第 19 节
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博搏 更新:2022-04-14 11:07 字数:9322
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