CHAPTER NINE ACROSS THE DESERT（第4/4頁）

"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' t go 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.