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CHAPTER TWO A WAYSIDE ADVENTURE（第1页）

CHAPTERTWOAWAYSIDEADVENTURE

ITwasnearlynoononthefollowiawaswakenedbysomethingwarmandsoftmovingoverhisface。Heopenedhiseyesandfouaringintothelongfaceofahorse;itsnoseatoughis。Herememberedtheexgeventsofthepreviousnightandsatup。Butashedidsohegroaned。

“Ow，Bree，”hegasped。“I'msosore。Allover。Ihardlymove。”

“G，smallone，”saidBree。“Iwasafraidyoumightfeelabitstiff。It'tbethefalls。Youdidn'thavemorethanadozenorso，anditwasalllovely，syturfthatmusthavebeenalmostapleasuretofallon。Andtheomighthavebeennastywasbrokenbythatgorsebush。No:it'stheridieshardatfirst。Whataboutbreakfast?I'vehadmine。”

“Ohbotherbreakfast。B，”saidShasta。“ItellyouIove。”Butthehorsehimwithitsnoseandpawedhimgentlywithahooftillhehadtogetup。Andthehimaheywere。Behindthemlayalittlecopse。Beforethemtheturf，dotteders，slopeddowntothebrowofacliff。Farbelowthem，sothatthesoundwaveswasveryfaint，laythesea。Shastahadfromsuchaheightandneverseensomuchofitbefore，nordreamedhowmanycolorsithad。Ohecoaststretchedaway，headlandafterheadland，asyoucouldseethewhitefuptherocksbutmakingnowassofarullsflyiheheatshiveredontheground;itwasablazingday。ButwhatShastaoticedwastheair。He'tthinkwhatwasmissing，untilatlastherealizedthattherewasnosmelloffishinit。Forofeitheriagenthes，hadheeverbeenawayfromthatsmellihisnewairwassodelidallhisoldlifeseemedsofaraway，thathefotforamomentabouthisbruisesandhisagmusdsaid:

“Isay，Bree，didn'tyousaysomethingaboutbreakfast?”

“Yes，Idid，”answeredBree。“Ithinkyou'llfihinginthesaddle-bags。They'reoverthereonthattreewhereyouhuhism，rather。”

&igatedthesaddle-bagsaswereg—ameatpasty，onlyslightlystale，alumpsandanotherlumpofgreeleflaskofwine，andsomemofortytsinall，whichwasmorethanShastahadeverseen。

&asatdown—painfullyandcautiously—withhisbastatreeahepasty，Breehadafewmoremouthfulsofgrasstokeephimpany。

“Won'titbestealihemoney?”askedShasta。

“Oh，”saidtheHorse，lookingupwithitsmouthfullofgrass，“Iofthat。Afreehorseandatalkin'tsteal，ofcourse。ButIthinkit'sallright。We'reprisonersandcaptivesiry。Thatmoy，spoil。Besides，hetanyfoodforyouwithoutit?Isuppose，likeallhumans，youwouralfoodlikegrassandoats。”

“I't。”

&ried?”

“Yes，Ihave。I'tgetitdownatall。You'teitherifyouwereme。”

“You'rerumlittlecreatures，youhumans，”remarkedBree。

&ahadfinishedhisbreakfast（whichwasbyfarthehehadevereaten），Breesaid，“IthinkI'llhaveanicerollbeforeweputonthatsaddleagain。”Andheproceededtodoso。“That'sgood。That&#ood，”hesaid，rubbinghisbatheturfandwavingallfsintheair。“Yououghttohaveooo，Shasta，”hes'sm。”

ButShastaburstoutlaughingandsaid，“Youdolookfunnywhenyou'reonyourback!”

“Ilooknothi，”saidBree。Butthensuddenlyherolledroundonhisside，raisedhisheadaShasta，blowingalittle。

&reallylookfunny?”heaskedinananxiousvoice。

&does，”repliedShasta。“Butwhatdoesitmatter?”

“Youdon'tthink，doyou，”saidBree，“thatitmightbeathingtalkinghorsesneverdo—asilly，ishtrickI'velearhedumbowouldbedreadfultofibaia，thatI'vepickedupalotoflow，badhabits。Whatdoyouthink，Shasta?Holy，now。Don'tsparemyfeelings。Shouldyouthinkthereal，freehorses—thetalkingkind—doroll?”

“HowshouldIknow?AnywayIdon'tthinkIshouldbotheraboutitifIwereyou。We'vegottogettherefirst。Doyoukno>

“IknowmywaytoTashbaaesthedesert。Oh，we'llmasomehow，neverfear。Why，we'llbeinsightoftheaihinkofit!ToNarniaah!Nothingwillstopusthen。ButI'dbegladtobepastTashbaan。YouandIaresaferawayfromcities。”

“'tweavoidit?”

“Notwithoutgoingalongwayinland，andthatwouldtakeusintocultivatedlandandmainroads;andIwouldn'tknoe'lljusthavetthecoast。Uphereonthedownswe'llmeetnothingbutsheepandrabbitsandgullsandafewshepherds。Andbytheway，whatab?”

Shasta'slegsachedterriblyashesaddledBreeahesaddle，buttheHorsewaskindlytohimaasoftpaceallafternoowilightcametheydroppedbysteeptratoavalleyandfoundavillage。BefotintoitShastadismouonfoottobuyaloafandsomeonionsaheHorsetrottedroundbythefieldsintheduskaaatthefarside。Thisbecametheirregularplaneveryseight。

TheseweregreatdaysforShasta，andeverydaybetterthaashismuscleshardenedandhefelllessofteheendBreestillsaidhesatlikeabagofflourinthesaddle。“Awassafe，young'un，I'dbeashamedtobeseenwithyouonthemainroad。”ButinspiteofhisrudewordsBreeatientteaooeagsowellasahorse。Shastalear，top，andtokeephisseatevenwhenBreepulledupsuddenlyuheleftht—which，asBreetoldhim，wasathingyoumighthavetodoataihenofcourseShastabeggedtobetoldofthebattlesandwarsinwhichBreehadcarriedtheTarkaaellofforcedmardthefofswiftrivers，esasbetweendcavalrywhenthewarhhtaswellasthemen，beiallioeandkidtorearattherightmomentsothatthehorse'sweightaswellastherider'swouldedownonaenemy'sthestrokeofswordorbattle-axe。ButBreedidnotwanttotalkaboutthewarsasoftenasShastawathem。“Don'tspeakofthem，youngster，”hewouldsay。“Theywereoisroc'swarsandIfoughtinthemasaslaveandadumbbeast。GivemetheNarnianwarswhereIshallfightasafreeHmyowhoseorthtalkingabout。Narniaah!Bra-ha-ha!Broohoo!”

Shastasoonlearned，whenheheardBreetalkiallop。

&heyhadtravelledonforweeksamorebaysandheadlandsandriversahanShastaber，therecameamoonlitartedtheirjourevening，haviduriheyhadleftthedowhemandweregawideplainwithaforestabouthalfamileawayohesea，hiddenbylowsandhills，wasaboutthesamedista。Theyhadjoggedalongforaboutanhour，sometimestrottingaimeswalking，whenBreesuddenlystopped。

“What'sup?”saidShasta。