭在弦上，她但愿她的双手别那么发抖。她的第一支箭迅速向敌人射去，越过敌人的脑袋飞开去了。她说道：“这一箭可射糟了。”但她随即搭上第二支箭，她知道，重要的是射箭的速度，要打他个措手不及。她看到一个又大又黑的东西，扑到了卡乐门士兵的脸上。那是千里眼老鹰。起初是一个兵，随即是其他的兵，丢下手里的剑，举起双手护住自己的眼睛。然后是她射出的一支箭击中了一个士兵，另一支又击中了一头纳尼亚狼，这狼好像参加了敌人的队伍。但她刚射了几秒钟就不得不停止了。蒂莲及其伙伴向敌人猛冲过去了，仿佛百米赛跑似的，剑光闪闪，野猪的獠牙和珍宝的独角横冲直撞，狗儿们吠叫呐喊。吉尔诧异地看到卡乐门士兵仿佛处于毫无准备的状态，她并未认识到这正是她和老鹰的汗马功劳。军队如果一边受到利箭的射击，另一边又受到老鹰尖嘴的猛啄，是很少能稳稳地瞅着正面的战线的。
“啊，打得好!打得好!”吉尔大叫大喊。国王的队伍夺路攻入敌阵。独角兽用独角挑起人来就像你用叉子挑动干草一样。在吉尔看来，甚至尤斯塔斯(他毕竟对剑术知之甚少)也打得挺漂亮。狗儿们正咬着卡乐门士兵的喉咙。战斗正在顺利进行。终于胜利在望了——吉尔浑身打了一个可怕的寒颤：她把一件奇怪的事情看在眼里啦。虽然每次纳尼亚的利剑劈将下去，必有卡乐门士兵倒毙，可是卡乐门士兵的数量，似乎一点儿也没有减少。事实上，对方的兵员，反而比战斗开始时确实增多了。每一秒钟都有兵员增加。他们从四面八方奔跑而来。他们是新来的卡乐门士兵。这些新来乍到的兵都有长矛。敌方兵员涌过来一大群，吉尔没法儿望见她的战友们了。接着她听见蒂莲喊叫的声音：“撤退!撤到白石头去!”敌人已经得到增援。鼓声完成了它的任务。
收听单词发音 |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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unicorn
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| n.(传说中的)独角兽 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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moles
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| 防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍 | |
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squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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scampering
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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gashed
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| v.划伤，割破( gash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tusk
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| n.獠牙，长牙，象牙 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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humbugs
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| 欺骗( humbug的名词复数 )； 虚伪； 骗子； 薄荷硬糖 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miscreants
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| n.恶棍，歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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43
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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44
tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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