CHAPTER SIX A GOOD NIGHT’S WORK（第3/3页）

“Well，Sire，”said Jill. “As soon as I saw that you’d got the sentry out of the way I thought hadn’t I better have a look inside the stable and see what really is there ？ So I crawled along. It was as easy as anything to draw the bolt．Of course it was pitch black inside and smelled like any other stable. Then I struck a light and-would you believe it ？-there was nothing at all there but this old donkey with a bundle of lion-skin tied on to his back. So I drew my knife and told him he’d have to come along with me. As a matter of fact I needn’t have threatened him with the knife at all. He was very fed up with the stable and quite ready to come-weren’t you， Puzzle dear ？”

“Great Scott!”said Eustace.“Well I’m-jiggered. I was jolly angry with you a moment ago，and I still think it was mean of you to sneak off without the rest of us：but I must admit-well，I mean to say-well it was a perfectly gorgeous thing to do. If she was a boy she’d have to be knighted，wouldn’t she，Sire ？”

“If she was a boy，”said Tirian，“she’d be whipped for disobeying orders.”And in the dark no one could see whether he said this with a frown or a smile. Next minute there was a sound of rasping metal．

“What are you doing，Sire ？”asked Jewel sharply．

“Drawing my sword to smite off the head of the accursed Ass，”said Tirian in a terrible voice.“Stand clear，girl.”

“Oh don’t，please don’t，”said Jill.“Really，you mustn’t. It wasn’t his fault. It was all the Ape. He didn’t know any better. And he’ svery sorry. he’s a nice Donkey. His name’s Puzzle. And I’ve got my arms round his neck.”

“Jill，”said Tirian，“you are the bravest and most woodwise of all my subjects，but also the most malapert and disobedient. Well：let the Ass live. What have you to say for yourself，Ass ？”

“Me，Sire ？”came the Donkey’s voice.“I’m sure I’m very sorry if I’ve done wrong. The Ape said Aslan wanted me to dress up like that. And I thought he’d know. I’m not clever like him. I only did what I was told. It wasn’t any fun for me living in that stable. I don’t even know what’s been going on outside. He never let me out except for a minute or two at night. Some days they forgot to give me any water too.”

“Sire，”said Jewel.“Those Dwarfs are coming nearer and nearer. Do we want to meet them ？”

Tirian thought for a moment and then suddenly gave a great laugh out loud. Then he spoke，not this time in a whisper.“By the Lion，”he said，“I am growing slow witted! Meet them ？Certainly we will meet them. We will meet anyone now. We have this Ass to show them. Let them see the thing they have feared and bowed to. We can show them the truth of the Ape’s vile plot. His secret’s out. The tide’s turned. Tomorrow we shall hang that Ape on the highest tree in Narnia. No more whispering and skulking and disguises. Where are these honest Dwarfs ？We have good news for them.”

When you have been whispering for hours the mere sound of anyone talking out loud has a wonderfully stirring effect. The whole party began talking and laughing：even Puzzle lifted up his head and gave a grand Haw-hee-haw-hee-hee; a thing the Ape hadn’t allowed him to do for days. Then they set off in the direction of the drumming. It grew steadily louder and soon they could see torchlight as well. They came out on one of those rough roads (we should hardly call them roads at all in England) which ran through Lantern Waste. And there，marching sturdily along，were about thirty Dwarfs，all with their little spades and mattocks over their shoulders. Two armed Calormenes led the column and two more brought up the rear．

“Stay!”thundered Tirian as he stepped out on the road.“Stay， soldiers. Whither do you lead these Narnian Dwarfs and by whose orders ？”