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CHAPTER TEN THE HERMIT OF THE SOUTHERN MARCH（第2页）

Shastasawallthisinaglandlookedba。ThelionhadalmostgotHasmakingsnapsatherhihereenowinherfoamflecked，wide-eyedface。

“Stop，”bellowedShastainBree&#oback。Musthelp!”

Breealwayssaidafterwardthatheneverheard，orhis;andashewasingehfulhorsethisword。

Shastaslippedhisfeetoutofthestirrups，slidbothhislegsovertheleftside，hesitatedforonehideoushuhofasedjumped。Ithurthorriblyandnearlywindedhim;butbeforehekhurthimhewasstaggeringbacktohelpAravis。Hehadhihisinhislifebeforeandhardlykneasdoingitnow。

&hemostterribleheworld，ahorse'ssHwin'slips。AravisinglowoverHwin'snedseemedttodrawhersword。Andnowallthree—Aravis，Hwin，andthelioontopofShasta。Beforetheyreachedhimthelioshindlegs，largerthanyouwouldhavebelievedalioncouldbe，aAraviswithitsrightpaw。Shastacouldseealltheterribleclawsextended。Aravissdreeledinthesaddle。Thelionwastearinghershoulders。Shasta，halfmadwithhedtolurchtowardthebrute。Hehadevenastickorastoedout，idiotically，atthelioadog。“Gohome!Gohome!”Forafraofasedhewasstaringrightintoitswidemouth。Then，tohisutterastohelion，stillonitshindlegs，checkeditselfsuddenly，turnedheadoverheels，pickeditselfup，andrusheda>

Shastadidnotforamomehadgood。Heturnedahegateinthegreenforthefirsttime，herememberedseeing。Hwin，stumblingandnearlyfainting，wasjustehegate:Aravisstillkeptherseatbutherbackwascoveredwithblood。

“ydaughter，ein，”therobedandbeardedmanwassaying，andthen“yson”asShastapaohim。Heheardthegateclosedbehindhim;arangeringAravisoffherhorse。

Theywereinaerfectlycirclosure，protectedbyahighwallofgreenturf。Apoolofperfectlystillwater，sofullthatthewaterwasalmostexactlylevelwiththeground，laybeforehim。Atohepool，pletelyitwithitsbrahehugestareethatShastahadeverseehepoolwasalittlelowhouseofstohdeepach。Therewasasouihefarsideoftheehereweresomegoats。Thelevelgroundletelycoveredwiththefigrass。

“Are—are—areyou，”paa。“AreyouKingLuneofArd?”

Theoldmanshookhishead。“No，”herepliedivoice，“IamtheHermitoftheSouthernMarysoimeoions，butobey。Thisdamseliswounded。Yourhorsesarespent。RabadashisatthismomentfindingafordovertheWindingArrow。Ifyourunnow，withoutamoment'srest，youwillstillbeiLune。”

Shasta'sheartfaihesewordsforhefelthehad。Ahediseemedtheduhedemayetlearifyoudoonegooddeedyourrewardusuallyistobesettodoanotherateroallhesaidoutloud>

&heKing?”

&urnedahhisstaff。“Look，”hesaid。“Thereisae，rightoppositetotheoeredby。Openitandghtahead:alwaysstraightahead，overlevelorsteep，oversmh，overdryorwet。IknowbymyartthatyouwillfindKiahead。Butrun，run:alwaysrun。”

Shastanoddedhishead，raherngateanddisappearedbeyoheHermittookAravis，whomhehadallthistimebeensuppwithhisleftarm，andhalfled，halfcarriedherintothehouse。Afteraloagain。

“Now，s，”hesaidtotheHorses。“Itisyourturn。”

Withoutwaitingforananswer—aheyweretooexhaustedtospeak—hetookthebridlesahofthem。ThehembothdowagroominaKing'sstableothavedoer。

“There，s，”hesaid，“dismissitallfromyourmied。Hereiswaterandthereisgrass。YoushallhaveahotmashwhenIhavemilkedmyothers，thegoats。”

“Sir，”saidHwin，findinghervoiceatlast，“willtheTarkheehelionkilledher?”

“Iwhoknoresentthingsbymyart，”repliedtheHermitwithasmile，“haveyetlittlekhihereforeIdonotkheranymanorwomaheillbealivewhestonight。Butbeofgoodhope。Thedamselislikelytoliveaslongasanye。”

WhenAraviscametoherselfshefoundthatshewaslyingonherfaalowbedofextraordinarysoftnessinacool，bareroomwithwallsofuone。She'tuandwhyshehadbeenlaidowheurhehpainsalloverherback，sheremembered，andrealizedwhy。She'tuafullyspringystuffthebedwasmadeof，becauseitwasmadeofheather（whichisthebestbeddiherwasathingshehadneverseenorheardof。

ThedooropeheHermitentered，galargewoodenbowlinhishand。Aftercarefullysettingthisdowhebedside，andasked:

“Howdoyoufindyourself，mydaughter?”

“Mybackisverysore，father，”saidAravis，“butthereisnothingelsewrongwithme。”

&besideher，laidhishandonherforehead，aherpulse。

“Thereisnofever，”hesaid。“Youwilldowell。Ihereisnoreasonwhyyoushouldomorrow。Butnow，drinkthis。”

&hewoodenbowlaoherlips。Aravis'thelpmakingafashetastedit，foats'milkisratherashoyouare。Butshewasverythirstyaodrinkitallaerwhenshehadfinished。

“Now，mydaughter，youmaysleepwhenyouwish，”saidtheHermit。“Foryourwoundsarewashedahoughtheysmarttheyarehaniftheyhadbeesofawhip。Itmusthavebeerangelion;forigyououtofthesaddleaioyou，hehasonlydrawnhisclawsacrossyourbascratches:sore，butnerous。”