When they woke it was mid-afternoon and still drizzling5. It seemed to Hazel thatthere was no particular hurry. The going would be troublesome in the wet, andanyway no self-respecting rabbit could leave without a forage6 round the sheds. Apile of mangels and swedes occupied them for some time and they set out onlywhen the light was beginning to fade. They took their time and reached thehanger a little before dark, with nothing worse to trouble them than thediscomfort of soaking-wet fur. Only two or three of the rabbits were out to arather subdued7 silflay in the wet. No one remarked on their absence and Hazelwent underground at once, telling Pipkin to say nothing about their adventure forthe time being. He found his burrow2 empty, lay down and fell asleep.
Waking, he found Fiver beside him as usual. It was some time before dawn.
The earth floor felt pleasantly dry and snug8 and he was about to go back to sleepwhen Fiver spoke9.
"You've been wet through, Hazel.""Well, what about it? The grass is wet, you know.""You didn't get so wet on silflay. You were soaked. You weren't here at allyesterday, were you?""Oh, I went foraging10 down the hill.""Eating swedes: and your feet smell of farmyard -- hens' droppings and bran.
But there's some other funny thing besides -- something I can't smell. Whathappened?""Well, I had a bit of a brush with a cat, but why worry?""Because you're concealing11 something, Hazel. Something dangerous.""It's Holly12 that's in danger, not I. Why bother about me?""Holly?" replied Fiver in surprise. "But Holly and the others reached the bigwarren early yesterday evening. Kehaar told us. Do you mean to say you didn'tknow?"Hazel felt fairly caught out. "Well, I know now," he replied. "I'm glad to hearit.""So it comes to this," said Fiver. "You went to a farm yesterday and escapedfrom a cat. And whatever you were up to, it was so much on your mind that youforgot to ask about Holly last night.""Well, all right, Fiver -- I'll tell you all about it. I took Pipkin and went to thatfarm that Kehaar told us about where there are rabbits in a hutch. I found therabbits and talked to them and I've taken a notion to go back one night and getthem out, to come and join us here.""What for?""Well, two of them are does, that's what for.""But if Holly's successful we shall soon have plenty of does: and from all I'veever heard of hutch rabbits, they don't take easily to wild life. The truth is, you'rejust a silly show-off.""A silly show-off?" said Hazel. "Well, we'll just see whether Bigwig andBlackberry think so.""Risking your life and other rabbits' lives for something that's of little or novalue to us," said Fiver. "Oh, yes, of course the others will go with you. You'retheir Chief Rabbit. You're supposed to decide what's sensible and they trust you.
Persuading them will prove nothing, but three or four dead rabbits will proveyou're a fool, when it's too late.""Oh, be quiet," answered Hazel. "I'm going to sleep."During silflay next morning, with Pipkin for a respectful chorus, he told theothers about his visit to the farm. As he had expected, Bigwig jumped at the ideaof a raid to free the hutch rabbits.
"It can't go wrong," he said. "It's a splendid idea, Hazel! I don't know how youopen a hutch, but Blackberry will see to that. What annoys me is to think you ranfrom that cat. A good rabbit's a match for a cat, any day. My mother went for oneonce and she fairly gave it something to remember, I can tell you: scratched itsfur out like willow13 herb in autumn! Just leave the farm cats to me and one or twoof the others!"Blackberry took a little more convincing, but he, like Bigwig and Hazel himself,was secretly disappointed not to have gone on the expedition with Holly; andwhen the other two pointed14 out that they were relying on him to tell them how toget the hutch open, he agreed to come.
"Do we need to take everyone?" he asked. "You say the dog's tied up and Isuppose there can't be more than three cats. Too many rabbits will only be anuisance in the dark: someone will get lost and we shall have to spend timelooking for him.""Well, Dandelion, Speedwell and Hawkbit, then," said Bigwig, "and leave theothers behind. Do you mean to go tonight, Hazel-rah?""Yes, the sooner the better," said Hazel. "Get hold of those three and tell them.
