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He was running as only a pig can run, but the dogs were close on his heels.

Suddenly he slipped and it seemed certain that they had him.

Then he was up again, running faster than ever, then the dogs were gaining on him again.

One of them all but closed his jaws on Snowball's tail, but Snowball whisked it free just in time.

Then he put on an extra spurt and, with a few inches to spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more.

Silent and terrified, the animals crept back into the barn.

In a moment the dogs came bounding back.

At first no one had been able to imagine where these creatures came from, but the problem was soon solved: they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken away from their mothers and reared privately.

Though not yet full-grown, they were huge dogs, and as fierce-looking as wolves.

They kept close to Napoleon.

It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones.

Napoleon, with the dogs following him, now mounted on to the raised portion of the floor where Major had previously stood to deliver his speech.

He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end.

They were unnecessary, he said, and wasted time.

In future all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs, presided over by himself.

These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decisions to the others.

The animals would still assemble on Sunday mornings to salute the flag, sing 'Beasts of England', and receive their orders for the week; but there would be no more debates.

In spite of the shock that Snowball's expulsion had given them, the animals were dismayed by this announcement.

Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.

Even Boxer was vaguely troubled.

He set his ears back, shook his forelock several times, and tried hard to marshal his thoughts; but in the end he could not think of anything to say.

Some of the pigs themselves, however, were more articulate.

Four young porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval, and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once.

But suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep, menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again.

Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good, two legs bad!" which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion.

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