"Ah swear on mah mother's egg, ah'll find that lake again. Aye, someday ah'll gang back there an meet wi' yon maggypies tae settle mah score with them. Mark mah words, Song, they'll wish they'd ne'er been hatched when the wrath o' Mighty Megraw descends on 'em! Ach, but whit can a bird do wi' a broke wing? Can ye tell me that, Song?"
The squirrelmaid stroked Megraw's wing, which flopped uselessly at his side. She had come to like the big osprey immensely in the short time she had known him; he was fierce but well mannered, a true warrior. Also she loved the way he pronounced her name as Sawng.
"Well, you could come with me and my friends when we get together. We're searching for the lake too, you know. How would you like that, Megraw?"
The osprey blew out his chest to alarming proportions and winked slyly at his new friend. "Ah'd like that fine, lass!"
Burble, Dippler and Dann did not rest that night. Each of them was convinced that Song was dead. Just one look at the mighty waterfall was enough. Nobeast could go over its edge and live, but none would admit it, so they kept up brave faces, reassuring each other. Now that Dann had snapped out of his despairing mood he was acting like a confident leader.
"Right, y'know what mister Florian would say, there's only one bally thing for it, chaps, wot wot! We'll scale down the cliff side, lower the jolly old boat on what's left of our rope, an' get to the bottom sharpish!"
Though Burble and Dippler felt as if leaden weights had been implanted in their chests at the loss of Song, they agreed with a great show of false optimism.
"Yiss yiss, an' I wager the first ould creature we find down there'll be the bold Song, eh?"
"Haha, right, an' she'll say, Wot took you lot so long, you should've come down the quick way like I did!"
It was the worst night of their lives, climbing down a spray-drenched cliff face, with the waterfall pounding along on their left side. Dann found that the broken length of rope proved invaluable. He would lower himself down, then have the Swallow lowered to him before guiding the other two safely on their descent. No easy task by night, even though the rocks on that side were not smooth. But with great good fortune, lots of rests on ledges and good cooperation between them combined with Dann's great climbing skills, they had covered halfway by dawn. Stopping on a small crag, they made a scratch breakfast.
Dippler peered down. He could see the pool below the falls through the misty spray. "I'd say we could make it by midday, if things go all right."
"Yiss yiss, midday, or even just before. We'd best save some vittles. Miss Song'll be about ready fer lunch when we arrive."
Dann sighed heavily, but managed to force a smile. "Come on, you two, let's get goin' instead of guzzlin'."
About midmorning Song confided her thoughts to Megraw on the streambank.
"Suppose they went right by us during the night? We didn't have anything to make a signal fire with, and my friends could quite easily have rowed past in our boat, not knowing we're here."
Megraw flapped the useless wing at his side. "Aye, ye could be right, Song. What d'ye suggest?"
The squirrelmaid stood up, pointing downstream. "I think we'd do well walking slowly along the bank in clear sight. I'll bet they find us before the day's through."
The osprey rose and walked along with her. "Ach, anythin's better than squattin' in one place, or sittin' in yon fussy auld cormorant bird's nestie. Did ye hear her?"
Megraw could not help chuckling as Song imitated the cormorant.
"Rrrr! Squiddles'n'eagles not stay in my nest, glock no. They not fishes, gluck gluck, eat up my eggchicks. Rrrrr!"
"Haw haw haw! Did ye mind the look on yon laddie's beak when I threatened tae eat his wife? He looked fair happy so he did!"
Mokkan could see the lake in the distance. The Marlfox stood on a hilly rise where the river flowed downward toward the huge body of water. He watched the wild rapids plunging down to the lake, thinking. Now he had come this far there was no point in having the logboat wrecked with himself and the tapestry aboard. He chose two of his remaining water rats.
"You and you, get in the boat and take it down to the lake. The rest of you, pick up that tapestry. Be careful with it. We'll walk along the bank and meet the boat at the lake's edge."
Stolidly obedient, one of the two rats got into the logboat and picked up a paddle. However, his companion took one look at the pounding, rockstrewn rapids and stayed where he was, safe on shore. Mokkan patted him on the back reassuringly. "What's the matter, afraid of a little rough ride?"
The water rat's eyes were wide with fear as he nodded dumbly. Mokkan shrugged, smiling at the rodent. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. Stay here."
The Marlfox's ax flashed in the sunlight as he slew the unfortunate beast with a single hard blow. Still smiling, he pointed to another water rat. "Would you like to stay here with him?"
The rat leapt into the logboat and seized a paddle. "No, sire, I'll take the boat down to the lake!"
Mokkan stowed the ax back in his belt. "Good. We'll meet you by the shore!"
Dann and his friends reached the bottom of the falls at precisely midday. They searched the area as best they could until nigh on late noon. Dippler and Burble came back from their reconnaissance to find the young squirrel seated despondently on the ground, shaking his head.
"There's not a sign of Song or that osprey, not a feather, a scrap of rope, nothing!"
Ever the optimist, Burble nodded in agreement. "Yiss yiss, that only means one thing, Dann me bucko. Song's alive an' safe somewheres. Yiss yiss, y'know wot they say, no news is good news!"
Dippler flung out a paw in the direction of the water. "Then which way d'ye think she's gone?"
Dann was suddenly struck with an idea. "The Swallow should tell us. Let's get away from this area to where the water's smoother. Then we'll launch her and see which way she carries us. The current goes the same way for anything on the water. Right?"
"Yiss yiss! Good ole Dann, yore right, mate!"
Finding a good spot, they launched the boat and sat in it, leaving their paddles shipped, so that the water could carry them along. When they were out in the mainstream of the wide swirling pool beneath the waterfall, Dann pointed off to his right. "Look, there's a broad stream running off that way. Maybe that's the way Song went?"
Dippler watched the prow of the Swallow nosing along in the water. "Maybe, but it ain't the way we're bound, pals. Look dead ahead."
There was another high cliff in front of them. The water was running straight into a cave beneath the cliffs opposite the falls. The Swallow picked up speed, and they braced themselves. The current was sucking them toward the dark hole. Had they launched the Swallow on the other side of the pool they would have run into the stream, but the realization came too late.
Dann grabbed his paddle, shouting, "Back water, try to turn her or we'll go right into that hole!"
But they could not fight the inevitable. Hard as they tried, the little boat was sucked into the dark gaping hole, despite their heroic efforts with the paddles. One moment they were sweating and striving in the bright sunlight, next instant they were swept into the black chasm and into another waterfall, which plunged straight down underground.
Chapter 27
Tragglo Spearback and Friar Butty were in the kitchens making oatmeal scones for breakfast. Tragglo pulled trays of the hot scones from the ovens and laid them out in neat rows. Old Friar Butty followed him up, making a sloping slice into the top of each scone, until the whole batch was ready. Then Tragglo took an earthenware jar and a wooden spoon, and starting at the first tray he began filling the slice in each scone with a gob of thick, fawn-colored honey. Friar Butty followed, placing a thin slice of crystallized plum in the honey. They worked dutifully and well, until Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop sauntered into the kitchens, sniffing the air appreciatively. "I say, you chaps, somethin' smells jolly good, wot!"