《THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER》

下载本书

添加书签

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER- 第15部分


按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
 were  seeing what so many people have foolishly wanted to see … the great sea serpent。 the folds  of its gigantic tail could be seen far away; rising at intervals from the surface。  and now its head was towering up higher than the mast。

every man rushed to his weapon; but there was nothing to be done; the  monster was out of reach。 〃shoot! shoot!〃 cried the master bowman; and several obeyed; but  the arrows glanced off the sea serpents hide as if it was ironplated。 then; for a  dreadful minute; everyone was still; staring up at its eyes and mouth and wondering where it  would pounce。

but it didnt pounce。 it shot its head forward across the ship on a level  with the yard of the mast。 now its head was just beside the fighting top。 still it stretched  and stretched till its head was over the starboard bulwark。 then down it began to e … not  on to the  

crowded deck but into the water; so that the whole ship was under an arch  of serpent。

and almost at once that arch began to get smaller: indeed on the starboard  the sea serpent was now almost touching the dawn treaders side。

eustace (who had really been trying very hard to behave well; till the rain  and the chess put him back) now did the first brave thing he had ever done。 he was  wearing a sword that caspian had lent him。 as soon as the serpents body was near enough on  the starboard side he jumped on to the bulwark and began hacking at it with all  his might。 it is true that he acplished nothing beyond breaking caspians second…best  sword into bits; but it was a fine thing for a beginner to have done。

others would have joined him if at that moment reepicheep had not called  out; 〃dont fight! push!〃 it was so unusual for the mouse to advise anyone not to fight  that; even in that terrible moment; every eye turned to him。 and when he jumped up on to  the bulwark; forward of the snake; and set his little furry back against its  huge scaly; slimy back; and began pushing as hard as he could; quite a number of people saw  what he meant and rushed to both sides of the ship to do the same。 and when; a  moment later; the sea serpents head appeared again; this time on the port side; and this  time with its back to them; then everyone understood。

the brute had made a loop of itself round the dawn treader and was  beginning to draw the loop tight。 when it got quite tight … snap! … there would be floating  matchwood where the ship had been and it could pick them out of the water one by one。 their  only chance was to push the loop backward till it slid over the stern; or else (to put  the same thing another way) to push the ship forward out of the loop。

reepicheep alone had; of course; no more chance of doing this than of  lifting up a cathedral; but he had nearly killed himself with trying before others  shoved him aside。

very soon the whole ships pany except lucy and the mouse (which was  fainting)

was in two long lines along the two bulwarks; each mans chest to the back  of the man in front; so that the weight of the whole line was in the last man; pushing  for their lives。 for a few sickening seconds (which seemed like hours) nothing appeared to  happen。 joints cracked; sweat dropped; breath came in grunts and gasps。 then they felt  that the ship was moving。 they saw that the snake…loop was further from the mast than it had  been。 but they also saw that it was smaller。 and now the real danger was at hand。  could they get it over the poop; or was it already too tight? yes。 it would just fit。 it was  resting on the poop rails。 a dozen or more sprang up on the poop。 this was far better。 the  sea serpents body was so low now that they could make a line across the poop and push  side by side。

hope rose high till everyone remembered the high carved stern; the dragon  tail; of the dawn treader。 it would be quite impossible to get the brute over that。

〃an axe;〃 cried caspian hoarsely; 〃and still shove。〃 lucy; who knew where  everything was; heard him where she was standing on the main deck staring up at the  poop。 in a few seconds she had been below; got the axe; and was rushing up the ladder to  the poop。 but just as she reached the top there came a great crashing noise like a tree  ing down and the ship rocked and darted forward。 for at that very moment; whether  because the sea  

serpent was being pushed so hard; or because it foolishly decided to draw  the noose tight; the whole of the carved stern broke off and the ship was free。

