CHAPTER NINE HOW THEY DISCOVERED SOMETHING WORTH KNOWING（第2页）

&sofcolor，youtwoare，”mutteredPuddleglum。“Showupveryprettilyoheworstartheworldisseitherofyouifye。Andtalkingofarchers，we'llbesorrynottohaveourownb，Ishouldn'twohin，too，thoseclothesofyours，arethey?”

“Yes，I&#already，”saidJill。

&esagowhentheyhadbee，shehadthoughtthatifonlytheycegetoutofthecastle，theirescapewouldbealmostplete。Shehatthemostdaofitwasstilltoe。

&eady，”saidPuddleglum。“Don'tlookba'twalktooquickly。Whateveryoudo，don'trun。Lookasifwewerejusttakingastroll，andthen，ifanyoneseesus，hemight，justpossibly，hemomentwelooklikepeaway，we'redone。”

&ayRuinousseemedlohanJillwouldhavebelievedpossible。Butbitbybittheyweregit。Thenoise。Theasped。Jill，whodidn'tknoas，said，“What'sthat?”

“Huntinghorn，”whisperedScrubb。

“Butdon'trunevennouddleglum。“NotuntilIgivetheword。”

ThistimeJill'thelpglangoverhershoulder。There，abouthalfamileaway，wasthehuurnihemo。

Theywalkedon。Suddeclamiahenshoutsandhollas。

“They'veseenus。Run，”saidPuddleglum。

Jillgatheredupherlongskirts—horriblethingsfin—andran。Therewasnomistakingthedangernow。Shecouldhearthemusicofthehounds。Shec'svout，“Afterthem，afterthem，orwe'llhaveomorrow。”

&ofthethreehherdress，slippingoettih，running-painsacrossherchest。Thehoundsweremuearer。orunuphill，upthestonyslopewhichledtotheloweststepofthegiantstairway。Shehadheywoulddowhehere，orhowtheywouldbeaeroffeveniftheyreachedthetop。

Butshedidn'tthinkaboutthat。Shewaslikeahuntedanimalnow;aslongasthepackwasafterher，shemustruntillshedropped。

TheMarsh-wigglewasahead。Ashecametotheloweststephestopped，lookedalittletht，andallofasuddeoalittleholeorcreviceatthebottomofit。Hislonglegs，disappearingintoit，lookedverylikethoseofaspider。Scrubbhesitatedandtheerhim。Jill，breathlessandreeliheplaiwasanunattractivehole—acratheearthaohreefeetlongandhardlymorethanafoothigh。Youhadtoflionyourfad。You'tdoitsoveryquicklyeither。Shefeltsurethatadog'steethwouldherheelbeforeshehadgotinside。

“Quick，quies。Filluptheopening，”camePuddleglum'svoithedarknessbesideher。Ititchblathere，exceptfhtintheopeningbywhichtheyhad。Theotherthard。ShecouldseeSallhandsandtheMarshwiggle'sbig，frog-likehandsblastthelight，wdesperatelytopileupstohensherealizedhowimportantthiswasandbegangrestonesherself，andhaheothers。Befswerebayithecavemouth，theyhaditprettywellfilled;andnow，ofcourse，therewasnolightatall。

“Fartherin，quick，”saidPuddleglum'svoice。

&'sallholdhands，”saidJill。

“Goodidea，”saidScrubb。Butittookthemquitealoofiher'shandsinthedarkhedogsweresniffihersideofthebarriernow。

“Tryif，”suggestedScrubb。Theydidandfoundthattheycould。Then，PuddleglumholdingoutahandbehindhimtoSdScrubbholdingahandoutbehindhimtoJill（whowishedverymuchthatshewasthemiddleoyaheybegangropingwiththeirfeetandstumblingforwardsintotheblaess。ItwasallloosestohenPuddleglumcameuptoawallofrock。Theyturlethtaherewereagoodmasandturns。Jillhadnownosenseofdireatall，ahemouthofthecavelay。

&ionis，”camePuddleglum'svoiceoutofthedarkher，takihingwithawouldn'tbebettertogoback（ifwedgivethegiahatfeastoftheirs，insteadoflosingourwayisofahillwhere，tehere&#onsanddeepholesaerago!Saveyourselves。I'm—”

&allhappenedquickly。Therewasawildcry，aswishing，dusty，gravellyleofstones，andJillfoundherselfsliding，sliding，hopelesslysliding，andslidingquickereverymomentdoethatgrewsteepereverymoment。Itwasnotasmooth，firmslope，butaslopeofsmallstonesandrubbish。Evenifyoucouldhavestoodup，itwouldhavebeeofthatslopeyouhadputyourfootonwouldhaveslidawayfromunderyouandcarriedyoudownwithit。ButJillwasmthanstanding。Ahertheyallslid，themoretheydisturbedallthestoh，sothatthegeneraldownwardrush（ingthemselves）gotfasterandlouderanddustierahesharpdsweariwo，JillgottheideathatmaoneswhichshewasdislSdPuddleglumprettyhard。Andnowshewasgoingatafuriousrateasureshewouldbebrokentobitsatthebottom。

&somehowtheyweren't。Theywereamassofbruises，aickystuffonherfaceappearedtobeblood。Andsuchamassoflle，aonesileduproundher（andpartlyoverher）thatshe'tgetup。Thedarknessletethatitmadeallwhetheryouhadyoureyesopenorshut。TherewashatwastheveryworstmomentJillhadeverknowninherlife。Supposingsheposihers。。。Thensheheardmovementsaroundher。Alyallthree，inshakenvoices，wereexplainingthathemseemedtohaveanybrokenbones。

“Weevergetupthatagain，”saidScrubb'svoice。

“Aiitis?”saidthevoiceofPuddleglum。“Thatmeanswe&#waydown。Mightbenearlyamile。”

NoonesaidanythierPuddleglumadded:

“Mytinder-boxhasgone。”

&herlongpauseJillsaid，“I'mterriblythirsty。”

eddoinganything。Therewassoobviouslynothingtobedohemomefeelitquitesobadlyasohaveexpected;thatwasbecausetheyweresotired。

Long，longafterward，withouttheslightestwarning，araheykowasnottheohewholeworldforwhicheachhadsecretlybeenhoping;thevoiceofAslan。Itwasadark，flatvoice—almost，ifyouknowwhatthatmeans，apitch-blackvoice。Itsaid:

“Whatmakeyouhere，creaturesoftheOverworld?”