Robin4 Fedden, Crusader Castles"They've stopped digging, Hazel-rah," said Speedwell. "As far as I can tell,there's no one in the hole."In the close darkness of the Honeycomb, Hazel pushed past three or four of hisrabbits crouching5 among the tree roots and reached the higher shelf whereSpeedwell lay listening for sounds from above. The Efrafans had reached thehanger at early twilight6 and at once begun a search along the banks and amongthe trees to find out how big the warren was and where its holes were. They hadbeen surprised to find so many holes in such a small area, for not many of themhad had experience of any warren but Efrafa, where very few holes served theneeds of many rabbits. At first they had supposed that there must be a largenumber of rabbits underground. The silence and emptiness of the openbeechwood made them suspicious, and most kept outside, nervous of an ambush7.
Woundwort had to reassure8 them. Their enemies, he explained, were fools whomade more runs than any properly organized warren needed. They would soondiscover their mistake, for every one would be opened, until the place becameimpossible to defend. As for the droppings of the white bird, scattered9 in thewood, it was plain that they were old. There were no signs whatever that the birdwas anywhere near. Nevertheless, many of the rank and file continued to lookcautiously about them. At the sudden cry of a peewit on the down, one or twobolted and had to be brought back by their officers. The story of the bird whichhad fought for Thlayli in the storm had lost nothing in the telling up and downthe burrows11 of Efrafa.
Woundwort told Campion to post sentries12 and keep a patrol round about,while Vervain and Groundsel tackled the blocked holes. Groundsel set to workalong the bank, while Vervain went into the wood, where the mouths of the holeslay between the tree roots. He came at once upon the open run. He listened, butall was quiet. Vervain (who was more used to dealing13 with prisoners than withenemies) ordered two of his rabbits to make their way down it. The discovery ofthe silent, open run gave him the hope that he might be able to seize the warrenby a sudden dash to the very center. The wretched rabbits, obeying his orders,were met by Silver and Buckthorn at a point where the run opened out. They werecuffed and mauled and barely got out with their lives. The sight of them didnothing to encourage Vervain's party, who were reluctant to dig and made littleheadway during the darkness before moonrise.
Groundsel, who felt that he ought to set an example, himself dug his way intothe loose, fallen soil of one of the bank runs. Plowing14 over the soft earth like a flyon summer butter and holding his head clear, he suddenly found himself face toface with Blackavar, who sank his front teeth into his throat. Groundsel, with nofreedom to use his weight, screamed and kicked out as best he could. Blackavarhung on and Groundsel -- a heavy rabbit, like all the Efrafan officers -- draggedhim forward a short distance before he could rid himself of his grip. Blackavarspat out a mouthful of fur and jumped clear, clawing with his front paws. ButGroundsel had already gone. He was lucky not to have been more severelywounded.
It became clear to Woundwort that it was going to be extremely difficult, if notimpossible, to take the warren by attack down the defended runs. There would bea good chance of success if several runs could be opened and then tackled at thesame time, but he doubted whether his rabbits would attempt it, after what theyhad seen. He realized that he had not given enough thought, earlier on, to whathe would have to do if he lost surprise and had to force an entry: he had bettergive it some thought now. As the moon rose, he called Campion in and talked itover with him.
Campion's suggestion was that they should simply starve the warren out. Theweather was warm and dry and they could easily stay two or three days. ThisWoundwort rejected impatiently. In his own mind, he was not altogether certainthat daylight might not bring the white bird down upon them. They ought to beunderground by dawn. But, apart from this secret anxiety, he felt that hisreputation depended on a fighting victory. He had brought his Owsla to get atthese rabbits, knock them down and beat them. A siege would be a miserableanti-climax. Also, he wanted to get back to Efrafa as soon as he could. Like mostwarlords, he was never very confident about what was going on behind his back.
"If I remember rightly," he said, "after the main part of the warren at NutleyCopse was taken and the fighting was as good as over, there were a few rabbitswho shut themselves into a smaller burrow10 where it was difficult to get at them. Isaid they were to be dealt with and then I went back to Efrafa with the prisoners.
How were they dealt with and who did it, do you know?""Captain Mallow did it," said Campion. "He's dead, of course; but I expectthere's someone here who was with him. I'll go and find out."He returned with a heavy, stolid16 Owsla sentry17 named Ragwort, who at first hadsome difficulty in understanding what it was that the General wanted to know. Atlast, however, he said that when he had been with Captain Mallow, more than ayear ago, the Captain had told them to dig a hole straight down into the ground.
In the end the earth had given way under them and they had fallen down amongsome rabbits, whom they had fought and beaten.
"Well, that's about the only way it can be done," said Woundwort to Campion.
