登陆注册
5390600000010

第10章 CHAPTER VII:

WALTER COMES TO THE SHARD IN THE ROCK-WALL

As they were in converse thus, they heard the hunters blowing on their horns all together; whereon the old man arose, and said: "I deem by the blowing that the hunt will be over and done, and that they be blowing on their fellows who have gone scatter-meal about the wood. It is now some five hours after noon, and thy men will be getting back with their venison, and will be fainest of the victuals they have caught; therefore will I hasten on before, and get ready fire and water and other matters for the cooking. Wilt thou come with me, young master, or abide thy men here?"

Walter said lightly: "I will rest and abide them here; since I cannot fail to see them hence as they go on their ways to thine house. And it may be well that I be at hand to command them and forbid, and put some order amongst them, for rough playmates they be, some of them, and now all heated with the hunting and the joy of the green earth." Thus he spoke, as if nought were toward save supper and bed; but inwardly hope and fear were contending in him, and again his heart beat so hard, that he deemed that the carle must surely hear it. But the old man took him but according to his outward seeming, and nodded his head, and went away quietly toward his house.

When he had been gone a little, Walter rose up heedfully; he had with him a scrip wherein was some cheese and hard-fish, and a little flasket of wine; a short bow he had with him, and a quiver of arrows; and he was girt with a strong and good sword, and a wood- knife withal. He looked to all this gear that it was nought amiss, and then speedily went down off the mound, and when he was come down, he found that it covered him from men coming out of the wood, if he went straight thence to that shard of the rock-wall where was the pass that led southward.

Now it is no nay that thitherward he turned, and went wisely, lest the carle should make a backward cast, and see him, or lest any straggler of his own folk might happen upon him.

For to say sooth, he deemed that did they wind him, they would be like to let him of his journey. He had noted the bearings of the cliffs nigh the shard, and whereas he could see their heads everywhere except from the depths of the thicket, he was not like to go astray.

He had made no great way ere he heard the horns blowing all together again in one place, and looking thitherward through the leafy boughs (for he was now amidst of a thicket) he saw his men thronging the mound, and had no doubt therefore that they were blowing on him; but being well under cover he heeded it nought, and lying still a little, saw them go down off the mound and go all of them toward the carle's house, still blowing as they went, but not faring scatter- meal. Wherefore it was clear that they were nought troubled about him.

So he went on his way to the shard; and there is nothing to say of his journey till he got before it with the last of the clear day, and entered it straightway. It was in sooth a downright breach or cleft in the rock-wall, and there was no hill or bent leading up to it, nothing but a tumble of stones before it, which was somewhat uneasy going, yet needed nought but labour to overcome it, and when he had got over this, and was in the very pass itself, he found it no ill going: forsooth at first it was little worse than a rough road betwixt two great stony slopes, though a little trickle of 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.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 悍妻攻略

    悍妻攻略

    李衡清是通州有名的才子,众女心中夫君的标准,可惜,如今却没一个女子愿嫁。被兄长抢了娇柔貌美的未婚妻,塞来一个山里来的野丫头,也只能默默的认了,谁叫他站不起来呢。但是,这个丫头似乎和别的女子很不一样?前世背着弟弟自爆而死的容白,最美的梦想就是生活在一个没有凶兽和异能者的世界,没想到眼一闭一睁,真的到这个世界了。可是,弟弟呢?于是容白踏上了吃饱、穿暖、攒钱、找弟弟的人生之路。初级阶段,就跟眼前这个男人搭个伙吧。清酒作者群:475521274,欢迎书友光临
  • 生活英语对答如流

    生活英语对答如流

    本书内容真实鲜活,围绕用餐、住宿、聊天、逛街、学习、理财、娱乐、爱情和情感等9个主题,提炼出生活中比较常见的61个话题,每个话题下又包含互动问答、高频精句、场景会话、金词放送和精彩片段等5个部分,内容丰富生动,旨在使读者开心地学习和使用英语口语。
  • 云舟

    云舟

    当流云遇见孤舟。当我遇见了你。这一切,应该就是幸福开始的地方……
  • 英雄联盟之王者无敌

    英雄联盟之王者无敌

    无敌意识,神级操作,在世界总决赛中意外失误,与冠军失之交臂,从此沉寂沦为网吧网管。一次偶然的机会,英雄联盟强势袭来,迫于家庭经济,杨逸又一次踏入游戏,以其外挂般的意识一局封神,曾经的上帝之眼苏醒了,且看杨逸征战英雄联盟路。
  • 我到远古来修仙

