'I told you I'd ask the questions. You can't tell me where they might have gone?'
'I'm afraid I can't, sir.'
Woundwort stopped staring and sat silent for some time. Bigwig felt that the General 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 in the 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 been trying 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 Patrol myself. It will cross the iron road and try to pick up traces of those rabbits - the rabbits Mallow would have found if you hadn't gone and blundered into him. So you'd better come along and show us how good yo
u 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 did so, and immediately a fresh question stopped him short.
'When you were with Hyzenthlay, did she tell you why she was put into the Near Hind Mark?'
'Yes, sir.'
'I'm not at all sure the trouble's over there, Thlayli. Keep an eye on it. If she'll talk to you, so much the better. Perhaps those does are settling down and perhaps they 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 set and it was growing dark. Heavy clouds dimmed the after-light. Kehaar was nowhere 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. There was still no sign of Kehaar. He hopped slowly to the hole. Entering, he knocked into one of the police escort, who was blocking the mouth to make sure that Blackavar 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 his burrow.
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, towards Efrafa. The air was close and warm and smelt of rain and ripening barley. There was no sound close by, but behind and below them, from the water-meadow on the nearer bank of the Test, came faintly the shrill, incessant fussing of 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. You t'ink?'
Hazel made no reply.
'I can't tell,' said Fiver.' Clouds and thunder. That place up the field - it's like the bottom of a river. Anything could be happening in there.'
'Bigwig's there. Suppose he's dead? Suppose they're trying to make him tell them -'
'Hazel,' said Fiver. 'Hazel-rah, you won't help him by staying here in the dark and worrying. Quite likely there's nothing wrong. He's just had to sit tight for some reason. Anyway, he won't come tonight - that's certain now - and our rabbits are in danger here. Kehaar can go up tomorrow at dawn and bring us another message.'
'I dare say you're right,' said Hazel, 'but I hate to go. Just suppose he were to come. 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 meet them, 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 them back 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't it? Bigwig will come tomorrow, won't he?'