There was no mistaking it now. Ahead， and a little to their right， there was at last a slope： a slope downward and hummocks of rock on each side. The Horses were far too tired to speak but they swung round towards it and in a minute or two they were entering the gully. At first it was worse in there than it had been out in the open desert，for there was a breathless stuffiness between the rocky walls and less moonlight. The slope continued steeply downwards and the rocks on either hand rose to the height of cliffs. Then they began to meet vegetation-prickly cactus-like plants and coarse grass of the kind that would prick your fingers. Soon the horse-hoofs were falling on pebbles and stones instead of sand. Round every bend of the valley-and it had many bends-they looked eagerly for water. The Horses were nearly at the end of their strength now， and Hwin， stumbling and panting； was lagging behind Bree. They were almost in despair before at last they came to a little muddiness and a tiny trickle of water through softer and better grass. And the trickle became a brook， and the brook became a stream with bushes on each side， and the stream became a river and there came （after more disappointments than I could possibly describe） a moment when Shasta， who had been in a kind of doze， suddenly realized that Bree had stopped， and found himself slipping off. Before them a little cataract of water poured into a broad pool： and both the Horses were already in the pool with their heads down， drinking， drinking， drinking. “O-o-oh，” said Shasta and plunged in-it was about up to his knees-and stooped his head right into the cataract. It was perhaps the loveliest moment in his life.
It was about ten minutes later when all four of them （the two children wet nearly all over） came out and began to notice their surroundings. The moon was now high enough to peep down into the valley. There was soft grass on both sides of the river and， beyond the grass， trees and bushes sloped up to the bases of the cliffs. There must have been some wonderful flowering shrubs hidden in that shadowy undergrowth for the whole glade was full of the coolest and most delicious smells. And out of the darkest recess among the trees there came a sound Shasta had never heard before-a nightingale.
Everyone was much too tired to speak or to eat. The Horses，without waiting to be unsaddled， lay down at once. So did Aravis and Shasta.
About ten minutes later the careful Hwin said， “But we mustn’t go to sleep. We‘ve got to keep ahead of that Rabadash.”
“No，” said Bree very slowly. “Mustn’t go sleep. Just a little rest.”
Shasta knew （for a moment） that they would all go to sleep if he didn‘t get up and do something about it， and felt that he ought to. In fact he decided that he would get up and persuade them to go on. But presently； not yet； not just yet...Very soon the moon shone and the nightingale sang over two horses and two human children， all fast asleep.
It was Aravis who awoke first. The sun was already high in the heavens and the cool morning hours were already wasted. “It’s my fault，” she said to herself furiously as she jumped up and began rousing the others. “One wouldn‘t expect Horses to keep awake after a day’s work like that， even if they can talk. And of course that Boy wouldn‘t； he’s had no decent training. But I ought to have known better.”
The others were dazed and stupid with the heaviness of their sleep. “Neigh-ho-broo-hoo，” said Bree. “Been sleeping in my saddle， eh？
I‘ll never do that again. Most uncomfortable-”
“Oh， come on， come on，” said Aravis. “We’ve lost half the morning already. There isn‘t a moment to spare.”
“A fellow’s got to have a mouthful of grass，” said Bree. “I‘m afraid we can’t wait，” said Aravis.
“What‘s the terrible hurry？” said Bree. “We’ve crossed the desert， haven‘t we？”
“But we’re not in Archenland yet，” said Aravis. “And we‘ve got to get there before Rabadash.”
“Oh， we must be miles ahead of him，” said Bree. “Haven’t we been coming a shorter way？ Didn‘t that Raven friend of yours say this was a short cut， Shasta？”
“He didn’t say anything about shorter，” answered Shasta. “He only said better， because you got to a river this way. If the oasis is due North of Tashbaan， then I‘m afraid this may be longer.”
“Well I can’t go on without a snack，” said Bree. “Take my bridle off， Shasta.”
“P-please，” said Hwin， very shyly， “I feel just like Bree that I can‘tgo on. But when Horses have humans （with spurs and things） on their
backs， aren’t they often made to go on when they‘re feeling like this？ and then they find they can. I m-mean-oughtn’t we to be able to do even more， now that we‘re free？ It’s all for Narnia.”
“I think， Ma‘am，” said Bree very crushingly， “that I know a little more about campaigns and forced marches and what a horse can stand than you do.”
To this， Hwin made no answer， being， like most highly bred mares， a very nervous and gentle person who was easily put down. In reality she was quite right， and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that moment to make him go on， he would have found that he was good for several hours’ hard going. But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.
So they had to wait while Bree had a snack and a drink， and of course Hwin and the children had a snack and a drink too. It must have been nearly eleven o‘clock in the morning before they finally got going again. And even then Bree took things much more gently than yesterday. It was really Hwin， though she was the weaker and more tired of the two， who set the pace.
The valley itself， with its brown， cool river， and grass and moss and wild flowers and rhododendrons， was such a pleasant place that it made you want to ride slowly.
中文阅读
“多么可怕！实在可怕极了！”拉萨拉林低声抱怨道，“啊，亲爱的，我真是吓坏了。我浑身都在发抖。摸摸我。”
“别这样，”阿拉维斯说，她自己也在颤抖，“他们已经返回新宫殿去了。我们只要出了这间屋子，就安全了。耽误了那么多时间。你要赶快把我带到水门那儿去。”
“亲爱的，你怎么能够做到？”拉萨拉林尖声叫道，“我什么也干不成了——至少是现在。我可怜的神经！不行，我们必须安静地躺一会儿，然后回家。”
“为什么要回家？”阿拉维斯问她。“哦，你无法理解。你缺乏同情心，”拉萨拉林说着，哭了起来。阿拉维斯决定不能心慈手软。“听我说！”她说着，一把抓住拉萨拉林，狠狠地摇晃着她，“如果你再说一句回家，如果你不马上带我到水门那儿——你知道我会怎么做？我要冲进那条过道大叫大嚷。让我们俩都被逮起来。”
