Matthias stood at the forward end scanning the other shore, 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. It’s a curving inlet and the water looks almost still, so it must be by-passed 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 shore looks a bit too peaceful for my liking.”

“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 shore was alive with innumerable rats unleashing arrows one after another into the unprotected creatures on the flat 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 mass scramble, making the raft tilt perilously. Matthias, Log-a-Log and Jess unfastened their slings. All around them the shrews leapt into the water, clinging to the side of the raft furthest from the shore. The three friends launched slingstones at the attackers, but they did little good. Arrows still poured back at them like spring rain.

“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.

*   *   *