Class Trip to the Cave of Doom (4 page)

“Oh, great!” Wiglaf said under his breath.

“Dudwin,” said Erica. “Why were you singing that worm song?”

“I like that song,” Dudwin said. “Another one I like is ‘Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts.’ Oh, and speaking of greasy...” Dudwin took a large flask from his pack. “Mother sent you some of her cabbage soup.”

“Egad!” Wiglaf exclaimed. “I hoped never to taste that soup again as long as I live!”

“I love cabbage soup!” Angus cried. “If you don’t want it, I’ll take it!” He grabbed the flask from Dudwin. He popped the cork. He took a sniff. “Eeeeeew!” he cried. “Wiglaf! Is your own mother trying to poison you?”

“Sometimes I wonder,” Wiglaf said. “But it was kind of her to send it.” He took the flask, put the cork back in place, and handed it to his brother. “Hold onto it for me, Dud.”

They walked back to camp. The sun was coming up, so there was no use trying to sleep now. Erica rubbed two dry sticks together and lit a fire. They all sat around it, warming their cold hands. Wiglaf wished that he did not have to give his brother bad news.

“Dudwin,” he said at last, “you must go home empty-handed. I have no gold yet.”

Dudwin frowned. “Father won’t like that.”

“No. But he will like this,” Wiglaf said. “Tell him that
I
am a dragon slayer!”

“Oh, right!” Dudwin laughed loudly. He slapped Wiglaf on the back—hard. “Tell me another one, Wiggie!”

“Two dragons have died by my hand,” Wiglaf said. “Well, more or less, by my hand.”

“Aw, go on!” Dudwin shot back.

“It’s true,” Angus put in.

“For real?” Dudwin asked Erica.

Erica nodded. “I helped him, of course.”

“But Wiggie hates the sight of blood,” Dudwin said. “Back home, he wouldn’t even swat a fly. Once he cut his thumb and fainted. He never—”

“Never mind!” Wiglaf cut in. “You must go home after breakfast, Dudwin. Tell Father that when I have gold, I shall bring it myself.”

“But Father thinks I’ll be gone for a week,” Dudwin said. “I don’t want to go home yet!”

“You must,” Wiglaf said. “We are hunting dragon treasure. You would be in the way.”

“No, I wouldn’t!” Dudwin cried. “I can help you! I’m good at finding treasure. I found lots on my way here.” He emptied his pockets. “Look!” he said. “I found a diamond!”

“That’s a sparkly rock, Dudwin,” Wiglaf said.

Dudwin ignored his brother. “Here is a spur from the boot of a knight!” he went on.

“That’s nothing but a piece of a pinecone!” Wiglaf said.

“And here is the best treasure of all,” the boy said happily. “The tip of a wizard’s wand!”

“That, Dudwin,” Wiglaf growled, “is a twig!”

“Lighten up, Wiglaf,” Erica said with a laugh. “Dudwin has some fine treasures.”

Dudwin grinned. “Yeah. Lighten up, Wiggie.”

Wiglaf rolled his eyes.

“Let him stay, Wiglaf,” Angus added. “Dudwin can be an honorary Bloodhound.”

“Oh, boy!” Dudwin cried.

“We shall soon find Seetha’s gold,” Erica pointed out. “And Dudwin can take some straight home to your father.”

“Yes, yes!” Dudwin cried.

“Four is better than three,” Angus said. “Dudwin can help us carry our gear.”

This last point won Wiglaf over. “All right, Dudwin,” he told his brother. “You can stay.”

Dudwin grinned. “I was going to anyway, Wiggie,” he said.

After breakfast, Erica called, “Bloodhounds, march!”

“Wait!” Dudwin cried. “I see a goblin’s hat!” He ran off and picked up an acorn cap.

Erica tapped her foot and waited for him to come back. Then off they went.

Wiglaf marched behind Dudwin. Deep down, he felt glad that his brother was with them. True, Dudwin could be a pain. But he had his good points. After all, he was carrying a heavy pack. And this meant Wiglaf’s own pack was lighter.

That morning, the Bloodhounds hunted for Seetha’s treasure in Bats-a-Plenty Cave. They searched Chock-Full-of-Spiders Cave. And Leeches-R-Us Cave. They looked for treasure in cave after cave. But they came out of each one empty-handed.

