the lone islands

"land in sight," shouted the man in the bows.

lucy, who had been talking to rhince on the poop, came pattering down the ladder and raced forward. as she went she was joined by edmund, and they found caspian, drinian and reepicheep already on the forecastle. it was a coldish morning, the sky very pale and the sea very dark blue with little white caps of foam, and there, a little way off on the starboard bow, was the nearest of the lone islands, felimath, like a low green hill in the sea, and behind it, further off, the grey slopes of its sister doorn.

"same old felimath! same old doorn," said lucy, clapping her hands. "oh - edmund, how long it is since you and i saw them last!"

"i've never understood why they belong to narnia," said caspian. "did peter the high king conquer them?"

"oh no," said edmund. "they were narnian before our time - in the days of the white witch."

(by the way, i have never yet heard how these remote islands became attached to the crown of narnia; if i ever do, and if the story is at all interesting, i may put it in some other book.)

"are we to put in here, sire?" asked drinian.

"1 shouldn't think it would be much good landing on felimath," said edmund. "it was almost uninhabited in our days and it looks as if it was the same still. the people lived mostly on doorn and a little on avra - that's the third one; you can't see it yet. they only kept sheep on felimath."

"then we'll have to double that cape, i suppose," said drinian, "and land on doorn. that'll mean rowing."

"i'm sorry we're not landing on felimath," said lucy. "i'd like to walk there again. it was so lonely - a nice kind of loneliness, and all grass and clover and soft sea air."

"i'd love to stretch my legs now too," said caspian. "i tell you what. why shouldn't we go ashore in the boat and send it back, and then we could walk across felimath and let the dawn treader pick us up on the other side?"

if caspian had been as experienced then as he became later on in this voyage he would not have made this suggestion; but at the moment it seemed an excellent one. "oh do let's," said lucy.

"you'll come, will you?" said caspian to eustace, who had come on deck with his hand bandaged.

"anything to get off this blasted boat," said eustace.

"blasted?" said drinian. "how do you mean?"

"in a civilized country like where i come from," said eustace, "the ships are so big that when you're inside you wouldn't know you were at sea at all."

"in that case you might just as well stay ashore," said caspian. "will you tell them to lower the boat, drinian."

the king, the mouse, the two pevensies, and eustace all got into the boat and were pulled to the beach of felimath. when the boat had left them and was being rowed back they all turned and looked round. they were surprised at how small the dawn treader looked.

lucy was of course barefoot, having kicked off her shoes while swimming, but that is no hardship if one is going to walk on downy turf. it was delightful to be ashore again and to smell the earth and grass, even if at first the ground seemed to be pitching up and down like a ship, as it usually does for a while if one has been at sea. it was much warmer here than it had been on board and lucy found the sand pleasant to her feet as they crossed it. there was a lark singing.

they struck inland and up a fairly steep, though low, hill. at the top of course they looked back, and there was the dawn treader shining like a great bright insect and crawling slowly north-westward with her oars. then they went over the ridge and could see her no longer.

doom now lay before them, divided from felimath by a channel about a mile wide; behind it and to the left lay avra. the little white town of narrowhaven on doorn was easily seen.

"hullo! what's this?" said edmund suddenly.

in the green valley to which they were descending six or seven rough-looking men, all armed, were sitting by a tree.

"don't tell them who we are," said caspian.

"and pray, your majesty, why not?" said reepicheep who had consented to ride on lucy's shoulder.

"it just occurred to me," replied caspian, "that no one here can have heard from narnia for a long time. it's just possible they may not still acknowledge our over-lordship. in which case it might not be quite safe to be known as the king."

"we have our swords, sire," said reepicheep.

"yes, reep, i know we have," said caspian. "but if it is a question of re-conquering the three islands, i'd prefer to come back with a rather larger army."

by this time they were quite close to the strangers, one of whom - a big black-haired fellow - shouted out, "a good morning to you."

"and a good morning to you," said caspian. "is there still a governor of the lone islands?"

