“Yeekaaaar! We come, Burl, we come!”
“C’mon, don’t dawdle, you chaps! Let’s get this bally gate shut, wot!”
They grabbed the squirrels’ paws, pulling them along the final few paces and rushing them into the Abbey grounds. Skipper had Armel and Brooky inside. Tam and Ferdimond helped him to slam the heavy oaken gates shut. Doogy and Burlop barred them hastily, thrusting the thick, greased timbers into their holders. Willing paws hurried the two Abbeymaids off to the main building as Skipper unwound his sling. “Up on the walls everybeast!”
The Long Patrol were marching on the double over the western flatlands when the brigadier sighted the Abbey and heard the bells. Even from far off he suddenly made out the figures speeding along the path to Redwall. Throwing caution and order to the winds, he raced forward, wielding his swagger stick like a drum major. “Long Patrol, chaaaaaarge!”
Swords, lances and spears flashed in the spring morning as the regiment broke ranks, thundering toward the Abbey with their blood-curdling war cry ripping through the air. “Eulaliiiiiaaaaaaa!”
Crowding the battlements, the Abbey creatures set up a joyful cheer at the sight of a hundred gallant hares charging to their aid.
“Hooray for the Long Patrol!”
“Give ’em blood’n’vinegar! Redwaaaaaalllll!”
The forty-odd vermin who had been in pursuit of Tam and the escapers stopped running. They were strung out all along the path. Gulo the Savage was a reckless fighter, but he was not a complete fool. With the rest of his force back at the camp, the wolverine knew he was heavily outnumbered.
He sought out the white fox, Captain Urfig. “All those with bows, tell them to release a volley. Then follow us into the woodlands, back to the camp!”
Urfig swiftly gathered a dozen archers, positioning them at the edge of the ditch. They notched shafts to their bowstrings, sighting on the oncoming hares. Sergeant Wonwill was with the frontrunners. Though unable to halt the headlong stampede, he ran up front for all he was worth with Crumshaw alongside him, both calling orders amid the war cries.
“Archers t’the front ahead, slow down!”
“Slow down an’ fall flat! Attention to the h’officers!”
Most of the veterans heeded the commands, throwing themselves flat in the dewy grass. Some of the younger element, however, fired by the wild rush and eager to distinguish themselves in battle, actually increased their speed, rushing headlong at the enemy. Foremost among these were the twin gallopers, Kersey and Dauncey. A volley of shafts shot from the vermin bows, humming and zipping like maddened hornets. Crumshaw threw himself forward. An arrow pierced his shoulder as he hit Kersey, knocking her flat. Dauncey halted abruptly. For a few moments the young hare scout stood swaying, gaping at the two shafts buried in his chest, then fell slowly into a kneeling position. Wonwill pushed himself into a somersault, reaching the stricken hare and holding him closely. Then the sergeant lowered him gently back upon the ground.
The young galloper stared up into Wonwill’s battered face questioningly. “Eulalia, sah, charge to the bells. Elali. . . .”
Dauncey’s head fell to one side as his eyes clouded over.
The vermin archers were fitting more shafts to their strings. Looking about, Captain Urfig saw that they were alone on the path and that the hares were rising to renew their charge.
The vermin captain shouted out urgent orders. “Shoot quick an’ retreat back into the woodlands!” He whirled about as a roar came from the battlements.
“Haway braaaaaaw!” Rakkety Tam MacBurl and Wild Doogy Plumm were climbing down the Abbey walls, as only two skilful squirrel warriors could. Doogy had his claymore between his teeth; Tam had his jaw clamped around the sword of Martin. The vermin broke and fled, but the two warriors were hard on their paws. Urfig panicked and ran the wrong way. Four others in his vermin gang—two foxes and two ermine—went with him, leaping into the ditch. Doogy threw himself in behind them. They turned to run, but Tam had raced down the path ahead of them. Dropping himself down into the ditch, the border warrior now faced all five of his foes.
Skipper, Ferdimond and Tergen were unbarring the gates when Yoofus scuttled up, waving Tam’s claymore. “Let me at the dirty ould villains. Sure I’ll carve their tails from their throttles!”
Skipper ran out to stop him. “You’ll stay be’ind me. There might be vermin still about out there—easy now.”
Doogy sat on the ditchtop, clipping at daisies with his claymore. He greeted them mournfully. “Ach, I never even got tae raise mah blade. Tam did for ’em all afore I could get goin’. Ye’ll have tae find me a sword like that ’un. ’Tis a braw, bonny blade!”
Tam came walking back up the ditch bed, cleaning the sword on his kilt. He stared at it in wonder, reflecting aloud, “I tell ye, this thing felt like a lightnin’ flash in my paw. The beast who forged this blade knew what he was doin’. I’ll stake my name on that!”
20
Abbot Humble and his team of Redwallers helped the Long Patrol carry their wounded into the Abbey. He walked alongside the stretcher on which the brigadier was being carried.
Humble held the hare’s paw. “I can’t thank you enough for coming to our rescue the way you did, sir.”
Crumshaw’s jaw tightened as he was jolted slightly. “Don’t mention it, Father. All in the line o’ duty, y’know.”
Captain Fortindom and Sergeant Wonwill carried the body of Dauncey between them. Ferdimond De Mayne came hurrying over to place a comforting paw about the shoulders of Dauncey’s twin sister, Kersey.
“There, there now, old gel, what can one say? Your brother went down bravely. He was a perilous warrior, wot!”
Kersey was dry-eyed and tight-faced, obviously in deep shock. A kindly molewife intervened to take care of her. “You’m leave thiz yurr young ’un to oi, zurr. Cumm ee with oi, moi dearie. Ee bee’s needen a gurt rest.”
Sister Armel and Brooky were assisting a hare who had an arrow protruding from his footpaw. As they came through the gate, Tam joined her, still carrying the sword of Martin. “Armel, how are you?”
She nodded at her patient. “Much better than this poor hare, thank you. I heard how you leaped the Abbey wall and slew five of those brutes single-pawed. It was a very brave thing to do, Tam.”
Shuffling awkwardly, the border warrior chuckled. “You’ve been listening to rumours—Doogy was with me. We scaled down the wall. It’s not hard t’do when you know how. As to slayin’ the five vermin, well, I was just in the right place at the right moment.”
Doogy scowled as he trundled past, trailing his sword. “Och, if he fell doon a well, he’d come up wi’ a cake in his paw. Next time yer passin’ oot braw swords, lassie, dinna forget tae save one for the bonny han’some Highlander!”
The pretty squirrelmaid passed the wounded hare to them. “I will, sir, if you can find me a bonny handsome Highlander! Will you and Tam help this patient up to my Infirmary? Come on, I’ll show you the way.”
When they arrived at the Sister’s sickbay, there were other casualties waiting besides the Abbot and Brigadier Crumshaw. Though he was the most seriously wounded, the brigadier refused to be treated until all his injured creatures had been seen to.
He chatted with Tam as he waited. “Heard all about ye, MacBurl. From what I’m told, you’re a brave an’ perilous fighter, wot! Six o’ the blaggards an’ ye put paid to ’em all, single-pawed, by jingo!”
Tam corrected him. “ ’Twas only five, sir, an’ I was just doin’ my duty. I was very sorry to hear about young Dauncey, he was a gallant young galloper. I hope I got the scum who slew him, sah.”
The brigadier heaved a great sigh. “Young life like that, wasted. My fault, really. I should’ve kept the rascal on cookhouse duties. But who knows? Maybe his luck would’ve run out in a different way. Ah me, I tell ye, Tam, the Long Patrol is a hard an’ dangerous life for anybeast.”