Except for Dudwin.

“Oh, boy!” he cried, sliding out of Slippery Cave. “I found a baby dragon’s tooth!”

“That’s a pebble, Dud,” Wiglaf said.

“Here is a fine treasure!” Dudwin called inside Slimy Cave. “A goblet fit for a king!”

“Dudwin!” Erica cried. “You took that from my tool belt!” She grabbed her goblet back.

Erica marched the Bloodhounds from cave to cave. The day grew hot. The Bloodhounds began to sweat. Mosquitoes bit them.

As they started over the Shiver River Bridge, Angus called, “Let’s stop for a swim!”

“Bloodhounds never stop!” Erica said.

But halfway across the bridge, Erica stopped. And Wiglaf saw why.

A great hairy arm, waving a big spiked club, was sticking up from under the bridge.

“Yikes!” Angus cried. “It’s a troll!”

“Right!” the troll roared. He pulled himself up onto the bridge. “And this is my bridge!”

The troll’s eyes darted from face to face. “Who wants me to eat them first?” he roared.

No Bloodhound volunteered. Not even Erica.

“Someone step forward!” cried the troll. “If I eat you all at once, I’ll get a bellyache!”

No Bloodhound stepped forward.

“You are one ugly troll!” Dudwin shouted.

“Shush, Dudwin!” Wiglaf clapped a hand over his brother’s mouth.

Erica drew her sword. “Back off, troll!”

“Make me!” the troll cried. He swung his club and knocked Erica’s sword into the river.

“Alas!” Erica cried. “That was my special Sir Lancelot look-alike sword!”

The troll laughed. He reached out a long arm, snatched up Angus, and dangled him over his mouth.

“No! Don’t eat me!” Angus cried. “I’ll give you a bad bellyache!”

“Hey, Troll-breath!” Dudwin yelled.

“Dudwin, stop it!” Wiglaf cried.

Dudwin paid no attention. “I have something much yummier than him!” he shouted.

“What?” the troll growled.

“Cabbage soup,” Dudwin answered.

The troll eyed Dudwin. “Homemade?” he asked.

Dudwin nodded. “By my own mother.”

“Give it here,” said the troll.

Dudwin pulled the flask from his pack.

“Don’t, Dudwin!” Wiglaf begged. “Mother’s soup will make him
really
mad!”

But Dudwin stepped bravely up to the troll. He popped the cork off the flask. A sickening smell filled the air. Dudwin quickly splashed the soup in the troll’s face.

The troll’s eyes grew wide with surprise. He stuck out his tongue and licked some of the soup from his face. “Mmmmmmm!” he growled.

Wiglaf gasped. “You like it?” he cried.

“Like it?” said the troll. “I love it!” He dropped Angus onto the bridge. “I’ll eat you humans later. Now, I want more soup!”

“You got it!” Dudwin said. He threw the flask to the troll.

While the troll gulped down the soup, the Bloodhounds ran across his bridge. They kept running until the troll was far behind. Then they fell down, gasping for breath.

“Nice work, Dudwin!” Erica exclaimed.

“Very
nice,” Angus said. “How is it that you were brave enough to stand up to the troll?”

“Oh, all my brothers are much meaner than the troll,” Dudwin said. “Except for Wiglaf.”

Wiglaf patted his brother on the back. He was proud of Dudwin. But at the same time, he felt—well, ashamed. His little brother was taller than he was. His little brother carried a bigger pack. And now his little brother had saved them from the troll. It was hard to take.

While Angus rested after his near-death-by-troll experience, Dudwin ran off. He was gone for a long time. Wiglaf was starting to worry when he came running back.

“Eric!” Dudwin cried. “Look what I found!”

“Shhh,” Erica said. “I’m checking the map.”

Dudwin ran over to Angus. “Look at this!” he exclaimed.

“Don’t bother me, Dudwin,” Angus said. “Not after what I’ve been through.”

Dudwin turned to his brother. “Wiggie?”

Wiglaf sighed. “What did you find, Dud?”

Dudwin held out his hand to Wiglaf.

“Egad!” cried Wiglaf.

For there in Dudwin’s grubby hand lay two golden coins.

 

 

“G
old coins!” Wiglaf cried. ”Where did you find them, Dudwin?”

