Silently they slid outside the small green-painted iron door. Matthias straining his eyes anxiously to see if there were any signs of life in the hedgehog. He still lay about a hundred and fifty mouse paces from where they stood.

The moles unraveled a rope sling. Foremole stood watching as two of his team started the dig.

Matthias looked on in wonderment. One minute they were above ground, a moment later there was a veritable shower bf loam and topsoil as they vanished beneath the earth: nature's own technicians.

Moist snouts poking from the excavation. They made their ground report to Foremole.

"Harr, he'm be noice an' soft, sur. Baint no rock nor root to stop us'ns, straight furrer we'm a-thinking."

Satisfied, Foremole moved towards the test hole with the rest of his team. "Oi'll dig ahead, you'm woiden workin's. Gaffer and Marge, foller up a-shorin." He tugged his snout respectfully to Matthias and Constance. "You'm gennelbeast bide by 'ere 'til us back."

Another quick shower of soft dark earth and the moles were lost to view beneath the ground surface.