the others were too exhausted to see what lucy saw。 there; a few yards  behind them; the loop of sea serpents body got rapidly smaller and disappeared into a  splash。 lucy always said (but of course she was very excited at the moment; and it may  have been only imagination) that she saw a look of idiotic satisfaction on the creatures  face。 what is certain is that it was a very stupid animal; for instead of pursuing the  ship it turned its head round and began nosing all along its own body as if it expected to  find the wreckage of the dawn treader there。 but the dawn treader was already well away;  running before a fresh breeze; and the men lay and sat panting and groaning all about the  deck; till presently they were able to talk about it; and then to laugh about it。 and  when some rum had been served out they even raised a cheer; and everyone praised the  valour of eustace (though it hadnt done any good) and of reepicheep。

after this they sailed for three days more and saw nothing but sea and sky。  on the fourth day the wind changed to the north and the seas began to rise; by the  afternoon it had nearly bee a gale。 but at the same time they sighted land on their port  bow。

〃by your leave; sire;〃 said drinian; 〃we will try to get under the lee of  that country by rowing and lie in harbour; maybe till this is over。〃 caspian agreed; but a  long row against the gale did not bring them to the land before evening。 by the last light  of that day they steered into a natural harbour and anchored; but no one went ashore that  night。 in the morning they found themselves in the green bay of a rugged; lonely…looking  country which sloped up to a rocky summit。 from the windy north beyond that summit  clouds came streaming rapidly。 they lowered the boat and loaded  her with any of the water casks which were now empty。

〃which stream shall we water at; drinian?〃 said caspian as he took his seat  in the stern…sheets of the boat。 〃there seem to be two ing down into the bay。”

〃it makes little odds; sire;〃 said drinian。 〃but i think its a shorter  pull to that on the starboard…the eastern one。”

〃here es the rain;〃 said lucy。

〃i should think it does!〃 said edmund; for it was already pelting hard。 〃i  say; lets go to the other stream。 there are trees there and well have some shelter。”

〃yes; lets;〃 said eustace。 〃no point in getting wetter than we need。”

but all the time drinian was steadily steering to the starboard; like  tiresome people in cars who continue at forty miles an hour while you are explaining to them  that they are on the wrong road。

〃theyre right; drinian;〃 said caspian。 〃why dont you bring her head round  and make for the western stream?”

〃as your majesty pleases;〃 said drinian a little shortly。 he had had an  anxious day with the weather yesterday; and he didnt like advice from landsmen。 but he  altered course; and it turned out afterwards that it was a good thing he did。

by the time they had finished watering; the rain was over and caspian; with  eustace; the pevensies; and reepicheep; decided to walk up to the top of the hill and  see what could be seen。 it was a stiffish climb through coarse grass and heather and they  saw neither man nor beast; except seagulls。 when they reached the top they saw that it was  a very small island; not more than twenty acres; and from this height the sea looked  larger and more desolate than it did from the deck; or even the fighting top; of the dawn  treader。

〃crazy; you know;〃 said eustace to lucy in a low voice; looking at the  eastern horizon。

〃sailing on and on into that with no idea what we may get to。〃 but he only  said it out of habit; not really nastily as he would have done at one time。

it was too cold to stay long on the ridge for the wind still blew freshly  from the north。

〃dont lets go back the same way;〃 said lucy as they turned; 〃lets go  along a bit and e down by the other stream; the one drinian wanted to go to。”

everyone agreed to this and after about fifteen minutes they were at the  source of the second river。 it was a more interesting place than they had expected; a  deep little mountain lake; surrounded by cliffs except for a narrow channel on the  seaward side out of which the water flowed。 here at last they were out of the wind; and all  sat down in the heather above the cliff for a rest。

all sat down; but one (it was edmund) jumped up again very quickly。

〃they go in for sharp stones on this island;〃 he said; groping about in the  heather。 〃where is the wretched thing? 。 。 。 ah; now ive got it 。 。 。 hullo! it wasnt a  stone at all; its a sword…hilt。 no; by jove; its a whole sword; what the rust has left of it。  it must have lain here for ages。”

〃narnian; too; by the look of it;〃 said caspian; as they all crowded 
小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架