Pity it's going to be dark -- we could have taken Kehaar: he'd have enjoyed it."However, their hopes for that night were disappointed, for the rain returnedbefore dusk, settling in on a northwest wind and carrying up the hill the sweet-sour smell of flowering privet from cottage hedges below. Hazel sat on the bankuntil the light had quite faded. At last, when it was clear that the rain was going tostay for the night, he joined the others in the Honeycomb. They had persuadedKehaar to come down out of the wind and wet, and one of Dandelion's tales of El-ahrairah was followed by an extraordinary story that left everyone mystified butfascinated, about a time when Frith had to go away on a journey, leaving thewhole world to be covered with rain. But a man built a great floating hutch thatheld all the animals and birds until Frith returned and let them out.
"It won't happen tonight, will it, Hazel-rah?" asked Pipkin, listening to the rainin the beech17 leaves outside. "There's no hutch here.""Kehaar'll fly you up to the moon, Hlao-roo," said Bluebell18, "and you can comedown on Bigwig's head like a birch branch in the frost. But there's time to go tosleep first."Before Fiver slept, however, he talked again to Hazel about the raid.
"I suppose it's no good asking you not to go?" he said.
"Look here," answered Hazel, "have you got one of your bad turns about thefarm? If you have, why not say so straight out? Then we'd all know where wewere.""I've no feelings about the farm one way or the other," said Fiver. "But thatdoesn't necessarily mean it's all right. The feelings come when they will -- theydon't always come. Not for the lendri, not for the crow. If it comes to that, I've noidea what's happening to Holly and the others. It might be good or bad. Butthere's something that frightens me about you yourself, Hazel: just you, not anyof the others. You're all alone, sharp and clear, like a dead branch against thesky.""Well, if you mean you can see trouble for me and not for any of the others, tellthem and I'll leave it to them to decide whether I ought to keep out of it. Butthat's giving up a lot, Fiver, you know. Even with your word for it, someone'sbound to think I'm afraid.""Well, I say it's not worth the risk, Hazel. Why not wait for Holly to come back?
That's all we have to do.""I'll be snared19 if I wait for Holly. Can't you see that the very thing I want is tohave these does here when he comes back? But look, Fiver, I'll tell you what. I'vecome to trust you so much that I'll take the greatest care. In fact, I won't even gointo the farmyard myself. I'll stay outside, at the top of the lane: and if that's notmeeting your fears halfway, then I don't know what is."Fiver said no more and Hazel turned his thoughts to the raid and the difficultyhe foresaw of getting the hutch rabbits to go the distance back to the warren.
The next day was bright and dry, with a fresh wind that cleared up whatremained of the wet. The clouds came racing20 over the ridge21 from the south as theyhad on the May evening when Hazel first climbed the down. But now they werehigher and smaller, settling at last into a mackerel sky like a beach at low tide.
Hazel took Bigwig and Blackberry to the edge of the escarpment, whence theycould look across to Nuthanger on its little hill. He described the approach andwent on to explain how the rabbit hutch was to be found. Bigwig was in highspirits. The wind and the prospect22 of action excited him and he spent some timewith Dandelion, Hawkbit and Speedwell, pretending to be a cat and encouragingthem to attack him as realistically as they could. Hazel, whose talk with Fiver hadsomewhat clouded him, recovered as he watched them tussling over the grass andended by joining in himself, first as an attacker and then as the cat, staring andquivering for all the world like the Nuthanger tabby.
"I shall be disappointed if we don't meet a cat after all this," said Dandelion, ashe waited for his turn to run at a fallen beech branch from one side, claw it twiceand dash out again. "I feel a really dangerous animal.""You vatch heem, Meester Dando," said Kehaar, who was hunting for snails24 inthe grass nearby, "Meester Pigvig, 'e vant you t'ink all vun peeg yoke25; make youprave. Cat 'e no yoke. You no see 'im, you no 'ear 'im. Den23 yomp! 'E come.""But we're not going there to eat, Kehaar," said Bigwig. "That makes all thedifference. We shan't stop watching for cats the whole time.""Why not eat the cat?" said Bluebell. "Or bring one back here for breeding?
That ought to improve the warren stock no end."Hazel and Bigwig had decided26 that the raid should be carried out as soon afterdark as the farm was quiet. This meant that they would cover the half mile to theoutlying sheds at sunset, instead of risking the confusion of a night journey overground that only Hazel knew. They could steal a meal among the swedes, halt tilldarkness and cover the short distance to the farm after a good rest. Then --provided they could cope with the cats -- there would be plenty of time to tacklethe hutch; whereas if they were to arrive at dawn they would be working againsttime before men came on the scene. Finally, the hutch rabbits would not bemissed until the following morning.
