You k'n hide de fier, but w'at you gwine do wid de smoke?
Joel Chandler Harris, Proverbs of Uncle RemusBigwig's first impulse was to fight Woundwort on the spot. He realizedimmediately that this would be futile 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 bridle 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 Hind burrows 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 annoyance. No doubt Woundwort knew perfectly 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 determined 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 decided 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 sentries 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 hopped 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 shrill, incessant 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 nettles.
"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 crouched in his burrow, pressed against Hyzenthlay. He was trembling,but not with cold: the stuffy runs of the Mark were dense with thunder; the airfelt like a deep drift of leaves. Bigwig was close to utter nervous exhaustion. Sinceleaving General Woundwort, he had become more and more deeply entangled inall the age-old terrors of the conspirator. 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 gull, which should have been far away at this time of year,was hanging round Efrafa and that he, Bigwig, had deliberately 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 junction 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 spotted 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 sentry 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 resolute, 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............