下载辰思小说免费APP
"TworegularSaxon—hatingWelshwomen，"saidI，philosophically；
"justofthesamesortnodoubtasthosewhoplayedsuchpranksontheslainbodiesoftheEnglishsoldiers，afterthevictoryachievedbyGlendoweroverMortimerontheSevern’sside。"
Iproceededinthedirectionindicated，windingroundthesideofthehill，thesamemountainwhichtheoldmanhadpointedouttomesometimebefore。Atlength，onmakingaturnIsawaveryloftymountaininthefardistancetothesouth—west，ahillrightbeforemetothesouth，and，onmyleft，ameadowoverhungbythesouthernhill，inthemiddleofwhichstoodahousefromwhichproceededaviolentbarkingofdogs。Iwouldfainhavemadeimmediatelyuptoitforthepurposeofinquiringmyway，butsawnomeansofdoingso，ahighprecipitousbanklyingbetweenitandme。Iwentforwardandascendedthesideofthehillbeforeme，andpresentlycametoapathrunningeastandwest。Ifolloweditalittlewaytowardstheeast。Iwasnowjustabovethehouse，andsawsomechildrenandsomedogsstandingbesideit。SuddenlyIfoundmyselfclosetoamanwhostoodinahollowpartoftheroad，fromwhichanarrowpathleddowntothehouse；adonkeywithpanniersstoodbesidehim。Hewasaboutfiftyyearsofage，withacarbuncledcountenance，highbutnarrowforehead，greyeyebrows，andsmall，malignantgreyeyes。Hehadawhitehat，withnarroweavesandthecrownpartlyknockedout，atornbluecoat，corduroybreeches，longstockingsandhighlows。Hewassuckingacuttypipe，butseemedunabletoextractanysmokefromit。Hehadalltheappearanceofavagabond，andofaratherdangerousvagabond。Inoddedtohim，andaskedhiminWelshthenameoftheplace。Heglaredatmemalignantly，then，takingthepipeoutofhismouth，saidthathedidnotknow，thathehadbeendownbelowtoinquireandlighthispipe，butcouldgetneitherlightnoranswerfromthechildren。I
askedhimwherehecamefrom，butheevadedthequestionbyaskingwhereIwasgoingto。
"TothePontyGwrDrwg，"saidI。
HethenaskedmeifIwasanEnglishman。
"Ohyes，"saidI，"IamCarnSais；"whereupon，withastrangemixtureinhisfaceofmalignityandcontempt，heansweredinEnglishthathedidn’tunderstandme。
"Youunderstoodmeverywell，"saidI，withoutchangingmylanguage，"tillItoldyouIwasanEnglishman。Harkee，manwiththebrokenhat，youareoneofthebadWelshwhodon’tliketheEnglishtoknowthelanguage，lesttheyshoulddiscoveryourliesandrogueries。"HeevidentlyunderstoodwhatIsaid，forhegnashedhisteeth，thoughhesaidnothing。"Well，"saidI，"I
shallgodowntothosechildrenandinquirethenameofthehouse；"
andIforthwithbegantodescendthepath，thefellowutteringacontemptuous"humph"behindme，asmuchastosay，"Muchyou’llmakeoutdownthere。"Isoonreachedthebottomandadvancedtowardsthehouse。Thedogshadallalongbeenbarkingviolently；
asIdrewneartothem，however，theyceased，andtwoofthelargestcameforwardwaggingtheirtails。"Thedogswerenotbarkingatme，"saidI，"butatthatvagabondabove。"Iwentuptothechildren；theywerefourinnumber，twoboysandtwogirls，allred—haired，buttolerablygood—looking。Theyhadneithershoesnorstockings。"Whatisthenameofthishouse？"saidItotheeldest，aboyaboutsevenyearsold。Helookedatme，butmadenoanswer。
Irepeatedmyquestion；stilltherewasnoanswer，butmethoughtI
heardahumphoftriumphfromthehill。"Don’tcrowquiteyet，oldchap，"thoughtItomyself，andputtingmyhandintomypocket，I
tookoutapenny，andofferingittothechildsaid："Now，smallman，Pethywyenwyllehwn？"Instantlytheboy’sfacebecameintelligent，andputtingoutafatlittlehand，hetooktheceiniogandsaidinanaudiblewhisper，"WaenyBwlch。""Iamallright，"
