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CHAPTER NINE ACROSS THE DESERT（第2页）

Thisseemedtolastforhours。Theimewhentherewasnolongeranymooorideinthedeaddarknessforhoursandhours。AhereeahecouldseeBree'snedheadinfrontofhimalittlemoreclearlythanbefore;andslowly，veryslowly，hebegantograyflatnessoneveryside。Itlookedabsolutelydead，likesomethinginadeadworld;andShastafeltquiteterriblytiredahewasgettingdthathislipsweredry。Ahesqueakoftheleather，thejihebits，andthehehoofs-notPropputtypropputtyasitwouldbeonahardroad，butThubbudythubbudyonthedrysand。

Atlast，afterh，farawayhtthereglelongstreakray，lowdownonthehorizoreakofred。Itwasthematlast，butwithoutasiosingaboutit。Hewasgladofthewalkingbitsnow，forhewascolderthanever。

Thehesunroseahingamoment。Thegraysandturnedyellowandtwinkledasifitithdiamonds。OheshadowsofShastaandHwinandBreeandAravis，enormouslylong，racedbesidethem。ThedoublepeakofMountPire，farahead，flashediandShastasawtheywerealittleoutofthecourse。“Abitleft，abitleft，”hesaofall，whenyoulookedback，Tashbaanwasalreadysmallaombswerequiteinvisible:sinthatsingle，jagged-edgedhumpwhichwasthecityoftheTisroefeltbetter。

Butn。ThoughTashbaanlookedveryfarawaywhesawit，itrefusedtolookanyfurtherawayastheywenton。Shastagaveuplookingbackatit，foritohefeelingthattheywerenotmovingatall。Thebeuisaheglareofthesandmadehiseyesache:buthekn'tshutthem。HemustscrewthemupandkeeponlookiMountPireandshoutingoutdires。The。Heforthefirsttimewheodismountandpeddowheheatfromitstrutohisfaceasiffromtheopeningofanoveimeitwasworse。Butthethirdtime，ashisbarefeettouchedthesahpainabathestirrupaherhalfoverBree'sbackbeforeyoucouldhavesaidknife。

“Sorry，Bree，”hegasped。“I'twalk。Itbur。”“Ofcourse!”pantedBree。“Shouldhavethoughtofthatmyself。Stayon。'tbehelped。”

“It'sallrightforyou，”saidShastatoAravisalkingbesideHwin。“You'vegotshoeson。”

Aravissaidnothingandlookedprim。Let'shopeshedidn'tmeanto，butshedid。

Onagain，trotandwalkandtrot，jingle-jingle-jingle，squeak-squeak-squeak，smellofhothorse，smellofhotself，blindingglare，headaothingatalldifferentformileaftermile。Tashbaanwouldneverlookahemountainswouldneverlookanynearer。Youfeltthishadbeengoingonforalways—jingle-jingle-jingle，squeaksqueak-squeak，smellofhothorse，smellofhotself。

Ofetriedallsameswithorytomakethetimepass:andofcoursetheywereallnogood。Ariedveryhardnottothinkofdriiashbaan，clearspriinklingwithadarkearthysound，ilkjustoughandnottoodtheharderyoutriednottothink，themoreyouthought。

Atlasttherewassomethi—amassofrogupoutofthesandaboutfiftyyardslongandthirtyfeethigh。Itdidnotcastmuchshadow，forthesunwasnh，butitcastalittle。Intothatshadetheycrowded。Theretheyatesomefoodanddrankalittlewater。ItisnoteasygivingahorseadrinkoutofaskiBreeandHwihtheirlips。hinglikeenough。heHorseswerefleckedwithfoamahingwasnoisy。The>

Afteraveryshortresttheywentonagain。Samenoises，samesmells，sameglare，tillatlasttheirshadowsbegantofallht，alertilltheyseemedtostretchouttotheEasterheworld。VeryslowlythesuheWesternhorizon。Andnowatlasthewasdownand，thahemercilessglarewasgohoughtheheatingupfromthesandwasstillasbadasever。FourpairsofeyeswerelookingouteagerlyfhatSallowpadtheRavenhadspokenabout。But，mileaftermile，therewasnothingbutlevelsand。Andnowthedaywasquitedefinitelydone，andmostofthestarswereout，andstilltheHorsesthunderedonandtheroseandsankintheirsaddles，miserablewiththirstaillthemoonhadrisendidShasta—irange，barkingvoieohisperfectlydry-shoutout:

&is!”

