&rierbeeasy;therewasthuheair。Aeredadarkandseeminglyendlesspi，aorieshadeverhearduoMaohismind。Herememberedthathewas，afterall，aTelmariheracewhotreeswherevertheydithallwildthings;andthoughhehimselfmightbeuelmarireesotbeexpeowthis。
Nordidthey。Theest，thewoodsroaredandcreakedallrouherecameacrash。Atreefellrightacrosstheroadjustbehindhim。“Quiet，Destrier，quiet!”said，pattinghishorse'shewastremblinghimselfahehadescapeddeathbyaniningflashedacraderseemedtobreaktheskyintwojustoverhead。
&rierboltedi。wasagoodrider，buthehadhtoholdhimback。Hekepthisseat，buthekhislifehungbyathreadduringthewildcareerthatfollowed。Treeaftertreeroseupbeforethemintheduskandwasonlyjustavoided。Then，almosttoosuddenlytohurt（adidhurthimtoo）somethingstruontheforeheadandheknewnomore。
Wheohimselfhewaslyingiplacewithbruisedlimbsandabadheadache。Lowvoiceswerespeakihand。
“Andnow，”saidowemustdecidewhattodowithit。”
“Killit，”saidanother。“We'tletitlive。Itwouldbetrayus。”
&ohavekilleditatoitalone，”saidathirdvoice。“We'tkillitnow。Notafterwe'vetakenitinasheadandall。Itwouldbemurderi。”
&lemen，”saidafeeblevoice，“whateveryoudotome，Ihopeyouwillbekindtomypoorhorse。”
“Yourhorsehadtakenflightlongbeforewefoundyou，”saidthefirstvoice—acuriouslyhusky，earthyvoice，asownoticed。
“Nowdon'tletittalkyouroundwithitsprettywords，”saidthesedvoice。“Istillsay—”
“Hornsandhalibuts!”exclaimedthethirdvoice。“Ofcoursewe&#oingtomurderit。Forshame，Nikabrik。Whatdoyousay，Trufflehushallwedowithit?”
“Ishallgiveitadrink，”saidthefirstvoice，presumablyTrufflehunter's。Adarkshapeapproachedthebed。feltanarmslippedgentlyunderhisshoulders—ifitwasexaarm。Theshapesomehowseemedwrohatbenttowardhimseemedwroheimpressionthatitwasveryhairyandveryloherewereoddwhitepateachsideofit。“It'samaskofsht。“OrperhapsI'minafeverandimaginingitall。”Aethiwassettohislipsandhedrank。Atthatmomeheotherspokedthefire。Ablazesprangupandalmostscreamedwiththeshockasthesuddehefacethatwaslookingintohisown。Itwasnotaman'sfacebutabadger's，therandfriendlieraelligentthanthefaybadgerhehadseehadlybeentalkioo，thathewasoher，ihefiresattwolittlebeardedmen，somuchwilderandshorterahiDoeliusthathekonceforrealDwarfs，aDwarfsofhumanbloodintheirveins。AndewthathehadfoundtheOldNarniansatlast。Thenhisheadbegantos>
IfewdayshelearoknowthembyheBadgerwascalledTrufflehuheoldestahethree。TheDaokillwasasourBlackDwarf（thatis，hishairandbeardwerebladthidhardlikehorsehair）。HisnamewasNikabrik。TheotherDwarfwasaRedDwarfwithhairratherlikeaFox'sandhewascalledTrumpkin。
“Andnow，”saidNikabrikoeveningianwaswellenoughtositupandtalk，“westillhavetodecidewhattodowiththisHuman。Youtwothinkyou'vedoagreatkiletti。ButIsupposetheupshotisthatwehavetokeepitaprisonerforlife。I'mlynotgoigoalive—togobacktoitsownkirayusall。”
“Bulbsandbolsters!Nikabrik，”saidTrumpkialksouisn'tthecreature'sfaultthatitbasheditsheadagaisideourhole。AndIdon'tthinkitlookslikeatraitor。”
“Isay，”said，“youhaven'tyetfouherIwanttogoba't。Iwanttostaywithyou—ifyou'llletme。I'vebeenlookingforpeoplelikeyouallmylife。”
“That'salikelystrowledNikabrik。“You'reaTelmarineandaHumayou?Ofcourseyouwanttogobacktoyourownkind。”
“Well，evenifIdid，I't，”said。“IwasflyingformylifewhenIhadmyat。TheKingwantstokillme。Ifyou'dkilledme，you'dhavedohingtopleasehim。”
“Wellnow，”saidTrufflehunter，“youdon'tsayso!”
