Mudpoo and the Fungus Mystery Read Online Free Page A

follow them,” suggested Mudpoo, “I’m sure they’re up to no good.”
    In silence, they followed the pirates’ tracks, carefully and cautiously, back up to the old gold mine.

O w!” “Oooh!” “Ow!” “Arh, arrghh!” The pirates groaned. “What attacked us?” muttered Snot.
    The pirates were all sitting around their campfire, nursing their scratches from the owls.
    â€œGhosts?” suggested a frightened Pong.
    â€œNah, crazy birds!” growled Bones.
    â€œWhat were they doing?” asked Grot. “Maybe they didn’t like us putting out the poisoned carrots?”
    â€œDon’t be an idiot . . . it was that loud, banging sound that scared them,” argued Bones.
    â€œGhosts?” asked Pong again.
    â€œNah, just crazy birds, I’m sick of this place. Where is Fungus McPhee?” complained Snot.
    â€œIf he doesn’t show up soon, we’re going,” growled Bones.
    Mudpoo and Harry were laying in the long grass, just by the old goldmine. They were well hidden and were listening intently to the pirates’ every word.

    â€œYou useless, rowdy lot,” yelled a gruff voice from the edge of the forest.
    â€œFUNGUS McPHEE!” cried the pirates together in surprise.
    â€œWhere have you been?!” demanded Bones, “We’ve been attacked and chased by goodness-knows-what and there’s been no sign of you for days.”
    â€œI’ve been busy,” spat Fungus McPhee, “serves you right for being so stupid.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, ‘stupid’?” snarled Snot.
    â€œYou’re sitting outside a goldmine, right at the feet of a fortune and you want to catch rabbits?” gurgled Fungus McPhee, “You’re thicker than bricks and that’s a fact!” and he spat again.
    â€œWhat is our job? Where is the gold?” demanded Bones.
    â€œAll in good time,” Fungus McPhee muttered spitting hard into the coals of the campfire so that the flames hissed and spat back at him.
    The pirates had all of their eyes glued on Fungus McPhee. Mudpoo and Harry held their breath; Fungus McPhee looked frightening. They watched silently, carefully peeping through the long grass; unnoticed by the horrible crew.
    â€œYour job is simple,” Fungus went on, “all you need to do is deliver my parcels and make certain they arrive at their destination, safe and sound. Only one, or two of you will need to carry my parcel, it’s that simple and . . . I’ll pay you well!”
    â€œWait . . . ,” asked Bones, “all we’re doing is delivering your gold to somewhere, that’s it, that’s all?”
    â€œYesss . . . ,” hissed Fungus McPhee, “you’ve got that right.”
    â€œAh that’s a piece of cake,” snivelled Snot, “show us the gold now and we’ll be off, it’ll get to wherever safe and sound,” he said winking and nudging Pong.

    â€œHmmm,” replied Fungus McPhee, “I’m sure you will,” he raised one eyebrow which made him look even more fierce.
    â€œWhere are we delivering the parcel to?” asked Grot, who asked the cleverest question.
    â€œI’m glad you asked,” replied Fungus McPhee, spitting violently at the ground, “AMERICA!”
    â€œAMERICA!” repeated the pirates, dumbfounded.
    â€œWhy don’t you sell the gold in Australia and save the trip?” spluttered Grot who was the only pirate asking decent questions.
    â€œPerhaps you’d like to see my gold?” taunted Fungus McPhee, as he walked towards the door of the gold mine with a large rusty key in his hand.
    All of the pirates sat frozen, their eyes transfixed on him.
    FUNGUS McPHEE was about to reveal his AWFUL SECRET to the waiting pirates!

E veryone held their breath as Fungus McPhee carefully opened the lock The gate creaked and groaned as it opened. He dragged out a large old, hessian