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chater eleven the unwele fellw traveller（第1页）

WHENShastawentthroughthegatehefoundaslopeofgrassandalittleheatherrunningupbeforehimtosometrees.Hehadnothingtothinkaboutnowandnoplanstomake:hehadonlytorun，andthatwasquiteenough.Hislimbswereshaking，aterriblestitchwasbeginninginhisside，andthesweatthatkeptdroppingintohiseyesblindedthemandmadethemsmart.Hewasunsteadyonhisfeettoo，andmorethanoncehenearlyturnedhisankleonaloosestone.

Thetreeswerethickernowthantheyhadyetbeenandinthemoreopenspacestherewasbracken.Thesunhadgoneinwithoutmakingitanycooler.Ithadbecomeoneofthosehot，greydayswhenthereseemtobetwiceasmanyfliesasusual.Shasta'sfacewascoveredwiththem;hedidn'teventrytoshakethemoff-hehadtoomuchelsetodo.

Suddenlyheheardahorn-notagreatthrobbinghornlikethehornsofTashbaanbutamerrycall，Ti-ro-to-to-ho!Nextmomenthecameoutintoawidegladeandfoundhimselfinacrowdofpeople.

Atleast，itlookedacrowdtohim.Inrealitytherewereaboutfifteenortwentyofthem，allgentlemeningreenhunting-dress，withtheirhorses;someinthesaddleandsomestandingbytheirhorses'heads.Inthecentresomeonewasholdingthestirrupforamantomount.Andthemanhewasholdingitforwasthejolliest，fat，apple-cheeked，twinkling-eyedKingyoucouldimagine.

AssoonasShastacameinsightthisKingforgotallaboutmountinghishorse.HespreadouthisarmstoShasta，hisfacelitup，andhecriedoutinagreat，deepvoicethatseemedtocomefromthebottomofhischest:

"

Corin!Myson!Andonfoot，andinrags!What—"

"

No，"

pantedShasta，shakinghishead."

NotPrinceCorin.I-I-knowI'mlikehim…sawhisHighnessinTashbaan…senthisgreetings."

TheKingwasstaringatShastawithanextraordinaryexpressiononhisface.

"

AreyouK-KingLune?"

gaspedShasta.Andthen，withoutwaitingforananswer，.LordKing-fly-Anvardshutthegates-enemiesuponyou-Rabadashandtwohundredhorse."

"

Haveyouassuranceofthis，boy?"

askedoneoftheothergentlemen.

"

Myowneyes，"

saidShasta..I'veseenthem.RacedthemallthewayfromTashbaan."

"

Onfoot?"

saidthegentleman，raisinghiseyebrowsalittle.

"

Horses-withtheHermit，"

saidShasta.

"

Questionhimnomore;Darrin，"

saidKingLune."

Iseetruthinhisface.Wemustrideforit，gentlemen.Asparehorsethere，fortheboy.Youcanridefast，friend?"

ForanswerShastaputhisfootinthestirrupofthehorsewhichhadbeenledtowardshimandamomentlaterhewasinthesaddle.HehaddoneitahundredtimeswithBreeinthelastfewweeks，andhismountingwasverydifferentnowfromwhatithadbeenonthatfirstnightwhenBreehadsaidthatheclimbedupahorseasifhewereclimbingahaystack.

HewaspleasedtoheartheLordDarrinsaytotheKing，.Theboyhasatruehorseman'sseat，Sire.I'llwarrantthere'snoblebloodinhim."

"

Hisblood，aye，there'sthepoint，"

saidtheKing.AndhestaredhardatShastaagainwiththatcuriousexpression，almostahungryexpression，inhissteady，greyeyes.

Butbynow-thewholepartywasmovingoffatabriskcanter.Shasta'sseatwasexcellentbuthewassadlypuzzledwhattodowithhisreins，forhehadnevertouchedthereinswhilehewasonBree'sback.Buthelookedverycarefullyoutofthecornersofhiseyestoseewhattheothersweredoing（assomeofushavedoneatpartieswhenweweren'tquitesurewhichknifeorforkweweremeanttouse）andtriedtogethisfingersright.Buthedidn'tdaretotryreallydirectingthehorse;hetrusteditwouldfollowtherest.Thehorsewasofcourseanordinaryhorse，notaTalkingHorse;butithadquitewitsenoughtorealizethatthestrangeboyonitsbackhadnowhipandnospursandwasnotreallymasterofthesituation.ThatwaswhyShastasoonfoundhimselfatthetailendoftheprocession.

Evenso，hewasgoingprettyfast.Therewerenofliesnowandtheairinhisfacewasdelicious.Hehadgothisbreathbacktoo.Andhiserrandhadsucceeded.ForthefirsttimesincethearrivalatTashbaan（howlongagoitseemed!）hewasbeginningtoenjoyhimself.

Helookeduptoseehowmuchnearerthemountaintopshadcome.Tohisdisappointmenthecouldnotseethematall:onlyavaguegreyness，rollingdowntowardsthem.Hehadneverbeeninmountaincountrybeforeandwassurprised."

It'sacloud，"