Sam looked behind us, judging the distance, then looked up. "We must be just under Blackbeard's cabin," he whispered. "If only we had an ax, we could... ugh, what are they?!" Sam was suddenly thrashing about, brushing at both his arms, his legs, his face. "Aah! Get 'em off!"

Then I felt them, too.

"Fleas!" yelled Fred, starting to scratch. "They're everywhere!"