A long valley opened ahead and great snow-mountains, now muearer, stood up against the sky.
“Further up and further in,”cried Jewel and instantly they were off again.
They were out of Narnia now and up into the Western Wild whieither Tirian nor Peter nor even the Eagle had ever en before.But the Lord Digory and the Lady Polly had.“Do you remember?Do you remember?”they said—and said it in steady voices too, without panting, though the whole party was now running faster than an arrow flies.
“What, Lord?”said Tirian.“Is it then true, as stories tell, that you two journeyed here on the very day the world was made?”
“Yes,”said Digory,“and it ems to me as if it were only yesterday.”
“And on a flying hor?”asked Tirian.“Is that part true?”
“Certainly,”said Digory.But the Dogs barked,“Faster, faster！”
So they ran faster and faster till it was more like flying than running, and even the Eagle overhead was going no faster than they.And they went through winding valley after winding valley and up the steep sides of hills and, faster than ever, dowher side, following the river and sometimes crossing it and skimming aountain lakes as if they were living speed-boats, till at last at the far end of one long lake which looked as blue as a turquoi, they saw a smooth green hill.Its sides were as steep as the sides of a pyramid and round the very top of it ran a green wall, but above the wall ro the branches of trees who leaves looked like silver and their fruit like gold.
“Further up and further in！”roared the Uni, and no one held back.They charged straight at the foot of the hill and then found themlves running up it almost as water from a broken wave runs up a rock out at the point of some bay.Though the slope was nearly as steep as the roof of a hou and the grass was smooth as a bowling green, no one slipped.Only when they had reached the very top did they slow up; that was becau they found themlves fag great golden gates.And for a moment none of them was bold enough to try if the gates would open.They all felt just as they had felt about the fruit—“Dare we?Is it right? it be meant for us?”