"And if we get them all onto it, relieving each other in shifts, we should have away into the place before dawn. You'd better get your sentries out again -- notmore than two or three -- and we'll make a start at once."Soon after, Hazel and his rabbits, below in the Honeycomb, heard the firstsounds of scratching above. It was not long before they realized that the diggingwas going on at two points. One was at the north end of the Honeycomb, abovethe place where the tree roots formed a kind of cloister19 in the burrow. Here theroof, latticed through and through with fine roots, was very strong. The otherseemed to be more or less above the open center of the Honeycomb, but rathernearer to the south end, where the hall broke up into bays and runs with columnsof earth between. Beyond these runs lay several of the warren's burrows. One,lined with fur torn from her own belly20, contained Clover and the pile of grass andleaves, covered over with earth, in which her newborn litter were sleeping.
"Well, we seem to be putting them to a great deal of trouble," said Hazel.
"That's all to the good. It'll blunt their claws and I should think they'll be tired outbefore they've done. What do you make of it, Blackberry?""I'm afraid it's a bad lookout21, Hazel-rah," replied Blackberry. "It's true they'rein trouble up at the top end. There's a lot of ground above us there and the rootswill hold them up for a long time. But down this end it's easier for them. They'rebound to dig through fairly soon. Then the roof will come in; and I can't see thatwe can do anything to stop them."Hazel could feel him trembling as he spoke22. As the sounds of diggingcontinued, he sensed fear spreading all through the burrow. "They'll take us backto Efrafa," whispered Vilthuril to Thethuthinnang. "The warren police--""Be quiet," said Hyzenthlay. "The bucks23 aren't talking like that and why shouldwe? I'd rather be here now, as we are, than never have left Efrafa."It was bravely said, but Hazel was not the only one who could tell her thoughts.
Bigwig remembered the night in Efrafa when he had calmed her by talking of thehigh downs and the certainty of their escape. In the dark, he nuzzled Hazel'sshoulder and pressed him over to one side of the wide burrow.
"Listen, Hazel," he said, "we're not finished yet. Not by a long way. When theroof breaks, they'll come down into this end of the Honeycomb. But we can geteverybody back into the sleeping burrows behind and block the runs that lead tothem. They'll be no better off.""Well, if we do that, it'll last a bit longer," said Hazel. "But they'll soon be ableto break into the sleeping burrows, once they're in here.""They'll find me there when they do," said Bigwig, "and one or two morebesides. I shouldn't wonder if they didn't decide to go home."With a kind of wry24 envy, Hazel realized that Bigwig was actually lookingforward to meeting the Efrafan assault. He knew he could fight and he meant toshow it. He was not thinking of anything else. The hopelessness of their chanceshad no important place in his thoughts. Even the sound of the digging, cleareralready, only set him thinking of the best way to sell his life as dearly as he could.
But what else was there for any of them to do? At least Bigwig's preparationswould keep the others busy and perhaps do something to dispel25 the silent fearthat filled all the warren.
"You're quite right, Bigwig," he said. "Let's prepare a little reception. Will youtell Silver and the others what you want and get them started?"As Bigwig began to explain his plan to Silver and Holly26, Hazel sent Speedwellto the north end of the Honeycomb to listen to the digging and keep reportingwhat he could make out about its progress. As far as he could see, it would makelittle difference whether the roof-fall came there or in the center, but at least heought to try to show the others that he was keeping his wits about him.
"We can't break these walls down to stop the run between, Bigwig," said Holly.
"They hold the roof up at this end, you know.""I know that," answered Bigwig. "We'll dig into the walls of the sleepingburrows behind. They'll need to be bigger anyway, if we're all going to get in theretogether. Then kick the loose earth back into the spaces between the columns.
Stop the whole thing right up."Since he had come out of Efrafa, Bigwig's standing18 was very high. Seeing himin good heart, the others set aside their fear as best they could and did as he toldthem, enlarging the burrows beyond the south end of the Honeycomb and pilingup the soft earth in the entry runs until what had been a colonnade27 began tobecome a solid wall. It was during a pause in this work that Speedwell reportedthat the digging above the north end had stopped. Hazel went and crouchedbeside him, listening for some time. There was nothing to be heard. He went backto where Buckthorn sat guarding the foot of the single open run -- Kehaar's run,as it was called.
