Clausewitz, On WarDusk was falling on Efrafa. In the failing light, General Woundwort waswatching the Near Hind3 Mark at silflay along the edge of the great pasture fieldthat lay between the warren and the iron road. Most of the rabbits were feedingnear the Mark holes, which were close beside the field, concealed4 among the treesand undergrowth bordering a lonely bridle5 path. A few, however, had venturedout into the field, to browse6 and play in the last of the sun. Further out still werethe sentries7 of the Owsla, on the alert for the approach of men or elil and also forany rabbit who might stray too far to be able to get underground quickly if thereshould be an alarm.
Captain Chervil, one of the two officers of the Mark, had just returned from around of his sentries and was talking to some of the does near the center of theMark ground when he saw the General approaching. He looked quickly about tosee whether anything was at fault. Since all seemed to be well, he began nibblingat a patch of sweet vernal with the best air of indifference8 that he could manage.
General Woundwort was a singular rabbit. Some three years before, he hadbeen born -- the strongest of a litter of five -- in a burrow9 outside a cottage gardennear Cole Henley. His father, a happy-go-lucky and reckless buck10, had thoughtnothing of living close to human beings except that he would be able to forage11 intheir garden in the early morning. He had paid dearly for his rashness. After twoor three weeks of spoiled lettuces12 and nibbled13 cabbage plants, the cottager hadlain in wait and shot him as he came through the potato patch at dawn. The samemorning the man set to work to dig out the doe and her growing litter.
Woundwort's mother escaped, racing14 across the kale field toward the downs, herkittens doing their best to follow her. None but Woundwort succeeded. Hismother, bleeding from a shotgun pellet, made her way along the hedges in broaddaylight, with Woundwort limping beside her.
It was not long before a weasel picked up the scent15 of the blood and followed it.
The little rabbit cowered16 in the grass while his mother was killed before his eyes.
He made no attempt to run, but the weasel, its hunger satisfied, left him aloneand made off through the bushes. Several hours later a kind old schoolmasterfrom Overton, walking through the fields, came upon Woundwort nuzzling thecold, still body and crying. He carried him home to his own kitchen and saved hislife, feeding him with milk from a nasal dropper until he was old enough to eatbran and greenstuff. But Woundwort grew up very wild and, like Cowper's hare,would bite when he could. In a month he was big and strong and had becomesavage. He nearly killed the schoolmaster's cat, which had found him at liberty inthe kitchen and tried to torment17 him. One night, a week later, he tore the wirefrom the front of his hutch and escaped to the open country.
Most rabbits in his situation, lacking almost all experience of wild life, wouldhave fallen victim at once to the elil: but not Woundwort. After a few days'
wandering, he came upon a small warren and, snarling18 and clawing, forced themto accept him. Soon he had become Chief Rabbit, having killed both the previousChief and a rival named Fiorin. In combat he was terrifying, fighting entirely19 tokill, indifferent to any wounds he received himself and closing with hisadversaries until his weight overbore and exhausted20 them. Those who had noheart to oppose him were not long in feeling that here was a leader indeed.
Woundwort was ready to fight anything except a fox. One evening he attackedand drove off a foraging21 Aberdeen puppy. He was impervious22 to the fascination23 ofthe mustelidae, and hoped someday to kill a weasel, if not a stoat. When he hadexplored the limits of his own strength, he set to work to satisfy his longing25 forstill more power in the only possible way -- by increasing the power of the rabbitsabout him. He needed a bigger kingdom. Men were the great danger, but thiscould be circumvented26 by cunning and discipline. He left the small warren, takinghis followers27 with him, and set out to look for a place suited to his purpose, wherethe very existence of rabbits could be concealed and extermination28 made verydifficult.
Efrafa grew up round the crossing point of two green bridle paths, one ofwhich (the east-to-west) was tunnel-like, bordered on both sides by a thickgrowth of trees and bushes. The immigrants, under Woundwort's direction, dugtheir holes between the roots of the trees, in the undergrowth and along theditches. From the first the warren prospered29. Woundwort watched over themwith a tireless zeal30 that won their loyalty31 even while they feared him. When thedoes stopped digging, Woundwort himself went on with their work while theyslept. If a man was coming, Woundwort spotted32 him half a mile away. He foughtrats, magpies33, gray squirrels and, once, a crow. When litters were kindled34, he keptan eye on their growth, picked out the strongest youngsters for the Owsla andtrained them himself. He would allow no rabbit to leave the warren. Quite earlyon, three who tried to do so were hunted down and forced to return.