"And remember," said Hazel, "it'll probably take these rabbits a long time toget to the down. We shall have to be patient with them. I'd rather do that indarkness, elil or no elil. We don't want to be messing about in broad daylight.""If it comes to the worst," said Bigwig, "we can leave the hutch rabbits and bolt.
Elil take the hindmost, don't they? I know it's tough, but if there's real trouble weought to save our own rabbits first. Let's hope that doesn't happen, though."When they came to set out, Fiver was nowhere to be seen. Hazel felt relieved,for he had been afraid that Fiver might say something that would lower theirspirits. But there was nothing worse to contend with than Pipkin'sdisappointment at being left behind; and this was dispelled27 when Hazel assuredhim that the only reason was that he had already done his bit. Bluebell, Acorn28 andPipkin came with them to the foot of the hill and watched them down thehedgerow.
They reached the sheds in the twilight29 after sunset The summer nightfall wasunbroken by owls30 and so quiet that they could plainly hear the intermittent,monotonous "Chug chug chug" of a nightingale in the distant woods. Two ratsamong the swedes showed their teeth, thought better of it and left them alone.
When they had foraged31, they rested comfortably in the straw until the westernlight was quite gone.
Rabbits do not name the stars, but nevertheless Hazel was familiar with thesight of Capella rising; and he watched it now until it stood gold and bright in thedark northeastern horizon to the right of the farm. When it reached a certainpoint which he had fixed32, beside a bare branch, he roused the others and led themup the slope toward the elms. Near the top he slipped through the hedge andbrought them down into the lane.
Hazel had already told Bigwig of his promise to Fiver to keep out of danger;and Bigwig, who had changed much since the early days, had no fault to find.
"If that's what Fiver says, you'd better do it, Hazel," he said. "Anyhow it'll suitus. You stay outside the farm in a safe place and we'll bring the rabbits out to you:
then you can take over and get us all away." What Hazel had not said was that theidea that he should remain in the lane was his own suggestion, and that Fiver hadacquiesced only because he could not persuade him to give up the idea of the raidaltogether.
Crouching33 under a fallen branch on the verge34 of the lane, Hazel watched theothers as they followed Bigwig down toward the farmyard. They went slowly,rabbit fashion, hop16, step and pause. The night was dark and they were soon out ofsight, though he could hear them moving down the side of the long barn. Hesettled down to wait.
Bigwig's hopes of action were fulfilled almost at once. The cat that he met as hereached the far end of the barn was not Hazel's tabby, but another; ginger35, blackand white (and therefore a female); one of those slim, trotting36, quick-moving,tail-twitching cats that sit on farm windowsills in the rain or keep watch from thetops of sacks on sunny afternoons. It came briskly round the corner of the barn,saw the rabbits and stopped dead.
Without an instant's hesitation37 Bigwig went straight for it, as though it hadbeen the beech branch on the down. But quicker even than he Dandelion ranforward, scratched it and leaped clear. As it turned, Bigwig threw his full weightupon it from the other side. The cat closed with him, biting and scratching, andBigwig rolled over on the ground. The others could hear him swearing like a cathimself and struggling for a hold. Then he sank one back leg into the cat's sideand kicked backward rapidly, several times.
Anyone who is familiar with cats knows that they do not care for a determinedassailant. A dog that tries to make itself pleasant to a cat may very well getscratched for its pains. But let that same dog rush in to the attack and many a catwill not wait to meet it. The farm cat was bewildered by the speed and fury ofBigwig's charge. It was no weakling and a good ratter, but it had the bad luck tobe up against a dedicated38 fighter who was spoiling for action. As it scrabbled outof Bigwig's reach, Speedwell cuffed39 it across the face. This was the last blowstruck, for the wounded cat made off across the yard and disappeared under thefence of the cow byre.
Bigwig was bleeding from three deep, parallel scratches on the inside of onehind leg. The others gathered round, praising him, but he cut them short, lookinground the dark yard as he tried to get his bearings.
"Come on," he said. "Quickly, too, while the dog's still quiet. The shed: thehutch -- where do we go?"It was Hawkbit who found the little yard. Hazel had been anxious in case theshed door might be shut; but it stood just ajar and the five of them slipped in oneafter the other. In the thick gloom they could not make out the hutch, but theycould both smell and hear the rabbits.
