The young rabbits and females were ushered inside the tunnels, including
the reluctant Fiver and Pipkin. Captain Holly-rah stood with Lieutenant
Pinecone and his rabbits, and the three leaderless soldiers. Captain Broom
was just to the right of Captain Holly, with his rabbits. On the right of
him and the left of Captain Holly stood the two Owslas that had arrived
after Captain Iris-rah's. Bigwig and his rabbits were on the left of the
left of Captain Holly and Lieutenant Pinecone, and Captain Iris' Owsla
stood on the side of the hill.
All was tense. No one spoke a word but the commanding officers, who barked out commands to the soldiers.
"They have more rabbits than we," said Captain Iris-rah to Captain Holly- rah. "Yet more have appeared to the west, and joined with the Efrafans. Unless more help arrives for us, we will be outnumbered."
"Damn our luck in this war," hissed Captain Holly, through gritted teeth.
"Sir, I have a plan," said Lieutenant Pinecone.
"Yes, yes, Pinecone?" snapped Holly. "I'm sorry. What is your plan?"
But the lieutenant had no time to explain his plan, for at that moment a rock came flying from the crowd of Efrafans, hitting him square in the jaw. Holly shook him.
"Is he dead?" whispered Iris-rah.
"No, he's out cold though," replied Holly grimly. "We'll just have to work without a plan."
At that moment, Colonel Thornfoot roared "Charge!" to his army. They ran forward toward the wall, which they immediately hit and recoiled from. They got up quickly and began gnawing on the sticks which made up the unit. Bigwig and his rabbits began chucking stones over the wall to deter them.
The attackers soon realized that they would waste too much time - and too many rabbits - trying to break through the wall. Colonel Thornfoot ordered his rabbits surround the wall and search for a weakness. One found it; a section of the wall which was low enough to be jumped. He called back to Thornfoot, who quickly answered, followed by the rest of the Efrafans.
They leapt over the wall and into battle immediately with the Watership Down soldiers. It was a bloody fight; the air was filled with the sounds of tearing, biting, and yelling. Efrafa had suffered heavy casualties during the Watership Down barrage, but they still outnumbered them.
Watership Down was also significantly stronger and better-fed than Efrafa, so they had the upper hand in that sense as well. They were holding them off reasonably well.
Holly had just cut the belly of an Efrafan and was about to move on to the next, when something very heavy struck him in the side and trapped him on the ground. He examined it and realized it was Bigwig! But he wasn't dead.no.he still had a pulse. There was still a problem: getting out from under him. The captain was wedged between the enormous rabbit and the hard ground. Holly wriggled, trying to free himself.
And so the battle raged for an hour, until Watership Down was nearly out of soldiers. Efrafa had lost many, but still had more than Watership Down. It was not looking good. Captain Iris-rah had already been killed, and most of his Owsla along with him.
Finally Bigwig woke up and immediately leapt off Captain Holly.
"Captain Holly-rah!" said Bigwig, aghast. "I am sorry."
"What happened, Bigwig?" said Holly.
"Not sure, really. I just remember fighting, getting kicked in the side of the head and getting knocked out."
Holly opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short. Looming over Bigwig, his ominous shape silhouetted against the blazing sun, was Colonel Thornfoot. He was a gastly sight. His left eye was gouged out, and the fur on his left side was stuck together with blood. But it was not these things that made him stand out.
Dangling by its ear from Colonel Thornfoot's mouth, its eyes wide and its mouth half open, was Captain Broom's head.
"Bigwig look - " started Holly, but before he could finish, Thornfoot had bit into his back, making the poor Bigwig howl with pain. He then was kicked to the side by Thornfoot who began to move towards Holly with a menacing air about him.
"Captain Holly," he sneered, after spitting out Captain Broom's head.
"Colonel Thornfoot," hissed Holly.
They leered at each other for a moment.
"Treachery, you realize, Holly, can never be forgiven," said Thornfoot.
"Yes, I realize that," Holly replied, his eyes narrowed to slits. "That is why I fight to the death for Watership Down."
"You misunderstand me," said Thornfoot, his eyes narrowed as well. "You betrayed Efrafa, and that can not be forgiven."
"Oh, that," said Holly with a hollow laugh.
"Yes," continued Thornfoot in that deep, chilling voice. "When you came to Efrafa, though I was only but a captain, I there was something wrong with you. Somehow.I iknewi you would betray us. And you did."
"Well, I suppose that gives you good reason to hate me."
"There is nothing in the world as hated as a traitor, Holly."
"Well, that's handy. I don't want to fight you, but I suppose you're going to attack me, and I'll have no choice."
"Indeed," hissed Thornfoot and leaped at him. Holly braced himself, but still the wind was knocked out of him when the Colonel hit him. He toppled over and they rolled down the slope, Thornfoot's claws dug into Holly's chest. When Thornfoot let go, he stopped, but Holly continued to tumble down. He caught his foot on a gnarled root and halted, and scrambled onto his feet. Thornfoot had already caught up to him. He jumped, but Holly rolled away in time. The Colonel landed on his stomach on the root. Holly nearly felt how painful it must have been.
Now it was his turn to go on the offensive. Whilst Thornfoot was getting himself up, Holly jumped, and hit him square in the small of the back. Thornfoot flipped over and kicked Holly in the face.
Holly stumbled, his vision clouding with blood. He could faintly make out the outline of Thornfoot charging at him, but not soon enough did he realize it was him.
