Скотный двор
Chapter 7
"Thatwasourmistake,comrade. Forweknownow—itisallwrittendowninthesecretdocumentsthatwehavefound—thatinrealityhewastryingtolureustoourdoom."
"Buthewaswounded,"saidBoxer."Weallsawhimrunningwithblood."
"Thatwaspartofthearrangement!"criedSquealer. "Jones’sshotonlygrazedhim. Icouldshowyouthisinhisownwriting,ifyouwereabletoreadit. TheplotwasforSnowball,atthecriticalmoment,togivethesignalforflightandleavethefieldtotheenemy. Andheverynearlysucceeded—Iwillevensay,comrades,heWOULDhavesucceededifithadnotbeenforourheroicLeader,ComradeNapoleon. Doyounotrememberhow,justatthemomentwhenJonesandhismenhadgotinsidetheyard,Snowballsuddenlyturnedandfled,andmanyanimalsfollowedhim? Anddoyounotremember,too,thatitwasjustatthatmoment,whenpanicwasspreadingandallseemedlost,thatComradeNapoleonsprangforwardwithacryof‘DeathtoHumanity!’andsankhisteethinJones’sleg? SurelyyourememberTHAT,comrades?"exclaimedSquealer,friskingfromsidetoside.
NowwhenSquealerdescribedthescenesographically,itseemedtotheanimalsthattheydidrememberit. Atanyrate,theyrememberedthatatthecriticalmomentofthebattleSnowballhadturnedtoflee. ButBoxerwasstillalittleuneasy.
"IdonotbelievethatSnowballwasatraitoratthebeginning,"hesaidfinally. "Whathehasdonesinceisdifferent. ButIbelievethatattheBattleoftheCowshedhewasagoodcomrade."
"OurLeader,ComradeNapoleon,"announcedSquealer,speakingveryslowlyandfirmly,"hasstatedcategorically—categorically,comrade—thatSnowballwasJones’sagentfromtheverybeginning—yes,andfromlongbeforetheRebellionwaseverthoughtof."
