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CHAPTER EIGHT TWO NARROW ESCAPES（第1页）

CHAPTEREIGHTTWONARROES

EVERYONEwascheerfulastheDawnTreadersailedfronIsland。Theyhadfairwindsassoonastheywereoutofthebayamtotheunknownlandwhihadseenwhenflyihemountaiacewasstilladragon。Itwasalowgreenislandihingbutrabbitsas，butfromtheruinsofstos，andfromblaedplaceswherefireshadbeen，theyjudgedthatithadbeeloherewerealsosomebonesandbroken>

“Pirates'ian。

“on's，”saidEdmund。

&herthiherewasalittleskinboat，orcorathesands。Itwasmadeofhidestretchedoverawickerframework。Itwasatinyboat，barelyfourfeetlong，andthepaddlewhichstilllayinitortiothateitherithadbeenmadeforachildorelsethatthepeopleofthattryhadbeenDicheepdecidedtokeepit，asitwasjusttherightsizeforhim;soitwastakenonboard。TheycalledthatlandBurntIsland，andsailedawaybeforenoon。

Forsomefivedaystheyrah-south-eastwind，outofsightofalllaherfishnull。ThentheyhadadaywheilltheafteracelosttwogamesofchesstoReepidbegalikehisoldanddisagreeableselfagain，andEdmuheycouldhavegohSusan。ThenLucylookedoutofthesternwindowsandsaid:“Hello!Idobelieveit'sstopping。Andwhat'sthat?”

&umbleduptothepoopatthisandfoundthattherainhadstoppedandthatDrinian，atch，wasalshardatsomethingastern。Orrather，atseveralthings。Theylookedalittlelikesmoothroundedrocks，awholelihintervalsofaboutfortyfeetiween。

“Butthey'tberocks，”Drinianwassayiheyweren'ttherefiveminutesago。”

“Andone'sjustdisappeared，”saidLucy。

&here'sanotheroneingup，”saidEdmund。

“Andnearer，”saidEustace。

“Hangit!”said。“Thewholethingismovingthis>

“Andmovidealquiwesail，Sire，”saidDrinian。“It'llbeupwithusinaminute。”

Theyallheldtheirbreath，foritisnotatallobepursuedbyanunkheronlawhatitturobewasfarworsethananyonehadsuspected。Suddenly，onlyaboutthelengthofacricketpittheirportside，anappalliselfoutofthesea。Itwasallgreensandvermilionswithpurpleblotches—exceptwhereshellfishgtoit—aherlikeahorse's，thoughwithoutears。Ithadenormouseyes，eyesmadefthroughthedarkdepthsoftheodagapingmouthfilledwithdoublerofish-liketeeth。ItwhattheyfirsttooktobeahugeasmoreaemergedeveryohiswassbodyandthatatlasttheywereseeinglehavefoolishlywahegreatSeaSerpent。Thefoldsofitsgigantictailcouldbeseenfaraway，risingatintervalsfromthesurfaowitsheadwastuphighertha。

Everymaohison，buttherewasnothihemoofreach。“Shoot!Shoot!”criedtheMasterBowman，andseveralobeyed，butthearrowsglaheSeaSerpent'shideasifitlated。Then，foradreadfulminute，everyoill，staringupatitseyesandmouthandwwhereitwouldpounce。

Butitdidn'tpouitsheadforwardacrosstheshipoheyardofthemast。Nowitsheadwasjustbesidethefightingtop。Stillitstretdstretchedtillitsheadwasoverthestarboardbulwark。Thendowoe—notontothecrowdeddetothewater，sothatthewholeshipwasunderanarchofserpent。Andalmostatoartogetsmaller:ihestarboardtheSeaSerpentwasnowalmosttougtheDawnTreader'sside。

&ace（whohadreallybeentryiobehavewell，tilltherainahimbaowdidthefirstbravethinghehadeverdone。Hewaswearingasiahim。Assoo'sbodywasnearenoughoarboardsidehejumpedontothebulwarkandbeganhagatitwithallhismight。Itistruethatheaplishednothingbey'ssed-bestswordintobits，butitwasafihingfiohavedone。

