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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?

“Well, they won’t be under there, or anywhere up this end, if there’s pike in the water. Are you sure it was a pike, mate? Maybe it was one of those giant eels with poison teeth. I shouldn’t suck it, if I were you.”

Vitch spat out hurriedly and rubbed his mouth hard, forgetting the stabbed paw in his panic. “Splurr! Yurgh! What’ll I do, supposing that I’ve swallowed some?”

Browntooth lay flat on the rocky ledge, trying to peer over and get a glimpse of the monster. “Oh, you’ll soon know, if you turn purple and green and start swellin’ up. That’ll put a stop to your impudence, eh?”

*   *   *

Beneath the ledge, Auma could take it no more. The air from the straw was not enough for her, and she broke the surface, blowing hard and sucking in breath.

“Whooaar!”

*   *   *

Browntooth leapt backwards. Regaining his paws, he trotted off to join the rat.

“Cor, did you hear that, Vitchey? You’re lucky you weren’t eaten alive. It sounded like one of those giant things they talk about that lives in the bluesea place. Hoho, I’m not stopping round here.”

*   *   *

Mattimeo and the others broke the surface beneath the ledge. Gulping air gratefully, they listened to the cries of the rat and the stoat receding down the bank.

“Maybe I won’t turn purple and green, maybe it was just a sharp rock.”

“Are you kiddin’, bucko? I never heard a rock sound like that.”

“Then it must have been a pike. They don’t have poison teeth, do they?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been bitten by one. How d’you feel?”

“I feel all right, ’cept for my paw. Ooh, it really stings and it won’t stop bleedin’. Look.”

Cold and numb as they were, the comrades beneath the ledge tried to stifle suppressed giggles.

*   *   *

Scringe had the remaining captives chained and ready to march. He shrugged in resignation.

“Well, if they can’t be found, then they can’t. So much the worse for us when the boss finds out. Right, let’s march them into that cave over there, then out again and continue south. Wedgeback and Badrag, you cover the tracks coming out, but leave the ones going in.”

“Hmph! Sounds a bit silly, what’ve we got to do that for?” Badrag grumbled.

“Because that’s what Slagar ordered, numbskull. Now get moving.”

*   *   *

Darkness had fallen when Matthias and his search party reached the foothills of the gorge. Orlando looked about in the still night, brandishing his axe.

“I don’t like it, Matthias,” the badger remarked.

“Neither do I, friend, but we’ve got to take the chance. We can’t afford to wait until dawn. They may know we’re following and have pushed on ahead.”