Part 24 (1/2)

Immediately afterwards a humble-bee came along, droning and talking to himself as he flew. ”Where is the hare?” said Bevis; ”and where is the dragon-fly?” ”Buzz,” said the humble-bee, ”the usual course on occasions like the present--buzz--zz,” the sound of his voice died away as he went past without replying. Three swallows swept by next at a great pace, chattering as they flew.

”Where's my dragon-fly?” said Bevis, but they were too busy to heed him.

Presently a dove flew over too high to speak to, and then a missel-thrush, and soon afterwards ten rooks, after whom came a whole bevy of starlings, and behind these a train of finches. Next a thrush came along the low hedge, then two blackbirds, all so quick that Bevis could not make them understand him. A crow too appeared, but catching sight of Bevis's cannon-stick, he smelt the powder, wheeled round and went by far to the left hand out of talking distance. Still more starlings rushed overhead, and Bevis waved his hand to them, but it was no use. Just afterwards he saw a thrush coming, so he jumped up, pointed his cannon-stick, and said he would shoot if the thrush did not stop.

Much frightened, the thrush immediately perched on the hedge, and begged Bevis not to kill him, for he remembered the fate of his relation who was shot with the same cannon.

”Tell me where the hare is, and where is my dragon-fly,” said Bevis; ”and why are all the people hurrying away towards the copse, and why don't they stop and tell me, and what is all this about?”

”I do not know exactly where the hare is,” said the thrush, ”but I suppose she is in the copse too, and I have no doubt at all the dragon-fly is there, and I am going myself so soon as you will let me.”

”Why are you all going to the copse?” said Bevis. ”Is it because Kapchack is dead?”

”Yes,” said the thrush, ”it is because the king is dead, and there is going to be an election, that is if there is time, or if it can be managed; for it is expected that Choo Hoo will return now Kapchack is overthrown.”

”When did Choo Hoo go, then?” asked Bevis--for he had not yet heard of the battle. So the thrush told him all about it, and how strange it was that King Kapchack in the hour of victory should be slain by the very man who for so many years had protected him. The thrush said that the news had no doubt reached Choo Hoo very soon afterwards, and everybody expected that the barbarians would gather together again, and come back to take vengeance, and so, as they now had no king or leader, they were all hastening to the copse to take sanctuary from Choo Hoo. The only doubt was whether the emperor would respect the enclosure hitherto regarded by all the civilised people as a place where they could meet without danger. The barbarians knew nothing of these tacit agreements, which make communication so easy and pleasant among educated people.

Still there was nothing else they could do.

”And what is going on in the copse?” said Bevis, ”and who is to be king?”

”I cannot tell you,” said the thrush, ”I was just going to see, and if possible to vote against Ki Ki, who treacherously slew my friend and relation the amba.s.sador, whom the king sent to Choo Hoo.”

”We will go together,” said Bevis, ”and you can tell me some more about it as we go along. One thing is quite certain, the weasel will never be king.”

”Before I go with you,” said the thrush, ”you must please leave off pointing that dreadful cannon-stick at me, else I shall not be able to converse freely.”

So Bevis left off pointing it, and carried his gun over his shoulder, just as he had seen his papa carry his. The thrush flew slowly along beside him, but he could not quite manage to keep at exactly the same pace; his wings would carry him faster than Bevis walked, so he stopped on the ground every now and then for Bevis to come up.

”I am sure,” he said, ”I hope the weasel will not be king, and there is a rumour going about that he is disabled by some accident he has met with. But I greatly fear myself that he will be, notwithstanding what you say, for he is so cunning, and has so terrible a reputation that no one can prevail against him.”

”Pooh!” said Bevis, ”don't tell me such stuff and rubbish; I say the weasel shall not be king, for I am going to shoot him as dead as any nail; after which Pan shall tear him into twenty pieces.”

”But you tried to kill him once before, did you not?” said the thrush.

”You hold your tongue, this minute, you impudent thrush,” said Bevis, in a great rage; and he took his cannon-stick off his shoulder, and looked so black that the thrush, alarmed for his safety, took advantage of a hedge being near, and slipped through it in a second.

”I'm very glad you're gone,” said Bevis, calling after him, ”but I'll shoot you next time I see you for leaving me without permission.”

”And that will just serve him right,” said a blackbird, as he hastened by, ”for the thrush is the greediest bird in the world, and is always poaching about the places that belong to me.”

Bevis was now very near the copse, and had not the least difficulty in finding the little bridge over the ditch, but he stopped before he crossed it, to listen to the noise there was inside among the trees.

Whenever he had come before in the afternoon it was always so quiet, but now there was a perfect uproar of talking. Hundreds of starlings were chattering in the fir-trees, and flying round the branches with incessant motion. In the thick hedge which enclosed it there were crowds of greenfinches, goldfinches, chaffinches, yellow-hammers, and sparrows, who never ceased talking. Up in the elms there were a number of rooks, who were deliberating in a solemn manner; it was indeed the rook council who had met there to consider as the safest place, the very council that Ah Kurroo so much disliked. Two or three dozen wood-pigeons cowered on the lower branches of some ashes; they were the aliens who dwelt in Kapchack's kingdom. Rabbits were rus.h.i.+ng about in all directions; dragon-flies darting up and down with messages; humble-bees droning at every corner; the woodp.e.c.k.e.r yelled out his views in the midst of the wood; everything was in confusion.

As Bevis walked into the copse along the green track, with the tall thistles and the fern on each side of him, he caught little bits here and there of what they were saying; it was always the same, who was going to be king, and what would Choo Hoo do? How long would it be before the emperor's army could be got together again to come sweeping back and exact a dire vengeance for its defeat? Where was the weasel?

What was the last atrocity Ki Ki had committed? Had anybody heard anything more of Kauc, the crow? Had Prince Tchack-tchack arrived? Had the rooks made up their mind?--and so on, till Bevis shook his head and held his hands to his ears, so tremendous was the din.

Just then he saw his own dragon-fly and beckoned to him; the dragon-fly came at once. ”What is all this?” began Bevis.

”My dear, how are you?” interrupted the dragon-fly. ”I am so busy,” and off he went again.

”Well I never!” said Bevis, getting excited like the rest, when the hare came across the path and stopped to speak to him. ”What is going on?”