Therewasnomistakingitnow。Ahead，andalittletht，theree:aslopedownwardandhummocksofroeachside。TheHorseswerefartootiredtospeakbuttheyswungroundtowarditandiheywereehegully。Atfirstitwasworseihadbeenouti，fortherewasabreathlessstuffiherockywallsandlessmoonlight。Theslopeuedsteeplydownwardsandtheroeitherhaheheightofcliffs。Theomeetvegetation—pricklycactus-likeplantsandcrassofthekindthatwouldprickyers。Soonthehorse-hooeadofsand。Roundeverybendofthevalley—andithadmaheylookedeagerlyforwater。TheHorseswereheerengthnow，andHwin，stumblingandpanting;waslaggingbehiheywerealmostindespairbeforeatlasttheycametoalittlemuddinessandatierthroughsofteraergrass。Aricklebecameabrook，andthebrookbecameastreamwithbushesoneachside，areambecameariverandtherecame（aftermoredisappoihanIcouldpossiblydescribe）—amomea，whohadbeeninakindofdoze，suddehatBreehadstoppedandfoundhimselfslippihemalittlecataractofouredintoabroadpool:andboththeHorseswerealreadyihtheirheadsd，drinking，drinking。“O-o-oh，”saidShastaatohiskoopedhisheadrighti。Itstheloveliestmomentinhislife。

Itwasaboutteerwhenallfourofthem（thetwowetnearlyallover）cameoutaoheirsurroundings。Themoonwasopeepdownintothevalley。Therewassoftgrassonbothsidesoftheriver，ahegrass，treesandbushesslopeduptothebasesofthecliffs。Theremusthavebeensomewonderfulflshrubshiddeninthatshadrowthforthewholegladewasfullofthedmostdeliells。AndoutofthedarkestregthetreestherecameasoundShastahadneverheardbefhtingale。

Everyonewasmuchtootiredtospeakortoeat。TheHorses，withoutwaitingtobeunsaddled，laydownatonce。SodidAravisandShasta。

AbouttehecarefulHwinsaid，“Butwemustn'tgotosleep。We'vegottokeepaheadofthatRabadash。”

“No，”saidBreeveryslowly。“Mustn'tgosleep。Justalittlerest。”

Shastaknew（foramoment）thattheywouldallgotosleepifhedidn'tgetupahingaboutit，aheoughtto。Infacthedecidedthathewouldgetupahemtogooly;justyet。。。

&hemoohenightingalesawohorsesandtwohuman，allfastasleep。

ItwasAraviswhoawokefirst。Thesunwasalreadyhighintheheavensandthehourswerealreadywasted。“It'smyfault，”shesaidtoherselffuriouslyasshejumpedupandbeganrousihers。“OnewouldHorsestokeepawakeafteraday'sworklikethat，evealk。AndofcoursethatBoywouldn't;he'shadraining。ButIoughttohaveker。”

&hersweredazedandstupidwiththeheaviheirsleep。

“Neigh-ho—broo-hoo，”saidBree。“Beensleepinginmysaddle，eh?I'llagain。Mostunfortable—”

“Oheon，”saidAravis。“We'velosthalfthemalready。Thereisn'tamomenttospare。”

“Afellow'sgottohaveamouthfulofgrass，”saidBree。

I'mafraidwe'twait，”saidAravis。

“What'stheterriblehurry?”saidBree。“We'vecrossedthedesert，haven'twe?”

“Butwe'renoti，”saidAravis。“Andwe'vegottogettherebeforeRabadash。”

“Oh，wemustbemilesaheadofhim，”saidBree。“Haven'twebeeningashorterway?Didn'tthatRavenfriendofyourssaythiswasashortcut，Shasta?”

“Hedidn'tsayanythingaboutshorter，”aa。“Heonlysaidbetter，becauseyougottoariverthisway。IftheoasisisdueNorthofTashbaan，thenI'mafraidthismaybelonger。”

“WellI'tgoonwithoutasnack，”saidBree。“Takemybridleoff，Shasta。”

“P-please，”saidHwin，veryshyly，“IfeeljustlikeBreethatI'tgoon。ButwhenHorseshavehumans（withspursandthings）ontheirba'ttheyofteogoohey&#likethis?aheyfindthey。Im-mean—oughtn'twetobeabletodoevehatwe'refree。It'sallforNarnia。”

“Ithink，Ma'am，”saidBreeverygly，“thatIknowalittlemoreaboutsandforcedmardwhatahorsedthanyoudo。”

TothisHwinmaden，likemosthighlybredmares，averynervousalepersonutdowyshewasquiteright，andifBreehadhadaTarkaanonhisbackatthatmomenttomakehimgoon，hewouldhavefoundthathewasgoodforseveralhours&#。Butoresultsofbeingaslaveandbeihingsisthatwhenthereisofororeyoufindyouhavealmostlostthepoweryourself。

SotheyhadtowaitwhileBreehadasnadadrink，andofcourseHwinandthehadasnadadrinktoo。Itmusthavebeennearlyeleveno'thembeforetheyfinallygotgoingagaihehingsmuchmentlythawasreallyHwin，thoughshewastheweakerairedofthetwo，whosetthepace。

Thevalleyitself，withitsbrown，crassandmossandwildflowersandrhododendrons，leasamadeyouwanttorideslowly。