Watership Down Page #5

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just before early silflay.

- Suppose something happens?

- Nothing will happen. We can do it.

Yes.

I think we can.

Sometimes I can tell when things are true.

Sometimes I can see it.

A high down with trees and...

I've become foolish.

You'll have to meet this friend of mine.

He talks just like that.

We'll be ready.

Sunset, then. And a bird will fight for us.

- A bird?

- Even Woundwort won't expect that.

Bigwig!

That white bird

you were talking to this morning...

- Talking to, sir?

- You were very close to it. Why?

Well, I've never been hurt by a bird.

That's not what I asked.

To tell you the truth, sir,

I think I was trying to impress you.

In future, stay in your own mark.

Sir.

One more thing:

What do you know about a homba?

- A homba, sir?

- You led it onto some rabbits?

I didn't intend to.

I didn't know they were there.

You didn't report it.

Everything out of the ordinary

is to be reported.

I didn't know running from a homba

was out of the ordinary.

That was a patrol

on the track of a band of strangers.

Do you know anything about them?

I saw some tracks,

but I can't tell you anymore than that, sir.

I'm taking out a wide patrol tomorrow.

We'll cross the Iron Road

and try to pick up their tracks.

I want you to come along.

Yes, sir.

Campion, follow him.

Don't let him out of your sight.

I've been told to tell you early silflay

has been canceled this evening.

No one told me anything about it.

Have a look over there and you'll see why.

Now, Blackavar.

The new officer, sir, he's gone.

Bigwig?

He's wounded Sherbil

and taken a crowd of the mark with him.

I'll blind him. I'll blind him!

- Bigwig, where's the bird?

- He'll be here.

He'd better!

Where is that bird?

What I am doing here?

I am wait for long time.

Is no sunset. Is no good here.

Where are they?

They should be here by now.

Silver, go up to the iron bridge

and see if you can find them.

They're coming.

Bigwig, the general!

What will we do?

It nearly came off.

We'll take one or two of them with us

before it's finished.

Bigwig?

You traitors!

Campion, get this miserable group

back to their marks.

I'll settle with you myself, Bigwig.

No need to take you back.

Come on and try,

you crack-brained slave driver.

Get away, blast you!

Get away, you damned white bird!

Straight ahead, to the river.

Keep going, it's a friend.

- You did it, Bigwig. You did it.

- I did, didn't I?

It's not over yet.

They gone.

Keep going, down to the river.

- The general's behind me.

- Where do we go, Hazel?

I trusted you, Bigwig.

You can trust me now.

You'll either go into the river

or be torn to pieces.

There's nowhere left to run.

Campion, Lily...

When I give the word,

we go straight into them.

- That bird can't save you now.

- There it is!

What you do now?

We're going back to our warren, Kehaar.

Good. You go, I go.

Is finish here for me.

- I go to big water!

- Take care of that wing.

Is winter plenty cold, then I come back.

Come back anytime.

And thank you, Kehaar.

Big water!

Get the holes filled in.

Everyone underground.

- What's the matter?

- The general.

- Where?

- The wood behind us.

- It's full of Efrafans.

- I'm not going back.

- Maybe we ought to leave.

- Anyone who wants to can go.

We went through a lot to get here,

and I'm not leaving now.

Neither am I.

If I'm for the Black Rabbit,

one or two from Efrafa will come with me.

We'll fill in the holes deep.

They'll have to dig us out.

They can't be out there long

without attracting elil.

- The Efrafans will never give up.

- Maybe we should leave.

We're staying.

But there may be a better way.

- Let me come with you.

- No, they know you too well.

I'll go alone. Now, get those holes filled in.

I won't be long.

They'll take us back to Efrafa.

Their Owsla will.

Listen, we're not finished yet,

not by a long shot.

You were one of those on the riverbank.

Did Bigwig send you?

I'm a friend of Bigwig's.

What was left unfinished

on the riverbank will be finished now.

It would be better for both of us

if we could come to terms.

Terms?

Very well.

These are my terms.

Hand over all the deserters immediately.

We couldn't agree to that.

But I can suggest something better,

for both of us.

- You're in no position to bargain.

- We shouldn't be fighting each other.

We have enough enemies as it is.

Perhaps we should be together.

A joining of free, independent warrens.

I have no time for this nonsense.

- Shall I kill him, sir?

- No.

You take back our terms.

And you tell your chief, Bigwig,

that if he and Hyzenthlay...

And the others aren't waiting outside

when I come for them...

I'll tear out every throat in the place.

Do you remember the rats in the barn?

We got out of that, all right.

Yes, we did. We got out of that, all right.

They're into the beech roots.

Start at this end.

- How cold!

- What is it? Are you all right?

I've tried to listen, only I can't hear it.

I'm going away, Hazel. I'm floating.

- Cold, how...

- Fiver. Fiver.

- Can you hear me?

- Listen.

They have something down there

that's strange.

Get out, get out!

They had a great bird

that turned into a shaft of lightning.

And there was another creature

that took them away down the river.

- Here, I reckon we ought to go back home.

- Who said that?

- Nobody, sir.

- You were put there to dig. Get back to it.

Great Frith, stop him, Hazel.

The others are going tharn.

Wake up. Fiver, wake up.

There's a dog loose in the wood.

There's a dog loose in the wood.

"We need to cross

because there's a dog loose in the wood."

"There's a dog loose in the wood."

Bigwig, I need runners.

Dandelion, Blackberry.

Hyzenthlay can run.

Good. We've hardly any time.

I've got a plan.

If it works,

it will finish Woundwort for good.

When we're gone, block this run

and get everyone back behind the wall.

Hold them off as long as you can.

- Don't give in to them.

- Where are you going?

El-ahrairah will show me what to do.

Let them go.

It's their chief, Bigwig, I'm after.

Find their chief!

Hyzenthlay, you hide here.

When the time comes,

get back to the warren.

- It will all depend on you.

- I'll be ready.

Lord Frith,

I know you've looked after us well...

and it's wrong to ask even more of you...

but my people are in terrible danger.

So, I'd like to make a bargain with you:

My life in return for theirs.

There is not a day or night

that a doe offers her life for her kittens...

or some honest captain of Owsla,

his life for his chief.

But there is no bargain.

What is, is what must be.

Blackberry, this is where we leave you.

Stay close and don't move.

Don't break too soon.

- Are you clear what's to be done?

- Yes.

You lie in the grass,

just there, opposite him.

If we meet again, Hazel-rah...

We'll have the makings

of the best story ever.

And you'll be the one to tell it.

Can you run?

I think not.

I think not.

Tab! Tab!

I told you once,

I was trying to impress you.

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