Night had fallen when the lake came into view. The river was running steep and fast, with outcrops of rock poking dangerously from its surface. Gawjo gave the order to his crew. “All paws on deck. Pole ’er over these rapids an’ keep yore eyes peeled for those rocks. Lively now!”

Song and her companions found themselves standing alongside the burly hedgehogs, pushing and punting with the long raft poles. Burble was slightly tardy lifting his pole and was thrust up into the air, the raft rushing by him. Dippler saw him rise and shouted a warning. “Watervole overboard! Er, I mean up in the air!”

Torrab and one of her burly sisters were aft. They snatched Burble and the pole, heaving them back onto the deck before he was left clinging to a pole in midriver as the raft went on without him. Song and her friends were laughing about it when the big craft began to buck and plunge. A hedgehog shot by, looping them all to the raft with a stout rope. Spray struck their faces, and Dann yelled above the din, “Look out, here we go, mates!”

Song would have been frightened had it not been for the confidence she felt in the skill shown by her grandpa and Torrab’s crew. Instead, a wave of exhilaration swept over her as the raft virtually flew down the rapids. Turning and heaving, sometimes head down, other times bow up, night-dark water crested with star-swept spray rushed by in a blur. Megraw balanced firmly on the for’ard rail, calling directions. “Rocks comin’ up aheid, swing tae yer left. Left! Left! Noo, awa’ right a wee bitty. Hauld ’er steady, laddies, steady!”

Without warning a waterfall came up, and they shot straight over the top, right out into space. The breath was whipped from their mouths as they stood frozen, still holding on to the raft poles, water roaring at their back.

Wwwhhhhrrrrraaaaaakkkkkkkkssssshhhhh! The raft landed flat with an earsplitting splash. Gawjo wiped water from his eyes and shrugged carelessly. “Well, this’s the lake. We’ve arrived.”

Even in the darkness they could feel the immensity of a vast body of water, calm and smooth as a millpond in the warm summer night. Everybeast aboard collapsed into a sitting position, dog-weary and gasping.

Gawjo was first to recover, and he paced the deck sternly. “Come on, me babies, up on yore paws, we’re stickin’ out like a bandaged ear if’n any foebeast shows up. Let’s get ’er ashore an’ into some cover. Jump to it, crew!”

They chose a spot farther east on the lakeshore, where trees grew thick, willows on the fringes dipping their branches into the water. Waist deep in the lake, they levered the raft onshore with the punting poles. Burble stumbled and spat out a mouthful of muddy liquid. “A proper ould slave driver that grandpa of yores is, Song. Yiss yiss, a right ould whipcracker!”