Tales From Watership Down (Watership Down 2)

"Where's Crowla?" asked Silver, who earlier in the day had done his best to dissuade that young doe from accompanying Sandwort.

"How should I know?" replied Sandwort. "I don't have to answer for every rabbit who takes a notion to go out of the warren at the same time that I do."

"But wasn't she with you?" persisted Silver.

"She may have been, for all I know."

"Are you saying that you think it's nothing to do with you what may have happened to Crowla, who went out with you?"

"As far as I'm concerned, any rabbit's free to come and go as she pleases," said Sandwort. "I dare say she may come back a bit later."

However, Crowla did not come back, and after several days her friends were forced to conclude that she was not going to come back at all. Sandwort showed no particular concern and continued to say that whatever might have happened to her was nothing to do with him. It was at this point that Hazel felt obliged to take notice himself. That evening he tackled Sandwort at silflay on the Down.

"Did you invite Crowla to join you on this expedition you made?" he asked.

"No--sir," answered Sandwort, continuing to nibble the grass. "She asked me to let her come."

"And you agreed that she could?"

"I said she could please herself."

"But all the same, you saw her among the others when you set out. You knew she was there. When did you first notice that she wasn't there?"

"I can't remember. On the way back, I suppose."

"And you say you didn't feel that was any business of yours?"

"No, I didn't. I don't pick and choose which rabbits want to join me. That's their business, not mine."

"Even in a case like this? An inexperienced doe a good deal younger than yourself?"

"A lot of does are younger than myself."

"Answer me properly," said Hazel angrily. "Did you or didn't you think she was any business of yours? Yes or no?"

Sandwort paused. Finally he replied, "No, I didn't."

"That's all I wanted to know," said Hazel. "Nyreem was with you, too, that day, wasn't she?"

"Oh, I rather think she was."

"A completely inexperienced young doe just arrived from Efrafa with an injured leg?"

Sandwort made no reply.

"You didn't feel concerned on her account either?"

"No, not particularly."

Hazel left him without another word.

Later that evening, he talked the matter over with Fiver and Bigwig. "There's a nice young doe we've lost; one he led to her death. I liked Crowla. She was coming on very well. And he's quite likely to do it again, as far as I can see."

"Why don't I drag him out and beat the daylights out of him?" asked Bigwig.

"No," said Fiver. "That wouldn't really get us anywhere. That would only make him more of a rebel among his own friends. You see, strictly speaking, he hasn't done anything wrong. It's true enough that he can go out of the warren, go anywhere he likes; so can any rabbit, and if other rabbits choose to go at the same time, it's not his business to stop them. It's simply that no right-minded rabbit would act in such a way--particularly when one of his friends has gone missing as a result of going with him."

"Well, he's got to be stopped from doing it again," said Bigwig.