Part 23 (2/2)

245.

The raft was proving successful. Though the water hammered it hard in midcurrent, it held together admirably. Log-a-Log was in his element, manoeuvring the tiller as he shouted out orders above the rush of the waters. The long poles they had used for punting were now useless as a means of propelling the craft, and they relied upon the steering skills of the shrew leader.

Matthias stood at the forward end scanning the other sh.o.r.e, Basil and Cheek hung on to each other for dear life, with Jess, Jabez and Orlando near to paw, surrounded by shrews who packed the floating deck to its edges. They were past the midriver point when Matthias made his way across to Log-a-Log.

”How is she handling?”

”Oh, fine, Matthias, fine,” Log-a-Log said airily. ”As you can see, we've sprung a small leak or two, but nothing to worry about. I'll make for that spot over there. If s a curving inlet and the water looks almost still, so it must be by-pa.s.sed by the main center current. Are you all right, not worried about anything?”

”Not exactly worried, just keeping my eyes, ears and wits about me,” Matthias admitted. ”That sh.o.r.e looks a bit too peaceful for my liking.”

246.

”Ha, anything that looks peaceful is exactly to my liking.”

Stonefleck stood with his back to a rock on the open bank, completely disguised by his strange coat. In his paws he held a bow with an arrow notched on its string. Coolly he watched the raft looming larger, knowing that his formidable army was waiting, bows at the ready for its leader to fire the first arrow.

Basil relaxed his grip on Cheek. ”Ha, we're not bad sailors after all, young Cheek. Can't you feel the water gettin' smoother, not so much of that infernal bobbin' up and down like a duck's bottom?”

”That's as may be Basil, but I won't feel easy until me young paws are on dry land again,” the otter said nervously. ”Lookit that Log-a-Log shrew, he's enjoyin' it all. I bet he'll be sorry to leave this raft.”

”Stand ready with those poles,” Log-a-Log called to the shrews seated at the outboard edges. ”We'll be into still waters soon.”

A hissing volley of arrows speeding like flighted death cut down the six shrews who stood grasping the poles. They toppled lifeless into the water.

Immediately, the sh.o.r.e was alive with innumerable rats unleas.h.i.+ng arrows one after another into the unprotected creatures on the fiat raft deck.

Taken completely by surprise, there was only one course of action open to Matthias. Ducking and dodging flying shafts, he yelled, ”Overboard! Everybeast overboard. Stay on the river side of the raft. Keep low!”

There was a ma.s.s scramble, making the raft tilt perilously. Matthias, Log-a-Log and Jess unfastened their slings. All around them the shrews leapt into the water, dinging to the side of the raft furthest from the sh.o.r.e. The three friends launched slingstones at the attackers, but they did little good. Arrows still poured back at them like spring rain.

247.

”Log-a-Log, Jess, get off the raft, hurry!” Matthias shouted urgently.

The squirrel and the shrew did not stop to argue, they abandoned the heeling raft and took to the water. Matthias went last.

Stonefleck looked at the sky. Twilight was arriving. He signalled a cease-fire.

”Wait, they're in the water now. Lefs watch the sport before we open up again. But pick off any loose ones that you sight.”

The rat army packed to the water's edge, gazing at the bobbing raft an arrow's-length away.

Basil spat out a mouthful of river water as he clung to the side of the raft.

”Ambushed!” he said disgustedly. ”Where in the name of fur and claw did that mob spring from? They're no slouches with those bows, Orlando.”

”If I could reach them with my battleaxe, I'd show them I'm no slouch, the filthy a.s.sa.s.sins. Ouch, what was that?”

There were shouts and screams from the shrews.

”Ow! I've been bitten!”

”Ouch, ow! Me too!”

”Owooh! I'm bleeding!”

Matthias gritted his teeth. ”Silence. Be still. It's probably just a shoal of small fish.”

Jess changed places until she was by Matthias. ”Owen! It's like sitting on a beehive,” she complained. ”Cheek's got more sense. Look, he's still on the raft.”

A shrew who had been bitten tried hauling himself out of the water; he took an arrow between the eyes. Another shrew tried swimming away from the raft; two arrows sank him. The rats were sniping from the bank at anything that popped up or moved.

Cheek lay sprawled flat in the center of the raft, ignoring Matthias.

248.

”Come off that raft. Cheek, You'll be shot,” Matthias said sharply.

”No fear. Lie low and ding tight, that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going into that river.”

Basil sucked up water and spat it at the young otter.

”You t.i.ttle nuisance, come off that raft, sir. Off, I say!” he ordered.

Matthias felt tiny teeth bite his tail. He kicked out and was bitten again.

”Leave him, Basil. Lefs think of some way out of this. The raft is drifting towards those rats. Duck! They're firing again.”

More volleys of arrows followed.

For the first time in a long while, Stonefleck allowed himself a tight smile of satisfaction. ”We've got them. They're sailing towards us. Keep up the arrows! Those who aren't eaten will be shot. I want no captives. We're not slavers; leave that to Slagar.”

Jabez Stump was being bitten on his unprotected paws.

”I can't stand much more of this,” the hedgehog winced. ”What's to be done?”

”Hold the raft tight,” Log-a-Log called out. ”Try backing water. We might just tow it off into the main current again and get washed away from this lot.”

They tried as hard as they could, and the raft backed off slightly.

”If s heavy going. Cheek, will you get off that raft. We're towing your weight down here,” Matthias said crossly.

Cheek lay flat, dinging tighter to the deck as arrows whizzed over him in flights.

”No! Go 'way, leave me alone.”

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