"to be sure there is," said the man, "governor gumpas. his sufficiency is at narrowhaven. but you'll stay and drink with us."

caspian thanked him, though neither he nor the others much liked the look of their new acquaintance, and all of them sat down. but hardly had they raised their cups to their lips when the black-haired man nodded to his companions and, as quick as lightning, all the five visitors found themselves wrapped in strong arms. there was a moment's struggle but all the advantages were on one side, and soon everyone was disarmed and had their hands tied behind their backs except reepicheep, writhing in his captor's grip and biting furiously.

"careful with that beast, tacks," said the leader. "don't damage him. he'll fetch the best price of the lot, i shouldn't wonder."

"coward! poltroon!" squeaked reepicheep. "give me my sword and free my paws if you dare."

"whew!" whistled the slave merchant (for that is what he was). "it can talk! well i never did. blowed if i take less than two hundred crescents for him." the calormen crescent, which is the chief coin in those parts, is worth about a third of a pound.

"so that's what you are," said caspian. "a kidnapper and slaver. i hope you're proud of it."

"now, now, now, now," said the slaver. "don't you start any jaw. the easier you take it, the pleasanter all round, see? i don't do this for fun. i've got my living to make same as anyone else."

"where will you take us?" asked lucy, getting the words out with some difficulty.

"over to narrowhaven," said the slaver. "for market day tomorrow."

"is there a british consul there?" asked eustace.

"is there a which?" said the man.

but long before eustace was tired of trying to explain, the slaver simply said, "well, i've had enough of this jabber. the mouse is a fair treat but this one would talk the hind leg off a donkey. off we go, mates."

then the four human prisoners were roped together, not cruelly but securely, and made to march down to the shore. reepicheep was carried. he had stopped biting on a threat of having his mouth tied up, but he had a great deal to say, and lucy really wondered how any man could bear to have the things said to him which were said to the slave dealer by the mouse. but the slave dealer, far from objecting, only said "go on" whenever reepicheep paused for breath, occasionally adding, "it's as good as a play," or, "blimey, you can't help almost thinking it knows what it's saying!" or "was it one of you what trained it?" this so infuriated reepicheep that in the end the number of things he thought of saying all at once nearly suffocated him and he became silent.

when they got down to the shore that looked towards doorn they found a little village and a long-boat on the beach and, lying a little further out, a dirty bedraggled looking ship.

"now, youngsters," said the slave dealer, "let's have no fuss and then you'll have nothing to cry about. all aboard."

at that moment a fine-looking bearded man came out of one of the houses (an inn, i think) and said:

"well, pug. more of your usual wares?"

the slaver, whose name seemed to be pug, bowed very low, and said in a wheedling kind of voice, "yes, please your lordship."

"how much do you want for that boy?" asked the other, pointing to caspian.

"ah," said pug, "i knew your lordship would pick on the best. no deceiving your lordship with anything second rate. that boy, now, i've taken a fancy to him myself. got kind of fond of him, i have. i'm that tender-hearted i didn't ever ought to have taken up this job. still, to a customer like your lordship-"

"tell me your price, carrion," said the lord sternly. "do you think i want to listen to the rigmarole of your filthy trade?"

"three hundred crescents, my lord to your honourable lordship, but to anyone else -"

"i'll give you a hundred and fifty."

"oh please, please," broke in lucy. "don't separate us, whatever you do. you don't know -" but then she stopped for she saw that caspian didn't even now want to be known.

"a hundred and fifty, then," said the lord. "as for you, little maiden, i am sorry i cannot buy you all. unrope my boy, pug. and look - treat these others well while they are in your hands or it'll be the worse for you."

"well!" said pug. "now who ever heard of a gentleman in my way of business who treated his stock better than what i do? well? why, i treat 'em like my own childen."

"that's likely enough to be true," said the other grimly.

the dreadful moment had now come. caspian was untied and his new master said, "this way, lad," and lucy burst into tears and edmund looked very blank. but caspian looked over his shoulder and said, "cheer up. i'm sure it will come all right in the end. so long."

