Free The Warrior Sheep Down Under by Christopher Russell Page A

already appearing around the side of the boathouse. They hurried across and stood next to Wills.
    The boatman laughed again. “Well, we get all sorts down here,” he said. “But I’ve never had a queue of sheep before.” He was untying one of the rubber rafts from the ring that secured it to the concrete slipway, but now he paused.
    â€œI guess I’d better find out where you lot came from.” He straightened up, patted Wills on the head, and walked into the boathouse. “Stay right there,” he said.
    The warriors were staring so hard at the river, they hardly noticed him go.
    â€œAre you sure it’s her, dear?” asked Sal. “It doesn’t look like her.”
    â€œListen!” said Wills urgently. He turned his head to one side to hear better. The others did the same.
    â€œAlice Barton going strong, bound to claim the Billabong…” The voice was loud and clear and undoubtedly belonged to their fairy godtingy. “Bound to claim the Billabong…”
    Alice determinedly dipped her paddle from side to side as she chanted, trying to keep her fear at bay. Staring straight ahead, she didn’t see the sheep.
    â€œWhy does she always turn up at mealtimes?” grumbled Oxo.
    â€œNever mind your stomachs!” cried Sal. “We must follow!”
    â€œOhmygrass…” bleated Jaycey. “We don’t have to get wet again , do we? Look at my split ends. Look at them…”
    But Sal was already intoning.
    â€œA human, strange in word and deed,
    Will be their star and take the lead .
    Through foaming waters…”
    â€œYes, all right,” said Oxo. “But we can’t swim after her.”
    Wills had looked away to the rubber rafts pulled up on the concrete slipway. He trotted quickly down to the one the boatman had started untying. “Maybe we could all get into this,” he called.
    The raft was made of thick, red rubber. It was rounded at both ends and had a wide, curved rim all the way round to stop people inside from falling out. There were no forward facing seats, only rubber benches along both sides.
    Sal hurried down the slipway and tried to climb in, but her legs were too short. Wills took a little run, then sprang in, and Jaycey followed. She crouched down right in the middle of the raft and buried her face under her front hooves. Links jumped in next before Oxo put his head under Sal’s rump and lifted her up and over the rim. She landed with a thud at the back end of the raft, which promptly began to slide down the slope.
    â€œOh dear, I’m so sorry,” said Sal.
    â€œNo, no, that’s good,” cried Wills.
    The half-untied rope slipped out of its ring and the raft slithered to the bottom of the slipway and splashed into the little bay. Oxo galloped after it.
    â€œWait for the leader, then!” He steadied himself, leapt for the raft, and landed heavily next to Sal. The front end of the raft tipped right up in the air and the back end dipped so far down that water sloshed in over the rim.
    â€œSpread out,” called Wills, “before we fall out.” He managed to clamber forward with Links following.
    They shuffled around a bit until the raft felt steady under their hooves. Links and Wills stood on one side, Sal and Jaycey, who’d come out from under her hooves, on the other. Oxo insisted on standing at the front.
    Alice’s kayak was by now well past the little bay and moving faster. Her voice was fading.
    â€œAlice Barton going strong…”
    Behind her, the raft with its crew of sheep bobbed gently up and down, going nowhere. The boatman suddenly appeared in the boathouse doorway and stared in shock.
    â€œHey, get out of there!” he yelled, and started running down the slipway.
    â€œWe’ve got to make it move,” shouted Wills, and he began to rock on his hooves like a dancer. “Rock, everyone! Rock!”
    The others copied Wills, rocking