It was Westy’s turn to sit up and he thought it must be way past midnight. How they would welcome the coming dawn! He was so cold and as he sat there shivering in the pouring rain, he wondered if they would ever find their way out. He shivered more when he thought of Lola’s verdict about those who had been trapped there before.
Surely, there must be some mysterious force at work there! What else was it that made them lose their tracks so easily? He wondered if Rip had overcome his skepticism and accepted Lola’s story as true. No matter what name people gave it, Westy was convinced that something supernatural had invaded that dark dank place and reigned supreme.
There wasn’t a sound but the falling rain and it seemed to be growing more silent all the time. He thought that every breathing thing but they in that vast jungle must be dry and sheltered.
He was trying to shield Rip’s face with his hands and had covered his legs with his blouse. His head continually sagged forward, while his whole body felt cramped from the unnatural position he was in, but he thought as he exercised a little to relieve the tension, they had to stick close together in a case like that, no matter how it hurt.
It never occurred to Westy to feel any resentment toward the younger boy and that Rip’s perversity was responsible for their precarious situation. He just simply took things as they came along and whether purposely or not, forgot the root of the evil entirely.
Westy was that kind of a scout.
Finally he came out of his chilly reverie with a start. Rip was actually sleeping. He grinned as he thought of the saying of being tired enough to sleep on a rock. Rip certainly must have an iron-bound back to sleep all that time. Well, let him; it would do him good!
The continual downpour made Westy wonder again what they were going to do about drinking water. He was beginning to feel a little feverish already. They’d have to drink the rain water if they could find something to catch it in—but there wasn’t much likelihood of finding anything.
Their last resort would be the stagnant pools that were gradually deepening and widening all over from the incessant rain. Perhaps the dawn would bring the sunshine, he thought hopefully.
Rip moved suddenly and cried, as in fright.