"Blackberry," said Bigwig quickly, "you come with me and get the hutch open.
You other three, keep watching. If another cat comes, you'll have to take it onyourselves.""Fine," said Dandelion. "Just leave it to us."Bigwig and Blackberry found the straw bale and climbed on the planks40. As theydid so, Boxwood spoke from the hutch.
"Who's that? Hazel-rah, have you come back?""Hazel-rah has sent us," answered Blackberry. "We've come to let you out. Willyou come with us?"There was a pause and some movement in the hay and then Clover replied,"Yes, let us out."Blackberry sniffed41 his way round to the wire door and sat up, nosing over theframe, the hasp and the staple42. It took him some time to realize that the leatherhinges were soft enough to bite. Then he found that they lay so smooth and flushwith the frame that he could not get his teeth to them. Several times he tried tofind a grip and at last sat back on his haunches, at a loss.
"I don't think this door's going to be any good," he said. "I wonder whetherthere's some other way?"At that moment it happened that Boxwood stood on his hind15 legs and put hisfront paws high on the wire. Beneath his weight the top of the door was pressedslightly outward and the upper of the two leather hinges gave slightly where theouter nail held it to the body of the hutch itself. As Boxwood dropped back on allfours, Blackberry saw that the hinge had buckled44 and risen just clear of the wood.
"Try it now," he said to Bigwig.
Bigwig got his teeth to the hinge and pulled. It tore a very little.
"By Frith, that'll do," said Blackberry, for all the world like the Duke ofWellington at Salamanca. "We just need time, that's all."The hinge had been well made and did not give way until they had put it to agreat deal more tugging45 and biting. Dandelion grew nervous and twice gave afalse alarm. Bigwig, realizing that the sentries46 were on the jump from watchingand waiting with nothing to do, changed places with him and sent Speedwell upto take over from Blackberry. When at last Dandelion and Speedwell had pulledthe leather strip off the nail, Bigwig came back to the hutch himself. But they didnot seem much nearer to success. Whenever one of the rabbits inside stood upand rested its forepaws on the upper part of the wire, the door pivoted47 lightly onthe axis48 of the staple and the lower hinge. But the lower hinge did not tear.
Blowing through his whiskers with impatience49, Bigwig brought Blackberry backfrom the threshold. "What's to be done?" he said. "We need some magic, like thatlump of wood you shoved into the river."Blackberry looked at the door as Boxwood, inside, pushed it again. The uprightof the frame pressed tight against the lower strip of leather, but it held smoothand firm, offering no purchase for teeth.
"Push it the other way -- push from this side," he said, "You push, Bigwig. Tellthat rabbit inside to get down."When Bigwig stood up and pushed the top of the door inward, the frameimmediately pivoted much further than before, because there was no sill alongthe bottom of the outer side to stop it. The leather hinge twisted and Bigwignearly lost his balance. If it had not been for the metal staple arresting thepivoting, he might actually have fallen inside the hutch. Startled, he jumped back,growling.
"Well, you said magic, didn't you?" said Blackberry with satisfaction. "Do itagain."No strip of leather held by only one broad-headed nail at each end can standup for long to repeated twisting. Soon one of the nailheads was almost out ofsight under the frayed51 edges.
"Careful now," said Blackberry. "If it gives way suddenly, you'll go flying. Justpull it off with your teeth."Two minutes later the door hung sagging52 on the staple alone. Clover pushedthe hinge side open and came out, followed by Boxwood.
When several creatures -- men or animals -- have worked together to overcomesomething offering resistance and have at last succeeded, there follows often apause -- as though they felt the propriety53 of paying respect to the adversary54 whohas put up so good a fight. The great tree falls, splitting, cracking, rushing downin leaves to the final, shuddering55 blow along the ground. Then the foresters aresilent, and do not at once sit down. After hours, the deep snowdrift has beencleared and the lorry is ready to take the men home out of the cold. But theystand a while, leaning on their spades and only nodding unsmilingly as the car-drivers go through, waving their thanks. The cunning hutch door had becomenothing but a piece of wire netting, tacked56 to a frame made from four strips ofhalf-by-half; and the rabbits sat on the planks, sniffing57 and nosing it withouttalking. After a little while the other two occupants of the hutch, Laurel andHaystack, came hesitantly out and looked about them.
