“Mineareinmycoat-pocket,thereonthebeach,”saidPeter.“That’llbetwolunchesamongfour.Thisisn’tgoingtobesuchfun.”
“Atpresent,”saidLucy,“Iwantsomethingtodrinkmorethansomethingtoeat.”
Everyoneelsenowfeltthirsty,asoneusuallyisafterwadinginsaltwaterunderahotsun.
“It’slikebeingshipwrecked,”remarkedEdmund.“Inthebookstheyalwaysfindspringsofclear,freshwaterontheisland.We’dbettergoandlookforthem.”
“Doesthatmeanwehavetogobackintoallthatthickwood?”saidSusan.
“Notabitofit,”saidPeter.“Iftherearestreamsthey’reboundtocomedowntothesea,andifwewalkalongthebeachwe’reboundtocometothem.”
Theyallnowwadedbackandwentfirstacrossthesmooth,wetsandandthenuptothedry,crumblysandthatstickstoone’stoes,andbeganputtingontheirshoesandsocks.EdmundandLucywantedtoleavethembehindanddotheirexploringwithbarefeet,butSusansaidthiswouldbeamadthingtodo.“Wemightneverfindthemagain,”shepointedout,“andweshallwantthemifwe’restillherewhennightcomesanditbeginstobecold.”
Whentheyweredressedagaintheysetoutalongtheshorewiththeseaontheirlefthandandthewoodontheirright.Exceptforanoccasionalseagullitwasaveryquietplace.Thewoodwassothickandtangledthattheycouldhardlyseeintoitatall;andnothinginitmoved-notabird,notevenaninsect.
Shellsandseaweedandanemones,ortinycrabsinrock-pools,areallverywell,butyousoongettiredofthemifyouarethirsty.Thechildren’sfeet,afterthechangefromthecoolwater,felthotandheavy.SusanandLucyhadraincoatstocarry.Edmundhadputdownhiscoatonthestationseatjustbeforethemagicovertookthem,andheandPetertookitinturnstocarryPeter’sgreat-coat.
Presentlytheshorebegantocurveroundtotheright.Aboutquarterofanhourlater,aftertheyhadcrossedarockyridgewhichranoutintoapoint,itmadequiteasharpturn.Theirbackswerenowtothepartoftheseawhichhadmetthemwhentheyfirstcameoutofthewood,andnow,lookingahead,theycouldseeacrossthewateranothershore,thicklywoodedliketheonetheywereexploring.
“Iwonder,isthatanislandordowejoinontoitpresently?”saidLucy。
“Don’tknow,”saidPeterandtheyallploddedoninsilence.
Theshorethattheywerewalkingondrewnearerandnearertotheoppositeshore,andastheycameroundeachpromontorythechildrenexpectedtofindtheplacewherethetwojoined.Butinthistheyweredisappointed.Theycametosomerockswhichtheyhadtoclimbandfromthetoptheycouldseeafairwayaheadand-“Ohbother!”saidEdmund,“it’snogood.Weshan’tbeabletogettothoseotherwoodsatall.We’reonanisland!”
Itwastrue.Atthispointthechannelbetweenthemandtheoppositecoastwasonlyaboutthirtyorfortyyardswide;buttheycouldnowseethatthiswasitsnarrowestplace.Afterthat,theirowncoastbentroundtotherightagainandtheycouldseeopenseabetweenitandthemainland.Itwasobviousthattheyhadalreadycomemuchmorethanhalfwayroundtheisland.
“Look!”saidLucysuddenly.“What’sthat?”Shepointedtoalong,silvery,snake-likethingthatlayacrossthebeach.
“Astream!Astream!”shoutedtheothers,and,tiredastheywere,theylostnotimeinclatteringdowntherocksandracingtothefreshwater.Theyknewthatthestreamwouldbebettertodrinkfartherup,awayfromthebeach,sotheywentatoncetothespotwhereitcameoutofthewood.Thetreeswereasthickasever,butthestreamhadmadeitselfadeepcoursebetweenhighmossybankssothatbystoopingyoucouldfollowitupinasortoftunnelofleaves.Theydroppedontheirkneesbythefirstbrown,dimplypoolanddrankanddrank,anddippedtheirfacesinthewater,andthendippedtheirarmsinuptotheelbow.
“Now,”saidEdmund,“whataboutthosesandwiches?”
“Oh,hadn’twebetterhavethem?”saidSusan.“Wemayneedthemfarworselateron.”
“Idowish,”saidLucy,“nowthatwe’renotthirsty,wecouldgoonfeelingasnot-hungryaswedidwhenwewerethirsty.”
“Butwhataboutthosesandwiches?”repeatedEdmund.
“there’snogoodsavingthemtilltheygobad.You’vegottorememberit’sagooddealhotterherethaninEnglandandwe’vebeencarryingthemaboutinpocketsforhours.”Sotheygotoutthetwopacketsanddividedthemintofourportions,andnobodyhadquiteenough,butitwasagreatdealbetterthannothing.Thentheytalkedabouttheirplansforthenextmeal.Lucywantedtogobacktotheseaandcatchshrimps,untilsomeonepointedoutthattheyhadnonets.Edmundsaidtheymustgathergulls’eggsfromtherocks,butwhentheycametothinkofittheycouldn’trememberhavingseenanygulls’eggsandwouldn’tbeabletocookthemiftheyfoundany.Peterthoughttohimselfthatunlesstheyhadsomestrokeoflucktheywouldsoonbegladtoeateggsraw,buthedidn’tseeanypointinsayingthisoutloud.Susansaiditwasapitytheyhadeatenthesandwichessosoon.Oneortwotempersverynearlygotlostatthisstage.FinallyEdmundsaid:
“Lookhere.There’sonlyonethingtobedone.Wemustexplorethewood.Hermitsandknights-errantandpeoplelikethatalwaysmanagetolivesomehowifthey’reinaforest.Theyfindrootsandberriesandthings.”
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