As the warren grew, so Woundwort developed his system to keep it undercontrol. Crowds of rabbits feeding at morning and evening were likely to attractattention. He devised the Marks, each controlled by its own officers and sentries,with feeding times changed regularly to give all a share of early morning andsunset -- the favorite hours for silflay. All signs of rabbit life were concealed asclosely as possible. The Owsla had privileges in regard to feeding, mating andfreedom of movement. Any failure of duty on their part was liable to be punishedby demotion and loss of privileges. For ordinary rabbits, the punishments weremore severe.
When it was no longer possible for Woundwort to be everywhere, the Councilwas set up. Some of the members came from the Owsla, but others were selectedsolely for their loyalty or their cunning as advisers35. Old Snowdrop was growingdeaf, but no one knew more than he about organizing a warren for safety. On hisadvice, the runs and burrows36 of the various Marks were not connectedunderground, so that disease or poison, if they came, would spread less readily.
Conspiracy37 would also spread less readily. To visit the burrows of another Markwas not allowed without an officer's permission. It was on Snowdrop's advice,too, that Woundwort at length ordered that the warren was not to extend further,on account of the risk of detection and the weakening of central control. He waspersuaded only with difficulty, for the new policy frustrated38 his restless desire ofpower after power. This now needed another outlet39, and soon after the warrenhad been stopped from growing he introduced the Wide Patrols.
The Wide Patrols began as mere40 forays or raids, led by Woundwort, into thesurrounding country. He would simply pick four or five of the Owsla and takethem out to look for trouble. On the first occasion they were lucky enough to findand kill a sick owl41 that had eaten a mouse that had eaten poison-dressed seedcorn. On the next, they came upon two hlessil whom they compelled to returnwith them to join the warren. Woundwort was no mere bully42. He knew how toencourage other rabbits and to fill them with a spirit of emulation43. It was not longbefore his officers were asking to be allowed to lead patrols. Woundwort wouldgive them tasks -- to search for hlessil in a certain direction or to find out whethera particular ditch or barn contained rats which could later be attacked in forceand driven out. Only from farms and gardens were they ordered to keep clear.
One of these patrols, led by a certain Captain Orchis, discovered a small warrentwo miles to the east, beyond the Kingsclere-Overton road, on the outskirts44 ofNutley Copse. The General led an expedition against it and broke it up, theprisoners being brought back to Efrafa, where a few of them later rose to beOwsla members themselves.
As the months went on, the Wide Patrols became systematic45; during summerand early autumn there were usually two or three out at a time. There came to beno other rabbits for a long way round Efrafa and any who might wander into theneighborhood by chance were quickly picked up. Casualties in the Wide Patrolswere high, for the elil got to know that they went out. Often it would take all aleader's courage and skill to complete his task and bring his rabbits -- or some ofhis rabbits -- back to the warren. But the Owsla were proud of the risks they ran:
and, besides, Woundwort was in the habit of going out himself to see how theywere getting on. A patrol leader, more than a mile from Efrafa, limping up ahedgerow in the rain, would come upon the General squatting46 like a hare under atussock of darnel, and find himself required then and there to report what he hadbeen doing or why he was off his route. The patrols were the training grounds ofcunning trackers, swift runners and fierce fighters, and the casualties -- althoughthere might be as many as five or six in a bad month -- suited Woundwort'spurpose, for numbers needed keeping down and there were always freshvacancies in the Owsla, which the younger bucks47 did their best to be good enoughto fill. To feel that rabbits were competing to risk their lives at his orders gratifiedWoundwort, although he believed -- and so did his Council and his Owsla -- thathe was giving the warren peace and security at a price which was modest enough.
Nevertheless, this evening, as he came out from among the ash trees to talk toCaptain Chervil, the General was feeling seriously concerned about several things.
It was less and less easy to keep the size of the warren under control.
Overcrowding was becoming a grave problem, and this despite the fact that manyof the does were re-absorbing their litters before birth. While their doing so wasall to the good in itself, some of them were growing restive48 and hard to manage.
