“Ahem, ’fraid not. Soon as I sighted it I came here to report.”

“Good work,” Bella congratulated him. “Come with us. We may need you to carry word back fast to those in hiding.”

The woodlanders concealed themselves behind trees, in bushes and under deep loam. The badger, the otter, the squirrel and the robin struck out west along the bank, leaving the scene apparently deserted.

* * *

Traveling light, they made swift progress. It was not far to the stretch of water where the ship was.

Chibb was the first to sight it. He fluttered up and down excitedly. “Ahem, see, I told you so. Look at those two big poles sticking up above the trees. They’re, er, harrumph, big poles that stick up on ships.”

Skipper saw them, too.

“Masts, they are, matey,” he explained. “Let’s get in closer and take a better look.”

On all fours, they crept to the river’s edge, concealing themselves in the bushes as the ship hove into view.

“You there, come no further,” Bella called from her hideout, in the forbidding boom of a warlike badger. “If you mean harm to any creature in Mossflower, put back to sea—or deal with me!”

There was silence from the black ship.

* * *

On board Wuddshipp, Martin and his friends lay on deck, hidden by the ship’s sides.

Dinny clapped a paw to his mouth, stifling a chuckle. “Hurrhurrhurr, oi know oo that be a-shouten.”

“Bella, good old Bella of Brockhall.” There was a distant look in Martin’s eyes. “For a moment there she sounded like Boar.”

Log-a-Log nodded toward the shore. “Well, we can’t lie here all day. Who’s going to answer her?”

Young Dinny solved the problem by standing up and bellowing, “Yurr, thurr be a beast aboard oo’s a-perishen frum luv fer one called Combuliney.”

The creatures in the bushes dashed out in time to see the mole hit the water with a splash as Gonff heaved him over the side.

“Oo arr, glub, ’elp! Oi baint much gudd at swimmen!”

“Hold fast there, Young Din!” Skipper called, and he was in the water like a flash. He held Young Dinny up as eager paws hauled them on board.

“Skipper, you old waterwalloper!”

“Gonff, you young piebandit!”

“Hallo, Bella. Ahoy, it’s me, Martin!”

“Martin the Warrior, welcome home. Look who’s here!”

“Lady Amber, where’s your ear?”

Log-a-Log’s voice rang out, and suddenly Wuddshipp was swarming with shrews, mice, hedgehogs, squirrels and hares.

“Bring her hard over. Steady to the bank. Mind those masts on the trees. Steady that tiller. Watch her head in the shallows!”

Chibb flew to the ship and perched importantly upon the rail. “Ahem, I must fly and conduct good tidings to those languishing in concealment.”

As he flew off, Skipper chuckled. “Does that mean he’s going to tell the others? Strike me colors, but this is a fine ’andsome vessel. I never seen the like of it afore on old River Moss. You didn’t steal it, did you, Gonff? Is that two sails I spy? Wonderful. Blow me, look at the size of that tiller! This is a real seagoing craft, all right. What’s that big skull on the for’ard tip? A fish! I don’t believe there’s a fish that big in all the world.”