Brian Jacques - Redwall #20 - Eulalia!

Barbowla led his contingent of Guosim and otters to where a large, fallen tree trunk lay covered by fern and shrubbery. Suddenly the plan became clear to Maudie, she winked at the big otter.

"I say, well done, sah! If we bridge the sidestream with that trunk, then scoot away double-quick in the jolly old logboats, we could fool 'em. Old Kurdlywotsit an' his foul mob should cross the bridge, thinkin' we've carried on along the mainstream. What a super wheeze, they'll go right past us, wot!"

Barbowla began clearing away shrubbery. "No time for gossipin' now, miz, those villains'H be here soon. There's a good growth o' rush an' bush up yon sidestream, we can lay low there until they pass. Ahoy, let's git this ole log a-rollin', you Guosim, use yore paddles to move it. We need t'be quick!"

Everybeast bent their backs to the task. Shrews dug their paddles under the trunk and levered away with them. Maudie joined Barbowla's brawny family, hauling on three stout ropes.

At first nothing happened, then Luglug took over. "On my command, crews ... One, two, heave!" The trunk began to slide across the ferns and damp moss.

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Maudie gave a whoop. "That's the stuff, chaps, keep the blighter movin'!"

Beetles, worms and all manner of crawling insects fled for fresh cover as they were exposed to the daylight by the shifting of their shelter. An old Guosim shrew, who was watching the bankside, whispered hoarsely, "Keep yore voices down now, an' git a move on. I think I can see 'em in the distance!" His urgent entreaty lent power and speed to their limbs, the trunk moved rapidly along, until they were at the sidestream.

Barbowla and his otters leapt into the water, helping to shift the huge log, as the shrews put their paddles to the broken tree's base. Once it was bridging the water firmly, everybeast swiftly trampled the area surrounding both sides. This was to make it look as though the trunk was often used as a crossing. Without taking breath, the shrews were back into their logboats, paddling furiously off down the sidestream, with the otters towing and pushing each craft.

Maudie crouched at the stern of the last boat, alongside Osbil the Spotter, whose keen eyes picked up movement back along the bankside.

"I can see the painted scum, they'll be at that trunk afore long. I wouldn't be surprised if'n they spotted us!"

Maudie glanced upstream, to where the coracle, and the leading logboat, were slipping into the shelter of overhanging trees and rushes. "Not to worry, bucko, we should just about flippin' well make it. Duck your head, old lad, an' hope for the best!"

Barbowla and Kachooch thrust the stern of the last log-boat under cover, just as the leading score of Brownrats arrived at the decoy bridge. Kachooch slipped silently along the line of boats, whispering a caution. "Don't paddle, stay still! If'n they look up this way an' see any movement of boats or trees, they're bound to see us. Lay low now, an' not a sound out of anybeast!"

At the tree-trunk bridge, a dispute appeared to have

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arisen. Kurdly's leading rat, Stringle, was calling across the mainstream to the scout Noggo, who was with a large contingent on the far bank. "Can ye see any sign of 'em upstream?"

Noggo shrugged as he shouted back, "I can't see 'em from 'ere, wot'll we do?"

Stringle sat down in the centre of the log. He looked this way and that, then scratched his head. "Best wait 'ere 'til the Boss arrives!"

Noggo could see the sidestream from the opposite bank. "D'ye think they've gone up there?"

Stringle spat contemptuously into the water. "Yew thick-'eaded dolt, 'ow could they sail through this log I'm sittin' on? Huh, if'n brains was vittles you woulda starved to death when ye was born!"

More rats began arriving on either side of the stream, until both banks were crowded. Everybeast waiting on the arrival of their leader's stretcher.

Peering from beneath the leafy foliage, Luglug grunted. "I can't see a thing, wot's goin' on back there?"

Maudie and Osbil had the best view. Through a screen of rushes the haremaid gave her assessment of the situation. "Looks like there's some sort of confounded conflab goin' on. Wish they'd jolly well move on an' pick someplace else t'do their jabberin'."

Osbil commented, "Somethin' should be happenin' shortly, here comes ole fat-bottom Kurdly on his litter."

One of the shrews clanked his paddle against the log-boat's side. Luglug cautioned him in a severe undertone, "Belay there, mate, d'ye want the vermin to know we're here?"

The shrew apologised. "Sorry, Chief, I swiped at a wasp wot was buzzin' round me snout, huh, I missed it!"

The shrew chieftain glared savagely at him. "I won't miss you if'n you makes any more noise, I'll splinter that

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paddle atwixt yore ears. All of ye, keep yore heads down, an' not a murmur out of anybeast!"

Gruntan Kurdly was on the same bankside as Stringle, grunting with pain he sat up straight on the litter, staring at his officer. "Well, wot are ye waitin' for, next season?"

Stringle tried explaining. "I er, thought we'd better wait fer you, Boss ... er, I think we've lost 'em...."

Gruntan exploded. "Lost 'em, worra ye talkin' about, lost 'em, 'ow could any fool lose six logboats on a straight stream?"

Stringle pointed across at Noggo on the other bank. "Well, that scout couldn't see any sign of 'em up ahead, an' I couldn't see 'em either. So we waited for yore orders, Boss."

Noggo called across, trying to sound helpful. "I was sayin' to Stringle, they might've gone up that side-stream, Boss."

Gruntan Kurdly cast a glance at the tree trunk which bridged the sidestream, he looked across at Noggo. "An wot, pray, gave ye that bright idea?"

Noggo shrugged. "Well, they had t'go somewhere, an' they ain't on the mainstream, so I thought they might've cut off up there, Boss."

Noggo was sorry he had spoken. Gruntan pointed to the bank, where he was sitting upon his litter. "Get over 'ere, now!"

Noggo looked at the stream separating them both. "Wot, y'mean swim, Boss?"

Gruntan bellowed aloud, "No, I mean fly, ye dimwitted dolt. Get over 'ere right now!"

Noggo leapt in and swam across. A moment later he was standing, trembling, alongside his leader.

Gruntan indicated the tree-trunk bridge. "Tell me, 'ow did they git six logboats over that?"

Noggo had his answer ready. "Carried 'em, Boss, they

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was carryin' their boats when me'n Biklo first spotted 'em. Sh'ews kin carry boats, y'know."

Gruntan winced as he pulled a gorse thorn from his tail area. "Right, we'll wait 'ere whilst you go an' take a look. Give us a shout if'n ye spot 'em."

Noggo knew he had no choice, he set off along the less well-defined and more muddy sidestream bank.

Osbil whispered to Maudie, "There's one of the vermin comin' toward us, what'U we do?"

The haremaid murmured as she watched the approaching Brownrat, "Keep lyin', doggo, he might not come up this far. But if he does, don't fret, I'll jolly well stop the blighter. In fact, I'll stop him cold!" Going into a crouch, ready to spring, Maudie clenched her paws tightly. Everybeast in the boats held their breath.

Noggo was talking softly to himself as he neared the rushes and overhanging trees. "Huh, that's wot I get fer tryin' t'be 'elpful. I'll keep me trap shut from now on, I ain't no ossifer!"

He ducked under the tree canopy, and was met by Maudie. She came bounding from the stern of the logboat, poleaxing the unsuspecting Noggo with a thundering right punch, followed by a swift left. There was no need for a third blow, the first two had done the job. Noggo was out for the rest of the day. As Maudie slid back into the boat, everything suddenly went wrong.

An otterbabe squealed out in pain, stung on her nosetip by one of the wasps which had been buzzing about. Before she could be silenced, the little one's piercing wails were echoing about widespread.