Florian waved the flapping blade of the sword at him. “A likely story, sah. Peace me flippin’ whiskahs! I’ll have y’know you are dealin’ with a band of expert warriors, trained to slay with a single bally swipe, wot!”

Skipper, Log a Log and Janglur arrived on the scene at this point, closely followed by Song and Dippler. Song immediately went to the injured shrew and held a pawful of damp moss to his nose.

“What’s going on here, may I ask?” she said.

At the sound of a sweet musical voice, Florian was transformed. Sweeping off his straw hat, he bowed so low that he almost fell into the mud surrounding the cart. “Faith, miss, your tones are music t’me ears, wot! Pray dissuade those small surly rogues from attacking us. We are innocents lost. A simple troupe of strolling players, ravaged by an unseasonable quirk of the weather and unjustly menaced by savage spikefurred persons.”

The shrew took the damp moss from his nose long enough to argue back. “You flop-eared ole fraud, you was the one goin’ to attack us!”

Deesum showed herself, wringing a large flowered kerchief anxiously. “Oh, desist from bickering and help us, please!”

Gallantly Skipper and Janglur helped the troupe from the cart, taking care to swing them out clear of the mud. Introductions were made all around as the Guosim rolled their canvas sails into long bands, attaching them to the cart like tow ropes. Skipper and Janglur found a good stout yew limb to use as a lever. The cart rocked back and forth, making wet sucking noises, as the team of Guosim pulled and Skipper levered. Janglur found the shaft and the crosstree beneath the mud and hauled. With their combined efforts they soon had the cart back on firm ground. Skipper shook mud from himself as Florian thanked him.

“My my, what a stout feller you are—stout fellers all, in fact. Let us put on a performance for you in gratitude for your sterlin’ services in recoverin’ our jolly old transport, wot!”

Skipper could not help smiling at the effusive hare. “Lucky y’never went any further afore ye got stuck, matey. That’s a swamp out there, an’ there wouldn’t have been a trace of you creatures or yore cart in the middle of the marshes!”

“Oooooohhh!”

Deesum did a graceful swoon and fainted. Janglur indicated her prone form with a nod at Ellayo. “Bring ’er round, Mum. Mister Florian, yore performance’ll have to wait till another time. We’ve got to get to Redwall Abbey afore dark.”

Florian did a comical double take. “Redwall Abbey, sah? Capital! The very place we are proceedin’ to. Mayhap we can wend our way together—strength in unity, y’know. I can defend you from any blackguards, rogues or hardpaws we may encounter on the way. Lead on, my good fellow, lead on!”