“Gold?” Erica exclaimed. “Did you say
gold?”
She and Angus hurried over.

“I found them—” Dudwin began eagerly. Then he stopped. A strange look came over his face. “I’m not telling,” he said.

“What?” Erica cried. “Why not?”

“Because,” Dudwin said, “you keep making fun of my treasure.”

“Don’t be that way, Dudwin,” Erica said. “Seetha must have dropped the coins on her way to her secret hiding place. Show us where you found them. The Cave of Doom will be close by. Come on, Dudwin!”

But Dudwin only shook his head
no.

Erica pulled Wiglaf and Angus aside. “He’s
your
brother, Wiglaf,” Erica said in a low voice so Dudwin couldn’t hear. “Make him tell!”

Wiglaf rolled his eyes. “What do you want me to do? Torture him?”

“If that’s what it takes,” Erica shot back.

Wiglaf really wanted to find the gold. If he did, he wouldn’t have to send Dudwin home empty-handed. And he was sure Mordred would stop picking on him. He had to get Dudwin to tell where he found the coins so they could find the cave. He thought hard.

“Dudwin is stubborn,” he told Erica at last. “Talking to him will do no good. But try offering him something from your tool belt.”

Erica gasped. “I saved up for six months to buy this tool belt! Why should I be the one to bribe Dudwin?”

“Because you are the only one with anything to trade,” Angus pointed out.

They walked back over to Dudwin.

“Dudwin,” Erica said, “show us where you found the coins. If you do, I shall give you a tool from my Sir Lancelot Tool Belt.”

“Oh, boy!” Dudwin cried. “Which one?”

“Well...” Erica said. “The toothpick.”

Dudwin shook his head.

“The lice comb?”

“No way,” Dudwin said.

Erica sighed. “What do you want?”

Dudwin grinned. “The torch.”

“What?” Erica cried. “That is my best tool!”

Dudwin jingled the coins in his pocket.

Erica took the torch from her belt. She looked at it longingly. Then she handed it to Dudwin.

“Oh, boy!” Dudwin exclaimed. “Now I can find treasures in the dark!”

“Cut the chitchat,” Erica snapped. “Show us where you found the coins.”

Dudwin led the way through the forest. He stopped at the foot of a big hill, covered with vines. “There,” he said.

“Clear the brush, Bloodhounds!” Erica ordered. “Keep a lookout for coins!”

Wiglaf and Angus drew their swords. They began hacking away at the vines. But they found that the vines were not really growing on the hill. They had only been piled up there as if to hide something. The boys pulled the vines away and discovered a great hole in the side of the hill.

“It’s the mouth of a cave!” cried Angus.

Wiglaf’s eyes grew wide. Pointed rocks hung down over the cave entrance. It looked exactly like the open mouth of a dragon!

A wooden sign had fallen face down beside the entrance. Wiglaf picked it up. It said:

Wiglaf quickly dropped the sign. They had found the Cave of Doom!

“Footprints!” Erica cried suddenly. “Going into the cave!” She studied the prints with her magnifying glass. “They’re Seetha’s, all right,” she said. “I’m going in. Who’s going with me?”

“Not me,” said Angus.

“Me!” cried Dudwin.

“No, Dud,” Wiglaf said. “You stay out here with Angus. I—I’ll go in.”

“But it’s dark in the cave.” Dudwin held up the torch. “And I have the light.”

“Good point,” Erica said. “And very brave of you to want to come.” She shot Angus a look.

“Oh, all right,” Angus said. “I’ll come, too.”

“All right, Bloodhounds,” Erica said. “Let’s go in!”

“Not so fast!” called a voice behind them. “Not so fast!”

Wiglaf whirled around. There, sitting on his throne-like chair, was Mordred!

“Greetings, Bloodhounds!” Mordred smiled at them. None of the skinny student teachers were smiling. They were struggling to put their heavy headmaster down gently.

“I have come to see how you are doing,” Mordred said. “Where is Plungett?”

“He had an accident, Uncle,” Angus said. “The Marley brothers took him back to DSA.”

“Egad!” Mordred cried. “I hope he is not hurt badly. It would not be easy to find a new slaying coach. Not at the salary I pay.” His violet eyes lit upon Dudwin. “And who, pray tell, is
this?”