"Where is Hazel-rah?" asked Laurel.
"Not far away," said Blackberry. "He's waiting in the lane.""What is the lane?""The lane?" said Blackberry in surprise. "Surely--"He stopped as it came over him that these rabbits knew neither lane norfarmyard. They had not the least idea of their most immediate50 surroundings. Hewas reflecting on what this meant when Bigwig spoke.
"We mustn't wait about now," he said. "Follow me, all of you.""But where?" said Boxwood.
"Well, out of here, of course," said Bigwig impatiently. Boxwood looked abouthim. "I don't know--" he began.
"Well, I do," said Bigwig. "Just come with us. Never mind anything else."The hutch rabbits looked at each other in bewilderment. It was plain that theywere afraid of the great, bristling58 buck43, with his strange shock of fur and his smellof fresh blood. They did not know what to do or understand what was expected ofthem. They remembered Hazel; they had been excited by the forcing of the doorand curious to come through it once it was open. Otherwise, they had no purposewhatever and no means of forming one. They had no more idea of what wasinvolved than a small child who says he will accompany the climbers up the fell.
Blackberry's heart sank. What was to be done with them? Left to themselves,they would hop slowly about the shed and the yard until the cats got them. Oftheir own accord they could no more run to the hills than fly to the moon. Wasthere no simple, plain idea that might get them -- or some of them -- on themove? He turned to Clover.
"I don't suppose you've ever eaten grass by night," he said. "It tastes muchbetter than by day. Let's all go and have some, shall we?""Oh, yes," said Clover, "I'd like that. But will it be safe? We're all very muchafraid of the cats, you know. They come and stare at us sometimes through thewire and it makes us shiver."This showed at least the beginnings of sense, thought Blackberry.
"The big rabbit is a match for any cat," he replied. "He nearly killed one on theway here tonight.""And he doesn't want to fight another if he can help it" said Bigwig briskly. "Soif you do want to eat grass by moonlight, let's go to where Hazel-rah's waiting forus."As Bigwig led the way into the yard, he could make out the shape of the cat thathe had beaten, watching from the woodpile. Cat-like, it was fascinated by therabbits and could not leave them alone, but it evidently had no stomach foranother fight and as they crossed the yard it stayed where it was.
The pace was frighteningly slow. Boxwood and Clover seemed to have graspedthat there was some sort of urgency and were clearly doing their best to keep up,but, the other two rabbits, once they had hopped59 into the yard, sat up and lookedabout them in a foolish manner, completely at a loss. After a good deal of delay,during which the cat left the woodpile and began to move stealthily round towardthe side of the shed, Blackberry managed to get them out into the farmyard. Buthere, finding themselves in an even more open place, they settled into a kind ofstatic panic, like that which sometimes comes upon inexperienced climbersexposed on a sheer face. They could not move, but sat blinking and staring aboutthem in the darkness, taking no notice of Blackberry's coaxing60 or Bigwig's orders.
At this moment a second cat -- Hazel's tabby -- came round the further end of thefarmhouse and made toward them. As it passed the kennel62 the Labrador wokeand sat up, thrusting out its head and shoulders and looking first to one side andthen the other. It saw the rabbits, ran to the length of its rope and began to bark.
"Come on!" said Bigwig. "We can't stay here. Up the lane, everybody, andquickly, too." Blackberry, Speedwell and Hawkbit ran at once, taking Boxwoodand Clover with them into the darkness under the barn. Dandelion remainedbeside Haystack, begging her to move and expecting every moment to feel thecat's claws in his back. Bigwig leaped across to him.
"Dandelion," he said in his ear, "get out of it, unless you want to be killed!""But the--" began Dandelion.
"Do as I say!" said Bigwig. The noise of barking was fearful and he himself wasclose to panic. Dandelion hesitated a moment longer. Then he left Haystack andshot up the lane, with Bigwig beside him.
They found the others gathered round Hazel, under the bank. Boxwood andClover were trembling and seemed exhausted63. Hazel was talking to themreassuringly, but broke off as Bigwig appeared out of the dark. The dog stoppedbarking and there was quiet.
