Joel Chandler Harris, Proverbs of Uncle RemusBigwig's first impulse was to fight Woundwort on the spot. He realizedimmediately that this would be futile1 and would only bring the whole place roundhis ears. There was nothing to do but obey. He followed Woundwort through theundergrowth and into the shade of the bridle2 path. Despite the sunset, theevening seemed heavy with cloud and among the trees it was sultry and gray. Thethunder was building up. He looked at Woundwort and waited.
"You were out of the Near Hind3 burrows5 this afternoon?" began Woundwort.
"Yes, sir," replied Bigwig. He still disliked addressing Woundwort as "sir," butsince he was supposed to be an Efrafan officer, he could not very well dootherwise. However, he did not add that Chervil had given him permission. Hehad not been accused of anything as yet.
"Where did you go?"Bigwig swallowed his annoyance6. No doubt Woundwort knew perfectly7 wellwhere he had been.
"I went to the Left Flank Mark, sir. I was in their burrows.""Why did you go?""To pass the time and learn something from listening to the officers.""Did you go anywhere else?""No, sir.""You met one of the Left Flank Owsla -- a rabbit named Groundsel.""Very likely. I didn't learn all their names.""Have you ever seen that rabbit before?""No, sir. How could I?"There was a pause.
"May I ask what this is all about, sir?" said Bigwig.
"I'll ask the questions," said Woundwort. "Groundsel has seen you before. Heknew you by the fur on your head. Where do you think he saw you?""I've no idea.""Have you ever run from a fox?""Yes, sir, a few days ago, while I was coming here.""You led it onto some other rabbits and it killed one of them. Is that correct?""I didn't intend to lead it onto them. I didn't know they were there.""You didn't tell us anything about this?""It never occurred to me. There's nothing wrong in running from a fox.""You've caused the death of an Efrafan officer.""Quite by accident. And the fox might have got him anyway, even if I'd notbeen there.""It wouldn't," said Woundwort. "Mallow wasn't the rabbit to run onto a fox.
Foxes aren't dangerous to rabbits who know their business.""I'm sorry the fox got him, sir. It was a stroke of very bad luck."Woundwort stared at him out of his great, pale eyes.
"Then one more question, Thlayli. That patrol was on the track of a band ofrabbits -- strangers. What do you know about them?""I saw their tracks too, about that time. I can't tell you any more than that.""You weren't with them?""If I'd been with them, sir, would I have come to Efrafa?""I told you I'd ask the questions. You can't tell me where they might havegone?""I'm afraid I can't, sir."Woundwort stopped staring and sat silent for some time. Bigwig felt that theGeneral was waiting for him to ask if that was all and whether he could now go.
He determined8 to remain silent himself.
"Now there's another thing," said Woundwort at last. "About this white bird inthe field this morning. You're not afraid of these birds?""No, sir. I've never heard of one hurting a rabbit.""But they have been known to, for all your wide experience, Thlayli. Anyway,why did you go near it?"Bigwig thought quickly. "To tell you the truth, sir, I think I may have beentrying to make an impression on Captain Chervil.""Well, you could have a worse reason. But if you're going to impress anyone,you'd better start with me. The day after tomorrow I'm taking out a Wide Patrolmyself. It will cross the iron road and try to pick up traces of those rabbits -- therabbits Mallow would have found if you hadn't gone and blundered into him. Soyou'd better come along and show us how good you are then.""Very well, sir; I shall be glad to."There was another silence. This time Bigwig decided9 to make as if to go. He didso, and immediately a fresh question stopped him short.
"When you were with Hyzenthlay, did she tell you why she was put into theNear Hind Mark?""Yes, sir.""I'm not at all sure the trouble's over there, Thlayli. Keep an eye on it. If she'lltalk to you, so much the better. Perhaps those does are settling down and perhapsthey aren't. I want to know.""Very well, sir," said Bigwig.
"That's all," said Woundwort. "You'd better get back to your Mark now."Bigwig made his way into the field. The silflay was almost over, the sun had setand it was growing dark. Heavy clouds dimmed the afterlight. Kehaar wasnowhere to be seen. The sentries10 came in and the Mark began to go underground.
Sitting alone in the grass, he waited until the last rabbit had disappeared. Therewas still no sign of Kehaar. He hopped11 slowly to the hole. Entering, he knockedinto one of the police escort, who was blocking the mouth to make sure thatBlackavar did not try to bolt as he was taken down.
"Get out of my way, you dirty little tale-bearing bloodsucker," said Bigwig.
"Now go and report that," he added over his shoulder, as he went down to hisburrow.
