The warrior mouse gave Basil and Jess a moment to slip off and take up their positions, then he stood
upright and walked silently to the cart, sword held at the ready.
Basil and Jess arrived at opposite ends of the cart at the same time as Matthias arrived in front of it.
Taking up a stance with the deadly blade held ready for a thrust and slash, the warrior mouse nodded to
his companions.
Simultaneously Basil and Jess grabbed opposite ends of the canvas and swept it off with one sudden
heave. Matthias bounded onto the cart with a mighty leap, swinging the sword and roaring.
“Redwaaaallll! ”
At the last moment Matthias swung the sword away. It struck the iron seatbar, sending sparks
showering as a fat little otter lay in the cart with his bottom in the air and his head covered by both paws.
“Strike me rudder I didn’t steal your rotten old cart. I only wanted to play on it shiver me masts I ain’t
messed it up or broke nothin’, on me affydavet I ’aven’t,” he shouted in a continuous babble.
Having said his piece, the otter bounded over the side of the cart towards the river, but Jess leapt with
him and caught him by the scruff of his neck. The sword had sprung from Matthias’s smarting paws upon
impact with the metal, and stood quivering in the earth, a hair’s-breadth away from Basil’s injured paw.
Matthias jammed his paws into his mouth. Sucking furiously, he did a small dance as vibrating pain
lanced through them.
Jess shook the fat little otter soundly. “Be still, you little wretch, or I’ll run you up a tall oak and drop
you off the top!”
Basil sniffed disdainfully, stepped around the sword and confronted the captive. “A little water pirate,
eh? Right, laddie, name, rank and number. Quick as y’like now and no fibs, what’re you doin’ in that cart?
Where’s your slaver band got to? What’ve you done with our young uns? Speak up, you blinkin’
rapscallion!”
The small otter reached behind him and tickled Jess suddenly. She let go of him with a whoop. He
looked at Matthias and nodded towards Basil.
“Stow me oars, ’e’s a funny rabbit, that’n. Talks nice, though.”
Matthias and Jess burst out laughing at the creature’s impudence.
Basil stalked off towards the stream, muttering to himself in a huff, “Funny rabbit, indeed. No manners
at all, these water-wallopers. Shouldn’t be surprised if his mother’s tattooed and chews shrimp a lot.”
Matthias sat down in a dry spot under the cart and beckoned to the otter.
“C’mere, young un. Come and talk to me. I’ve got a son about your age. Come on, you’ve no need to be
frightened.”
The little fat otter laughed. He flung himself under the cart and kicked at the axles and wheel spokes.
“Heehee, this is better’n playin’ on top of the cart,” he giggled. “My name’s Cheek. What’s yours?”
“Matthias of Redwall. What are you doing here, Cheek?”
“Oh, just playin’ and sportin’. I like playin’ and sportin’. D’you?”
“I did when I was your age. Tell me, were there any other creatures with this cart when you first saw
it?”
“Stow me oars, I’ll say there was. Two wicked old weasels, they called theyselves Deadnose an’ Fengal.
I stowed meself in the bushes an’ watched ’em, so I did.”
Basil and Jess came to join Matthias when they heard this. Cheek looked from the squirrel to the hare.
“What’s your names, you two?” he asked.
“Cheek’s the right name for you, me laddo,” Basil snorted. “You tell us what those two weasels were
saying.”
Cheek giggled again. “Heehee, tell you nothin’ ’til you tell me your names.”
Matthias nudged Basil. “Tell him your name and let him get on with his information.”
“What? Oh, righto. Allow me to introduce meself, young Cheek. I’m Basil Stag Hare, veteran scout and
retired foot fighter, doncha know.”
Cheek giggled yet again. He was an inveterate giggler.
“Barrel Stick Chair? Silly name. Who’s the mouse with the brush on her tail?”
Basil went a peculiar shade of red around his ears and cheeks. He was about to give Cheek a piece of his
mind when Jess interrupted.
“My name is Jess Squirrel. How do you do?”
Cheek rattled a twig around the wheelspokes. “I’m fine, Jeff. How are you?”
Jess was about to grab the young otter and teach him some manners when Matthias gave her a wink
and signalled his haversack.
“Mmmm, I’m about ready for a late lunch. What d’you say to a vegetable pastie and a drop of cider,
Jess?”
Jess opened her pack. “I think I’ll have a bilberry muffin and some cheese.”
Basil undid his haversack. “Er, lessee, I fancy a few slices of nutbread and some candied chestnuts. Yes,
that should be just the ticket.”
They pulled out the food and began eating with much munching, slurping and satisfied sighs. Cheek
reached for a candied chestnut, but Basil slapped his paw.
“I’m ’ungry,” the little otter said, giving them what he thought was a pitiful look.
Basil licked crumbs from his whiskers. “So you’re ’ungry, eh? That’s funny, I thought you were Cheek.”
Cheek attempted a half-giggle. “H’hee, no, I mean I want food.”
Matthias nibbled the end of his pastie. “Ah good, we’re acting sensible at last. Right, information first,
food later.”
Cheek eyed the food longingly. “Well, them two weasels I was tellin’ you of, they said to each other:
‘Let’s dump the cart here and get back to the others.’ That was Fengal, of course. Then Deadnose, he says:
‘Right, mate, I’m sick of trailin’ this old thing around the forest in the rain. If we dump it here and now we
can be back with Slagar and the rest by tomorrow night.’ Then they just leaves it ’ere an’ off they goes. An’
that’s all I ’eard, so where’s me vittles?”
Jess covered the food with her haversack. “Not so fast. Which way did they go and how long ago was
that?”
Cheek waved his right paw. “Straight that way, must ’ave been about midmornin’ or so.”
Basil stopped him as he made for the food again. “Just two more things, you little blot. What’s my name
and what is that good lady squirrel called?”
Cheek looked seriously hungry. “You’re Basil Stag Hare and that squirrel’s called Jess.”
“Aye, and don’t you forget it, young rip. Come on, tuck in.”
Cheek went at the food like a savage wolfpack. What he couldn’t swallow he packed into his cheeks like
a hamster, and what he couldn’t pack into his cheeks he tried to grab with his paws. Chuckling, Basil rolled
him from under the wagon.
“I’d sooner keep you a day than a season, Cheek. Go on, be off with you now, back to your mum and
dad.”
Cheek swallowed enough to allow himself to speak. “Mums’n’dads? Cheek doesn’t ’ave mums’n’dads. I
want to go with you.”
Matthias shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s a long and dangerous journey. You might get hurt.”
Cheek giggled and rolled under the wagon again. “Cheek doesn’t get ’urt. Take me with you if I give
you some more information, good information, somethin’ that only Cheek knows at the moment,” he
begged.
They looked at one another. Basil and Jess nodded. Matthias thought for a moment, then he too
nodded.
“Go on then, Cheek. Give us your good information and maybe we’ll let you come with us,” the
warrior mouse agreed.
Cheek sprang from underneath the cart and spread his paws wide. “It’s stopped rainin’. ‘ow’s that for
good information?”