THE LONE ISLANDS "LAND in sight," shouted the man in the bows.
Lucy, who had been talking to Rhin the poop, came pattering down the ladder and raced forward. As she went she was joined by Edmund, and they found Caspian, Drinian and Reepicheep already on the forecastle. It was a coldish m, the sky very pale and the sea very dark blue with little white caps of foam, and there, a little way off oarboard bow, was the of the Lone Islands, Felimath, like a low green hill in the sea, and behind it, further off, the grey slopes of its sister Doorn.
"Same old Felimath! Same old Doorn," said Lucy, clapping her hands. "Oh - Edmund, how long it is since you and I saw them last!」
"Ive never uood why they belong to Narnia," said Caspian. "Did Peter the High King quer them?」
"Oh no," said Edmund. "They were Narnian before our time - in the days of the White Witch.」
(By the way, I have never yet heard how these remote islands became attached to the of Narnia; if I ever do, and if the story is at all iing, I may put it in some other book.)
"Are we to put in here, Sire?" asked Drinian.
"1 shouldnt think it would be much good landing on Felimath," said Edmund. "It was almost uninhabited in our days and it looks as if it was the same still. The people lived mostly on Doorn and a little on Avra - thats the third one; you t see it yet. They only kept sheep on Felimath.」
"Then well have to double that cape, I suppose," said Drinian, "and land on Doorn.
Thatll mean rowing.」
"Im sorry were not landing on Felimath," said Lucy. "Id like to walk there again. It was so lonely - a nice kind of loneliness, and all grass and clover and soft sea air.」
"Id love to stretch my legs now too," said Caspian. "I tell you what. Why shouldnt we go ashore in the boat and send it back, and then we could walk across Felimath ahe Dawn Treader pick us up oher side?」
If Caspian had been as experiehen as he became later on in this voyage he would not have made this suggestion; but at the moment it seemed an excellent one. "Oh do lets," said Lucy.
"Youll e, will you?" said Caspian to Eustace, who had e on deck with his hand bandaged.
"Anything to get off this blasted boat," said Eustace.
"Blasted?" said Drinian. "How do you mean?」
"In a civilized try like where I e from," said Eustace, "the ships are so big that when youre inside you wouldnt know you were at sea at all.」
"In that case you might just as well stay ashore," said Caspian. "Will you tell them to lower the boat, Drinian.」
The King, the Mouse, the two Pevensies, aace all got into the boat and were pulled to the beach of Felimath. When the boat had left them and was being rowed back they all turned and looked round. They were surprised at how small the Dawn Treader looked.
Lucy was of course barefoot, having kicked off her shoes while swimming, but that is no hardship if one is going to walk on downy turf. It was delightful to be ashain and to smell the earth and grass, even if at first the ground seemed to be pitg up and down like a ship, as it usually does for a while if one has been at sea. It was much warmer here than it had been on board and Lucy found the sand pleasant to her feet as they crossed it.
There was a lark singing.
They struland and up a fairly steep, though low, hill. At the top of course they looked back, and there was the Dawn Treader shining li