第 19 节
作者: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