Not long ago a group of does had come before the Council and asked to leave thewarren. They had been peaceable at first, offering to go as far away as the Councilwished: but when it had become plain that their request was not going to begranted on any terms, they had become first petulant49 and then aggressive and theCouncil had had to take strong measures. There was still a good deal of badfeeling over the business. Then, in the third place, the Owsla had lately lost acertain amount of respect among the rank and file.
Four wandering rabbits -- giving themselves out to be some kind of embassyfrom another warren -- had been held and impressed into the Right Flank Mark.
He had intended, later, to find out where they had come from. But they hadsucceeded in playing a very simple trick, bamboozling50 the Mark commander,attacking his sentries and escaping by night. Captain Bugloss, the officerresponsible, had, of course, been demoted and expelled from the Owsla, but hisdisgrace, though very proper, only added to the General's difficulties. The truthwas that Efrafa had become, for the moment, short of good officers. OrdinaryOwsla -- sentries -- were not too hard to find, but officers were another matterand he had lost three in less than a month. Bugloss was as good as a casualty: hewould never hold rank again. But, worse, Captain Charlock -- a brave andresourceful rabbit -- while leading the pursuit of the fugitives51, had been run downon the iron road by a train: a further proof, if any were needed, of the wickedmalice of men. Worst of all, only two nights ago a patrol which had been out tothe north had returned with the shocking news that its leader, Captain Mallow, anofficer of exceptional prestige and experience, had been killed by a fox. It was anodd business. The patrol had picked up the scent of a fairly large party of rabbitsevidently coming toward Efrafa from the north. They had been following it buthad not yet sighted their quarry52 when suddenly a strange rabbit had burst inupon them as they were nearing the edge of some woodland. They had, of course,tried to stop him and at that moment the fox, which had apparently53 beenfollowing him closely, had come from the open combe beyond and killed poorMallow in an instant. All things considered, the patrol had come away in goodorder and Groundsel, the second in command, had done well. But nothing morehad been seen of the strange rabbit; and the loss of Mallow, with nothing to showfor it, had upset and demoralized the Owsla a good deal.
Other patrols had been sent out at once, but all that they had established wasthat the rabbits from the north had crossed the iron road and disappearedsouthward. It was intolerable that they should have passed so close to Efrafa andgone their way without being apprehended54. Even now they might possibly becaught, if only there were a really enterprising officer to put in charge of thesearch. It would certainly need an enterprising officer -- Captain Campionperhaps -- for patrols seldom crossed the iron road, and the wet country beyond-- the country near the river -- was only partly known. He would have gonehimself, but with the recent disciplinary troubles in the warren he could not takethe risk; and Campion could hardly be spared just now. No -- infuriating as itwas, the strangers were best forgotten for the moment. The first thing was toreplace the Owsla losses -- and preferably with rabbits who knew how to dealruthlessly with any further signs of dissension. They would simply have topromote the best they had got, draw their horns in for a time and concentrate ontraining until things got back to normal.
Woundwort greeted Captain Chervil rather abstractedly and went on turningthe problem over in his mind.
"What are your sentries like, Chervil?" he asked at length. "Do I know any ofthem?""They're a good lot, sir," replied Chervil. "You know Marjoram: he's been onpatrol with you as a runner. And I think you know Moneywort.""Yes, I know them," said Woundwort, "but they wouldn't make officers. Weneed to replace Charlock and Mallow: that's what I'm getting at.""That's difficult, sir," said Chervil. "That sort of rabbit doesn't hop24 out of thegrass.""Well, they've got to hop from somewhere," said Woundwort. "You'd betterthink about it and tell me any ideas that occur to you. Anyway, I want to go roundyour sentries now. Come with me, will you?"They were about to set off when a third rabbit approached -- none other thanCaptain Campion himself. It was Campion's principal duty to search the outskirtsof Efrafa at morning and evening and to report anything new -- the tire marks ofa tractor in mud, the droppings of a sparrow hawk55 or the spreading of fertilizer ona field. An expert tracker, he missed little or nothing and was one of the very fewrabbits for whom Woundwort felt a genuine respect.
"Do you want me?" said Woundwort, pausing.
"Well, I think so, sir," replied Campion. "We've picked up a hlessi and broughthim in.""Where was he?""Down by the arch, sir. Just this side of it.""What was he doing?""Well, sir, he says he's come a long way on purpose to join Efrafa. That's why Ithought you might like to see him.""Wants to join Efrafa?" asked Woundwort, puzzled.