"now, missie," said pug. "don't you start taking on and spoiling your looks for the market tomorrow. you be a good girl and then you won't have nothing to cry about, see?"

then they were rowed out to the slave-ship and taken below into a long, rather dark place, none too clean, where they found many other unfortunate prisoners; for pug was of course a pirate and had just returned from cruising among the islands and capturing what he could. the children didn't meet anyone whom they knew; the prisoners were mostly galmians and terebinthians. and there they sat in the straw and wondered what was happening to caspian and tried to stop eustace talking as if everyone except himself was to blame.

meanwhile caspian was having a much more interesting time. the man who had bought him led him down a little lane between two of the village houses and so out into an open place behind the village. then he turned and faced him.

"you needn't be afraid of me, boy," he said. "i'll treat you well. i bought you for your face. you reminded me of someone." '

"may i ask of whom, my lord?" said caspian.

"you remind me of my master, king caspian of narnia."

then caspian decided to risk everything on one stroke.

"my lord," he said, "i am your master. i am caspian king of narnia."

"you make very free," said the other. "how shall i know this is true?"

"firstly by my face," said caspian. "secondly because i know within six guesses who you are. you are one of those seven lords of narnia whom my uncle miraz sent to sea and whom i have come out to look for - argoz, bern, octesian, restimar, mavramorn, or - or - i have forgotten the others. and finally, if your lordship will give me a sword i will prove on any man's body in clean battle that i am caspian the son of caspian, lawful king of narnia, lord of cair paravel, and emperor of the lone islands."

"by heaven," exclaimed the man, "it is his father's very voice and trick of speech. my liege - your majesty -" and there in the field he knelt and kissed the king's hand.

"the moneys your lordship disbursed for our person will be made good from our own treasury," said caspian.

"they're not in pug's purse yet, sire," said the lord bern, for he it was. "and never will be, i trust. i have moved his sufficiency the governor a hundred times to crush this vile traffic in man's flesh."

"my lord bern," said caspian, "we must talk of the state of these islands. but first what is your lordship's own story?"

"short enough, sire," said bern. "i came thus far with my six fellows, loved a girl of the islands, and felt i had had enough of the sea. and there was no purpose in returning to narnia while your majesty's uncle held the reins. so i married and have lived here ever since."

"and what is this governor, this gumpas, like? does he still acknowledge the king of narnia for his lord?"

"in words, yes. all is done in the king's name. but he would not be best pleased to find a real, live king of narnia coming in upon him. and if your majesty came before him alone and unarmed - well he would not deny his allegiance, but he would pretend to disbelieve you. your grace's life would be in danger. what following has your majesty in these waters?"

"there is my ship just rounding the point," said caspian. "we are about thirty swords if it came to fighting. shall we not have my ship in and fall upon pug and free my friends whom he holds captive?"

"not by my counsel," said bern. "as soon as there was a fight two or three ships would put out from narrowhaven to rescue pug. your majesty must work by a show of more power than you really have, and by the terror of the king's name. it must not come to plain battle. gumpas is a chicken-hearted man and can be over-awed."

after a little more conversation caspian and bern walked down to the coast a little west of the village and there caspian winded his horn. (this was not the great magic horn of narnia, queen susan's horn: he had left that at home for his regent trumpkin to use if any great need fell upon the land in the king's absence.) drinian, who was on the look-out for a signal, recognized the royal horn at once and the dawn treader began standing in to shore. then the boat put off again and in a few moments caspian and the lord bern were on deck explaining the situation to drinian. he, just like caspian, wanted to lay the dawn treader alongside the slave-ship at once and board her, but bern made the same objection.

"steer straight down this channel, captain," said bern, "and then round to avra where my own estates are. but first run up the king's banner, hang out all the shields, and send as many men to the fighting top as you can. and about five bowshots hence, when you get open sea on your port bow, run up a few signals."

"signals? to whom?" said drinian.

"why, to all the other ships we haven't got but which it might be well that gumpas thinks we have."

"oh, i see," said drinian rubbing his hands. "and

they'll read our signals. what shall i say? whole fleet round the south of avra and assemble at -?"

