“Well, we won’t talk of it any more. You’re tiptop now and that’s that! Think you can make it now if I give you a lift?”
The storm was gathering in earnest and as the thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning flashed in frenzied streaks across the black horizon, the boys ascended the cliff slowly but surely.
Beginning a short distance back, the stunted cliff was topped by a thick jungle of trees and rank undergrowth, but at that Westy was thankful for the protection it afforded in the fury of the storm that followed.
They walked in the forest quite a ways with the wind and rain beating all around them and came to a spot where some trees had fallen in some storm of long ago and which time had cemented together, forming a perfect shelter beneath their giant trunks.
Westy and Rip crawled under and in.
It was dry and warm, but didn’t allow them any more room than they needed to lie down in.
Rip took his wet bathing suit off and spread it out to dry and Westy also removed his wet garments and then they both crawled under the dry dead leaves to keep warm.
“I’m pretty hungry, Wes, aren’t you?”
“Don’t speak of it now! It’s a very delicate subject. Neither of us have had anything since breakfast. My gosh!”
“I’m so tired and sleepy, though,” Rip said. “I guess I can close my eyes and forget it. We’ll think of it to-morrow, eh?”