-<*>-As the light faded from the thick sky, Hazel slipped once more across the hard,bare earth under the railway arch, came out on the north side and sat up to listen.
A few moments later Fiver joined him and they crept a little way into the field,toward Efrafa. The air was close and warm and smelled of rain and ripeningbarley. There was no sound close by, but behind and below them, from the watermeadow on the nearer bank of the Test, came faintly the shrill13, incessant14 fussingof a pair of sandpipers. Kehaar flew down from the top of the embankment.
"You're sure he said tonight?" asked Hazel for the third time.
"Ees bad," said Kehaar. "Maybe dey catch 'im. Ees finish Meester Pigvig. Yout'ink?"Hazel made no reply.
"I can't tell," said Fiver. "Clouds and thunder. That place up the field -- it's likethe bottom of a river. Anything could be happening in there.""Bigwig's there. Suppose he's dead? Suppose they're trying to make him tellthem--""Hazel," said Fiver. "Hazel-rah, you won't help him by staying here in the darkand worrying. Quite likely there's nothing wrong. He's just had to sit tight forsome reason. Anyway, he won't come tonight -- that's certain now -- and ourrabbits are in danger here. Kehaar can go up tomorrow at dawn and bring usanother message.""I dare say you're right," said Hazel, "but I hate to go. Just suppose he were tocome. Let Silver take them back and I'll stay here.""You couldn't do any good by yourself, Hazel, even if your leg was all right.
You're trying to eat grass that isn't there. Why don't you give it a chance to grow?"They returned under the arch and as Silver came out of the bushes to meetthem, they could hear the other rabbits stirring uneasily among the nettles15.
"We'll have to give it up for tonight, Silver," said Hazel. "We must get themback over the river now, before it's completely dark.""Hazel-rah," said Pipkin, as he slipped by, "it -- it is going to be all right, isn'tit? Bigwig will come tomorrow, won't he?""Of course he will," said Hazel, "and we'll all be here to help him. And I'll tellyou something else, Hlao-roo. If he doesn't come tomorrow, I'm going into Efrafamyself.""I'll come with you, Hazel-rah," said Pipkin.
-<*>-Bigwig crouched16 in his burrow4, pressed against Hyzenthlay. He was trembling,but not with cold: the stuffy17 runs of the Mark were dense18 with thunder; the airfelt like a deep drift of leaves. Bigwig was close to utter nervous exhaustion19. Sinceleaving General Woundwort, he had become more and more deeply entangled20 inall the age-old terrors of the conspirator21. How much had Woundwort discovered?
Clearly, there was no information that failed to reach him. He knew that Hazeland the rest had come from the north and crossed the iron road. He knew aboutthe fox. He knew that a gull22, which should have been far away at this time of year,was hanging round Efrafa and that he, Bigwig, had deliberately23 been near it. Heknew that Bigwig had made a friend of Hyzenthlay. How long could it be beforehe took the final step of fitting all these things together? Perhaps he had alreadydone so and was merely waiting to arrest them in his own time?
Woundwort had every advantage. He sat secure at the junction24 of all paths,seeing clearly down each, while he, Bigwig, ludicrous in his efforts to measure upto him as an enemy, clambered clumsily and ignorantly through theundergrowth, betraying himself with every movement. He did not know how toget in touch with Kehaar again. Even if he managed to do so, would Hazel be ableto bring the rabbits a second time? Perhaps they had already been spotted25 byCampion on patrol? To speak to Blackavar would be suspect. To go near Kehaarwould be suspect. Through more holes than he could possibly stop, his secret wasleaking -- pouring -- out.
There was worse to come.
"Thlayli," whispered Hyzenthlay, "do you think you and I and Thethuthinnangcould get away tonight? If we fought the sentry26 at the mouth of the run, we mightbe able to get clear before a patrol could start after us.""Why?" asked Bigwig. "What makes you ask that?""I'm frightened. We told the other does, you see, just before the silflay. Theywere ready to run when the bird attacked the sentries, and then nothinghappened. They all know about the plan -- Nelthilta and the rest -- and it can't belong before the Council find out. Of course we've told them that their lives dependon keeping quiet and that you're going to try again. Thethuthinnang's watchingthem now: she says she'll do her best not to sleep. But no secret can be kept inEfrafa. It's even possible that one of the does is a spy, although Frith knows wechose them as carefully as we could. We may all be arrested before tomorrowmorning."Bigwig tried to think clearly. He could certainly succeed in getting out with acouple of resolute27, sensible does. But the sentry -- unless he could kill him --would raise the alarm at once and he could not be sure of finding the way to theriver in the dark. Even if he did, it was possible that the pursuit might follow himover the plank28 bridge and into the middle of his unprepared, sleeping friends.
