Midafternoon on the waters of the Great South Stream saw the friends learning to handle the boat that Speedy had named Sylvaticus. Martin was taking a turn at the tiller under the Mexican mouse's guiding paw.

"Keep her downwind, muchacho," Speedy instructed. "Steady at the tiller there. Watch your larboard side, Martin. Bring the helm a point to starboard. Steady as she goes!"

"I don't understand what any of that means!" Martin cried.

Speedy shrugged. "Neither do I, amigo. I'm just trying to repeat all the things I've heard the sea rat captains say."

Bugs and Gonff were striding around the deck, trying to talk like pirates.

"Ahoy, Gonff matey. Tis a fair day on an even keel."

"Ahurr, Bugs me 'earty, coom an' set yurr midships an' drop anchor 'longside Oi!"

Bugs chuckled. "You're soundin' more like a mole than a rat, Doc."

Martin studied the stream carefully. The mountains tunneled over them now, blocking out the sky ahead.

"Speedy, have you noticed the current? It's very swift here and getting heavier. We're moving along a bit too fast for my liking."

"Si, I've noticed the stream is starting to take a steep downward course, Martin." Speedy looked worried but spoke calmly. "We're about to come into a tunnel."

As they entered the tunnel, the water began to get very choppy. Now they were under the mountains. Crested foamheads began appearing around rocks which stuck up like jagged teeth in the swirling flow. The little craft began to buck and tilt; water was splashing in heavily.

"Look out, Doc!" Bugs yelled suddenly. He pointed up ahead.

It turned out that the stream didn't go all the way through the mountains. Instead, it ended in a waterfall just a few feet in front of them.

"What do we do, Speedy?" Martin asked.

"Nothing. It's too late to stop." Speedy fell to his knees and started praying in Spanish.

In a mad torrent of boiling white water, they were hurled over the brink of the chasm. The boat hung for a second in space, then plunged into the abyss.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" they all yelled.

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Next thing Martin knew, he was lying on the ground. "He's not dead. Bring medicine, medicine," a sibilant voice said.

The warrior mouse felt some vile tasting liquid being poured between his lips. He opened his eyes.

He was lying on a broad ledge, which was covered in velvety moss. Soft light cast flickering luminous water patterns around the rock face. His three friends were standing over him, along with two bats.

Martin sat up. "What happened?" he asked.

Speedy jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Sylvaticus went over the waterfall. After all the hard work I put in on her, she's completely wrecked!"

"Then these guys saved us," Bugs said.

"I am Rockhanger," said one of the bats. "This is Wingfold."

"Where are we?" asked Gonff. "Is this Salamandastron?"

Wingfold laughed. "No, this is Bat Mountpit. There's no Badger Lord here, only a Bat Lord!"

As Martin's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see they were in a big cavern with many ledges on which bats were perched. Sylvaticus was smashed on the cavern floor.

An enormous bat flew over to them and said, "I am Lord Cayvear, High Chief of the dark places. Welcome, welcome."