yes yearned beneath the fringe of hair。
〃Smoke。〃
He sucked his bruised fist。
〃Jack！ e on。〃
But Jack was not there。 A knot of boys； making a great noise that he had not noticed； were heaving and pushing at a rock。 As he turned； the base cracked and the whole mass toppled into the sea so that； a thunderous plume of spray leapt half…way up the cliff。
〃Stop it！ Stop it！〃
His voice struck a silence among them。
〃Smoke。〃
A strange thing happened in his head。 Something flittered there in front of his mind like a bat's wing； obscuring his idea。
〃Smoke。〃
At once the ideas were back； and the anger。
〃We want smoke。 And you go wasting your time。 You roll rocks。〃
Roger shouted。
〃We've got plenty of time！〃
Ralph shook his head。
〃We'll go to…the mountain。〃
The clamor broke out。 Some of the boys wanted to go back to the beach。 Some wanted to roll more rocks。 The sun was bright and danger had faded with the darkness。
〃Jack。 The beast might be on the other side。 You can lead again。 You've been。〃
〃We could go by the shore。 There's fruit。〃
Bill came up to Ralph。
〃Why can't we stay here for a bit？〃
〃That's right。〃
〃Let's have a fort。〃
〃There's no food here；〃 said Ralph； 〃and no shelter。 Not much fresh water。〃
〃This would make a wizard fort〃
〃We can roll rocks…〃
〃Right onto the bridge…〃
〃I say we'll go on！〃 shouted Ralph furiously。 〃We've got to make certain。 We'll go now。〃
〃Let's stay here…〃
〃Back to the shelter…〃
〃I'm tired…〃
〃No！〃
Ralph struck the skin off his knuckles。 They did not seem to hurt。
〃I'm chief。 We've got to make certain。 Can't you see the mountain？ There's no signal showing。 There may be a ship out there。 Are you all off your rockers？〃
Mutinously； the boys fell silent or muttering。
Jack led the way down the rock and across the bridge。
CHAPTER SEVEN
Shadows and Tall Trees
The pig…run kept close to the jumble of rocks that lay down by the water on the other side and Ralph was content to follow Jack along it。 If you could shut your ears to the slow suck down of the sea and boil of the return； if you could forget how dun and unvisited were the ferny coverts on either side； then there was a chance that you might put the beast out of mind and dream for a while。 The sun had swung over the vertical and the afternoon heat was closing in on the island。 Ralph passed a message forward to Jack and when they next came to fruit the whole party stopped and ate。
Sitting； Ralph was aware of the heat for the first time that day。 He pulled distastefully at his grey shirt and wondered whether he might undertake the adventure of washing it。 Sitting under what seemed an unusual heat； even for this island； Ralph planned his toilet。 He would like to have a pair of scissors and cut this hair…he flung the mass back…cut this filthy hair right back to half an inch。 He would like to have a bath； a proper wallow with soap。 He passed his tongue experimentally over his teeth and decided that a toothbrush would e in handy too。 Then there were his nails…
Ralph turned his hand over and examined them。 They were bitten down to the quick though he could not remember when he had restarted this habit nor any time when he indulged it。
〃Be sucking my thumb next…〃
He looked round； furtively。 Apparently no one had heard。 The hunters sat； stuffing themselves with this easy meal； trying to convince themselves that they got sufficient kick out of bananas and that other olive…grey； jelly…like fruit With the memory of his sometime clean self as a standard； Ralph looked them over。 They were dirty； not with the spectacular dirt of boys who have fallen into mud or been brought down hard on a rainy day。 Not one of them was an obvious subject for a shower； and yet…hair； much too long； tangled here and there； knotted round a dead leaf or a twig； faces cleaned fairly well by the process of eating and sweating but marked in the less accessible angles with a kind of shadow； clothes； worn away； stiff like his own with sweat； put on； not for decorum or fort but out of custom； the skin of the body； scurfy with brine…
He discovered with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind。 He sighed and pushed away the stalk from which he had stripped the fruit。 Already the hunters were stealing away to do their business in the woods or down by the rocks。 He turned and looked out to sea。
Here； on the other side of the island； the view was utterly different。 The filmy enchantments of mirage could not endure the cold ocean water and the horizon was hard； clipped blue。 Ralph wandered down to the rocks。 Down here； almost on a level with the sea； you could follow with your eye the ceaseless； bulging passage of the deep sea waves。 They were miles wide； apparently not breakers or the banked ridges of shallow water。 They traveled the length of the island with an air of disregarding it and being set on other business； they were less a progress than a momentous rise and fall or the whole ocean。 Now the sea would suck down； making cascades and waterfalls of retreating water； would sink past the rocks and plaster down the seaweed like shining hair： then； pausing； gather and rise with a roar； irresistibly swelling over point and outcrop； climbing the little cliff； sending at last an arm of surf up a gully to end a yard or so from him in fingers of spray。
Wave after wave； Ralph followed the rise and fall until something of the remoteness of the sea numbed his brain。 Then gradually the almost infinite size of this water forced itself on his attention。 This was the divider； the barrier。 On the other side of the island； swathed at midday with mirage； defended by the shield of the quiet lagoon； one might dream of rescue； but here； faced by the brute obtuseness of the ocean； the miles of division； one was clamped down； one was helpless； one was condemned； one was…
Simon was speaking almost in his ear。 Ralph found that he had rock painfully gripped in both hands； found his body arched； the muscles of his neck stiff； his mouth strained open。
〃You'll get back to where you came from。〃
Simon nodded as he spoke。 He was kneeling on one knee； looking down from a higher rock which he held with both hands； his other leg stretched down to Ralph's level。
Ralph was puzzled and searched Simon's face for a clue。
〃It's so big； I mean…〃
Simon nodded。
〃All the same。 You'll get back all right。 I think so； anyway。〃
Some of the strain had gone from Ralph's body。 He glanced at the sea and then smiled bitterly at Simon。
〃Got a ship in your pocket？〃
Simon grinned and shook his head。
〃How do you know； then？〃
When Simon was still silent Ralph said curtly； 〃You're batty。〃
Simon shook his head violently till the coarse black hair flew backwards and forwards across his face。
〃No； I'm not。 I just think you'll get back all right。〃
For a moment nothing more was said。 And then they suddenly smiled at each other。
Roger called from the coverts。
〃e and see！〃
The ground was turned over near the pig…run and there were droppings that steamed。 Jack bent down to them as though he loved them。
〃Ralph…we need meat even if we are hunting the other thing。〃
〃If you mean going the right way； well hunt。〃
They set off again； the hunters bunched a little by fear of the mentioned beast； while Jack quested ahead。 They went more slowly than Ralph had bargained for； yet in a way he was glad to loiter； cradling his spear。 Jack came up against some emergency of his craft and soon the procession stopped。 Ralph leaned against a tree and at once the daydreams came swarming up。 Jack was in charge of the mint and there would be time to get to the mountain…
Once； following his father from Chatham to Devonport； they had lived in a cottage on the edge of the moors。 In the succession of houses that Ralph had known； this one stood out with particular clarity because after that house he had been sent away to school。 Mummy had still been with them and Daddy had e home every day。 Wild ponies came to the stone wall at the bottom of the garden； and it had snowed。 Just behind the cottage there was a sort of shed a