The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 27The top of the sandy bank was a good six feet above the water. From wherethey sat, the rabbits could look straight ahead upstream, and downstream to theirleft. Evidently there were nesting holes in the sheer face below them, for as thelight grew they saw three or four martins dart2 out over the stream and away intothe fields beyond. In a short time one returned with his beak3 full, and they couldhear the nestlings squeaking4 as he flew out of sight beneath their feet. The bankdid not extend far in either direction. Upstream, it sloped down to a grassy5 pathbetween the trees and the water. This followed the line of the river, which ranstraight from almost as far away as they could see, flowing smoothly6 withoutfords, gravel7 shallows or plank8 bridges. Immediately below them lay a wide pooland here the water was almost still. Away to their left, the bank sloped downagain into clumps9 of alder11, among which the stream could be heard chatteringover gravel. There was a glimpse of barbed wire stretched across the water andthey guessed that this must surround a cattle wade13, like the one in the little brooknear the home warren.
Hazel looked at the path upstream. "There's grass down there," he said. "Let'sgo and feed."They scrambled14 down the bank and set to nibbling15 beside the water. Betweenthem and the stream itself stood half-grown clumps of purple loosestrife andfleabane, which would not flower for nearly two months yet. The only bloomswere a few early meadowsweet and a patch of pink butterbur. Looking back at theface of the bank, they could see that it was in fact dotted thickly with martins'
holes. There was a narrow foreshore at the foot of the little cliff and this waslittered with the rubbish of the colony -- sticks, droppings, feathers, a broken eggand a dead nestling or two. The martins were now coming and going in numbersover the water.
Hazel moved close to Fiver and quietly edged him away from the others,feeding as he went. When they were a little way off, and half concealed16 by a patchof reeds, he said, "Are you sure we've got to cross the river, Fiver? What aboutgoing along the bank one way or the other?""No, we need to cross the river, Hazel, so that we can get into those fields --and on beyond them too. I know what we ought to be looking for -- a high, lonelyplace with dry soil, where rabbits can see and hear all round and men hardly evercome. Wouldn't that be worth a journey?""Yes, of course it would. But is there such a place?""Not near a river -- I needn't tell you that. But if you cross a river you startgoing up again, don't you? We ought to be on the top -- on the top and in theopen.""But, Fiver, I think they may refuse to go much further. And then again, yousay all this and yet you say you're too tired to swim?""I can rest, Hazel, but Pipkin's in a pretty bad way. I think he's injured. Wemay have to stay here half the day.""Well, let's go and talk to the others. They may not mind staying. It's crossingthey're not going to fancy, unless something frightens them into it."As soon as they had made their way back, Bigwig came across to them from thebushes at the edge of the path.
"I was wondering where you'd got to," he said to Hazel. "Are you ready to moveon?""No, I'm not," answered Hazel firmly. "I think we ought to stay here until ni-Frith. That'll give everyone a chance to rest and then we can swim across to thosefields."Bigwig was about to reply, but Blackberry spoke17 first.
"Bigwig," he said, "why don't you swim over now, and then go out into the fieldand have a look round? The wood may not stretch very far one way or the other.
You could see from there; and then we might know which would be the best wayto go.""Oh, well," said Bigwig rather grudgingly18, "I suppose there's some sense inthat. I'll swim the embleer* river as many times as you like. Always glad tooblige."Without the slightest hesitation19, he took two hops20 to the water, waded21 in andswam across the deep, still pool. They watched him pull himself out beside aflowering clump10 of figwort, gripping one of the tough stems in his teeth, shake ashower of drops out of his fur and scutter into the alder bushes. A moment later,between the nut trees, they saw him running off into the field.
"I'm glad he's with us," said Hazel to Silver. Again he thought wryly22 of theThrearah. "He's the fellow to find out all we need to know. Oh, I say, look, he'scoming back already."Bigwig was racing23 back across the field, looking more agitated24 than he had atany time since the encounter with Captain Holly25. He ran into the water almostheadlong and paddled over fast, leaving an arrowhead ripple26 on the calm brownsurface. He was speaking as he jerked himself out on the sandy foreshore.
"Well, Hazel, if I were you I shouldn't wait until ni-Frith. I should go now. Infact, I think you'll have to.""Why?" asked Hazel.
"There's a large dog loose in the wood."Hazel started. "What?" he said. "How do you know?""When you get into the field you can see the wood sloping down to the river.
Parts of it are open. I saw the dog crossing a clearing. It was trailing a chain, so itmust have broken loose. It may be on the lendri's scent27, but the lendri will beunderground by now. What do you think will happen when it picks up our scent,running from one side of the wood to the other, with dew on it? Come on, let's getover quickly,"Hazel felt at a loss. In front of him stood Bigwig, sodden28 wet, undaunted,single-minded -- the very picture of decision. At his shoulder was Fiver, silent andtwitching. He saw Blackberry watching him intently, waiting for his lead anddisregarding Bigwig's. Then he looked at Pipkin, huddled29 into a fold of sand,more panic-stricken and helpless than any rabbit he had ever seen. At thismoment, up in the wood, there broke out an excited yelping30 and a jay began toscold.