OtherswouldhavejoinedhimifatthatmomentReepicheephad，“Don'tfight!Push!”ItwassounusualfortheMousetoadviseaofightthat，eveninthatterriblemomeurohim。Andwheothebulwark，forwardoftheshislittlefurrybastitshugescaly，slimybadbeganpushingashardashecould，quiteanumberofpeoplesawwhathemeantahsidesoftheshiptodothesame。Andwheer，theSeaSerpent'sheadappearedagain，thistimeoside，andthistimewithitsba，theood。

&ehadmadealoopofitselfroureaderaodrawthelooptight。Whenitgotquitetight—snap!—therewouldbefloatingmatchwoodwheretheshiphadbeenanditcouldpickthemoutofthewateroheiroopushtheloopbackwardtillitslidoverthesterthesamethiopushtheshipforwardoutoftheloop。

Reepiehad，oforegthisthanofliftingupacathedral，buthehadnearlykilledhimselfwithtryihersshovedhimaside。Verysoonthewholeship'spaLudtheMouse（whichwasfainting）wasintwolohetwobulwarks，ea'schesttothebaaninfront，sothattheweightofthewholelihelastman，pushingfortheirlives。Forafewsigseds（whichseemedlikehours）nothiohappen。Joidropped，breathgruntsandgasps。Theheshipwasmovihatthesnake-loopwasfurtherfromthemastthanithadbeen。Buttheyalsosawthatitwassmaller。Andnerwasathand。Couldtheygetitoverthepoop，orwasitalreadytootight?Yes。Itwouldjustfit。Itwasrestingonthepooprails。Adozenupohiswasfarbetter。TheSeaSerpent'sbodythattheyakealihepoopandpushsidebyside。Hhtilleveryohehighcarvedsterail，oftheDawwouldbequiteimpossibletogetthebruteoverthat。

“Anaxe，”criedhoarsely，“andstillshove。”Luewwhereeverythingwas，heardhimwhereshewasstandingonthemaiaringupatthepoop。Inafewsedsshehadbeetheaxe，andwasrushiothepoop。Butjustasshereachedthetoptherecameagreatoiselikeatreeingdownandtheshiproddartedforward。ForatthatverymomeherbecausetheSeaSerpentushedsohard，orbecauseitfoolishlydecidedtodrawthehewholeofthecarvedsternbrokeoffandtheshipwasfree。

&hersweretooexhaustedtoseewhatLucysaw。There，afewyardsbehiheloopofSeaSerpent'sbodygotrapidlysmalleraoasplash。Lucyalwayssaid（butofcourseshewasveryexcitedatthemoment，anditmayhavebeenonlyimagination）thatshesawalookofidioticsatisfathecreature'sface。Whatisisthatitwasaverystupidanimal，forinsteadtheshipittursheadroundandbegannosingallalongitsownbodyasifitexpectedtofindthewreckageoftheDawhere。ButtheDawnTreaderwasalreadywellaway，runningbeforeafreshbreeze，andthemenlayandsatpantingandgroaningallaboutthedeck，tillpresentlytheywereabletotalkaboutit，aolaughaboutit。AndwhensomerumhadbeeheyevenraisedadeveryohevalourofEustace（thoughithadn'tdoneanygood）andofReepicheep。

&heysailedforthreedaysmoreandsawnothingbutseaandsky。Ohdaythewihenorthandtheseasbegaheafternoonithadnearlybeeagale。Butatthesametimetheysightedlabow。

“Byyourleave，Sire，”saidDrirytogetuhattrybyrowingandlieinharbour，maybetillthisisover。”agreed，butalainstthegaledidnthemtothelandbef。Bythelastlightofthatdaytheysteeredintoanaturalharbouraashorethatnight。Inthemtheyfouhegreenbayed，lonely-lookingtrywhichslopeduptoarockysummit。Fromthewindysummitestreamingrapidly。Theyloweredtheboatahaercasksempty。

“Whichstreamshallwewaterat，Drinian?”saidashetookhisseatisoftheboat。“Thereseemtobetwoingdownintothebay。”

“Itmakeslittleodds，Sire，”saidDrinian。“ButIthinkit'sashorterpulltothatoarboard-theeasternone。”

&herain，”saidLucy。

“Ishouldthinkitdoes!”saidEdmund，foriteltinghard。“Isay，let'sgototheotherstream。Therearetreesthereandwe'llhavesomeshelter。”

&'s，”saidEustaopoiterthanweneed。”