CHAPTERSEVENTHEHILLETRENCHES
THEREIswasabeastofaday。Overheadwasasunlesssky，muffledincloudsthatwereheavywiths，ablackfrost;blowi，awiasifitwouldtakeyourskiheygotdowheyfoundthatthispartofthearoadwasmuchmoreruinousthaseeopicktheirwayreatbrokeweenbouldersandacrossrubble:hardgoingforsorefeet。Aheygot，itwasfartoocoldforahalt。
Ataboutteno'clockthefirsttinysnowflakescameldowledonJill'sarm。Teheywerefallihitwehegroundwase。Andbytheendofhalfanhoodsteadysnowstorm，whichlookedasifitmeanttolastallday，wasdrivingintheirfacessothattheycouldhardlysee。
Iouandwhatfollowed，youmustkeeponrememberinghowlittletheycouldsee。Astheydrewhelowhillwhichseparatedthemfromtheplacewherethelightedeared，theyhadnogeatall。Itwasaquestiohefewpacesahead，ahat，youhadtoscrewupyoureyes。osay，theywerenottalking。
&heyreachedthefootofthehilltheycaughtaglimpseofwhatmightberoeachside—squarishrocks，ifyoulookedatthemcarefully，butnoonedid。Allweremoreedwiththeledgerightinfrontofthemwhichbarredtheirway。Itwasabh。TheMarsh-wiggle，withhislonglegs，hadnodiffijumpingoopofit，ahehersup。Itwasabusihem，thoughnotforhim，becausethesnownowlayquitedeepoheythenhadastiffclimb—Jillfellonce—upveryroughgroundforaboutahundredyards，aoasedledge。Therewerefouroftheseledgesaltogether，atquiteirregularintervals。
Astheystruggledohledge，therewasnomistakihattheyoftheflathill。Uptillnowtheslopehadgiventhemsomeshelter;here，theygotthefullfuryofthewind。Forthehill，oddlyenough，wasquiteasflatontopasithadlookedfromadistaleveltablelandwhitoreacrosswithoutresistaplaowwasstillhardlylyingatall，forthewigitupoffthegrousanddhurlingitintheirfadroulittleeddiesofsnowranaboutasyousometimesseethemdoingoverid，indeed，inmahesurfacewasalmostassmoothasiattersworseitwasdcrisscrossedwithcuriousbanksordykes，whiesdivideditupintosquaresandoblongs。Alltheseofcoursehadtobeclimbed;theyvariedfromtwotofivefeetiaacoupleofyardsthithenorthsideofeakthesnowalreadylayis;andaftereachedownintotwet。
Fightingherithhoodupandheaddownandnumbhandsinsidehercloak，Jillhadglimpsesofotheroddthingsonthathorribletableland—thihatlookedvaguelylikefaneys，a，ahugecliff，straighterthananycliffoughttobe。Butshewasn'tatalliedanddidn'tgivethemathought。Theonlythiaboutwereherds（andnoseanddears）andhotbathsaHarfang。
Suddenlysheskidded，slidaboutfivefeet，andfouoherhdownintoadark，narrowchasmwhichseemedthatmomenttohaveappearedinfrontofher。Halfasedlatershehadreachedthebottom。Sheappearedtobeinakindroove，onlyaboutthreefeetwide。Andthoughshewasshakenbythefall，almostthefirstthiicedwasthereliefofbeingoutofthewind;forthewallsofthetrenchrosehighaboveher。Thehiiaturally，theanxiousfacesofSdPuddleglumlookingdowheedge。
&，Pole?”shoutedScrubb。
“Bothlegsbroken，Ishouldn'twonder，”shoutedPuddleglum。
Jillstoodupandexplaishewasallright，butthey'dhavetohelpherout。
“Whatisityou'vefalleninto?”askedScrubb。
“It'sakindoftrenightbeakindofsuhing，”saidJill。“Itru。”
“Yes，byJove，”saidSditruh!Iwoasortofroad?Ifitwas，we'dbeoutofthisinfernalwinddowherealotofsom?”
“Hardlyany。Itallblowsoverthetop，Isuppose。”
“ensfartheron?”
“Halfasec。I'llgoandsee，”saidJill。Shegotupahetrench;butbeforeshehadgoturnedsharplytht。Sheshoutedthisinformationbacktotheothers。
“What'sroundtheer?”askedScrubb。
NoeJillhadthesamefeelingabouttwistypassagesanddarkpladerground，orevennearlyuhatScrubbhadabouttheedgesofcliffs。Shehadionofgoingroundthateralone;especiallywhensheheardPuddleglumbawlingoutfrombehindher:
“Becareful，Pole。It'sjustthesortofplacethatmightleadton'sdinagianttry，theremightbegiah-wiales。”
“Idon'tthinkitgoesanywheremuch，”saidJill，inghastilyback。
“I'mjollywellgoingtohavealook，”saidScrubb。“Whatdoyoumeanbyanywheremuch，Ishouldliketoknow?”Sohesatdowhetrench（everyooowetbynowtobotheraboutbeingabitwetter）andthendroppedin。HepushedpastJilland，thoughhedidn'tsayanythihatheknewshehadfu。Soshefollowedhimclose，buttookottogetinfrontofhim。
Itproved，hooiiorht-handturnandstraightonforafewpaces。Heretherewasachoiceofways:straightonagain，orsharptht。“That'snogood，”saidScrubb，glantheright-handturn，“thatwouldbetakingusback—south。”Hewentstraighton，butoncemore，ieps，theyfouur。Butthistimetherewasnochoiceofways，forthetrenchtheyhadbeenfollowioadeadend。
“Nogood，”gruntedScrubb。JilllosturnihewaybatheyreturheplacewhereJillhadfirstfallenin，theMarsh-wigglewithhislongarmshadnodiffipulli。
Butitwasdreadfultobeoutontopagain。Downinthosenarrowslitsoftreheirearshadalmostbeguntothaw。Theyhadbeeoseedbreatheeasilyaherspeakwithoutshouting。Itwasabsolutemiserytoebatothewitheringess。AnditdidseemhardwhenPuddleglum:
&illsureofthosesig'stheoobeafter，now?”
“Oh，ens，”saidPole。“SomethingaboutsomeoioningAslan'shink。ButI'mjollywellnotgoiationhere。”
Asyousee，shehadg。Thatwasbecauseshehadgivenupsayingthesignsht。Shestillreallykhem，ifshetroubledtothink:butshewas”iobesurethemoffiorderatamoment'shoutthinking。Puddleglum'squestionannoyedherbecause，deepdowninsideher，shewasalreadyahherselffornotknowingtheLion'slessonquitesowellasshefeltsheoughttohaveknownit。Thisaothemiseryofbeingverydtired，madehersay，“Bns。”Shedidn'tperhapsquitemeanit。
“Oh，thatwas，wasit?”saidPuddleglum。“NowIwht?Got'emmixed，Ishouldn'twoseemstome，thishill，thisflatplacewe'reon，isworthstoppingtohavealookat。Haveyounoticed—”
“OhLor!”saidScrubb，“isthisatimeftoadmiretheview?Foodness'sakelet'sgeton。”