"bernstead," said the lord bern. "that'll do excellently. their whole journey - if there were any ships what caspian did there would be out of sight from narrowhaven."

caspian was sorry for the others languishing in the hold of pug's slave-ship, but he could not help finding the rest of that day enjoyable. late in the afternoon (for they had to do all by oar), having turned to starboard round the northeast end of doorn and port again round the point of avra, they entered into a good harbour on avra's southern shore where bern's pleasant lands sloped down to the water's edge. bern's people, many of whom they saw working in the fields, were all freemen and it was a happy and prosperous fief. here they all went ashore and were royally feasted in a low, pillared house overlooking the bay. bern and his gracious wife and merry daughters made them good cheer. but after dark bern sent a messenger over by boat to doorn to order some preparations (he did not say exactly what) for the following day.

3、孤独群岛

"看得见陆地了！"船头上瞭望的人喊道。

露茜一直在船尾楼上跟赖因斯说话，一听赶紧啪嗒啪嗒走下梯子，奔上前来。一路上碰到爱德蒙也来了，他们看见凯斯宾、德里宁和雷佩契普已经在船首楼上了。这天早上天气凉随风里的，天空灰蒙蒙，海水是深蓝色，泛着白色的小浪花，在右舷船头外不远处，就是孤独群岛最近的一个小岛费利梅斯岛，就像海里一座低矮的青山，小岛后面，再远处是它的姐妹岛多恩岛那灰蒙蒙的斜坡。

"费利梅斯还是老样子l多恩还是老样子！ii露茜拍手说，"唉，爱德蒙，我跟你有多久没见到这些岛了。"

"我一点也不明白这些岛怎么会属于纳尼亚的，"凯斯宾说，"难道是至尊王彼得攻打下来的吗？"

"哦，不是，"爱德蒙说，"在我们执政时代之前就是纳尼亚的了——那还是白女巫的时代呢。"

(顺便交代一下，我至今还没听说这些遥远的岛屿是如何属于纳尼亚王国的;如果我听说这事，而这事果然有趣，我会写进别的什么书里的。

"我们要在这里靠岸吗，陛下？"德里宁问。

"我看费利梅斯不见得有什么好码头，"爱德蒙说，

"我们那时候这里几乎没人住，看来现在仍然如此。人们多半住在多恩岛，还有些住在阿芙拉岛——那是第三个小岛;你们现在还看不见。人们只是在费利梅斯岛上放放羊罢了。"

"我看，我们只得绕过那岬角了，"德里宁说，"到多恩岛去靠岸。那么说就得划桨了。"

"可惜我们不在费利梅斯岛靠岸，"露茜说，"我倒愿意再在那儿走走。那是很冷清的——一种微妙的冷清，四处都是野草和三叶草，还有柔和的海风。

"我也喜欢活动活动双腿，"凯斯宾说，"我来告诉你。我们何不划小船上岸，再让小船划回大船，那我们就可以走过费利梅斯岛，让黎明踏浪号在另一边接我们？""

如果凯斯宾当时就像这次远航后那样老练，那他就不会这样提出来了，但在那时，这主意似乎最妙了。"啊呀，那就去吧。"露茜说。

"你要去吗？"凯斯宾对已经包扎着手来到甲板上的尤斯塔斯说。

"只要离开这条该死的船，什么都行。"尤斯塔斯说。

“该死的？"德里宁说，"你什么意思？"

"在我来的那种文明国家里，"尤斯塔斯说，"船都是很大的，你一到船里根本就不知道自己在海上。"

"那样的话，你还不如在岸上待着，"凯斯宾说，"请你叫他们放下救生艇吧，德里宁。"

国王、老鼠、佩文西兄妹和尤斯塔斯一行五人上了救生艇，划到费利梅斯岛的海滩边。救生艇把他们留在岸上后又划回大船那儿去，他们都回过头去看看。只见黎明踏浪号看上去这么小，不禁感到诧异。

露茜在掉下水游泳时已经踢掉了鞋子，当然光着脚，不过你要是打算在毛茸茸的草皮上走路，那也没什么苦。能再次上岸，闻到土地和野草的香味，真叫人心里高兴，哪怕开头踏在土地上好像还在船里那样上下颠簸也高兴啊，如果你在海上，往往有一阵子会有这种感觉。这里比起船上要暖和得多了，他们走过沙地时，露茜觉得沙地很舒服。有一只云雀在歌唱。

