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The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

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"Back! To the rock!"<br />

<strong>The</strong> enemy had been re<strong>in</strong>forced. <strong>The</strong> drum had done its work.<br />

CHAPTER TWELVE<br />

THROUGH THE STABLE DOOR<br />

JILL ought to have been back at the white rock already but she had quite forgotten that<br />

part <strong>of</strong> her <strong>order</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the excitement <strong>of</strong> watch<strong>in</strong>g the fight. Now she remembered. She<br />

turned at once and ran to it, and arrived there barely a second before the others. It thus<br />

happened that all <strong>of</strong> them, for a moment, had their backs to the enemy. <strong>The</strong>y all wheeled<br />

round the moment they had reached it. A terrible sight met their eyes.<br />

A Calormene was runn<strong>in</strong>g towards the stable door carry<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g that kicked and<br />

struggled. As he came between them and the fire they could see clearly both the shape <strong>of</strong><br />

the man and the shape <strong>of</strong> what he carried. It was Eustace.<br />

Tirian and the Unicorn rushed out to rescue him. But the Calormene was now far nearer<br />

to the door then they. Before they had covered half the distance he had flung Eustace <strong>in</strong><br />

and shut the door on him. Half a dozen more Calormenes had run up beh<strong>in</strong>d him. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

formed a l<strong>in</strong>e on the open space before the stable. <strong>The</strong>re was no gett<strong>in</strong>g at it now.<br />

Even then Jill remembered to keep her face turned aside, well away from her bow. "Even<br />

if I can't stop blubb<strong>in</strong>g, I won't get my str<strong>in</strong>g wet," she said.<br />

"'Ware arrows," said Pogg<strong>in</strong> suddenly.<br />

Everyone ducked and pulled his helmet well over his<br />

nose. <strong>The</strong> Dogs crouched beh<strong>in</strong>d. But though a few arrows came their way it soon<br />

became clear that they were not be<strong>in</strong>g shot at. Griffle and his Dwarfs were at their<br />

archery aga<strong>in</strong>. This time they were coolly shoot<strong>in</strong>g at the Calormenes.<br />

"Keep it up, boys!" came Griffle's voice. "All together. Carefully. We don't want Darkies<br />

any more than we want Monkeys - or Lions - or K<strong>in</strong>gs. <strong>The</strong> Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs."<br />

Whatever else you may say about Dwarfs, no one can say they aren't brave. <strong>The</strong>y could<br />

easily have got away to some safe place. <strong>The</strong>y preferred to stay and kill as many <strong>of</strong> both<br />

sides as they could, except when both sides were k<strong>in</strong>d enough to save them trouble by<br />

kill<strong>in</strong>g one another. <strong>The</strong>y wanted <strong>Narnia</strong> for their own.

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