Oxeye sneaked a footpaw loose. “Can’t you see? It’s an ideal boat. They wouldn’t think of you putting to sea. It’s the great escape, Sap. You could float up or down the coast apiece, land the driftwood and sneak back to Salamandastron.”

The Sergeant shook water from his ear as he looked at his friend through one eye. “Me?”

“Yes, of course you! I simply hate water—can’t swim a stroke, y’know. But I’ve watched you doin’ all those sporty exercises—you used to swim like a bally duck, every mornin’.”

Sapwood was not very keen on the idea. “Er, ’scuse me, hold feller, but what’ll you be doin’ while I’m cruisin’ round on a cob of driftwood if Hi might ask?”

“Keepin’ ’em busy while you escape, you great pugilistic duffer.” Oxeye chuckled. “One of us has got t’ do it. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I’ve roundly cracked a few heads. Now no arguments, Sergeant. Besides, I outrank you—I’m a lieutenant, y’ know. Never use the title an’ I hate pullin’ rank on a chap, but that’s the way the pebble rocks. First we’ve got to get some weapons—let’s see if we can entice ol’ thickhead an’ his pal over.”

*   *   *

Migroo was nodding off nicely in the late noontide heat when Feadle shook him awake.

“Wot are those two hares up to, matey? Listen to ’em!”

Migroo sat up as the two captives started yelling, “Help! Help! There’s a big fish over here tryin’ to eat us! Yowch! Gerroff! Do somethin’, chaps. It’s a big fat fish!”

Feadle grabbed his spear. “Did yer ’ear that, mate? A big fat fish!”

Migroo also picked up his spear. “Hoho, just the job fer supper. Don’t tell the others. Come on!”

They splashed across through the shallows. Feadle got there first, waving his spear animatedly as he shouted, “Where’s the big fat fish?”

Sapwood sprang up right on cue, laying the weasel out with a crashing double pawswing. Migroo pulled up short, alarm on his face as he turned tail and ran off yelling, “Escape! The prisoners are escapin’!”

Oxeye’s back had sunk into the wet sand and he had difficulty pulling himself up. Coming free with a sucking squelch, he ran to the driftwood and began tugging it into the water. “Come on, Sap. Hurry up! Get this thing out to sea!”

Between them they lugged the heavy tree limb, tripping and stumbling on branches and twigs as they pushed and towed it into the water.

Scores of vermin came racing across the beach with Klitch and Ferahgo yelling in the rear.

“Get them! Stop those hares!”

“Kill the two of them if you have to, but stop them!”