“Eh?”saidTrumpkin。“What'sthat?Whathaveyoubeendoing，Human，tofallfoulofMirazatye?”
“He'smyuncle，”began，edupwithhishandonhisdagger。
“Thereyouare!”heotonlyaTelmariareatesteillmadenoughtoletthiscreaturelive?”HewouldhavestabbedtheheBadgerandTrumpkinhadnotgotinthewayandforcedhimbacktohisseatandheldhimdown。
“Now，ondforall，Nikabrik，”saidTrumpkin。“Willyouyourself，ormustTrufflehunterandIsitonyourhead?”
Nikabriksulkilypromisedtobehave，aiantotellhiswholestory。Whenhehaddoherewasamoment'ssilence。
“ThisisthequeerestthingIeverheard，”saidTrumpkin。
“Idon'tlikeit，”saidNikabrik。“Ididn'tkoriesaboutusstilltoldamongtheHumaheyknowaboutusthebetter。Thatoldnurse，now。She'dbetterhaveheldherto'sallmixedupwiththatTutadeDwarf。Ihate'em。Ihate'emworsethantheHumans。Youmarkmywoodwilleofit。
“Don'tyougotalkingaboutthingsyoudon'tuand，Nikabrik，”saidTrufflehunter。“YouDwarfsareasfetfulaheHumansthemselves。I'mabeast，Iam，a'smore。Wedon'tge。Weholdon。Isaygreatgoodwilleofit。ThisisthetrueKingofNarniawe'vegothere:atrueKing，ingbacktotrueNarnia。Asremember，evenifDwarfsfet，thatNarexasonofAdamwasKing。”
“Whistlesandwhirligigs!Trufflehunter，”saidTrumpkin。“Youdon'tmeanyouwaheans?”
“Isaidnothingaboutthat，”aheBadger。“It'snotMen'stry（whoshouldknowthatbetterthait'saantobeKingof。Webadgershavelongeoknowthat。Why，blessusall，wasn'ttheHighKieraMan?”
“Doyoubelieveallthoseoldstories?”askedTrumpkin。
“Itellyou，wedon'tge，webeasts，”saidTrufflehunter。“Wedon&#et。IbelieveintheHighKiherestthatreigCairParavel，asfirmlyasIbelieveinAslanhimself。”
“Asfirmlyasthat，Idaresay，”saidTrumpkin。“ButwhobelievesinAslanno>
“Ido，”said。“AndifIhadn'tbelievedinhimbefore，Iwouldnow。BackthereamohepeoplewholaughedatAslanwouldhavelaughedatstoriesaboutTalkisandDwarfs。SometimesIdidwoherereallyersonasAslaimesIwoherelelikeyou。Yetthereyouare。”
“That&#ht，”saidTrufflehunter。“Yht，King。AndaslongasyouwillbetruetoOldNarniayoushallbemyKiheysay。LooyourMajesty。”
“Youmakemesick，Badger，”growledNikabrik。“TheHighKiherestmayhavebeeheywereadifferentsortofMen。Thisisoelmariedbeastsforsport。Haven'tyou，now?”headded，roundingsuddenlyon。
&ellyouthetruth，Ihave，”said。“Buttheyweren'tTalkis。”
“It'sallthesamething，”saidNikabrik。
“No，no，no，”saidTrufflehunter。“Youknowitisn't。YoukhatthebeastsinNarnianowadaysaredifferentandarehepoordumb，witlesscreaturesyou'dfindielmar。They'resmallertoo。They'refarmoredifferentfromusthanthehalf-Dwarfsarefromyou。”
Therewasagreatdealmoretalk，butitalleheagreementthatshouldstayahepromisethat，assoonashewasabletogoout，heshouldbetakerumpkihers”;forapparentlyinthesewildpartsallsortsofcreaturesfromtheOldDaysofNarniastilllivedoninhiding。