第二胎想生个男孩 《能言马与男孩》第56期:南征隐士(3)

《能言马与男孩》第56期:南征隐士(3)  

"It's not fair
" thought Shasta. "I did think we'd be safe from lions here!"
He looked over his shoulder. Everything was only too clear. A huge tawny creature
its body low to the ground
like a cat streaking across the lawn to a tree when a strange dog has got into the garden
was behind them. And it was nearer every second and half second.
He looked forward again and saw something which he did not take in
or even think about. Their way was barred by a smooth green wall about ten feet high. In the middle of that wall there was a gate
open. In the middle of the gateway stood a tall man dressed
down to his bare feet
in a robe coloured like autumn leaves
leaning on a straight staff. His beard fell almost to his knees.
Shasta saw all this in a glance and looked back again. The lion had almost got Hwin now. It was making snaps at her hind legs
and there was no hope now in her foamflecked
wide-eyed face.
"Stop
" bellowed Shasta in Bree's ear. "Must go back. Must help!"
Bree always said afterwards that he never heard
or never understood this; and as he was in general a very truthful horse we must accept his word.
Shasta slipped his feet out of the stirrups
slid both his legs over the left side
hesitated for one hideous hundredth of a second
and jumped. It hurt horribly and nearly winded him; but before he knew how it hurt him he was staggering back to help Aravis. He had never done anything like this in his life before and hardly knew why he was doing it now.
One of the most terrible noises in the world
a horse's scream
broke from Hwin's lips. Aravis was stooping low over Hwin's neck and seemed to be trying to draw her sword. And now all three - Aravis
Hwin
and the lion were almost on top of Shasta. Before they reached him the lion rose on its hind legs
larger than you would have believed a lion could be
and jabbed at Aravis with its right paw. Shasta could see all the terrible claws extended. Aravis screamed and reeled in the saddle. The lion was tearing her shoulders. Shasta
half mad with horror
managed to lurch towards the brute. He had no weapon
not even a stick or a stone. He shouted out
idiotically
at the lion as one would at a dog. "Go home! Go home!" For a fraction of a second he was staring right into its wideopened
raging mouth. Then
to his utter astonishment
the lion
still on its hind legs
checked itself suddenly
turned head over heels
picked itself up
and rushed away.
Shasta did not for a moment suppose it had gone for good. He turned and raced for the gate in the green wall which
now for the first time
he remembered seeing. Hwin
stumbling and nearly fainting
was just entering the gate: Aravis still kept her seat but her back was covered with blood.
"Come in
my daughter
e in
" the robed and bearded man was saying
and then "Come in
my son" as Shasta panted up to him. He heard the gate closed behind him; and the bearded stranger was already helping Aravis off her horse.
“真是不顺利，”沙斯塔心中想道，”我还认为这儿比较安全、远离狮子哩！”
他转过头去瞧瞧。一切看得分明极了。一头黄褐色的大型动物，躯体低垂及地，正尾随在他们的后面，仿佛一只陌生的狗闯进花园时，一只猫飞跑过草地要蹿到树上去的模样。眨眼之间，那动物愈逼愈近了。
他向前看看，瞧到了他没注意甚至没想到的事情。他们前进的道路被一道十英尺高的平整的绿色墙垣挡住了。墙垣的中间有个大门，洞开着。门里站着一个身材高大的人，赤脚穿一件秋叶色长袍，身子斜靠在一根笔直的手杖上。他的胡须很长，几乎下垂到膝头。
沙斯塔一眼便看到了这一切，他重新回过头去望。狮子现在几乎要抓住赫温了。狮子正在向赫温的后腿扑呀扑的，此刻赫温汗迹斑斑、两眼圆睁的脸上已经露出绝望的神色。
“停步，”沙斯塔在布里的耳朵边大声叫嚷，”必须回去。必须救命去！”
布里事后老是说它从来没有听到这话，或是从来没有听懂这话；一般说来，它是匹十分忠实的马儿，我们必须相信它的话。
沙斯塔从马镫里抽出两只脚，犹豫了可怕的百分之一秒钟，便从左边跳下马来。他受了重伤，几乎闪了腰，但他还没弄明白受了什么伤，便蹒跚着走回去拯救阿拉维斯了。他生平从未做过类似的事，现在也不知道他为什么要这样做。
世界上最最可怕的声音，一匹马儿的哀鸣，从赫温的嘴里迸发出来了。阿拉维斯正俯下身来伏在赫温的脖子上，似乎企图拔出刀来。如今她们三个——阿拉维斯、赫温和狮子，几乎就在沙斯塔的头顶之上。她们尚未靠近他，那狮子便用后腿站了起来(它躯体之巨大，你简直没法儿相信)，伸出前腿的右爪，猛扑阿拉维斯。沙斯塔看得见那伸开来的所有爪子。阿拉维斯尖声叫喊，在马鞍上摇摇晃晃。狮子在扯她的肩膀。沙斯塔惊惶得半疯半癫，设法向那野兽扑过去。他没有武器，连一根木棒或一块石头也没有。他傻瓜似的向狮子大喊，仿佛人们冲狗儿叫喊一样。”回家去！回家去！”在一秒钟不到的时间里，他瞪眼望着那张得大大的、凶猛的狮子嘴巴。接着，却使他诧异之至，那仍旧用后腿站着的狮子，突然克制自己，变得俯首贴地了，它随即擡起身子，迅速跑掉了。
沙斯塔一时间还认为狮子不是真的跑掉了。他转过身来，向那绿色墙垣跑去，现在他是第一次记起他见过那墙垣。赫温，脚步蹒跚，快要昏过去了，刚进入大门；阿拉维斯仍旧坐在马鞍子上，但她的背上全是血。
“进来吧，我的女儿，进来吧。”穿袍子的长须老人说道。当沙斯塔上气不接下气地向他跑去时，他又说”进来吧，我的儿子。”沙斯塔听见他背后大门关上了，长须陌生人已经在帮助阿拉维斯下马。