CHAPTER THIRTEEN UNDERLAND WITHOUT THE QUEEN（第4/5页）
But when they had climbed many steep streets and were far away from the flood，and almost out of the town on the inland side， it began to be more serious. They were now close to the red glow and nearly on a level with it，though they still could not see what it really was. But by its light they could see their enemies more clearly. Hundreds—perhaps a few thousands—of gnomes were all moving towards it. But they were doing so in short rushes，and whenever they stopped，they turned and faced the travellers.
“If your Highness asked me,”said Puddleglum，“I’d say those fellows were meaning to cut us off in front.”
“That was my thought too，Puddleglum,”said the Prince. “And we can never fight our way through so many. Hark you ！ Let us ride forth close by the edge of yonder house. And even as we reach it，do you slip off into its shadow. The Lady and I will go forward a few paces. Some of these devils will follow us，I doubt not； they are thick behind us. Do you，who have long arms，take one alive if you may，as it passes your ambush. We may get a true tale of it or learn what is their quarrel against us.”
“But won’t the others all come rushing at us to rescue the one we catch,”said Jill in a voice not so steady as she tried to make it.
“Then，Madam,”said the Prince，“you shall see us die fighting around you，and you must commend yourself to the Lion. Now，good Puddleglum.”
The Marsh-wiggle slipped off into the shadow as quickly as a cat. The others，for a sickening minute or so，went forward at a walk. Then suddenly from behind them there broke out a series of blood-curdling screams，mixed with the familiar voice of Puddleglum，saying，“Now then ！ Don’t cry out before you’re hurt，or you will be hurt，see ？ Anyone would think it was a pig being killed.”
“That was good hunting,”exclaimed the Prince，immediately turning Coalblack and coming back to the corner of the house. “Eustace,”he said，“of your courtesy，take Coalblack’s head.”Then he dismounted，and all three gazed in silence while Puddleglum pulled his catch out into the light. It was a most miserable little gnome，only about three feet long. It had a sort of ridge，like a cock’s comb（only hard），on the top of its head， little pink eyes，and a mouth and chin so large and round that its face looked like that of a pigmy hippopotamus. If they had not been in such a tight place，they would have burst into laughter at the sight of it.
“Now，Earthman,”said the Prince，standing over it and holding his sword point very near the prisoner’s neck，“speak， up，like an honest gnome，and you shall go free. Play the knave with us，and you are but a dead Earthman. Good Puddleglum， how can it speak while you hold its mouth tight shut ？”
“No，and it can’t bite either,”said Puddleglum. “If I had the silly soft hands that you humans have（saving your Highness’s reverence）I’d have been all over blood by now. Yet even a Marsh-wiggle gets tired of being chewed.”
“Sirrah,”said the Prince to the gnome，“one bite and you die. Let its mouth open，Puddleglum.”
“Oo-ee-ee,”squealed the Earthman，“let me go，let me go. It isn’t me. I didn’t do it.”
“Didn’t do what ？”asked Puddleglum.
“Whatever your Honours say I did do,”answered the creature.
“Tell me your name,”said the Prince，“and what you Earthmen are all about today.”
“Oh please，your Honours，please，kind gentlemen,” whimpered the gnome. “Promise you will not tell the Queen’s grace anything I say.”
“The Queen’s grace，as you call her,”said the Prince sternly， “is dead. I killed her myself.”
“What ！”cried the gnome，opening its ridiculous mouth wider and wider in astonishment. “Dead ？ The Witch dead ？ And by your Honour’s hand ？”It gave a huge sigh of relief and added，“Why then your Honour is a friend ！”