他们到了内陆，登上一座虽然低矮却很陡峭的小山。在山顶上，他们少不得回头眺望，只见黎明踏浪号像一只亮晃晃的大甲虫在闪光，划着桨，慢慢朝西北方向爬行。然后，他们翻过山岭，就再也看不见这船了。

此刻多恩岛就在眼前了，同费利梅斯岛相隔一条一英里宽的海峡，多恩岛后面的左边就是阿芙拉岛。一眼就看出多恩岛上那个白色的小镇狭港。

"喂，这是什么啊？"爱德蒙突然说。

在他们往下走的那个绿色山谷里，有六七个一副粗相的人全副武装，守在树边。

"别跟他们说我们是什么人。"凯斯宾说。

“请问陛下，为什么别说？”同意骑在露茜肩膀上的雷佩契普说。

"我刚好想起，"凯斯宾说，"这里有好久没人听到纳尼亚的消息了。很有可能，他们也许还没承认我们的君主地位。在这种情况下，给人知道是国王可不大安全。"

"我们有剑呢，陛下。"雷佩契普说。"

"是啊，雷普，我知道我们有剑，"凯斯宾说，"不过如果这是重新征服这三个小岛的问题，我情愿带一支相当强大的军队再回来。

这时，他们同几个陌生人隔得很近了，其中一个黑发大汉喊道"你们早。”

"你们早，"凯斯宾说，"孤独群岛上还有总督吗？"

"不错，"那人说，"有个冈帕斯总督。他大人在狭港。不过你们可以留下同我们一起喝酒。"

凯斯宾就谢谢他，虽然他不大喜欢这些新结识的人的长相，另外四个也不喜欢，但是大伙儿还是坐下了。谁知他们还没把酒杯举到唇边，那个黑发大汉就对同伙点点头，说时迟，那时快，五位来客不知不觉中全都给几条铁臂揪住了。他们挣扎了一会儿，但是势单力薄，一下子个个都被对方解除了武装，两手都被绑在背后——只有雷佩契普还在对方手里折腾，拼命乱咬。

"留神那只畜生，塔克斯，"那头头说，"别伤害它。我相信，它能卖个好价钱

"唷！"奴隶贩子吹了一声口哨(这人果然是奴隶贩子)，”它会说话!真没听说过。我拿它卖不到两百月牙才怪呢。"月牙是那些地方主要通用的卡乐门货币，大约值三分之一英镑。

"原来你是这么个货色，"凯斯宾说，"拐子，奴隶贩子。希望你感到得意。"

"喂，喂，喂，喂，"奴隶贩子说，"别再开口唠叨了。你越是悠着点儿，越是处处舒服。我干这行可不是闹着玩。我跟任何人一样，也得谋生。"

"你要把我们带到哪儿去？"露茜好不容易才说出这句话来。

"带到狭港去。"奴隶贩子说，"明天开市。""那儿有英国领事馆吗？"尤斯塔斯问。

"有什么？"那人说。

谁知没等尤斯塔斯不厌其烦地想法解释清楚，奴隶贩子干脆就说"得了，这套莫明其妙的话我听够了。这老鼠倒是令人十分满意，可是这一个却说得烦死人了。我们走吧，伙计们。"

于是四个被抓住的人都绑在一起，虽然没往死里绑，却很严实，就这样押着向岸边走去。雷佩契普给抱着。他们吓唬它说要捆上嘴巴，它就不再乱咬了。可是它倒有一大堆话说，露茜真弄不懂，老鼠说给奴隶贩子听的这些话，说给人家听人家怎么受得了。可是奴隶贩子一点也没嫌烦，只是说，"说下去。”每当雷佩契普歇口气时，他偶尔还加上一句说，"真像做戏。”或者说"啊呀，你真差点就以为它说的都是亲身经历呢！”或者说"这又是人家教会你说的吗？”，雷佩契普一听这话顿时火冒三丈，到最后，它原来想说的许许多多事几乎一下子都把它憋住了，这才一言不发。

