the wood beyond the world-第6节

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water　ran　down　amidst　of　it。　　So；　though　it　was　so　nigh　nightfall；
yet　Walter　pressed　on；　yea；　and　long　after　the　very　night　was　come。
For　the　moon　rose　wide　and　bright　a　little　after　nightfall。　　But　at
last　he　had　gone　so　long；　and　was　so　wearied；　that　he　deemed　it
nought　but　wisdom　to　rest　him；　and　so　lay　down　on　a　piece　of
greensward　betwixt　the　stones；　when　he　had　eaten　a　morsel　out　of　his
satchel；　and　drunk　of　the　water　out　of　the　stream。　　There　as　he　lay；
if　he　had　any　doubt　of　peril；　his　weariness　soon　made　it　all　one　to
him；　for　presently　he　was　sleeping　as　soundly　as　any　man　in　Langton
on　Holm。



CHAPTER　VIII：　　WALTER　WENDS　THE　WASTE



Day　was　yet　young　when　he　awoke：　　he　leapt　to　his　feet；　and　went
down　to　the　stream　and　drank　of　its　waters；　and　washed　the　night　off
him　in　a　pool　thereof；　and　then　set　forth　on　his　way　again。　　When　he
had　gone　some　three　hours；　the　road；　which　had　been　going　up　all　the
way；　but　somewhat　gently；　grew　steeper；　and　the　bent　on　either　side
lowered；　and　lowered；　till　it　sank　at　last　altogether；　and　then　was
he　on　a　rough　mountain…neck　with　little　grass；　and　no　water；　save
that　now　and　again　was　a　soft　place　with　a　flow　amidst　of　it；　and
such　places　he　must　needs　fetch　a　compass　about；　lest　he　be　mired。
He　gave　himself　but　little　rest；　eating　what　he　needs　must　as　he
went。　　The　day　was　bright　and　calm；　so　that　the　sun　was　never
hidden；　and　he　steered　by　it　due　south。　　All　that　day　he　went；　and
found　no　more　change　in　that　huge　neck；　save　that　whiles　it　was　more
and　whiles　less　steep。　　A　little　before　nightfall　he　happened　on　a
shallow　pool　some　twenty　yards　over；　and　he　deemed　it　good　to　rest
there；　since　there　was　water　for　his　avail；　though　he　might　have
made　somewhat　more　out　of　the　tail　end　of　the　day。

When　dawn　came　again　he　awoke　and　arose；　nor　spent　much　time　over
his　breakfast；　but　pressed　on　all　he　might；　and　now　he　said　to
himself；　that　whatsoever　other　peril　were　athwart　his　way；　he　was
out　of　the　danger　of　the　chase　of　his　own　folk。

All　this　while　he　had　seen　no　four…footed　beast；　save　now　and　again
a　hill…fox；　and　once　some　outlandish　kind　of　hare；　and　of　fowl　but
very　few：　　a　crow　or　two；　a　long…winged　hawk；　and　twice　an　eagle
high　up　aloft。

Again；　the　third　night；　he　slept　in　the　stony　wilderness；　which
still　led　him　up　and　up。　　Only　toward　the　end　of　the　day；　himseemed
that　it　had　been　less　steep　for　a　long　while：　　otherwise　nought　was
changed；　on　all　sides　it　was　nought　but　the　endless　neck；　wherefrom
nought　could　be　seen；　but　some　other　part　of　itself。　　This　fourth
night　withal　he　found　no　water　whereby　he　might　rest；　so　that　he
awoke　parched；　and　longing　to　drink　just　when　the　dawn　was　at　its
coldest。