saidItomyself；"thatisoneofthenamesoftheplaceswhichtheoldostlersaidImustgothrough。"ThenaddressingmyselftothechildIsaid："Where’syourfatherandmother？"
"Outonthehill，"whisperedthechild。
"What’syourfather？"
"Ashepherd。"
"Good，"saidI。"Nowcanyoutellmethewaytothebridgeoftheevilman？"Butthefeaturesbecameblank，thefingerwasputtothemouth，andtheheadwashungdown。Thatquestionwasevidentlybeyondthechild’scapacity。"Thankyou！"saidI，andturningroundIregainedthepathonthetopofthebank。Thefellowandhisdonkeywerestillthere。"Ihadnodifficulty，"saidI，"inobtaininginformation；theplace’snameisWaenyBwlch。ButoesgenochdimCumraeg—youhavenoWelsh。"ThereuponIproceededalongthepathinthedirectionoftheeast。Forthwiththefellowsaidsomethingtohisanimal，andbothcamefollowingfastbehind。
Iquickenedmypace，butthefellowandhisbeastwerecloseinmyrear。PresentlyIcametoaplacewhereanotherpathbranchedofftothesouth。Istopped，lookedatit，andthenwenton，butscarcelyhaddonesowhenIheardanotherexulting"humph"behind。
"Iamgoingwrong，"saidItomyself；"thatotherpathisthewaytotheDevil’sBridge，andthescampknowsitorhewouldnothavegrunted。"ForthwithIfacedround，andbrushingpastthefellowwithoutawordturnedintotheotherpathandhurriedalongit。ByasideglancewhichIcastIcouldseehimstaringafterme；
presently，however，heutteredasoundverymuchlikeaWelshcurse，and，kickinghisbeast，proceededonhisway，andIsawnomoreofhim。InalittletimeIcametoasloughwhichcrossedthepath。Ididnotlikethelookofitatall，andtoavoiditventureduponsomegreenmossy—lookinggroundtotheleft，andhadscarcelydonesowhenIfoundmyselfimmersedtothekneesinabog。I，however，pushedforward，andwithsomedifficultygottothepathontheothersideoftheslough。Ifollowedthepath，andinabouthalf—an—hoursawwhatappearedtobehousesatadistance。
"GodgrantthatImaybedrawingnearsomeinhabitedplace！"saidI。
Thepathnowgrewverymiry，andtherewerepoolsofwateroneitherside。Imovedalongslowly。AtlengthIcametoaplacewheresomemenwerebusyinerectingakindofbuilding。Iwentuptothenearestandaskedhimthenameoftheplace。Hehadacrowbarinhishand，washalfnaked，hadawrymouthandonlyoneeye。Hemademenoanswer，butmowedandgibberedatme。
"ForGod’ssake，"saidI，"don’tdoso，buttellmewhereIam！"
Hestillutterednoword，butmowedandgibberedyetmorefrightfullythanbefore。AsIstoodstaringathimanothermancametomeandsaidinbrokenEnglish："Itisofnousespeakingtohim，sir，heisdeafanddumb。"
"Iamgladheisnoworse，"saidI，"forIreallythoughthewaspossessedwiththeevilone。Mygoodperson，canyoutellmethenameofthisplace？"
"EsgyrnHirion，sir，"saidhe。
"EsgyrnHirion，"saidItomyself；"Esgyrnmeans’bones，’andHirionmeans’long。’IamdoubtlessattheplacewhichtheoldostlercalledLongBones。Ishouldn’twonderifIgettotheDevil’sBridgeto—nightafterall。"Ithenaskedthemanifhecouldtellmethewaytothebridgeoftheevilman，butheshookhisheadandsaidthathehadneverheardofsuchaplace，adding，however，thathewouldgowithmetooneoftheoverseers，whocouldperhapsdirectme。Hethenproceededtowardsarowofbuildings，whichwere，infact，thoseobjectswhichIhadguessedtobehousesinthedistance。Heledmetoacornerhouse，atthedoorofwhichstoodamiddle—agedman，dressedinagreycoat，andsayingtome，"Thispersonisanoverseer，"returnedtohislabour。
Iwentuptotheman，and，salutinghiminEnglish，askedwhetherhecoulddirectmetotheDevil’sBridge，orrathertoPontErwyd。
"Itwouldbeofnousedirectingyou，sir，"saidhe，"forwithallthedirectionsintheworlditwouldbeimpossibleforyoutofindtheway。Youwouldnothaveleftthesepremisesfiveminutesbeforeyouwouldbeinamazewithoutkn
