“Killit,” saidanother.“Wecan'.”
“Weoughttohavekilleditatonce, orelseletitalone,” saidathirdvoice.“Wecan''.”
“Gentlemen,” saidCaspianinafeeblevoice, “whateveryoudotome, Ihopeyouwillbekindtomypoorhorse.”
“Yourhorsehadtakenflightlongbeforewefoundyou,” saidthefirstvoice—acuriouslyhusky, earthyvoice, asCaspiannownoticed.
“Nowdon'tletittalkyouroundwithitsprettywords,” saidthesecondvoice.“Istillsay—”
“Hornsandhalibuts!” exclaimedthethirdvoice.“Ofcoursewe', , Trufflehunter? Whatshallwedowithit?”
“Ishallgiveitadrink,” saidthefirstvoice, presumablyTrufflehunter'—, andtherewereoddwhitepatchesoneachsideofit.“It'samaskofsomesort,” thoughtCaspian.“OrperhapsI'minafeverandimaginingitall.” 'sfacebutabadger's, , too, thathewasonabedofheather, , somuchwilderandshorterandhairierandthickerthanDoctorCorneliusthatheknewthematonceforrealDwarfs, .
; (thatis, hishairandbeardwereblack, andthickandhardlikehorsehair).'sandhewascalledTrumpkin.
“Andnow,” saidNikabrikonthefirsteveningwhenCaspianwaswellenoughtositupandtalk, “'.I'mcertainlynotgoingtoletitgoalive—togobacktoitsownkindandbetrayusall.”
“Bulbsandbolsters! Nikabrik,” saidTrumpkin.“Whyneedyoutalksounhandsomely? Itisn'tthecreature''tthinkitlookslikeatraitor.”
“Isay,” saidCaspian, “youhaven''—ifyou'llletme.I'vebeenlookingforpeoplelikeyouallmylife.”
“That'salikelystory,” growledNikabrik.“You'reaTelmarineandaHuman, aren'tyou? Ofcourseyouwanttogobacktoyourownkind.”
“Well, evenifIdid, Icouldn't,” saidCaspian.“'dkilledme, you'dhavedonetheverythingtopleasehim.”