当他们来到同多恩岛隔海相望的岸边，看见海滨有个小村子和一条长划子，过去一点，还停着一条肮脏不堪的大船。

"好了，小伙子们，"奴隶贩子说，"我们不要吵了，你们没什么好哭闹的。全上船吧。"

这时，一个好看的大胡子从一所屋子(我看，是个客枝)出来，说道:

"嘿，普格。又来通常那种货了？"

这个似乎名叫普格的奴隶贩子深深鞠了一躬，讨好地说"是啊，请大人过目。"

"那孩子你要价多少？"对方指指凯斯宾问。

"啊呀，"普格说，"我知道您大人会挑顶儿尖儿的。什么次货都骗不过您大人。呢，那孩子嘛，我自己看上了。我有点喜欢他。我生来软心肠，根本不应当干这一行买卖。不过，对一位像您这样的顾客……”

"告诉我价钱，吃人不吐骨头的，"那位大人严厉地说，"你当我想要听你那肮脏勾当的废话吗？"

"大人，冲着您尊敬的大人嘛，就算三百个月牙吧，要是别的什么人……”

"我给你一百五十。"

"啊呀，求求你，"露茜插嘴说，"不管怎么办，千万别拆散我们。你不知道…"可是她住口了，因为她明白凯斯宾即使到了这地步还是不想让人知道身份。

"那就算一百五十了，"那位大人说，"至于你嘛，小姐，我很抱歉，不能把你们全买下来。普格，给那孩子松绑。留神——另外几个还在你手里，你可得好生对待他们，要不叫你倒霉。"

"好吧i"普格说，"究竟谁听说过有哪一个做我这行当的体面人对待货物有我这样优厚的？呢？我对待他们就像对待亲生儿女一样。"

"那听来倒还像真话呢。"对方严厉地说。

可怕的时刻就到了。凯斯宾松了绑，他的新主人说:

"这儿走，孩子。"露茜一听就放声大哭，爱德蒙则目光茫然。凯斯宾却回过头来说"打起精神来。我相信到头来一切都会好的。再见吧。"

"嗨，小姐，"普格说，"你可别伤心了，哭破了相，明天还要上市呢。乖乖的，没什么好哭的，明白吗？"

于是这些人被划到奴隶船上，把他们带到船下面一长条挺黑的地方，一点也不干净，他们在那儿看见还有不少倒霉的人被关着，因为普格当然是个海盗，出没在附近各岛屿一带，肆意抓人，才刚回来。这几个孩子没碰到哪个认识的人，被抓的多半是加尔马人和特里宾西亚人。他们就地坐在稻草堆上，暗暗纳闷，不知凯斯宾有什么好歹，还想法阻止尤斯塔斯说怪话，仿佛除了他自己，别人个个都不好似的。

这时，凯斯宾倒过得比他们愉快得多。买下他的那人带着他朝村里两排房子中间一条小巷走去，就这样走到村后一块空地。于是那人回过头来，面对着他。

"你用不着害怕，孩子，"他说，"我会好好待你的。我是看了你的长相才买下你的。你使我想起了某个人。"

“请问是什么人，大人？"凯斯宾说。

"你使我想起我的主子，纳尼亚的凯斯宾国王。"于是凯斯宾决计豁出去了。

"大人，"他说，"我就是您的主子。我是纳尼亚的凯斯宾国王。"

"你说说倒很随便，"对方说，"我怎么知道是真的呢？"

"首先，看我的长相，"凯斯宾说。"其次，因为我猜六回就能猜中你是谁。你准是我叔叔弥若兹派到海外的七位爵爷中的一位，我这次出来就是寻找他们的——阿尔戈兹、伯恩、奥克特西安、雷斯蒂玛、马夫拉蒙，还有，还有——另外两个人忘了。最后一点，如果您大人肯给我一把剑，我就可以在光明正大的决斗中，在任何人身上证明我是凯斯宾，孤独群岛的皇帝、凯尔帕拉维尔的君主、纳尼亚的合法国王老凯斯宾的儿子。

