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caught.’
    As they shuffled along the tunnel, they heard the sound of digging up ahead: the clang of metal pickaxes on rock, and earth being shovelled. They reached the end of the tunnel and found they were in a large cave, although the rock ceiling was low. As with the tunnels, this cave was lit by candles fixed to the walls. Four people were hitting the cave walls with pickaxes, while two more were shovelling up the fallen rocks and putting them in trucks. All of the figures had shackles on their ankles, and the shackles were attached by chains, so that all six were chained together. They could move to work, but not to run.
    There were ten or so goblins guarding the prisoners, armed with clubs, so that even if the prisoners made an attempt to escape they’d be easily stopped.

    â€˜Stop work!’ called one of the goblins who’d escorted Jack and the others.
    The prisoners stopped digging and shovelling. Jack saw that Milo was one of those who’d been swinging a pickaxe. Four of the other prisoners were elves, and the remaining prisoner was a tall, thin man with a very long beard.
    â€˜Ten-minute break!’ called the goblin.
    The goblins attached chains to the shackles on the ankles of Jack, Big Rock and Oddbit, linking them together. Then they removed the chains that held their arms to their sides. Immediately, Big Rock began to swing his huge arms and tried to kick at the goblins, but as he did so he pulled Jack and Oddbit over.
    â€˜Stop, Big Rock!’ called Milo.
    Big Rock stopped, scowling, but Jack could see that the troll was so upset he was close to tears.
    â€˜Don’t worry, Big Rock,’ he whispered. ‘We’ll find a way out of this.’
    Jack, Oddbit and Big Rock shuffled together to where Milo and the other prisoners were sitting down on heaps of rock.
    â€˜So, they caught you, too,’ said Milo with a sigh.
    â€˜It was his fault!’ said Oddbit, pointing at Big Rock.
    â€˜No it wasn’t,’ countered Jack quickly. ‘It was one of those things.’
    One of the elves glared at Oddbit.
    â€˜I might have known you’d be caught, Ranger Oddbit!’ he snapped in a sour tone. ‘First you were late joining the posse, and now you’ve let yourself be caught by these criminals.’
    â€˜That’s not fair!’ protested Jack. ‘Oddbit was only caught because he was obeying the first rule of the Ranger Code. And anyway, he was on his own. There were five of you, and you were all caught.’
    The elf looked uncomfortable.
    â€˜You are right, young man,’ said the elf awkwardly. He looked at Oddbit. ‘I apologise for my comments, Ranger Oddbit. It’s just that I had hoped you would be able to come to our rescue. I see now that is impossible.’
    â€˜I am sorry too, Captain Odo,’ said Oddbit. ‘For being late in joining the posse, and for letting myself get captured.’
    â€˜When everyone’s finished apologising, is there any
good
news?’ asked Milo.
    Jack hesitated, making sure that the goblins couldn’t hear, then he whispered to Milo: ‘Robin’s still out there. And we’ve sent a messenger pigeon to Princess Ava asking for help.’
    â€˜Great!’ exclaimed Milo happily.
    At the sound, the goblin guards jerked round and gave them suspicious looks. Quickly, Milo added loudly: ‘… to see you all again! Now we can work down here together, in company!’ Then he lowered his voice to a whisper and asked Jack: ‘I guess you haven’t turned into Thud yet?’
    â€˜No,’ said Jack unhappily.
    Turning to Big Rock, Milo asked: ‘I don’t suppose you can break these chains?’
    Big Rock shook his head.
    â€˜No,’ he said. He pointed at the chain fixed to his shackles. ‘They put extra strong chain on me.’
    Milo sighed.
    â€˜Well, I guess that’s it then. Until Princess Ava turns up with reinforcements, or they let