The weasel curled his lip at the undersized rat. “What he’s lookin’ out for is his own business and none of yours, nosey whiskers. You just keep your eyes on those prisoners.”

“Ha, you’re only sayin’ that ’cos you don’t know yourself,” Vitch sneered. “Bet you don’t even know where we’re going.”

Slagar had heard Vitch. He stood still until the unsuspecting rat caught up with him. Then the sly one stepped on the rat’s tail, stopping him short.

“So, you want to know where we’re going, eh, Vitch?”

The rat gulped and shrugged nervously. “Er, no, not really.”

The silken mask sucked into a hideous grin. “Then that’s good, Vitch, good. Because it’s no use asking this thick shower of tramps and scavengers. They don’t know. Only one creature knows where we’re going: me. When we get these slaves to their destination, you’ll either end up very rich . . . or very dead, if you keep asking about things that don’t concern you.”

Slagar strode off, leaving Vitch dumbfounded but thankful that he had only received a verbal reprimand for his curiosity.

“Did you hear that?” Mattimeo whispered to Jube. “Have you any idea where we’re going?”

The young hedgehog nodded. “South. That’s the way that slave caravans always go. My dad an’ mum said it’s evil in the south. We never go there.”

*   *   *

Shortly before noon they were in sight of two hills. Slagar called Threeclaws and Halftail.

“We’ll camp in the canyon between those two hills. Take the slaves up to the south end of it, there’s flat rocks with a river running through the middle. Stake them out there awhile, feed ’em and let ’em sleep. I’ll stay up this end of the gorge with Bageye, Skinpaw and Scringe, on top of that hill to the left. I want to see if we’re being followed. If I signal you, then move this lot south, quick as you can. We’ll catch up with you later.”

Two stoats called Badrag and Browntooth walked alongside Mattimeo and the others. Sam and Auma began secretly baiting them. The squirrel and the young badger yawned loudly and stretched.

“Whoooyaawhhh! I’m almost asleep on my paws, Auma. What about you?”

“Whuuuyyaaaah! Never mind us, Sam, what about these poor guards? They’ve had their tails run off, marching and looking after us.”

“You’re right there, badger.” Badrag rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Havin’ to break camp and march in the middle of the night, keepin’ you lot goin’, takin’ orders off Slagar. . . .”

Sam nodded sympathetically. “Aye, not much of a life, is it.”

Browntooth stubbed his paw on a rock. “Ouch! when are we goin’ to stop and get a decent sleep an’ something to eat, that’s what I’d like to know.”