Скотний двір
Chapter 8
IfPilkingtonandhismenwouldhelpthem,thedaymightyetbewon. Butatthismomentthefourpigeons,whohadbeensentoutonthedaybefore,returned,oneofthembearingascrapofpaperfromPilkington. Onitwaspencilledthewords: "Servesyouright."
MeanwhileFrederickandhismenhadhaltedaboutthewindmill. Theanimalswatchedthem,andamurmurofdismaywentround. Twoofthemenhadproducedacrowbarandasledgehammer. Theyweregoingtoknockthewindmilldown.
"Impossible!"criedNapoleon. "Wehavebuiltthewallsfartoothickforthat. Theycouldnotknockitdowninaweek. Courage,comrades!"
ButBenjaminwaswatchingthemovementsofthemenintently. Thetwowiththehammerandthecrowbarweredrillingaholenearthebaseofthewindmill. Slowly,andwithanairalmostofamusement,Benjaminnoddedhislongmuzzle.
"Ithoughtso,"hesaid. "Doyounotseewhattheyaredoing? Inanothermomenttheyaregoingtopackblastingpowderintothathole."
Terrified,theanimalswaited. Itwasimpossiblenowtoventureoutoftheshelterofthebuildings. Afterafewminutesthemenwereseentoberunninginalldirections. Thentherewasadeafeningroar. Thepigeonsswirledintotheair,andalltheanimals,exceptNapoleon,flungthemselvesflatontheirbelliesandhidtheirfaces. Whentheygotupagain,ahugecloudofblacksmokewashangingwherethewindmillhadbeen. Slowlythebreezedrifteditaway. Thewindmillhadceasedtoexist!
Atthissighttheanimals’couragereturnedtothem. Thefearanddespairtheyhadfeltamomentearlierweredrownedintheirrageagainstthisvile,contemptibleact.