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the story of the glittering plain-第19部分

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So at midnight they lay down in the wilderness again; hungry and

weary。  They rose at dawn and went forward with waning hope:  for now

the mountain ridge on the north was close to their path; rising up

along a sheer wall of pale stone over which nothing might go save the

fowl flying; so that at first on that morning they looked for nothing

save to lay their bones in that grievous desert where no man should

find them。



But; as beset with famine; they fared on heavily down the narrow

track; there came a hoarse cry from Hallblithe's dry throat and it

was as if his cry had been answered by another like to his; and the

seekers turned and beheld him pointing to the cliff…side; and lo!

half…way up the pale sun…litten crag stood two ravens in a cranny of

the stone; flapping their wings and croaking; with thrusting forth

and twisting of their heads; and presently they came floating on the

thin pure air high up over the heads of the wayfarers; croaking for

the pleasure of the meeting; as though they laughed thereat。



Then rose the heart of Hallblithe; and he smote his palms together;

and fell to singing an old song of his people; amidst the rocks

whereas few men had sung aforetime。





Whence are ye and whither; O fowl of our fathers?

What field have ye looked on; what acres unshorn?

What land have ye left where the battle…folk gathers;

And the war…helms are white o'er the paths of the corn?



What tale do ye bear of the people uncraven;

Where amidst the long hall…shadow sparkle the spears;

Where aloft on the hall…ridge now flappeth the raven;

And singeth the song of the nourishing years?



There gather the lads in the first of the morning;

While white lies the battle…day's dew on the grass;

And the kind steeds trot up to the horn's voice of warning;

And the winds wake and whine in the dusk of the pass。



O fowl of our fathers; why now are ye resting?

Come over the mountains and look on the foe。

Full fair after fight won shall yet be your nesting;

And your fledglings the sons of the kindred shall know。





Therewith he strode with his head upraised; and above him flew the

ravens; croaking as if they answered his song in friendly fashion。



It was but a little after this that the path turned aside sharp

toward the cliffs; and the seekers were abashed thereof; till

Hallblithe running forward beheld a great cavern in the face of the

cliff at the path's ending:  so he turned and cried on his fellows;

and they hastened up; and presently stood before that cavern's mouth

with doubt and joy mingled in their minds; for now; mayhappen; they

had reached the gate of the Glittering Plain; or mayhappen the gate

of death。



The sad man hung his head and spake:  〃Doth not some new trap abide

us?  What do we here? is this aught save death?〃



Spake the Elder of Elders:  〃Was not death on either hand e'en now;

even as treason besetteth the king upon his throne?〃



And the second said:  〃Yea; we were as the host which hath no road

save through the multitude of foe…men。〃



But Hallblithe laughed and said:  〃Why do ye hang back; then?  As for

me; if death be here; soon is mine errand sped。〃  Therewith he led

the way into the dark of the cave; and the ravens hung about the crag

overhead croaking; as the men left the light。



So was their way swallowed up in the cavern; and day and its time

became nought to them; they went on and on; and became exceeding

faint and weary; but rested not; for death was behind them。  Whiles

they deemed they heard waters running; and whiles the singing of

fowl; and to Hallblithe it seemed that he heard his name called; so

that he shouted back in answer; but all was still when the sound of

his voice had died out。



At last; when they were pressing on again after a short while of

resting; Hallblithe cried out that the cave was lightening:  so they

hastened onward; and the light grew till they could dimly see each

other; and dimly they beheld the cave that it was both wide and high。

Yet a little further; and their faces showed white to one another;

and they could see the crannies of the rocks; and the bats hanging

garlanded from the roof。  So then they came to where the day streamed

down bright on them from a break overhead; and lo! the sky and green

leaves waving against it。



To those way…worn men it seemed hard to clamber out that way; and

especially to the elders:  so they went on a little further to see if

there were aught better abiding them; but when they found the

daylight failing them again; they turned back to the place of the

break in the roof; lest they should waste their strength and perish

in the bowels of the mountain。  So with much ado they hove up

Hallblithe till he got him first on to a ledge of the rocky wall; and

so; what by strength; what by cunning; into the daylight through the

rent in the roof。  So when he was without he made a rope of his

girdle and strips from his raiment; for he was ever a deft craftsman;

and made a shift to heave up therewith the sad man; who was light and

lithe of body; and then the two together dealt with the elders one

after another; till they were all four on the face of the earth

again。



The place whereto they had gotten was the side of a huge mountain;

stony and steep; but set about with bushes; which seemed full fair to

those wanderers amongst the rocks。  This mountain…slope went down

towards a fair green plain; which Hallblithe made no doubt was the

outlying waste of the Glittering Plain:  nay; he deemed that he could

see afar off thereon the white walls of the Uttermost House。  So much

he told the seekers in few words; and then while they grovelled on

the earth and wept for pure joy; whereas the sun was down and it was

beginning to grow dusk; he went and looked around soberly to see if

he might find water and any kind of victual; and presently a little

down the hillside he came upon a place where a spring came gushing up

out of the earth and ran down toward the plain; and about it was

green grass growing plentifully; and a little thicket of bramble and

wilding fruit…trees。  So he drank of the water; and plucked him a few

wilding apples somewhat better than crabs; and then went up the hill

again and fetched the seekers to that mountain hostelry; and while

they drank of the stream he plucked them apples and bramble…berries。

For indeed they were as men out of their wits; and were dazed by the

extremity of their jog; and as men long shut up in prison; to whom

the world of men…folk hath become strange。  Simple as the victual

was; they were somewhat strengthened by it and by the plentiful

water; and as night was now upon them; it was of no avail for them to

go further:  so they slept beneath the boughs of the thorn…bushes。







CHAPTER XVIII:  HALLBLITHE DWELLETH IN THE WOOD ALONE







But on the morrow they arose betimes; and broke their fast on that

woodland victual; and then went speedily down the mountain…side; and

Hallblithe saw by the clear morning light that it was indeed the

Uttermost House which he had seen across the green waste。  So he told

the seekers; but they were silent and heeded nought; because of a

fear that had come upon them; lest they should die before they came

into that good land。  At the foot of the mountain they came upon a

river; deep but not wide; with low grassy banks; and Hallblithe; who

was an exceeding strong swimmer; helped the seekers over without much

ado; and there they stood upon the grass of that goodly waste。



Hallblithe looked on them to note if any change should come over

them; and he deemed that already they were become stronger and of

more avail。  But he spake nought thereof; and strode on toward the

Uttermost House; even as that other day he had stridden away from it。



Such diligence they made; that it was but little after noon when they

came to the door thereof。  Then Hallblithe took the horn and blew

upon it; while his fellows stood by murmuring; 〃It is the Land!  It

is the Land!〃



So came the Warden to the door; clad in red scarlet; and the elder

went up to him and said:  〃Is this the Land?〃



〃What land?〃 said the Warden。



〃Is it the Glittering Plain?〃 said the second of the seekers。



〃Yea; forsooth;〃 said the Warden。  Said the sad man:  〃Will ye lead

us to the King?



〃Ye shall come to the King;〃 said the Warden。



〃When; oh when?〃 cried they out all three。



〃The morrow of to…morrow; maybe;〃 said the Warden。



〃Oh! if to…morrow were but come!〃 they cried。



〃It will come;〃 said the red man; 〃enter ye the house; and eat and

drink and rest you。〃



So they entered; and the Warden heeded Hallblithe nothing。  They ate

and drank and then went to their rest; and Hallblithe lay in a shut…

bed off from the hall; but the Warden brought the seekers otherwhere;

so that Hallblithe saw them not after he had gone to bed; but as for

him he slept and forgot t
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