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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?

“Yak! Don’t you start that again, you’ve got us into enough trouble for one night. Now go to sleep. That way you won’t be able to see anything worth reporting with your dim imagination.”

42

There was dissension and mutiny in the camp of Slagar. The slavers woke to find the slaves and their leader gone. Worse followed when Drynose the weasel found the lifeless body of his comrade Damper.

“The filthy murdering fox, he’s stabbed my mate Damper,” he cried out.

Halftail attempted to pacify him. “Rubbish! Slagar wouldn’t kill one of his own.”

“Hah! Well, what about Hairbelly and Wedgeback? He done ’em both in.”

“Drynose is right. You keep out of it, Threeclaws. I’ll bet you that lousy masked murderer has even killed little Vitch. Look around. Can you see Vitch?”

“Vitch isn’t dead,” Scringe butted in. “Slagar’s taken him along somewhere.”

Halftail brandished a dagger at Scringe. “Somewhere? What d’you mean, somewhere? You’ve been spying and listenin’ to things that don’t concern you, Scringe. I think you’re a dirty traitor.”

“Dirty traitor, eh? Listen who’s talkin’. You’re the turncoat, bucko. Slagar told me to keep my eye on you. And don’t you start waving that dagger at me, snot-whiskers. I’ve got a sword twice as big as that. Look!”

Halftail rushed Scringe as he tried to draw his sword. Taken unawares, the ferret was easy prey to the stoat’s dagger. He fell mortally wounded. Halftail turned upon the rest.

“That’s what spies and traitors get. Anybeast want some? Come on!”

Threeclaws pulled out a vicious-looking hook. “Hey, Halftail. You’ve got a lot to say for yourself. Who do you think you are, the Chief?”

“I am, as far as you’re concerned, weasel; Slagar left me in charge when he told me he’d be gone for a while.”

Threeclaws brandished the hook, nodding to Fleaback and Drynose, and all three advanced slowly upon Halftail. Threeclaws grinned wickedly.

“Slagar left you in charge? Whose paw do you think you’re trying to pull? He would have left one of us weasels in charge, wouldn’t he, mates?”

Halftail snatched the sword from the dead Scringe. He swished it at them and jabbed with his dagger.

“Get back, weasels, leave me alone or there’ll be real trouble when Slagar returns.”

Threeclaws circled slowly, swinging the hook. “You must have bread for brains if you think the fox is coming back, you idiot. Why do you think he took the slaves with him? He’s got no intentions of coming back. Ha! No wonder they call him the Sly One.”

Drynose made a rush at Halftail. The stoat leapt to one side and spitted the weasel with his sword. He shouted an appeal to Bageye, the only other stoat in the group:

“Come on, Bageye. Slagar left me in charge, help me out, mate.”