BooksBarbecue
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?

Mattimeo pulled a reed and bit the end. “Oh yes, wasn’t that the time you cut up one of Friar Hugo’s best tablecloths to make a tent?”

Sam Squirrel blew through a reed to test it. “If I remember rightly, that was you, Matti. No time to argue, though. Let’s give it a try.”

Holding on to each other and the rocks on the riverbed, they submerged, closing their nostrils and using their mouths to breathe through the hollow reeds. It worked perfectly.

*   *   *

Vitch clung tightly to Browntooth in the center of the river as they waded neck-high against the flowing current. It was cold and deep. Browntooth shook the rat away from him.

“Gerroff! What are you tryin’ to do, drown me? Go and search that side of the bank, I’ll take a look at the other side. They couldn’t hide in the middle of a river. Look, let go, will you, or we’ll both be swept away.”

“Huh, you’re not soft, are you, baggybelly? This side is full of overgrown ledges, and your side is nice smooth bank. Well, you can nibble your claws, fattie. I’m not going, so there!”

Browntooth forded his way toward the smooth bank. “Do what you like, runt. When Slagar gets back I’ll tell him that you wouldn’t search the river properly, and we’ll see what he has to say about that.”

“Snitch, telltale, gabbygob!” Vitch waded over towards the ledge, calling back insults.

*   *   *

Mattimeo could dimly make out the rat’s paws through the debris Vitch was churning up from the riverbed as he waded. The young mouse held his breath as the paws came slowly closer. Another few steps and he would tread on Auma’s back. The badger huddled with the water waving through her coat, unaware of the impending danger as her eyes were shut tight. Mattimeo made a sudden decision. It was risky, but worth a try.

He struck out swiftly at the rat’s paw with the small dagger.

*   *   *

“Yowchooch, glubglub. Help!” Vitch thrashed about in the water, losing his balance as he tried to clutch his injured paw. Swallowing water, he floundered about for a moment. Then, galvanized by pure terror, he grabbed the overhanging plants and scrambling furiously hauled himself over the rock ledge up on to the bank.

“Aargghh! Browntooth, don’t go near that ledge, mate. There’s a big pike under there. Look, it bit me. Owowowow!” Vitch rocked back and forth, trying to staunch the flow of blood by stuffing the injured paw into his mouth.

Browntooth waded hastily across. Avoiding the ledge, he found a part of the bank where he could easily get out of the river.