But　on　the　fifth　morrow　the　ground　rose　but　little；　and　at　last；
when　he　had　been　going　wearily　a　long　while；　and　now；　hard　on
noontide；　his　thirst　grieved　him　sorely；　he　came　on　a　spring　welling
out　from　under　a　high　rock；　the　water　wherefrom　trickled　feebly
away。　　So　eager　was　he　to　drink；　that　at　first　he　heeded　nought
else；　but　when　his　thirst　was　fully　quenched　his　eyes　caught　sight
of　the　stream　which　flowed　from　the　well；　and　he　gave　a　shout；　for
lo！　it　was　running　south。　　Wherefore　it　was　with　a　merry　heart　that
he　went　on；　and　as　he　went；　came　on　more　streams；　all　running　south
or　thereabouts。　　He　hastened　on　all　he　might；　but　in　despite　of　all
the　speed　he　made；　and　that　he　felt　the　land　now　going　down
southward；　night　overtook　him　in　that　same　wilderness。　　Yet　when　he
stayed　at　last　for　sheer　weariness；　he　lay　down　in　what　he　deemed　by
the　moonlight　to　be　a　shallow　valley；　with　a　ridge　at　the　southern
end　thereof。

He　slept　long；　and　when　he　awoke　the　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens；
and　never　was　brighter　or　clearer　morning　on　the　earth　than　was
that。　　He　arose　and　ate　of　what　little　was　yet　left　him；　and　drank
of　the　water　of　a　stream　which　he　had　followed　the　evening　before；
and　beside　which　he　had　laid　him　down；　and　then　set　forth　again　with
no　great　hope　to　come　on　new　tidings　that　day。　　But　yet　when　he　was
fairly　afoot；　himseemed　that　there　was　something　new　in　the　air
which　he　breathed；　that　was　soft　and　bore　sweet　scents　home　to　him；
whereas　heretofore；　and　that　especially　for　the　last　three　or　four
days；　it　had　been　harsh　and　void；　like　the　face　of　the　desert
itself。

So　on　he　went；　and　presently　was　mounting　the　ridge　aforesaid；　and；
as　oft　happens　when　one　climbs　a　steep　place；　he　kept　his　eyes　on
the　ground；　till　he　felt　he　was　on　the　top　of　the　ridge。　　Then　he
stopped　to　take　breath；　and　raised　his　head　and　looked；　and　lo！　he
was　verily　on　the　brow　of　the　great　mountain…neck；　and　down　below
him　was　the　hanging　of　the　great　hill…slopes；　which　fell　down；　not
slowly；　as　those　he　had　been　those　days　a…mounting；　but　speedily
enough；　though　with　little　of　broken　places　or　sheer　cliffs。　　But
beyond　this　last　of　the　desert　there　was　before　him　a　lovely　land　of
wooded　hills；　green　plains；　and　little　valleys；　stretching　out　far
and　wide；　till　it　ended　at　last　in　great　blue　mountains　and　white
snowy　peaks　beyond　them。

Then　for　very　surprise　of　joy　his　spirit　wavered；　and　he　felt　faint
and　dizzy；　so　that　he　was　fain　to　sit　down　a　while　and　cover　his
face　with　his　hands。　　Presently　he　came　to　his　sober　mind　again；　and
stood　up　and　looked　forth　keenly；　and　saw　no　sign　of　any　dwelling　of
man。　　But　he　said　to　himself　that　that　might　well　be　because　the
good　and　well…grassed　land　was　still　so　far　off；　and　that　he　might
yet　look　to　find　men　and　their　dwellings　when　he　had　left　the
mountain　wilderness　quite　behind　him：　　So　therewith　he　fell　to　going
his　ways　down　the　mountain；　and　lost　little　time　therein；　whereas　he
now　had　his　livelihood　to　look　to。