And at the best he would have come out of Efrafa with no more than a couple ofdoes, because his nerve had failed. Silver and the others would not know what hehad had to endure. They would know only that he had run away.
"No, we mustn't give up yet," he said, as gently as he could. "It's the thunderand the waiting that make you feel so much upset. Listen, I promise you that bythis time tomorrow you'll be out of Efrafa forever and the others with you. Nowgo to sleep here for a little while and then go back and help Thethuthinnang. Keepthinking of those high downs and all that I told you. We'll get there -- ourtroubles won't last much longer."As she fell asleep beside him, Bigwig wondered how on earth he was going tofulfill this promise and whether they would be woken by the Council police. "If weare," he thought, "I'll fight until they tear me to bits. They'll make no Blackavarout of me."-<*>-When he woke, he found that he was alone in the burrow. For a moment hewondered whether Hyzenthlay had been arrested. Then he felt sure that theOwslafa could not have removed her while he slept. She must have woken andslipped back to Thethuthinnang without disturbing him.
It was a little before dawn, but the oppression in the air had not lessened29. Heslipped up the run to the entrance. Moneywort, the sentry on duty, was peeringuneasily out of the mouth of the hole, but turned as he approached.
"I wish it would rain, sir," he said. "The thunder's enough to turn the grasssour, but not much hope of it breaking before the evening, I'd say.""It's bad luck for the Mark's last day on dawn and evening," replied Bigwig.
"Go and wake Captain Chervil. I'll take your place here until the Mark come up."When Moneywort had gone, Bigwig sat in the mouth of the hole and sniffedthe heavy air. The sky seemed as close as the tops of the trees, covered with stillcloud and flushed on the morning side with a lurid30, foxy glow. Not a lark31 was up,not a thrush singing. The field before him was empty and motionless. The longingto run came over him. In less than no time he could be down to the arch. It was asafe bet that Campion and his patrol would not be out in weather like this. Everyliving creature up and down the fields and copses must be muted, pressed downas though under a great, soft paw. Nothing would be moving, for the day wasunpropitious and instincts were blurred32 and not to be trusted. It was a time tocrouch and be silent. But a fugitive33 would be safe. Indeed, he could not hope for abetter34 chance.
"O Lord with the starlight ears, send me a sign!" said Bigwig.
He heard movement in the run behind him. It was the Owslafa bringing up theprisoner. In the thundery twilight35, Blackavar looked more sick and dejected thanever. His nose was dry and the whites of his eyes showed. Bigwig went out intothe field, pulled a mouthful of clover and brought it back.
"Cheer up," he said to Blackavar. "Have some clover.""That's not allowed, sir," said one of the escort.
"Oh, let him have it, Bartsia," said the other. "There's no one to see. It's hardenough for everyone on a day like this, let alone the prisoner."Blackavar ate the clover and Bigwig took up his usual place as Chervil arrivedto watch the Mark go out.
The rabbits were slow and hesitant and Chervil himself seemed unable to riseto his usual brisk manner. He had little to say as they passed him. He let bothThethuthinnang and Hyzenthlay go by in silence. Nelthilta, however, stopped ofher own accord and stared impudently36 at him.
"Under the weather, Captain?" she said "Brace37 up, now. You may have asurprise soon, who knows?""What do you mean?" answered Chervil sharply.
"Does might grow wings and fly," said Nelthilta, "and before very much longer,too. Secrets go faster than moles38 underground."She followed the other does into the field. For a moment Chervil looked asthough he were going to call her back.
"I wonder whether you could have a look at my off hind foot?" said Bigwig. "Ithink I've got a thorn in it.""Come on, then," said Chervil, "outside. Not that we'll be able to see muchbetter there."But whether because he was still thinking about what Nelthilta had said, or forsome other reason, he did not make a particularly thorough search for the thorn-- which was perhaps as well, for there was no thorn there.
"Oh, confound it!" he said, looking up, "there's that dratted white bird again.
What's it keep coming here for?""Why does it worry you?" asked Bigwig. "It's not doing any harm -- onlylooking for snails39.""Anything out of the ordinary is a possible source of danger," replied Chervil,quoting Woundwort. "And you keep away from it today, Thlayli, d'you see? That'san order.""Oh, very well," said Bigwig. "But surely you know how to get rid of them? Ithought all rabbits knew that.""Don't be ridiculous. You're not suggesting attacking a bird that size, with abeak as thick as my front paw?""No, no -- it's a sort of charm thing that my mother taught me. You know, like'Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home.' That works and so does this -- or it alwaysused to with my mother.""The ladybird thing only works because all ladybirds crawl to the top of thestem and then fly.""Well, all right," said Bigwig, "have it your own way. But you don't like the birdand I've offered to get rid of it for you. We had a lot of these charms and sayingsin my old warren. I only wish we'd had one to get rid of men.""Well, what is the charm?" said Chervil.
