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it was so lovely that it made you want to cry。 this； at last； was the sort of thing they had been hoping for。 and when； a moment later； several little animals （mice and moles and a squirrel or so） came pattering up； squealing with joy； and saying 〃see； see。 were here；鈥�
and when； after that； the bear and the boar came too； eustace began to feel that perhaps； after all； everything might be going to e right。 but tirian gazed round and saw how very few of the animals had moved。
〃to me！ to me！〃 he called。 〃have you all turned cowards since i was your king？鈥�
〃we darent；〃 whimpered dozens of voices。 〃tashlan would be angry。 shield us from tashlan。鈥�
〃where are all the talking horses？〃 said tirian to the boar。
〃weve seen； weve seen；〃 squealed the mice。 〃the ape has made them work。 theyre all tied … down at the bottom of the hill。鈥�
〃then all you little ones；〃 said tirian； 〃you nibblers and gnawers and nutcrackers； away with you as fast as you can scamper and see if the horses are on our side。 and if they are； get your teeth into the ropes and gnaw till the horses are free and bring them hither。鈥�
〃with a good will； sire；〃 came the small voices； and with a whisk of tails those sharp…eyed and sharp…toothed folk were off。 tirian smiled for mere love as he saw them go。 but it was already time to be thinking of other things。 rishda tarkaan was giving his orders。
〃forward；〃 he said。 〃take all of them alive if you can and hurl them into the stable or drive them into it。 when they are all in we will put fire to it and make them an offering to the great god tash。鈥�
〃ha！〃 said farsight to himself。 〃so that is how he hopes to win tashs pardon for his unbelief。鈥�
the enemy line … about half of rishdas force … was now moving forward； and tirian had barely time to give his orders。
〃out on the left； jill； and try to shoot all you may before they reach us。 boar and bear next to her。 poggin on my left； eustace on my right。 hold the right wing； jewel。 stand by
him； puzzle； and use your hoofs。 hover and strike； farsight。 you dogs； just behind us。
go in among them after the sword…play has begun。 aslan to our aid！鈥�
eustace stood with his heart beating terribly； hoping and hoping that he would be brave。
he had never seen anything （though he had seen both a dragon and a seaserpent） that made his blood run so cold as that line of dark…faced bright…eyed men。 there were fifteen calormenes； a talking bull of narnia； slinkey the fox； and wraggle the satyr。 then he heard twang…and…zipp on his left and one calormene fell： then twang…andzipp again and the satyr was down。 〃oh； well done； daughter！〃 came tirians voice； and then the enemy were upon them。
eustace could never remember what happened in the next two minutes。 it was all like a dream （the sort you have when your temperature is over 100） until he heard rishda tarkaans voice calling out from the distance： 〃retire。 back hither and re…form。鈥�
then eustace came to his senses and saw the calormenes scampering back to their friends。 but not all of them。 two lay dead； pierced by jewels horn； one by tirians sword。 the fox lay dead at his own feet； and he wondered if it was he who had killed it。
the bull also was down； shot through the eye by an arrow from jill and gashed in his side by the boars tusk。 but our side had its losses too。 three dogs were killed and a fourth was hobbling behind the line on three legs and whimpering。 the bear lay on the ground； moving feebly。 then it mumbled in its throaty voice； bewildered to the last； 〃i … i dont understand；〃 laid its big head down on the grass as quietly as a child going to sleep； and never moved again。
in fact； the first attack had failed。 eustace didnt seem able to be glad about it： he was so terribly thirsty and his arm ached so。
as the defeated calormenes went back to their mander； the dwarfs began jeering at them。
〃had enough； darkies？〃 they yelled。 〃dont you like it？ why doesnt your great tarkaan go and fight himself instead of sending you to be killed？ poor darkies！鈥�
〃dwarfs；〃 cried tirian。 〃e here and use your swords； not your tongues。 there is still time。 dwarfs of narnia！ you can fight well； i know。 e back to your allegiance。鈥�
〃yah！〃 sneered the dwarfs。 〃not likely。 youre just as big humbugs as the other lot。 we dont want any kings。 the dwarfs are for the dwarfs。 boo！鈥�
then the drum began： not a dwarf drum this time； but a big bulls hide calormene drum。
the children from the very first hated the sound。 boom … boom … ba…ba…boom it went。 but they would have hated it far worse if they had known what it meant。 tirian did。 it meant that there were other calormene troops somewhere near and that rishda tarkaan was
calling them to his aid。 tirian and jewel looked at one another sadly。 they had just begun to hope that they might win that night： but it would be all over with them if new enemies appeared。
tirian gazed despairingly round。 several narnians were standing with the calormenes； whether through treachery or in honest fear of 〃tashlan〃。 others were sitting still； staring； not likely to join either side。 but there were fewer animals now： the crowd was much smaller。 clearly； several of them had just crept quietly away during the fighting。
boom … boom … ba…ba…boom went the horrible drum。 then another sound began to mix with it。 〃listen！〃 said jewel： and then 〃look！〃 said farsight。 a moment later there was no doubt what it was。 with a thunder of hoofs； with tossing heads； widened nostrils； and waving manes； over a score of talking horses of narnia came charging up the hill。 the gnawers and nibblers had done their work。
poggin the dwarf and the children opened their mouths to cheer but that cheer never came。 suddenly the air was full of the sound of twanging bow…strings and hissing arrows。
it was the dwarfs who were shooting and … for a moment jill could hardly believe her eyes … they were shooting the horses。 dwarfs are deadly archers。 horse after horse rolled over。 not one of those noble beasts ever reached the king。
〃little swine；〃 shrieked eustace； dancing in his rage。 〃dirty； filthy； t