“ByJove, Ed,” saidPeter.“Ibelieveyou''recomingbacktoNarniajustasifwewereCrusadersorAnglo-SaxonsorAncientBritonsorsomeonecomingbacktomodernEngland?”
“Howexcitedthey'llbetoseeus—” beganLucy, butatthesamemomenteveryoneelsesaid, “Hush!” or “Look!” Fornowsomethingwashappening.
Therewasawoodedpointonthemainlandalittletotheirright, , , , onerowing, .
“This'lldo,” saidthesoldierinthesternwhentheboathadcomeaboutoppositetothem.
“Whatabouttyingastonetohisfeet, Corporal?” saidtheother, restingonhisoars.
“Garn!” growledtheother.“Wedon'tneedthat, andwehaven''lldrownsureenoughwithoutastone, aslongaswe'vetiedthecordsright.” , , andallatoncethesoldierthrewuphisarms, droppingtheDwarfintothebottomoftheboat, ', theothersoldier, withaloudcry, jumpedoutoftheboatonthefarside, andhealsoflounderedthroughthewater (whichwasapparentlyjustinhisdepth) anddisappearedintothewoodsofthemainland.
“Quick! Beforeshedrifts!” , fullydressedastheywere, plungedin, , andEdmundwasbusilyengagedincuttinghisbondswiththepocket-knife.(Peter'sswordwouldhavebeensharper, butaswordisveryinconvenientforthissortofworkbecauseyoucan'tholditanywherelowerthanthehilt.) WhenatlasttheDwarfwasfree, hesatup, rubbedhisarmsandlegs, andexclaimed:“Well, whatevertheysay, youdon'tfeellikeghosts.”
, andanimmensebeardandwhiskersofcoarseredhairleftlittleofhisfacetobeseenexceptabeak-likenoseandtwinklingblackeyes.
“Anyway,” hecontinued, “ghostsornot, you'vesavedmylifeandI'mextremelyobligedtoyou.”
“Butwhyshouldwebeghosts?” askedLucy.
