Pikkle sat with his eyes wide as saucers and his ears rigid. "Well, let's hope we jolly well live to tell about it. Oh, corks an' catkins! I knew I should never have gone sailin'. At least when you're on bally old dry land you can run away, but stuck out here on a floatin' log, it's a bit much, you chaps!"
"Deepcoiler was an old shrew tale," Log-a-log explained to Mara and Pikkle somewhat apologetically, "a story to frighten naughty little ones who wanted to go paddling alone; though in the time of my forefathers there were stories of logboats and whole crews lost in mysterious circumstances out on this great lake. As for myself, I never believed in the thing, but now I have seen it with my own eyes, how can I doubt it? 1 am sorry that this peril has been brought upon you by me and my son."
The boats were floating side by side. Tubgutt snarled across, "D'you hear that, shrews? He's sorry. We might all be dead meat by tonight, but Log-a-log's sorry! Log-a-log? He's not a proper Log-a-log. Where's the Blackstone mat should be hanging round his neck? We don't have to take orders from him! I say we make for the shore!"
Mutinous murmurs started arising from both crews,
"Tubgutt's right, without the Blackstone he's just an impostor!"
"I say we elect another leader!"
"Aye, Tubgutt for leader. He'll get us out of this!"
The fat shrew stood up with a triumphant sneer and faced the shrew leader. "Find yourself another name, shrew. You're Log-a-log no more. I'm the new Guosssom leader now. Right?"
All the shrews were frightened at the thought of being out on the lake where Deepcoiler lurked. Tubgutt's plan to strike for land caught on immediately. Rather shamefacedly they murmured agreement with Tubgutt, though they kept their eyes averted from Log-a-log, who had always been a good and fair leader.
Log-a-log touched his rapier hilt as he gazed coolly across at Tubgutt. "We'll settle this once and for all. You name the time and the place, shrew."
Tubgutt quailed under Log-a-log's stare, but he put on a brave front and began blustering. "There'll be no fighting to the death around here or on land. I'm the newly elected leader now. The moment we get to shore you're banished from the Guosssomyou and your son!"
Fussing busily about, Tubgutt sat down and picked up his paddle. "Hear me now. As your newly elected leader, I say we put about and paddle for land."
"Make one move and you're fishbait, shrew!" Mara had been moving gradually along the boat until she was level with Tubgutt in the other boat. She stood within easy reach of him, brandishing a paddle close to his head.
"Did you hear that?" The fat shrew appealed to his new followers. ' "This stranger is going to kill your new leader. Get her, shrews. Put the stripedog over the side. She and the hare me the cause of all this trouble. Seize them!"
With lightning agility Log-a-log leapt into the other logboat and was on Tubgutt, his rapier point tickling the fat shrew's throat. "Mutiny and incitement to murder, eh, Tubgutt? You'll face a full council of our Guosssom comrades when we return home. Mara and Pikkle helped our shrews and my son to escape the toads' prison pit; they are honored guests. I've allowed you enough leeway, Tubgutt. Myself I don't care for, but when you threaten the life of Guosssom friends, that's mutiny on the open waters. You there, and you Rivakget some line and bind this rascal tight and sit him in the stern. ;T11 deal with him when the time is right."
Log-a-log's speedy victory over Tugbutt, combined with IBS tough, authoritative air, turned the tide in his favor. The
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two shrews grabbed the struggling Tubgutt and tied him up.
Log-a-log sheathed his weapon and turned to both crews. "I'm still Log-a-log here, Blackstone or not. Anybeast who thinks he's shrew enough to challenge me, let him do it now!"
There was a momentary silence, then a big tough-looking shrew stood up and made his way along to stand by the leader. "Anyone who challenges Log-a-log challenges me too. He's always been fair and just to all of us!"
Nordo stood up with Mara and Pikkle. He spoke for all three: "We stand with Log-a-log!"
An old shrew with long whiskers waved his paddle. "Good old Log-a-log! Old! What'm I talkin' about, he's only a young snip compared t' me, heeheehee!"
Other voices now made themselves heard .. .
"Aye, Log-a-log's always been a good un. I like him!"
"Me too. He's always played square with young an' old. What d'you say, shrews?"
The crews of both logboats raised a mighty cheer for Log-a-log as he vaulted back into the boat with Nordo.
"Hooray for Log-a-log, leader of the Guosssom. Hooray!"
"I say, chaps, d'you mind sittin' down or we'll all end up in the flippin' drink. Wot, wot!"
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. The sun set over the west lakeside horizon in crimson glory as the hot summer day came to an end. The shrews shipped paddles, ate supper and settled down as best they could for the night. Lying awake in the bows of the lead craft, Log-a-log passed Mara a jug of sweetmaple cordial.
"Mara, I want to thank you and Pikkle for backing me you especially. The way you crept up on Tubgutt was very brave. He had a lot of the others ready to follow him. I know he lost a lot of face in the contest with Pikkle, but out here on the water with everybeast terrified by Deepcoiler they were ready to follow Tubgutt because he was all for turning back. Fear is a great motivator; it was touch and go there for a while. You could have quite easily got a rapier between your
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ribs back there. You are a true friend, Mara. I will never forget what you did for me."
The badger maid pretended to yawn and snuggle down, embarrassed by Log-a-log's praise for her. "Oh, that's what pals are for. Now go to sleep, you old waterwalloper."
Stilled for the night, the two logboats rocked gently on the calm surface of the vast lake.
"Yew tew better keep quiet, they're just up ahead o' us."
Samkim and Arula peered into the night-shaded woodlands.
"How far ahead, Spriggat?"
The old hedgehog sat down beside them. "Oh, no more'n half a good paw-stretch. Leave 'em awhile yet. Let the vermin git a-snorin', then we'll pay 'em a visit, eh?"
Samkim's eyes lit up eagerly. "A night ambush! How about that, Arula?"
"Ho urr, oi'm a reg'lar terror in 'ee dark if n oi ain't asleep."
They chewed oatcake and apples as Spriggat outlined his plan. "I scouted up ahead an' nearly fell over 'em. They were settin' camp sou'west o' here. Now 'earken to me. In about an hour they should be well asleep, so 'ere's what we do. Split up an' go three ways so we can come at 'em from different angles. The rats shouldn't put up much of a fight they're only trackers. It's the fox I'm worried aboutthat one looks like a trained fighter. Moreover, the villain's got your sword close to paw. Staves is the best t' deal with the like o' him. Arula, lend me that carvin' knife you carries, and I'll cut us two good poles. Samkim, you can unstring your bow and make use of that. I'll signal by makin' a cricket chirrup. Like
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thischrrrrk! Got that? When you 'ears that noise you charge into that camp yellin' like a badger wi' a bee down his ear. Scream, shout, holler, an' whack all about you good an' hard, an' make straight for the fox. He'll be sleepin' closest to the fire. Don't give the scum a chance to go for that sword. We'll be there, all three of us, whackin' away. Don't stop! Wallop the beast flat into the ground, 'cos he'll slay us all three ifn he gets 'alf a chance."