"We're all here," said Bigwig. "Shall we go, Hazel?""But there were four hutch rabbits," said Hazel. "Where are the other two?""In the farmyard," said Blackberry. "We couldn't do anything with them: andthen the dog began to bark.""Yes, I heard it. You mean they're loose?""They'll be a lot looser soon," said Bigwig angrily. "The cats are there.""Why did you leave them, then?""Because they wouldn't move. It was bad enough before the dog started.""Is the dog tied?" asked Hazel.
"Yes, it's tied. But do you expect any rabbit to stand his ground a few feet froman angry dog?""No, of course not," replied Hazel. "You've done wonders, Bigwig. They werejust telling me, before you came, that you gave one of the cats such a beating thatit was afraid to come back for more. Now look, do you think you and Blackberry,with Speedwell here and Hawkbit, can get these two rabbits back to the warren?
I'm afraid you may need most of the night. They can't go very fast and you'll haveto be patient with them. Dandelion, you come with me, will you?""Where, Hazel-rah?""To fetch the other two," said Hazel. "You're the fastest, so it won't be sodangerous for you, will it? Now, don't hang about, Bigwig, there's a good fellow.
I'll see you tomorrow."Before Bigwig could reply he had disappeared under the elms. Dandelionremained where he was, looking at Bigwig uncertainly.
"Are you going to do what he says?" asked Bigwig.
"Well, are you?" said Dandelion.
It took Bigwig no more than a moment to realize that if he said he was not,complete disorganization would follow. He could not take all the others back intothe farm, and he could not leave them alone. He muttered something about Hazelbeing too embleer clever by half, cuffed Hawkbit off a sow thistle he was nibblingand led his five rabbits over the bank into the field. Dandelion, left alone, set offafter Hazel into the farmyard.
As he went down the side of the barn, he could hear Hazel out in the open, nearthe doe Haystack. Neither of the hutch rabbits had moved from where he andBigwig had left them. The dog had returned to its kennel; but although it was notto be seen, he felt that it was awake and watchful64. He came cautiously out of theshadow and approached Hazel.
"I'm just having a chat with Haystack here," said Hazel. "I've been explainingthat we've got a little way to go. Do you think you could hop across to Laurel andget him to join us?"He spoke almost gaily65, but Dandelion could see his dilated66 eyes and the slighttrembling of his front paws. He himself was now sensing something peculiar67 -- akind of luminosity -- in the air. There seemed to be a curious vibrationsomewhere in the distance. He looked round for the cats and saw that, as hefeared, both were crouching in front of the farmhouse61 a little way off. Theirreluctance to come closer could be attributed to Bigwig: but they would not goaway. Looking across the yard at them, Dandelion felt a sudden clutch of horror.
"Hazel!" he whispered. "The cats! Dear Frith, why are their eyes glitteringgreen like that? Look!"Hazel sat up quickly and as he did so Dandelion leaped back in real terror, forHazel's eyes were shining a deep, glowing red in the dark. At that moment thehumming vibration68 grew louder, quenching69 the rushing of the night breeze in theelms. Then all four rabbits sat as though transfixed by the sudden, blinding lightthat poured over them like a cloudburst. Their very instinct was numbed70 in thisterrible glare. The dog barked and then became silent once more. Dandelion triedto move, but could not. The awful brightness seemed to cut into his brain.
The car, which had driven up the lane and over the brow under the elms, cameon a few more yards and stopped.
"Lucy's rabbits is out, look!""Ah! Best get 'un in quick. Leave loights on!"The sound of men's voices, from somewhere beyond the fierce light, broughtHazel to his senses. He could not see, but nothing, he realized, had happened tohis hearing or his nose. He shut his eyes and at once knew where he was.
"Dandelion! Haystack! Shut your eyes and run," he said. A moment later hesmelled the lichen71 and cool moisture of one of the staddle stones. He was underthe barn. Dandelion was near him and a little further away was Haystack.
Outside, the men's boots scraped and grated over the stones.
"That's it! Get round be'ind 'un.""'E won't go far!""Pick 'n up, then!"Hazel moved across to Haystack. "I'm afraid we'll have to leave Laurel," hesaid. "Just follow me."Keeping under the raised floor of the barn, they all three scuttled72 back towardthe elm trees. The men's voices were left behind. Coming out into the grass nearthe lane, they found the darkness behind the headlights full of the fumes73 ofexhaust -- a hostile, choking smell that added to their confusion. Haystack satdown once more and could not be persuaded to move.