"天哪，"那人失声叫道，"真是他父亲说话的声音，说话的习惯。王上——陛下。"他说着当场跪在地上，吻国王的手。

爵爷在我们身上花的钱可以从我们国库里支付。"凯斯宾说。

"这笔钱还没落到普格的腰包里呢，陛下，"伯恩爵爷说，他果然是七位爵爷之一，"而且我相信，决不会落到他腰包里去。我劝过总督好多次，要他取缔这项邪恶的人肉买卖。"

"伯恩爵爷，"凯斯宾说，"我们得谈谈这些岛屿的现状。不过首先谈谈您自己的事怎么样？"

"陪下，我的故事很短，"伯恩说，"我跟六个伙伴大老远跑来，爱上了岛上一个姑娘，觉得航海的滋味尝够了。只要您陛下的叔叔还在执政，我回纳尼亚去也没意思。所以我就结了婚，从此就住在这里。"

"那么这个总督，这个冈帕斯，为人怎么样？他还承认纳尼亚国王为他的君主吗？"

"口头上说起来是的。一切行动都以国王的名义进行。

可是如果他看见一位活生生的真正纳尼亚国王出现在他面前，他会不大高兴。如果陛下赤手空拳单独去见他——他固然不会不承认自己的归顺，可是他会装作不相信您。那陡下的性命就难保了。陆下在这一带海面还有什么部属没有？"

"我的船正绕过海山甲开来，"凯斯宾说，"如果要打的话，我们约有三十把剑。我们要不要把船开过来，攻打普格，把被他关起来的几个朋友救出来？”" q&

"依我之见，这不行，"伯恩说，"一旦打起来，狭港方面就会开来两三条船来救普格。陛下必须摆出一副比实际上强大的架势，靠国王名义的威慑力量。千万不要真打。冈帕斯是个胆小鬼，一吓就吓住了。"'

再谈了一会儿，凯斯宾和伯恩就走到村子稍北一点的海岸边，凯斯宾当场吹起了号角。(这不是苏珊女王用过的纳尼亚那支魔法无边的号角:他把那支号角留在国内给摄政王杜鲁普金使用，以防国王不在期间，万一有什么急需。)德里宁原来就在瞟望，等着信号，他立即听出这是国王的号角，黎明踏浪号就开始驶向海岸了。然后又派出救生艇，不一会儿，凯斯宾和伯恩爵爷就在甲板上向德里宁说明了情况。他同凯斯宾一样，也想立刻把黎明踏浪号靠到那条奴隶船边上，登上船去，但伯恩还是照样不同意。

"船长，一直顺着这条海峡开，"伯恩说，"再绕到阿芙拉岛，我自己的领地就在那里。可是首先要打上国王的旗号，挂出所有的盾形纹徽，尽量把人手派到桩顶的观测台去。等到左舷船头对着公海，离岸大约五箭之地。后，就发出几下信号。"

"信号令发给谁？"德里宁说。

"唉，发给其他几条根本不存在的船啊，冈帕斯很可能以为咱们还有船呢。"

"哦，我明白了，"德里宁搓搓双手说，"他们就会来辨认我们的信号。我在信号中说什么呢？就说全体舰队包围阿芙拉南面，集合在……”

"伯恩斯丹，"伯恩爵爷说，"那就行了。如果真有什么船的话——在狭港也看不见这些船的整个航程。"

凯斯宾虽然为其他三个还落在普格奴隶船上的人难受，但在那一天余下的时间里，他却禁不住感到十分愉快。那天晚上(因为他们只得全靠划桨)，黎明踏浪号转向右舷，绕过多恩岛的东北端，又转向左舷，绕过阿芙拉的山甲角，终于开进阿芙拉南岸一个良港，伯恩那些好的地势就从这里向海边倾斜。他们看见伯恩手下的百姓多半在地里干活，他们都是自由民，这里倒是一片幸福富饶的封地。他们全体在此上岸，就在俯临海湾的一座有柱廊的矮房子里举行王家宴会。伯恩和他那位雍容华贵的夫人，还有几个兴高采烈的女儿，款待得大家高高兴兴。天黑以后，伯恩、派了个信使划小船到多恩岛去，吩咐为第二天做些准备。(他没说明是什么准备。)'

1一箭之地约200至400英尺。