"You know what's happened?" he said. "They've realized they're all among thebeech roots up there, so they've chucked it. They'll be going harder at the otherend now.""I suppose so, Hazel-rah," replied Buckthorn. After a little he said, "D'youremember the rats in the barn? We got out of that all right, didn't we? But I'mafraid we shan't get out of this. It's a pity, after all we've done together.""Yes, we shall," said Hazel, with all the conviction he could muster29. But heknew that if he stayed he would not be able to keep up the pretense30. Buckthorn --a decent, straightforward31 fellow if ever there was one -- where would he be by ni-Frith tomorrow? And he himself -- where had he led them, with all his cleverschemes? Had they come over the common, among the shining wires, through thethunderstorm, the culverts on the great river, to die at the claws of GeneralWoundwort? It was not the death they deserved; it was not the right end of theclever track they had run. But what could stop Woundwort? What could savethem now? Nothing, he knew -- unless some tremendous blow were to fall uponthe Efrafans from outside: and of that there was no chance. He turned away fromBuckthorn.
Scratch, scratch: scratch, scratch came the sound of the digging above.
Crossing the floor in the dark, Hazel found himself beside another rabbit, whowas crouching silently on the near side of the new-piled wall. He stopped,sniffing. It was Fiver.
"Aren't you working?" he asked listlessly.
"No," replied Fiver. "I'm listening.""To the digging, you mean?""No, not the digging. There's something I'm trying to hear -- something theothers can't hear. Only I can't hear it either. But it's close. Deep. Leaf-drift, deep.
I'm going away, Hazel -- going away." His voice grew slow and drowsy32. "Falling.
But it's cold. Cold."The air in the dark burrow was stifling33. Hazel bent34 over Fiver, pushing the limpbody with his nose.
"Cold," muttered Fiver. "How -- how. How -- how cold!"There was a long silence.
"Fiver?" said Hazel. "Fiver? Can you hear me?"Suddenly a terrible sound broke from Fiver; a sound at which every rabbit inthe warren leaped in dreadful fear; a sound that no rabbit had ever made, that norabbit had the power to make. It was deep and utterly35 unnatural36. The rabbitsworking on the far side of the wall crouched28 terrified. One of the does began tosqueal.
"Dirty little beasts," yelped37 Fiver. "How -- how dare you? Get out -- out! Out --out!"Bigwig burst through the piled earth, twitching38 and panting.
"In the name of Frith, stop him!" he gasped39. "They'll all go mad!"Shuddering40, Hazel clawed at Fiver's side.
"Wake! Fiver, wake!"But Fiver was lying in a deep stupor41.
In Hazel's mind, green branches were straining in the wind. Up and down theyswayed, thresh and ply15. There was something -- something he could glimpsebetween them. What was it? Water he sensed; and fear. Then suddenly he sawclearly, for an instant, a little huddle42 of rabbits on the bank of a stream at dawn,listening to the sound of yelping43 in the wood above and the scolding of a jay.
"If I were you, I shouldn't wait until ni-Frith. I should go now. In fact, I thinkyou'll have to. There's a large dog loose in the wood. There's a large dog loose inthe wood."The wind blew, the trees shook their myriads44 of leaves. The stream was gone.
He was in the Honeycomb, facing Bigwig in the dark, across the motionless bodyof Fiver. The scratching from above was louder and closer.
"Bigwig," said Hazel, "do as I say at once, there's a good fellow. We've gothardly any time. Go and get Dandelion and Blackberry and bring them to me atthe foot of Kehaar's run, quickly."At the foot of the run Buckthorn was still in his place. He had not moved atFiver's cry, but his breath was short and his pulse very quick. He and the otherthree rabbits gathered about Hazel without a word.
"I've got a plan," said Hazel. "If it works, it'll finish Woundwort for good andall. But I've no time to explain. Every moment counts now. Dandelion andBlackberry, you come with me. You're to go straight up out of this run andthrough the trees to the down. Then northward45, over the edge and down to thefields. Don't stop for anything. You'll go faster than I shall. Wait for me by theiron tree at the bottom.""But Hazel--" said Blackberry.
"As soon as we've gone," said Hazel, turning to Bigwig, "you're to block this runand get everyone back behind the wall you've made. If they break in, hold themup as long as you can. Don't give in to them on any account. El-ahrairah hasshown me what to do.""But where are you going, Hazel?" asked Bigwig.
"To the farm," said Hazel, "to gnaw46 another rope. Now, you two, follow me upthe run: and don't forget, you stop for nothing until you're down the hill. If thereare rabbits outside, don't fight -- run."Without another word he dashed up the tunnel and out into the wood, withBlackberry and Dandelion on his heels.
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收听单词发音
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1
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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6
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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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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12
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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14
plowing
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| v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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ply
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| v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲 | |
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stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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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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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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23
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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wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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25
dispel
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| vt.驱走，驱散，消除 | |
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26
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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27
colonnade
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| n.柱廊 | |
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28
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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30
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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37
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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39
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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40
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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41
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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42
huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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43
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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44
myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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45
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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46
gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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