    我到远古来修仙

    请问一下,在座的各位有没有体会过什么叫做被雷一劈回到解放前的感觉?而且...还是被劈到了远古!看着一只只剑齿虎从她身边走过,她表示她一堂堂的现代修仙界天才,还能怕了不成?佛挡杀佛,神挡杀神!不管是豺狼虎豹还是阴谋诡计,在她面前都是纸老虎!!(本文纯属虚构背景,非真实远古时期现状)
  • 天道封神圣人劫:霸决洪荒

    天道封神圣人劫:霸决洪荒

    天地不仁,以万物为刍狗。人充满了劣根性,曰:天地不仁。熟知天地之仁,方才大仁。所有的路都是自己选的,何以怪天?天道起大劫,圣人也不能脱俗,苦苦的挣扎是人的错,还是天道之错?本书来为你解答。
  • 你的努力,终将成就无可替代的自己

    你的努力,终将成就无可替代的自己

    《你的努力,终将成就无可替代的自己》是冯仑、张德芬、毕淑敏、柴静等人希望你早日能够看到的一本充满正能量的书。《你的努力,终将成就无可替代的自己》内含100多篇诚恳而富有哲理的文章,十几万的生活感悟,是一本激励千万读者、点赞无数的心灵治愈能量书。《你知道自己想去哪里,世界都会为你让路》《没有方向的帆永远是逆风行驶》《没有任何事情,是你放纵自己的理由》《世界上最大的冒险,就是没有任何冒险》《学习做人是一辈子的修行》《你的努力,才是可以改变未来的力量》等文章被很多人传播阅读,让更多的人感受到文章的美好和力量。
  • 创界之我的弼戒党

    创界之我的弼戒党

    黑暗无处不在,你们真不应该希望发生在我的身上!他们以为我会有恐惧,但事实上他们充满了对我的恐惧!还有,爱情什么的不应该只是性和力吗!的确应该就是这样的吧!
  • 太上洞渊说请雨龙王经

    太上洞渊说请雨龙王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宠妻无度之忠犬总裁

    宠妻无度之忠犬总裁

    这是一段改写的人生,这是一场重逢的初见,这是一个‘宠’与‘被宠’的故事,这是一只忠犬的励志护妻抗战史,这是一种宠妻无度、却将心头小娇妻宠成温柔大魔王的无所畏惧!******耿直的简介:吃瓜群众的碎碎八卦:什么?好好的一棵根正苗红的小白杨居然还背着人民群众搞起了金屋藏娇的龌龊事情?!......什么?!藏的不是小三?......是老婆?!厉害了我的哥,什么老婆还需要藏起了才安心啊?不错。只要一提到青省耀龙集团新上任的年轻高颜又多金的董事长,吃瓜群众的脑海里就会浮现四个字。——宠妻无度!啧啧、那对老婆宠溺无度的程度简直是到了变态...哦、是病态。偏偏那个做老婆的不高颜不多金不巨乳不女神、简直一无是处嘛!然而下一刻,耀龙董事长夫人的大名就被登上了国际头条,说是当选国协画协会长、与丈夫一起进军国际画坛前百强、收入曝光身价无数碾压吃瓜群众。打脸啪啪啪。一众吃瓜群众捂着脸深觉——女人不可貌相,海水不可斗量、耀龙董事长夫人更不可用正常体位来测量!本文双洁一对一、甜宠、结局he。******忠犬小剧场:沈雅然伸手将手中的保温壶递给徐宗睿,淡淡笑道,“我给你带了百菇汤,喝吧。”百、菇、汤?!吃瓜群众目光惊悚地看向面色温柔雅静的沈雅然,又望向双手捧着保温壶,瞳色幽幽似乎有些委屈的徐董事长。大家都知道,讨厌菌菇到宁可公司倒闭都不愿意看上一眼的徐大董事长有一个习惯,就是每周六定时定量喝上一整碗这种汤自虐......然后面色僵硬地继续工作。......原来都是因为妻管严呐哈哈哈哈哈哈!众人顿时悟了,看向徐宗睿的眼神又是同情又是敬佩。******划时代简介:国际画坛当代鬼才辈出,其中备受关注的一对,便是徐宗睿、沈雅然这对夫妻了。其一,史上少有夫妻二人皆为画家且位列国际画坛前百强的存在;其二,沈雅然以未至三十的年纪杀出重围接任A国画协协会会长,成为百年来第一任最年轻的女会长;其三,作为一家跨国际的上市集团董事长的徐宗睿对老婆那股宠溺无度到令人发指的......咳,这个不算。当然,以上只是全世界吃瓜群众的观点,老夫老妻的和谐生活还是很平和的。.........午后的阳光依旧明媚。倚靠在窗边的徐宗睿眉眼低垂,修长的指间温柔拂过女人鬓角如墨的发丝。沈雅然回过头来,朝他温温笑道,“今天周六。”说着,她便将刚刚炖好的汤拿了出来。