The badger Lord pondered the question for a moment. “Hmm, I’m not overfond of spying—much sooner have a straight battle. But if we want to know what the vermin are up to, I suppose we’d better resort to a bit of intrigue. Sapwood, you and Oxeye go. Take a fast young one with you, in case you have to get a message back here quickly.”

Sergeant Sapwood threw a smart salute. “None faster’n young Pennybright, sir. She’ll be useful to ’ave halong with us. Come on, Hoxeye ol’ pal.”

*   *   *

Klitch lay hidden in the rocks, watching the mountain carefully. With him were threescore vermin, personally paw-picked for the mission. The young weasel’s blue eyes never left Salamandastron as he explained his plan to them.

“When they see the horde withdrawing it’ll puzzle ’em—we’re here to attack, not retreat. Urthstripe will do what any leader would do in this case: send out hares to investigate. That’s where you lot come in. I want those hares captured—not slain, mind. Dead hares are no good to me; I need live hostages. Are the nets ready, Dragtail?”

A tall gaunt ferret whose tail hung limp pointed to the beach. “Ready an’ waitin’, Klitch. Right in the path taken by our horde.”

Klitch held up a paw for silence. “Get down, here come the hares. Three of ’em—just right!”

*   *   *

Oxeye, Sapwood and Pennybright watched as Urthstripe rolled the boulder, closing the main entrance.

Pennybright’s eyes shone with admiration. “There’s not a creature in the world as strong as Lord Urthstripe. I’ll bet twenty of us couldn’t budge that boulder.”

Sapwood pushed her lightly, urging the young hare onward. “That ain’t nothin’ to some of the things Hi’ve seen ’Is Lordship do. Shake a paw, Penny. We ain’t got all night.”

Padding silently over the sands, the three hares tracked in the direction taken by the main body of the horde.

*   *   *

Klitch spread his soldiers out behind them in a wide half-circle. Striking flint to tinder, he ignited a torch and waved it. Ahead of the three hares sixty more fully armed creatures filed out from the rocks. Fanning out into another semicircle, they trotted swiftly to join up with the others, completely ringing the three hares inside a wide circle that was closing rapidly.

*   *   *

Sergeant Sapwood dropped into a fighting crouch, his eyes glittering pugnaciously. “Nice of ’em to send a welcomin’ committee t’ meet us, eh, Ox?”

Big Oxeye stood back to back with him, placing Pennybright facing Salamandastron.

“Life ain’t always true an’ just,

A villainous vermin you can’t trust!

“No doubt you’ve heard that old rhyme, Penny. Well, here are the jolly old villainous vermin in the fur an’ flesh, m’ gel.”

“They’ve got us surrounded. What do we do now?” Pennybright gripped her javelin nervously.