Suddenly, Thornfoot crashed into him, but Holly clung onto his shoulder with his teeth, and brought him with him as he flew backwards. Eventually they hit the ground, Holly still clutching the monster attacking him, and tumbled down, straight through the wall, and into the open.
All was tense. No one spoke a word but the commanding officers, who barked out commands to the soldiers.
"They have more rabbits than we," said Captain Iris-rah to Captain Holly- rah. "Yet more have appeared to the west, and joined with the Efrafans. Unless more help arrives for us, we will be outnumbered."
"Damn our luck in this war," hissed Captain Holly, through gritted teeth.
"Sir, I have a plan," said Lieutenant Pinecone.
"Yes, yes, Pinecone?" snapped Holly. "I'm sorry. What is your plan?"
But the lieutenant had no time to explain his plan, for at that moment a rock came flying from the crowd of Efrafans, hitting him square in the jaw. Holly shook him.
"Is he dead?" whispered Iris-rah.
"No, he's out cold though," replied Holly grimly. "We'll just have to work without a plan."
At that moment, Colonel Thornfoot roared "Charge!" to his army. They ran forward toward the wall, which they immediately hit and recoiled from. They got up quickly and began gnawing on the sticks which made up the unit. Bigwig and his rabbits began chucking stones over the wall to deter them.
The attackers soon realized that they would waste too much time - and too many rabbits - trying to break through the wall. Colonel Thornfoot ordered his rabbits surround the wall and search for a weakness. One found it; a section of the wall which was low enough to be jumped. He called back to Thornfoot, who quickly answered, followed by the rest of the Efrafans.
They leapt over the wall and into battle immediately with the Watership Down soldiers. It was a bloody fight; the air was filled with the sounds of tearing, biting, and yelling. Efrafa had suffered heavy casualties during the Watership Down barrage, but they still outnumbered them.
Watership Down was also significantly stronger and better-fed than Efrafa, so they had the upper hand in that sense as well. They were holding them off reasonably well.
Holly had just cut the belly of an Efrafan and was about to move on to the next, when something very heavy struck him in the side and trapped him on the ground. He examined it and realized it was Bigwig! But he wasn't dead.no.he still had a pulse. There was still a problem: getting out from under him. The captain was wedged between the enormous rabbit and the hard ground. Holly wriggled, trying to free himself.
And so the battle raged for an hour, until Watership Down was nearly out of soldiers. Efrafa had lost many, but still had more than Watership Down. It was not looking good. Captain Iris-rah had already been killed, and most of his Owsla along with him.
Finally Bigwig woke up and immediately leapt off Captain Holly.
"Captain Holly-rah!" said Bigwig, aghast. "I am sorry."
"What happened, Bigwig?" said Holly.
"Not sure, really. I just remember fighting, getting kicked in the side of the head and getting knocked out."
Holly opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short. Looming over Bigwig, his ominous shape silhouetted against the blazing sun, was Colonel Thornfoot. He was a gastly sight. His left eye was gouged out, and the fur on his left side was stuck together with blood. But it was not these things that made him stand out.
Dangling by its ear from Colonel Thornfoot's mouth, its eyes wide and its mouth half open, was Captain Broom's head.
"Bigwig look - " started Holly, but before he could finish, Thornfoot had bit into his back, making the poor Bigwig howl with pain. He then was kicked to the side by Thornfoot who began to move towards Holly with a menacing air about him.
"Captain Holly," he sneered, after spitting out Captain Broom's head.
"Colonel Thornfoot," hissed Holly.
They leered at each other for a moment.
"Treachery, you realize, Holly, can never be forgiven," said Thornfoot.
"Yes, I realize that," Holly replied, his eyes narrowed to slits. "That is why I fight to the death for Watership Down."
"You misunderstand me," said Thornfoot, his eyes narrowed as well. "You betrayed Efrafa, and that can not be forgiven."
"Oh, that," said Holly with a hollow laugh.
"Yes," continued Thornfoot in that deep, chilling voice. "When you came to Efrafa, though I was only but a captain, I there was something wrong with you. Somehow.I iknewi you would betray us. And you did."
"Well, I suppose that gives you good reason to hate me."
"There is nothing in the world as hated as a traitor, Holly."
"Well, that's handy. I don't want to fight you, but I suppose you're going to attack me, and I'll have no choice."
"Indeed," hissed Thornfoot and leaped at him. Holly braced himself, but still the wind was knocked out of him when the Colonel hit him. He toppled over and they rolled down the slope, Thornfoot's claws dug into Holly's chest. When Thornfoot let go, he stopped, but Holly continued to tumble down. He caught his foot on a gnarled root and halted, and scrambled onto his feet. Thornfoot had already caught up to him. He jumped, but Holly rolled away in time. The Colonel landed on his stomach on the root. Holly nearly felt how painful it must have been.
Now it was his turn to go on the offensive. Whilst Thornfoot was getting himself up, Holly jumped, and hit him square in the small of the back. Thornfoot flipped over and kicked Holly in the face.
Holly stumbled, his vision clouding with blood. He could faintly make out the outline of Thornfoot charging at him, but not soon enough did he realize it was him.
Suddenly, Thornfoot crashed into him, but Holly clung onto his shoulder with his teeth, and brought him with him as he flew backwards. Eventually they hit the ground, Holly still clutching the monster attacking him, and tumbled down, straight through the wall, and into the open.