The rats gathered in the ditch by the side of the road. Cluny supervised the proceedings from a wheelchair, which Killconey the ferret had constructed from the broken pieces of Derpy's cart. "Start here, buckos. Come on now, dig for victory."

Sela and Chickenhound were standing beside the wheelchair. Cluny wanted them right by his side, where he could keep his eye on them.

The rats started tunneling.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twilight, Matthias and Pinkie Pie met up with Applejack in the Abbey orchard. "Look what we found!" Matthias exclaimed, holding up Martin's shield.

Applejack told them about the foxes. "They say the rats are gonna attack with a batterin' ram tomorrow, but Ah think they've got somethin' else planned."

Just then they felt the ground begin to shake. Foremole walked by. "Hear that? That bain't Niagara Falls!"

Applejack stomped her hoof. "Those dirty rats are tryin' to tunnel their way in!"

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down nervously. "What are we gonna do?"

"Hold on!" said Applejack. "Ah got an idea!"

She raced into the main Abbey building and headed for the kitchens, where she found Friar Hugo. "Do we have any leftover oatmeal from breakfast?"

The Friar nodded. "I was just about to throw it out. Oatmeal doesn't keep very long. What do you want it for?"

"No time to explain!" Applejack shifted uneasily from hoof to hoof. "Ah jest need it now!"

She grabbed the cauldron of porridge by its handle and dragged it outside. She was just in time. As the first rat burrowed up from the ground, Applejack dumped the pot of porridge right over his head. He fell back with a scream. The porridge poured down the tunnel.

Frantically the rats turned around and ran back the other way. They burst from the tunnel back out into the ditch, almost tipping Cluny's wheelchair over.

"Hey, what's happened?" Cluny shouted. "Get back in there this minute!"

Cheesethief limped up, covered in porridge. "Chief, they've poured hot porridge into the hole! We didn't expect them to think anything up like that. It's not fair!"

"Porridge? HEADS WILL ROLL FOR THIS!"

Just then, Basil Stag Hare and Abbot Mortimer appeared up on the walltop. They saw Cluny down in the ditch, and Sela and Chickenhound standing next to him.

"I say! Sela! What are you doing with Cluny?" Basil shouted down to the vixen. "I thought you were on our side, wot!"

Sela winced.

The Abbot tugged at Basil's sleeve. "Remember? She was spying for us?"

"Oh, that's right! Sorry, Sela, I forgot you were a spy, wot wot!"

Cluny glared at Sela. "I don't know what he's talking about," she said nervously.

"If I were you," Cluny said to her, "I'd run."

Sela and Chickenhound did run, but not fast enough to escape the spears of the rats.