The Rogue Crew

Drogbuk chuckled drily. “Brave words, friend, but the vermin outnumber ye about a score to one. Oh, I’ll grant ye could pick one or two off, like I’ve seen ye do. But these are corsairs’n’searats. They ain’t led by a stoopid beast. If’n the mood took yon Wearat, he’d track ye down an’ finish ye one by one.”

Dobble, the Guosim scout, called impatiently, “You ain’t told us yore plan yet, old un!”

Drogbuk snapped back at him, “Then give me a blinkin’ chance, fatmouth! Lissen now, we know the vermin are goin’ to try an’ conquer Redwall. So, if’n we can get there afore ’em, we can warn those Redwallers an’ be ready for the foebeasts when they arrive.”

Swiffo could not help cutting in eagerly. “He’s right, y’know! In a stone fortress, backed up by the Redwall beasts, we’d stand a much better chance o’ winnin’ agin the vermin. Wot d’ye say, Dandy?”

The Log a Log sighed. “Maybe so, but how are we goin’ t’get to Redwall faster than them? I ain’t even sure o’ the way widout a logboat, an’ they’ve got a ship on wheels.”

Drogbuk winked craftily. “Ahah, but I knows the way to that Abbey, I’ve been there a few times in my seasons. I knows a shortcut, too, if’n yore willin’ t’take the chance—”

Uggo interrupted. “W’ot’s so chancey about a shortcut?”

The old hedgehog shrugged. “Nothin’ if’n ye ain’t scared o’ snakes, toads an’ lizards—aye, an’ a band o’ foxes.”

Swiffo placed a paw about Drogbuk’s shoulders, exclaiming airily, “Hah, is that all? Then lead on, ole matey!”

The very mention of snakes caused the Guosim to hesitate, for the simple reason that most shrews fear nothing more than serpents.

Dandy shook a paw in Drogbuk’s face. “An’ yore certain that it’s a shortcut that’ll get us to Redwall faster than the vermin crew?”

A few spikes rattled onto the bankside as Drogbuk nodded. “Sure, fer certain, an’ that certain sure!”

Posy set an example by putting her best paw forward. “Well, that’s good enough for me, sir. I’m game to try!”

Swiffo grinned at the apprehensive Guosim shrews. “I’ope yore not goin’ t’be shown up by a liddle ’ogmaid!”

Dandy trembled as if fit to burst as he roared at his warriors, “Nobeast shows up a Guosim—we’re with ye. Up off yore tails, you lot. Let’s march!”

They set off with Posy and Uggo either side of Drogbuk in the lead.

Uggo smiled as he whispered to his pretty friend, “Well said, Posy. That moved ’em!”

Posy answered unsmilingly, “I hope I haven’t moved us into something that’ll see us as snakefood!”

23

Jum Gurdy wandered amongst the injured Guosim on the streambank, looking for new arrivals. The old squirrel Rekaby and his band of Fortunate Freepaws were doing a fine job treating wounded shrews. Foober the squirrelmaid knew what Jum was looking for. She shook her head sympathetically at him.

“Yore liddle ’ogfriends ain’t showed up, Mister Gurdy. I think we’ve seen the last of the beasts wanderin’ in now.”

Redwall’s big old Cellardog heaved a weary sigh. “Thankee, miss. I was tryin’ not t’give up hope of seein’ Posy an’ Uggo, but it looks like they ain’t about to turn up’ere. Where could those young uns ’ave got to?”

Foober noticed that the infant hog was no longer with Jum. She reproached him mildly. “Wot ’appened to baby Wiggles? Weren’t ye in charge of ’er?”

Jum waved his rudder toward a huge sycamore. “The liddle scamp’ll be up there. Who taught a hogbabe to climb like a squirrel, I’d like to know?”

Foober carried on splinting a shrew’s footpaw. “Sorry. That was me.” She shouted toward the sycamore, “Wiiiiggggllleeeesss! Git down ’ere right now, or I’ll skelp yore behind!”

The upper branches shook, then Wiggles’s head appeared amidst the foliage—she was giggling.

“Heeheehee! No, no, not ’til ole fattydog comes up t’get me!”

Jum shrugged at Foober. “The scamp knows I can’t climb trees. Leave ’er. When she’s hungry, she’ll come down.”

However, Foober was made of sterner stuff. Passing Jum a bandage, she leapt up. “You carry on bindin’ this splint, Mister Gurdy. I’ll see t’that cheeky wretch afore she’s much older!”

With a bound, the squirrelmaid was up the sycamore trunk, vanishing into the foliage. There was a sudden rustle of leaves, followed by squeaks of dismay.

“Yeeeeek! Leggo a Wiggles! I only a likkle babe, y’know!”

In the blink of an eye, Foober dropped from the lower boughs with Wiggles firmly in her paws. She was outraged at being captured so easily.

“Leggo of Wiggles or I bite ya wiv me sharp likkle teefs!”

But Foober had other ideas. Grabbing a pawful of bandages and a splint, she went to work on Wiggles.

She liked the idea of the swing Foober rigged up for her on a low bough. But she soon began squealing when the squirrelmaid bound her to it with the bandages. Wiggles’s tiny paws kicked helplessly in all directions.

“Yeeeek! ’Elp me—get Wiggles down, ole Rekbee, ’elp!”

Rekaby took an extra length of bandage, shaking it at Wiggles. “One more squeak out of ye, liddle curmudgeon, an’ I’ll gag ye, an’ that’s a promise!”

Wiggles took the threat to heart and hung there scowling darkly in silence.