"Shouldn't we leave her, Hazel-rah?" asked Dandelion. "After all, the menwon't hurt her -- they've caught Laurel and taken him back to the hutch.""If it was a buck, I'd say yes," said Hazel. "But we need this doe. That's what wecame for."At this moment they caught the smell of burning white sticks and heard themen returning up the farmyard. There was a metallic74 bumping as they rummagedin the car. The sound seemed to rouse Haystack. She looked round at Dandelion.
"I don't want to go back to the hutch," she said.
"You're sure?" asked Dandelion.
"Yes. I'll go with you."Dandelion immediately turned for the hedgerow. It was only when he hadcrossed it and reached the ditch beyond that he realized that he was on theopposite side of the lane from that on which they had first approached. He was ina strange ditch. However, there seemed to be nothing to worry about -- the ditchled down the slope and that was the way home. He moved slowly along it, waitingfor Hazel to join them.
Hazel had crossed the lane a few moments after Dandelion and Haystack.
Behind him, he heard the men moving away from the hrududu. As he topped thebank, the beam of a torch shone up the lane and picked out his red eyes and whitetail disappearing into the hedge.
"There's ol' woild rabbit, look!""Ah! Reckon rest of ours ain't s' far off. Got up there with 'un, see? Best go'n'ave a look."In the ditch, Hazel overtook Haystack and Dandelion under a clump75 ofbrambles.
"Get on quickly if you can," he said to Haystack. "The men are just behind.""We can't get on, Hazel," said Dandelion, "without leaving the ditch. It'sblocked."Hazel sniffed ahead. Immediately beyond the brambles, the ditch was closedby a pile of earth, weeds and rubbish. They would have to come into the open.
Already the men were over the bank and the torchlight was flickering76 up anddown the hedgerow and through the brambles above their very heads. Then, onlya few yards away, footfalls vibrated along the edge of the ditch. Hazel turned toDandelion.
"Listen," he said, "I'm going to run across the corner of the field, from thisditch to the other one, so that they see me. They'll try to shine that light on me forsure. While they're doing that, you and Haystack climb the bank, get into the laneand run down to the swede shed. You can hide there and I'll join you. Ready?"There was no time to argue. A moment later Hazel broke almost under themen's feet and ran across the field.
"There 'e goes!""Keep torch on 'un, then. Noice and steady!"Dandelion and Haystack scrambled77 over the bank and dropped into the lane.
Hazel, with the torch beam behind him, had almost reached the other ditch whenhe felt a sharp blow on one of his hind legs and a hot, stinging pain along his side.
The report of the cartridge78 sounded an instant later. As he somersaulted into aclump of nettles79 in the ditch bottom, he remembered vividly80 the scent81 ofbeanflowers at sunset. He had not known that the men had a gun.
Hazel crawled through the nettles, dragging his injured leg. In a few momentsthe men would shine their torch on him and pick him up. He stumbled along theinner wall of the ditch, feeling the blood flowing over his foot. Suddenly he wasaware of a draft against one side of his nose, a smell of damp, rotten matter and ahollow, echoing sound at his very ear. He was beside the mouth of a land drainwhich emptied into the ditch -- a smooth, cold tunnel, narrower than a rabbithole, but wide enough. With flattened82 ears and belly83 pressed to the wet floor hecrawled up it, pushing a little pile of thin mud in front of him, and lay still as hefelt the thud of boots coming nearer.
"I don' roightly know, John, whether you 'it 'e er not.""Ah, I 'it 'un all roight. That's blood down there, see?""Ah, well, but that don't signify. 'E might be a long ways off by now. I reckonyou've lost 'e.""I reckon 'e's in them nettles.""'Ave a look, then.""No, 'e ain't.""Well, us can't go beggarin' up and down 'ere 'alf bloody84 night. We got to catchthem as got out th'utch. Didn't ought 'ave fired be roights, John. Froightened theyoff, see? You c'n 'ave a look for 'im tomorrow, if 'e's 'ere."The silence returned, but still Hazel lay motionless in the whispering chill ofthe tunnel. A cold lassitude came over him and he passed into a dreaming, inertstupor, full of cramp85 and pain. After a time, a thread of blood began to trickleover the lip of the drain into the trampled86, deserted87 ditch.
