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Chapters (50)
  1. TRAPPED
  2. Title Page
  3. Map
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. BOOK TWO
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. BOOK THREE
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44

Arula took gulps of cooling lilac and rosewater from a hollow gourd and passed it to Spriggat. “Yurr, wash’ee flies down, zurr.”

All along the waterway there were signs that the fox had passed in the stolen boat—broken branches, bruised plants and scrapes in the mossed banks. The wind increased overhead, howling a dirge through the treetops. The banks started to rise higher and the watercourse flowed faster as it took a downward slope.

Suddenly Alfoh pointed ahead to the stern of a logboat vanishing round a bend. “There they are! Dig those paddles deep. We’ve got ’em!”

*   *   *

Dethbrush heard the shout. Looking over his shoulder, he called to the five tracker rats, “Paddle for your lives! It’s those shrews!”

Other side streams, swollen by the rain, began gushing into the watercourse, and the stolen boat picked up speed, zinging along on its downhill course to the inland lake. Behind it the three logboats raced to catch up.

*   *   *

Dethbrush’s boat tipped dangerously and took off into the waters of the Great Lake with a loud splash. It was followed soon after by the Guosssom boats. Now all four were in the open waters. The howling northeast wind whipped the surface into foaming gray waves driven along in a wild slanting downpour of battering rain. Samkim wiped rainwater from his eyes, shielding them with a paw as he tried to keep his sight focused on the boat ahead. The storm drove it powerfully over the wave-crested waters. Up and down bobbed the prow of Samkim’s boat, driving deep into the troughs and being lifted high upon the crests. The crew pulled with might and main, until Samkim could see the back of the fox drawing closer.

“We’ve got ’em, lads. Dig those paddles deep!” With a shrew rapier in his paw, the young squirrel stood balancing as far out on the prow as he could go. “Paddle! Paddle, you water-wallopers!”

Within a third of a boatlength Samkim braced himself and took off with a mighty leap. Hurtling across the water with the waves almost hitting his paws, he sprang across the gap between the two boats to land scrambling for balance on the stern of the fox’s boat. A rat raised a paddle at him, but Samkim ducked and thrust in one movement, taking the tracker through his midriff.

Dethbrush turned, brandishing the sword of Martin the Warrior. He advanced on Samkim, calling above the storm, “Come on, I’ll carve your gizzard to doll rags! ’S death for you, young un!”

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