BooksBarbecue
Back Marlfox
Chapters (79)
  1. CHARGE!
  2. THE REDWALL BOOKS
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. ACT ONE
  7. 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 4
  15. 5
  16. 5
  17. 6
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 7
  21. 8
  22. 8
  23. 9
  24. 9
  25. 10
  26. 10
  27. 11
  28. 11
  29. 12
  30. 12
  31. 13
  32. 13
  33. ACT TWO
  34. 14
  35. 14
  36. 15
  37. 15
  38. 16
  39. 16
  40. 17
  41. 17
  42. 18
  43. 18
  44. 19
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 20
  48. 21
  49. 21
  50. 22
  51. 22
  52. 23
  53. 23
  54. 24
  55. 24
  56. 25
  57. 25
  58. ACT THREE
  59. 26
  60. 26
  61. 27
  62. 27
  63. 28
  64. 28
  65. 29
  66. 29
  67. 30
  68. 30
  69. 31
  70. 31
  71. 32
  72. 32
  73. 33
  74. 33
  75. 34
  76. 34
  77. Epilogue
  78. Epilogue
  79. What’s next onyour reading list?

A water rat was halfway over the wall when he met a thrust from Bargle’s rapier and fell back with a gurgle, plunging out over the heads of his upcoming companions. Bargle and three other shrews mounted the battlements, slashing with their blades at any rat foolish enough to attempt climbing further. Below on the ground Vannan, Ascrod and Predak knew that the plan had been discovered, but they urged their troops on.

“Come on, get up that ladder! You at the top there, attack! Get on the wall and keep them shrews busy! Fight them!”

Bargle draped himself across the gap between two battlements, and by leaning down as far as he could, managed to catch hold of the rope, still tied to the ladder top. The brave shrew hauled on the rope while his mates kept the attackers busy, until the free end was at last in his hand. Leaping up, he yelled out commands.

“Somebeast get over to the Abbey an’ raise the alarm, there’s nobeast in the belltower to warn ’em! The rest of ye, follow me!”

Bargle started running along the tops of the battlements toward the southwest corner, tugging the rope across his shoulders. Wily in the ways of battle, the other Guosim caught on right away to what he was doing. Climbing up to join him, each one caught hold of the rope and ran with it, pulling furiously. With a loud grating sound the ladder began heeling over sideways. Rats screeched in panic, caught in a jumble at the top of the ladder, unable to descend because of others clinging on in terror below them. Those lucky enough to be on the low rungs jumped for the safety of the ground, most of them landing on the heads of the bewildered Marlfoxes below. Unable to topple further, the ladder fell awkwardly, spinning out away from the wall, laden with screaming vermin. It thudded to earth with a sickening crunch, snapping at its center as it hit the ground in a cloud of dust and carcasses.

Bargle jumped down from the battlements. “Down into the grounds, mates, we don’t know ’ow many got in!”

The shrew running for the Abbey to raise the alarm was brought down by an arrow. Mayon had his paws full defending the main gates against Gelltor and the ten water rats who had made it over the wall.