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Back Mattimeo
Chapters (64)
  1. CAPTURED!
  2. Other Books
  3. Title Page
  4. Map
  5. Introduction
  6. BOOK ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. BOOK TWO
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. BOOK THREE
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

Basil Stag Hare sauntered up out of the darkness. “Sure? You could bet your summer spikes on it, old lad. They’ve scaled the bally heights all right, though how they did it beats me. One clue though, I’ve just stumbled over the carcass of one of those stoat fellers. Either he thought he could fly or he missed his paw hold. Ugh! Nearly put me off m’supper, it did.”

“It must have been pretty grim to banish thoughts of food from your mind, Basil,” Matthias chuckled. “The question is, how do we get up there tomorrow?”

Orlando tested his axe blade against his paw. “And when we do get up there, d’you think they’ll have laid some sort of trap? Maybe the fox is waiting until we’re halfway up to start hurling rocks and boulders down on us.”

“That’s a chance we’ll have to take,” Matthias shrugged, “though I don’t think Slagar knows we’re alive. He’ll probably press on to get his captives to their destination, wherever that is.”

The old hare squatted down beside Matthias. “I picked up the tracks of that young shrew Skan and his cronies this afternoon. They were making for this point well ahead of us. I think the bally old fox knows we’re still alive and kickin’, one way or another.”

The warrior mouse unbuckled his sword and lay down in the grass.

“We’ll know tomorrow. Rest now.”

*   *   *

Mattimeo and his companions on the slave line were being driven hard and fast. Evidently there was to be little rest that night. Slagar and Stonefleck led the column. Before they set out, the masked fox had addressed them:

“Tonight you must move swiftly and silently. I tell you this because there is no other way. Stonefleck here will guide us, he knows the paths to take. When we reach the forest, there is danger, so be silent, travel fast, and you will come out unharmed. Now get moving!”

It was difficult going. They were forced into a stumbling dogtrot; the chain manacles and the heavy slave line were a great handicap for the prisoners. Surprisingly, the slavers helped them all they could. Sam was baffled.

“Matti, Tess, why haven’t they got the canes swinging? Usually we get beaten and bullied, but all of a sudden they’re being almost nice to us.”

Auma caught Tim as he stumbled. “They’re not shouting and yelling at us either. I’d say they look pretty frightened themselves.”

“There’s a forest up ahead,” Jube called back to them in a loud voice. “D’you suppose that has something to do with it?”

“Please, don’t shout or you’ll get us all killed!” Drynose the weasel guard had an almost pleading whine to his voice.

*   *   *