CHAPTER　IX：　　WALTER　HAPPENETH　ON　THE　FIRST　OF　THOSE　THREE　CREATURES



What　with　one　thing；　what　with　another；　as　his　having　to　turn　out　of
his　way　for　sheer　rocks；　or　for　slopes　so　steep　that　he　might　not
try　the　peril　of　them；　and　again　for　bogs　impassable；　he　was　fully
three　days　more　before　he　had　quite　come　out　of　the　stony　waste；　and
by　that　time；　though　he　had　never　lacked　water；　his　scanty　victual
was　quite　done；　for　all　his　careful　husbandry　thereof。　　But　this
troubled　him　little；　whereas　he　looked　to　find　wild　fruits　here　and
there　and　to　shoot　some　small　deer；　as　hare　or　coney；　and　make　a
shift　to　cook　the　same；　since　he　had　with　him　flint　and　fire…steel。
Moreover　the　further　he　went；　the　surer　he　was　that　he　should　soon
come　across　a　dwelling；　so　smooth　and　fair　as　everything　looked
before　him。　　And　he　had　scant　fear；　save　that　he　might　happen　on　men
who　should　enthrall　him。

But　when　he　was　come　down　past　the　first　green　slopes；　he　was　so
worn；　that　he　said　to　himself　that　rest　was　better　than　meat；　so
little　as　he　had　slept　for　the　last　three　days；　so　he　laid　him　down
under　an　ash…tree　by　a　stream…side；　nor　asked　what　was　o'clock；　but
had　his　fill　of　sleep；　and　even　when　he　awoke　in　the　fresh　morning
was　little　fain　of　rising；　but　lay　betwixt　sleeping　and　waking　for
some　three　hours　more；　then　he　arose；　and　went　further　down　the　next
green　bent；　yet　somewhat　slowly　because　of　his　hunger…weakness。　　And
the　scent　of　that　fair　land　came　up　to　him　like　the　odour　of　one
great　nosegay。

So　he　came　to　where　the　land　was　level；　and　there　were　many　trees；
as　oak　and　ash；　and　sweet…chestnut　and　wych…elm；　and　hornbeam　and
quicken…tree；　not　growing　in　a　close　wood　or　tangled　thicket；　but
set　as　though　in　order　on　the　flowery　greensward；　even　as　it　might
be　in　a　great　king's　park。

So　came　he　to　a　big　bird…cherry；　whereof　many　boughs　hung　low　down
laden　with　fruit：　　his　belly　rejoiced　at　the　sight；　and　he　caught
hold　of　a　bough；　and　fell　to　plucking　and　eating。　　But　whiles　he　was
amidst　of　this；　he　heard　suddenly；　close　anigh　him；　a　strange　noise
of　roaring　and　braying；　not　very　great；　but　exceeding　fierce　and
terrible；　and　not　like　to　the　voice　of　any　beast　that　he　knew。　　As
has　been　aforesaid；　Walter　was　no　faint…heart；　but　what　with　the
weakness　of　his　travail　and　hunger；　what　with　the　strangeness　of　his
adventure　and　his　loneliness；　his　spirit　failed　him；　he　turned　round
towards　the　noise；　his　knees　shook　and　he　trembled：　　this　way　and
that　he　looked；　and　then　gave　a　great　cry　and　tumbled　down　in　a
swoon；　for　close　before　him；　at　his　very　feet；　was　the　dwarf　whose
image　he　had　seen　before；　clad　in　his　yellow　coat；　and　grinning　up
at　him　from　his　hideous　hairy　countenance。

How　long　he　lay　there　as　one　dead；　he　knew　not；　but　when　he　woke
again　there　was　the　dwarf　sitting　on　his　hams　close　by　him。　　And
when　he　lifted　up　his　head；　the　dwarf　sent　out　that　fearful　harsh
voice　again；　but　this　time　Walter　could　make　out　words　therein；　and
knew　that　the　creature　spoke　and　said：

〃How　now！　　What　art　thou？　　Whence　comest？　　What　wantest？〃

Walter　sat　up　and　said：　　〃I　am　a　man；　I　hight　Golden　Walter；　I　come
from　Langton；　I　want　victual。〃

Said　the　dwarf；　writhing　his　face　grievously；　and　laughing　forsooth：
〃I　know　it　all：　　I　asked　thee　to　see　what　wise　thou　wouldst　lie。　　I
was　sent　forth　to　look　for　thee；　and　I　have　brought　thee　loathsome
bread　with　me；　such　as　ye　al