Hazel spoke through a kind of light-headed trance. "Well, you'd better get on,then," he said, "and anyone else who wants to. Personally, I'm going to wait untilFiver and Pipkin are fit to tackle it.""You silly blockhead!" cried Bigwig. "We'll all be finished! We'll--""Don't stamp about," said Hazel, "You may be heard. What do you suggest,then?""Suggest? There's no suggesting to be done. Those who can swim, swim. Theothers will have to stay here and hope for the best. The dog may not come.""I'm afraid that won't do for me. I got Pipkin into this and I'm going to get himout.""Well, you didn't get Fiver into it, did you? He got you into it."Hazel could not help noticing, with reluctant admiration31, that although Bigwighad lost his temper, he was apparently32 in no hurry on his own account andseemed less frightened than any of them. Looking round for Blackberry, he sawthat he had left them and was up at the top of the pool, where the narrow beachtailed away into a gravel spit. His paws were half buried in the wet gravel and hewas nosing at something large and flat on the waterline. It looked like a piece ofwood.
"Blackberry," he said, "can you come back here a moment?"Blackberry looked up, tugged33 out his paws and ran back.
"Hazel," he said quickly, "that's a piece of flat wood -- like that piece that closedthe gap by the Green Loose above the warren -- you remember? It must havedrifted down the river. So it floats. We could put Fiver and Pipkin on it and makeit float again. It might go across the river. Can you understand?"Hazel had no idea what he meant. Blackberry's flood of apparent nonsenseonly seemed to draw tighter the mesh34 of danger and bewilderment. As thoughBigwig's angry impatience35, Pipkin's terror and the approaching dog were notenough to contend with, the cleverest rabbit among them had evidently gone outof his mind. He felt close to despair.
"Frithrah, yes, I see!" said an excited voice at his ear. It was Fiver. "Quick,Hazel, don't wait! Come on, and bring Pipkin!"It was Blackberry who bullied36 the stupefied Pipkin to his feet and forced him tolimp the few yards to the gravel spit. The piece of wood, hardly bigger than a largerhubarb leaf, was lightly aground. Blackberry almost drove Pipkin onto it with hisclaws. Pipkin crouched37 shivering and Fiver followed him aboard.
"Who's strong?" said Blackberry. "Bigwig! Silver! Push it out!"No one obeyed him. All squatted38, puzzled and uncertain. Blackberry buried hisnose in the gravel under the landward edge of the board and raised it, pushing.
The board tipped. Pipkin squealed39 and Fiver lowered his head and splayed hisclaws. Then the board righted itself and drifted out a few feet into the pool withthe two rabbits hunched40 upon it, rigid41 and motionless. It rotated slowly and theyfound themselves staring back at their comrades.
"Frith and Inlé!" said Dandelion. "They're sitting on the water! Why don't theysink?""They're sitting on the wood and the wood floats, can't you see?" saidBlackberry. "Now we swim over ourselves. Can we start, Hazel?"During the last few minutes Hazel had been as near to losing his head as hewas ever to come. He had been at his wits' end, with no reply to Bigwig's scornfulimpatience except his readiness to risk his own life in company with Fiver andPipkin. He still could not understand what had happened, but at least he realizedthat Blackberry wanted him to show authority. His head cleared.
"Swim," he said. "Everybody swim."He watched them as they went in. Dandelion swam as well as he ran, swiftlyand easily. Silver, too, was strong. The others paddled and scrambled oversomehow, and as they began to reach the other side, Hazel plunged42. The coldwater penetrated43 his fur almost at once. His breath came short and as his headwent under he could hear a faint grating of gravel along the bottom. He paddledacross awkwardly, his head tilted44 high out of the water, and made for the figwort.
As he pulled himself out, he looked round among the sopping45 rabbits in thealders.
"Where's Bigwig?" he asked.
"Behind you," answered Blackberry, his teeth chattering12.
Bigwig was still in the water, on the other side of the pool. He had swum to theraft, put his head against it and was pushing it forward with heavy thrusts of hisback legs. "Keep still," Hazel heard him say in a quick, gulping47 voice. Then hesank. But a moment later he was up again and had thrust his head over the backof the board. As he kicked and struggled, it tilted and then, while the rabbitswatched from the bank, moved slowly across the pool and grounded on theopposite side. Fiver pushed Pipkin onto the stones and Bigwig waded out besidethem, shivering and breathless.
"I got the idea once Blackberry had shown us," he said. "But it's hard to push itwhen you're in the water. I hope it's not long to sunrise. I'm cold. Let's get on."There was no sign of the dog as they made haste through the alders46 and up thefield to the first hedgerow. Most of them had not understood Blackberry'sdiscovery of the raft and at once forgot it. Fiver, however, came over to whereBlackberry was lying against the stem of a blackthorn in the hedge.
"You saved Pipkin and me, didn't you?" he said. "I don't think Pipkin's got anyidea what really happened; but I have.""I admit it was a good idea," replied Blackberry. "Let's remember it. It mightcome in handy again sometime."*Stinking -- the word for the smell of a fox.
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1
centurion
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| n.古罗马的百人队长 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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grudgingly
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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hops
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| 跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wryly
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| adv. 挖苦地，嘲弄地 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mesh
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| n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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sopping
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| adj. 浑身湿透的 动词sop的现在分词形式 | |
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alders
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| n.桤木( alder的名词复数 ) | |
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gulping
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的现在分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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