"That's what he says, sir.""Why can't the Council see him tomorrow?""Just as you like, sir, of course. But he strikes me as being a bit out of theordinary. I'd say, a distinctly useful rabbit.""H'm," said Woundwort, considering. "Well, all right. I haven't got long,though. Where is he now?""At the Crixa, sir." Campion meant the crossing point of the two bridle paths,which was about fifty yards away, among the trees. "Two of my patrol are withhim."Woundwort made his way back to the Crixa. Chervil, being on duty with hisMark, remained where he was. Campion accompanied the General.
At this hour the Crixa was all green shade, with red gleams of sun that winkedthrough the moving leaves. The damp grass along the edges of the paths wasdotted with spikes56 of mauve bugle57, and the sanicles and yellow archangelsflowered thickly. Under an elder bush, on the far side of the track, two Owslafa, orCouncil police, were waiting; and with them was the stranger.
Woundwort saw at once what Campion had meant. The stranger was a bigrabbit, heavy but alert, with a rugged58, seasoned appearance and the look of afighter. He had a curious thick growth of fur -- a kind of topknot -- on the crownof his head. He stared at Woundwort with a detached, appraising59 air which theGeneral had not encountered for a very long time.
"Who are you?" said Woundwort.
"My name is Thlayli," replied the Stranger.
"Thlayli, sir," prompted Campion.
The stranger said nothing.
"The patrol brought you in, I'm told. What were you doing?""I've come to join Efrafa.""Why?""I'm surprised you ask. It's your warren, isn't it? Is there anything odd aboutsomeone wanting to join?"Woundwort was nonplused. He was no fool and it was, he could not helpfeeling, extremely odd that any right-minded rabbit should choose to walk intoEfrafa of his own accord. But he could hardly say so.
"What can you do?""I can run and fight and spoil a story telling it. I've been an officer in anOwsla.""Fight, can you? Could you fight him?" said Woundwort, looking at Campion.
"Certainly, if you wish." The stranger reared up and aimed a heavy cuff60 atCampion, who leaped back just in time.
"Don't be a fool," said Woundwort. "Sit down. Where were you in an Owsla?""Far off. The warren was destroyed by men, but I escaped. I've been wanderingsome time. It won't surprise you that I heard of Efrafa. I've come a long way tojoin it. I thought you might have some use for me.""Are you alone?""I am now."Woundwort considered again. It was likely enough that this rabbit had been anofficer in an Owsla. Any Owsla would want him. If he was speaking the truth, hehad had wits enough to escape the destruction of his warren and survive a longjourney through open country. It must have been a very long journey, for therewas no warren within the normal range of the Efrafan patrols.
"Well," he said at length, "I dare say we might be able to find some use for you,as you put it. Campion here will look after you tonight, and tomorrow morningyou'll come before the Council. Meanwhile, don't start fighting, do you see? Wecan give you plenty to do without that.""Very well."The following morning, after the Council had discussed the predicament of thewarren due to the recent losses, General Woundwort proposed that, for a start,they might do worse than try the big newcomer as an officer in the Near HindMark, under the instruction of Captain Chervil. The Council, having seen him,agreed. By ni-Frith Thlayli, still bleeding from the Mark gash61 inflicted62 in his lefthaunch, had taken up his duties.
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1
obelisk
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| n.方尖塔 | |
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converge
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| vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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browse
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| vi.随意翻阅，浏览；(牛、羊等)吃草 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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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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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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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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lettuces
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| n.莴苣，生菜（ lettuce的名词复数 ）；生菜叶 | |
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nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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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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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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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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impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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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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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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circumvented
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| v.设法克服或避免（某事物），回避( circumvent的过去式和过去分词 )；绕过，绕行，绕道旅行 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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magpies
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| 喜鹊（magpie的复数形式） | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；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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bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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restive
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| adj.不安宁的，不安静的 | |
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petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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bamboozling
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| v.欺骗，使迷惑( bamboozle的现在分词 ) | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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53
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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54
apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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55
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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56
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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57
bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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58
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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59
appraising
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| v.估价( appraise的现在分词 )；估计；估量；评价 | |
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60
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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61
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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62
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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