On an impulse, Hazel hopped down the bank and went a little way into the open grass. Mice do not speak Lapine, but there is a very simple, limited lingua franca of the hedgerow and woodland. Hazel used it now.
'Run,' he said. 'Here; quick.'
The mouse looked at him but did not move. Hazel spoke again and the mouse began suddenly to run towards him as the kestrel turned and slid sideways and downwards. Hazel hastened back to the hole. Looking out, he saw the mouse following him. When it had almost reached the foot of the bank it scuttered over a fallen twig with two or three green leaves. The twig turned, one of the leaves caught the sunlight slanting through the trees and Hazel saw it flash for an instant. Immediately the kestrel came lower in an oblique glide, closed its wings and dropped.
Before Hazel could spring back from the mouth of the hole, the mouse had dashed between his front paws and was pressed to the ground between his back legs. At the same moment the kestrel, all beak and talons, hit the loose earth immediately outside like a missile thrown from the tree above. It scuffled savagely and for an instant the three rabbits saw its round, dark eyes looking straight down the run. Then it was gone. The speed and force of the pounce, not a length away, were terrifying and Hazel leapt backwards, knocking Silver off his balance. They picked themselves up in silence.
'Like to try standing up to that one?' said Silver, looking round at Bigwig. 'Let me know when. I'll come and watch.'
'Hazel,' said Bigwig. 'I know you're not stupid, but what did we get out of that? Are you going in for protecting every mole and shrew that can't get underground?'
The mouse had not moved. It was still crouching a little inside the run, on a level with their heads and outlined against the light. Hazel could see it watching him.
'Perhaps hawk not gone,' he said. 'You stay now. Go later.'
Bigwig was about to speak again when Dandelion appeared in the mouth of the hole. He looked at the mouse, pushed it gently aside and came down the run.
'Hazel,' he said, 'I thought I ought to come and tell you about Holly. He's much better this evening, but he had a very bad night and so did we. Every time he seemed to be going to sleep, he kept starting up and crying. I thought he was going out of his mind. Pipkin kept talking to him - he was first-rate - and he seems to set a lot of store by Bluebell. Bluebell kept on making jokes. He was worn out before the morning and so were the lot of us - we've been sleeping all day. Holly's been more or less himself since he woke up this afternoon, and he's been up to silflay. He asked where you and the others would be tonight and as I didn't know I came to ask.'
'Is he fit to talk to us, then?' asked Bigwig.
'I think so. It would be the best thing for him, if I'm any judge: and if he was with all of us together he'd be less likely to have another bad night.'
'Well, where are we going to sleep?' said Silver.
Hazel considered. The Honeycomb was still rough-dug and half-finished, but it would probably be as comfortable as the holes under the thorn-trees. Besides, if it proved otherwise, they would have all the more inducement to improve it. To know that they were actually making use of their day's hard work would please everybody and they were likely to prefer this to a third night in the chalk holes.
'I should think here,' he said. 'But we'll see how the others feel.'
'What's this mouse doing in here?' asked Dandelion.
Hazel explained. Dandelion was as puzzled as Bigwig had been.
'Well, I'll admit I hadn't any particular idea when I went out to help it,' said Hazel. 'I have now, though, and I'll explain later what it is. But first of all, Bigwig and I ought to go and talk to Holly. And Dandelion, you go and tell the rest what you told me, will you, and see what they want to do tonight?'
They found Holly with Bluebell and Pipkin, on the turf by the ant-hill where Dandelion had first looked over the down. Holly was sniffing at a purple orchis. The head of mauve blooms rocked gently on its stem as he pushed his nose against it.
'Don't frighten it, master,' said Bluebell. 'It might fly away. After all, it's got a lot of spots to choose from. Look at them all over the leaves.'
'Oh, get along with you, Bluebell,' answered Holly good-humouredly. 'We need to learn about the ground here. Half the plants are strange to me. This isn't one to eat, but at least there's plenty of burnet and that's always good.' A fly settled on his wounded ear and he winced and shook his head.
Hazel was glad to see that Holly was evidently in better spirits. He began to say that he hoped he felt well enough to join the others, but Holly soon interrupted him with questions.
'Are there many of you?' he asked.
'Hrair,' said Bigwig.
'All that left the warren with you?'
'Every one,' replied Hazel proudly.
'No one hurt?'
'Oh, several have been hurt, one way and another.'
'Never a dull moment, really,' said Bigwig.
'Who's this coming? I don't know him.'