CHAPTER FIVE THE STORM AND WHAT CAME OF IT（第2/3页）

“If we could，of course，the sensible thing would be to turn west at once and make for the Lone Islands．But it took us eighteen days to get where we are，running like mad with a gale behind us． Even if we got an east wind it might take us far longer to get back．And at present there’s no sign of an east wind —in fact there’s no wind at all．As for rowing back，it would take far too long and Caspian says the men couldn’t row on half a pint of water a day．I’m pretty sure this is wrong．I tried to explain that perspiration really cools people down，so the men would need less water if they were working．He didn’t take any notice of this，which is always his way when he can’t think of an answer．The others all voted for going on in the hope of finding land．I felt it my duty to point out that we didn’t know there was any land ahead and tried to get them to see the dangers of wishful thinking．Instead of producing a better plan they had the cheek to ask me what I proposed．So I just explained coolly and quietly that I had been kidnapped and brought away on this idiotic voyage without my consent，and it was hardly my business to get them out of their scrape．

“September 4．Still becalmed．Very short rations for dinner and I got less than anyone．Caspian is very clever at helping and thinks I don’t see ！ Lucy for some reason tried to make up to me by offering me some of hers but that interfering prig Edmund wouldn’t let her．Pretty hot sun．Terribly thirsty all evening．

“September 5．Still becalmed and very hot．Feeling rotten all day and am sure I’ve got a temperature．Of course they haven’t the sense to keep a thermometer on board．

“September 6．A horrible day．Woke up in the night knowing I was feverish and must have a drink of water．Any doctor would have said so．Heaven knows I’m the last person to try to get any unfair advantage but I never dreamed that this water-rationing would be meant to apply to a sick man．In fact I would have woken the others up and asked for some only I thought it would be selfish to wake them. So I just got up and took my cup and tiptoed out of the Black Hole we slept in，taking great care not to disturb Caspian and Edmund，for they’ve been sleeping badly since the heat and the short water began. I always try to consider others whether they are nice to me or not．I got out all right into the big room，if you can call it a room， where the rowing benches and the luggage are．The thing of water is at this end．All was going beautifully，but before I’d drawn a cupful who should catch me but that little spy Reep．I tried to explain that I was going on deck for a breath of air(the business about the water had nothing to do with him)and he asked me why I had a cup．He made such a noise that the whole ship was roused．They treated me scandalously．I asked，as I think anyone would have，why Reepicheep was sneaking about the water cask in the middle of the night．He said that as he was too small to be any use on deck，he did sentry over the water every night so that one more man could go to sleep．Now comes their rotten unfairness：they all believed him． Can you beat it ？

“I had to apologize or the dangerous little brute would have been at me with his sword．And then Caspian showed up in his true colours as a brutal tyrant and said out loud for everyone to hear that anyone found‘stealing’water in future would‘get two dozen’． I didn’t know what this meant till Edmund explained to me．It comes in the sort of books those Pevensie kids read．

“After this cowardly threat Caspian changed his tune and started being patronizing．Said he was sorry for me and that everyone felt just as feverish as I did and we must all make the best of it，etc.，etc． Odious stuck-up prig．Stayed in bed all day today．

“September 7．A little wind today but still from the west．

Made a few miles eastward with part of the sail，set on what Drinian calls the jury-mast-that means the bowsprit set upright and tied(they call it‘lashed’)to the stump of the real mast．Still terribly thirsty．

“September 8．Still sailing east．I stay in my bunk all day now and see no one except Lucy till the two fiends come to bed．Lucy gives me a little of her water ration．She says girls don’t get as thirsty as boys．I had often thought this but it ought to be more generally known at sea．

“September 9．Land in sight；a very high mountain a long way off to the south east．

“September 10．The mountain is bigger and clearer but still a long way off．Gulls again today for the first time since I don’t know how long．

“September 11．Caught some fish and had them for dinner． Dropped anchor at about 7 p.m. in three fathoms of water in a bay of this mountainous island．That idiot Caspian wouldn’t let us go ashore because it was getting dark and he was afraid of savages and wild beasts．Extra water ration tonight ．”

What awaited them on this island was going to concern Eustace more than anyone else，but it cannot be told in his words because　after September 11 he forgot about keeping his diary for a long time．

When morning came，with a low，grey sky but very hot， the adventurers found they were in a bay encircled by such cliffs and crags that it was like a Norwegian fjord．In front of them，at the head of the bay，there was some level land heavily overgrown with trees that appeared to be cedars，through which a rapid stream came out．Beyond that was a steep ascent ending in a jagged ridge and behind that a vague darkness of mountains which ran into dull-coloured clouds so that you could not see their tops．The nearer cliffs，at each side of the bay，were streaked here and there with lines of white which everyone knew to be waterfalls，though at that distance they did not show any movement or make any noise． Indeed the whole place was very silent and the water of the bay as smooth as glass．It reflected every detail of the cliffs．The scene would have been pretty in a picture but was rather oppressive in real life．It was not a country that welcomed visitors．

The whole ship’s company went ashore in two boatloads and everyone drank and washed deliciously in the river and had a meal and a rest before Caspian sent four men back to keep the ship， and the day’s work began．There was everything to be done．The casks must be brought ashore and the faulty ones mended if possible and all refilled；a tree—a pine if they could get it—must be felled and made into a new mast；sails must be repaired；a hunting party organized to shoot any game the land might yield；clothes to be washed and mended；and countless small breakages on board to be set right．For the Dawn Treader herself—and this was more obvious now that they saw her at a distance—could hardly be recognized as the same gallant ship which had left Narrowhaven． She looked a crippled，discoloured hulk which anyone might have taken for a wreck．And her officers and crew were no better— lean，pale，red-eyed from lack of sleep，and dressed in rags．