-<*>-Bigwig, crouched88 close to Blackberry in the straw of the cattle shed, leaped toflight at the sound of the shot two hundred yards up the lane. He checked himselfand turned to the others.
"Don't run!" he said quickly. "Where do you want to run to, anyway? No holeshere.""Further away from the gun," replied Blackberry, white-eyed.
"Wait!" said Bigwig, listening. "They're running down the lane. Can't you hearthem?""I can hear only two rabbits," answered Blackberry, after a pause, "and one ofthem sounds exhausted."They looked at each other and waited. Then Bigwig got up again.
"Stay here, all of you," he said. "I'll go and bring them in."Out on the verge he found Dandelion urging Haystack, who was lamed89 andspent.
"Come in here quickly," said Bigwig. "For Frith's sake, where's Hazel?""The men have shot him," replied Dandelion.
They reached the other five rabbits in the straw. Dandelion did not wait fortheir questions.
"They've shot Hazel," he said. "They'd caught that Laurel and put him back inthe hutch. Then they came after us. The three of us were at the end of a blockedditch. Hazel went out of his own accord, to distract their attention while we gotaway. But we didn't know they had a gun.""Are you sure they killed him?" said Speedwell.
"I didn't actually see him hit, but they were very close to him.""We'd better wait," said Bigwig.
They waited a long time. At last Dandelion and Bigwig went cautiously back upthe lane. They found the bottom of the ditch trampled by boots and streaked90 withblood, and returned to tell the others.
The journey back, with the three limping hutch rabbits, lasted more than twoweary hours. All were dejected and wretched. When at last they reached the footof the down Bigwig told Blackberry, Speedwell and Hawkbit to leave them and goon to the warren. They approached the wood just at first light and a rabbit ran tomeet them through the wet grass. It was Fiver. Blackberry stopped and waitedbeside him while the other two went on in silence.
"Fiver," he said, "there's bad news. Hazel--""I know," replied Fiver. "I know now.""How do you know?" asked Blackberry, startled.
"As you came through the grass just now," said Fiver, very low, "there was afourth rabbit behind you, limping and covered with blood. I ran to see who it was,and then there were only three of you, side by side."He paused and looked across the down, as though still seeking the bleedingrabbit who had vanished in the half-light. Then, as Blackberry said nothing more,he asked, "Do you know what happened?"When Blackberry had told his news, Fiver returned to the warren and wentunderground to his empty burrow. A little later Bigwig brought the hutch rabbitsup the hill and at once called everyone to meet in the Honeycomb. Fiver did notappear.
It was a dismal91 welcome for the strangers. Not even Bluebell could find acheerful word. Dandelion was inconsolable to think that he might have stoppedHazel breaking from the ditch. The meeting came to an end in a dreary92 silenceand a half-hearted silflay.
Later that morning Holly came limping into the warren. Of his threecompanions, only Silver was alert and unharmed. Buckthorn was wounded in theface and Strawberry was shivering and evidently ill from exhaustion93. There wereno other rabbits with them.
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收听单词发音
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1
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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burrowed
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的过去式和过去分词 )；翻寻 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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drizzling
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| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
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forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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8
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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9
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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10
foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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11
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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12
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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17
beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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bluebell
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| n.风铃草 | |
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19
snared
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| v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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23
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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snails
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| n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 ) | |
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25
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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26
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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27
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
acorn
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| n.橡实，橡子 | |
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29
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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30
owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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31
foraged
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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32
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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33
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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34
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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35
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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36
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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37
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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38
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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39
cuffed
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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41
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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42
staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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43
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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44
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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45
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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46
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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47
pivoted
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| adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开 | |
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48
axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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49
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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50
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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51
frayed
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| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
sagging
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| 下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度 | |
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53
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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54
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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55
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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56
tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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57
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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58
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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59
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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60
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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61
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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62
kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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63
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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64
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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66
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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68
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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69
quenching
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| 淬火，熄 | |
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70
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
lichen
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| n.地衣, 青苔 | |
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72
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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73
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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74
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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75
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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76
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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77
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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78
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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79
nettles
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| n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
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80
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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81
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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82
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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83
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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84
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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85
cramp
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| n.痉挛；[pl.](腹)绞痛；vt.限制，束缚 | |
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86
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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87
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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88
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89
lamed
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| 希伯莱语第十二个字母 | |
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90
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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91
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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92
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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93
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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