"You say,"O fly away, great bird so white,And don't come back until tonight.
"Of course, you have to use hedgerow talk. No use expecting them tounderstand Lapine. Let's have a go, anyway. If it doesn't work, we're none theworse, and if it does, the Mark will think it was you who drove the bird away.
Where's it got to? I can hardly see anything in this light. Oh, there it is, look,behind those thistles. Well, you run like this. Now you have to hop12 to this side,then to the other side, scratch with your legs -- that's right, splendid -- cock yourears and then go straight on until -- ah! Here we are; now then:
"O fly away, great bird so white,And don't come back until tonight.
"There you are, you see. It did work. I think there's more than we know tosome of these old rhymes and spells. Of course, it might have been just going tofly away anyway. But you must admit it's gone.""Probably all that prancing40 about as we came up to it," said Chervil sourly. "Wemust have looked completely mad. What on earth will the Mark think? Anyway,now we're out here, we may as well go round the sentries.""I'll stop and feed, if you don't mind," said Bigwig. "I didn't get much lastnight, you know."-<*>-Bigwig's luck was not altogether out. Later that morning, quite unexpectedly,he came upon a chance to talk to Blackavar alone. He had been through thesweltering burrows, finding everywhere quick breathing and feverish41 pulses; andhe was just wondering whether he could not plausibly42 go and press Chervil to askthe Council's permission for the Mark to spend part of the day in the bushesabove ground -- for that might very well bring some sort of opportunity with it --when he began to feel the need to pass hraka. No rabbit passes hrakaunderground: and, like schoolchildren who know that they cannot very well berefused a request to go to the lavatory43 as long as it is not too soon after the lasttime, the Efrafan rabbits used to slip into the ditch for a breath of air and achange of scene. Although they were not supposed to be allowed to go more oftenthan was necessary, some of the Owsla were easier than others. As Bigwigapproached the hole that led into the ditch, he found two or three young bucksloitering in the run and, as usual, set himself to act his part as convincingly as hecould.
"Why are you hanging about here?" he asked.
"The prisoner's escort are up at the hole and they turned us back, sir,"answered one. "They're not letting anyone out for the moment.""Not to pass hraka?" said Bigwig.
"No, sir."Indignant, Bigwig made his way to the mouth of the hole. Here he foundBlackavar's escort talking to the sentry on duty.
"I'm afraid you can't go out for the moment, sir," said Bartsia. "The prisoner'sin the ditch, but he won't be long.""Neither shall I," said Bigwig. "Just get out of the way, will you?" He pushedBartsia to one side and hopped into the ditch.
The day had become even more lowering and overcast45. Blackavar wassquatting a little way off, under an overhanging plume46 of cow parsley. The flieswere walking on his shreds47 of ears, but he seemed not to notice them. Bigwigwent along the ditch and squatted48 beside him.
"Blackavar, listen," he said quickly. "This is the truth, by Frith and the BlackRabbit. I am a secret enemy of Efrafa. No one knows this but you and a few of theMark does. I'm going to escape with them tonight and I'm going to take you aswell. Don't do anything yet. When the time comes I'll be there to tell you. Justbrace up and get yourself ready."Without waiting for an answer, he moved away as though to find a better spot.
Even so, he was back at the hole before Blackavar, who evidently meant to stayoutside for as long as the escort -- clearly in no hurry themselves -- would allow.
"Sir," said Bartsia, as Bigwig came in, "that's the third time, sir, that you'vedisregarded my authority. Council police can't be treated in this way. I'm afraid Ishall have to report it, sir."Bigwig made no reply and returned up the run.
"Wait a bit longer if you can," he said as he passed the bucks44. "I don't supposethat poor fellow will get out again today."He wondered whether to go and look for Hyzenthlay, but decided that it wouldbe prudent49 to keep away from her. She knew what to do, and the less they wereseen together the better. His head ached in the heat and he wanted only to bealone and quiet. He went back to his burrow and slept.
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1
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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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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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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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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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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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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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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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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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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nettles
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| n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
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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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stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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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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entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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conspirator
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| n.阴谋者，谋叛者 | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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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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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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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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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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abetter
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| n.教唆者，怂恿者 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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impudently
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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moles
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| 防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍 | |
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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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prancing
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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plausibly
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| 似真地 | |
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lavatory
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| n.盥洗室，厕所 | |
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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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overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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46
plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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47
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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48
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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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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