chapter 12 cry of the hunters Ralph lay in a covert wondering about his wounds the bruised flesh was inches in diameter over his right ribs with a swollen and bloody scar where the spear had hit him his hair was full of dirt and tapped like the tendrils of a creeper all over he was scratched and bruised from his flight through the forest by the time his breathing was normal again he had worked out that bathing these injuries would have to wait how could you listen for naked feet if you were splashing in water how could you be safe by the little stream or on the open beach ralph listened he was not really far from the castle rock and during the first panic he had thought he heard sounds of pursuit but the hunters had only sneaked into the fringes of the greenery retrieving spears perhaps and then had rushed back to the sunny Rock as if terrified of the darkness under the leaves he had even glimpsed one of them striped brown black and red and had judged that it was a bill but really thought Ralph this was not bill this was a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt the afternoon died away the circular spots of sunlight moved steadily over green fronds and brown fiber but no sound came from behind the rock at last Ralph wormed out of the ferns and sneaked forward to the edge of that impenetrable thicket that fronted the neck of land he peered with elaborate caution between branches at the edge and could see Robert sitting on guard at the top of the cliff he held a spear in his left hand and was tossing up a pebble and catching it again with the right behind him a column of smoke rose thickly so that Ralph's nostrils flared and his mouth dribbled he wiped his nose and mouth with the back of his hand and for the first time since the morning felt hungry the tribe must be sitting round the gutted pig watching the fat use and burn among the ashes they would be intent another figure an unrecognizable one appeared by Robertson gave him something then turned and went back behind the rock Robert laid his spear on the rock beside him and began to gnaw between his raised hands so the feast was beginning and the watchman had been given his portion Ralph saw that for the time being he was safe he limped away through the fruit trees drawn by the thought of the poor food yet bitter when he remembered the feast feast today and then tomorrow he argued unconvincingly that they would let him alone perhaps even make an outlaw of him but then the fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again the breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapor these painted savages would go further and further then there was that indefinable connection between himself and Jack who therefore would never let him alone never he paused sun flicked holding up a bow prepared to duck under it a spasm of terror set him shaking and he cried aloud no not as bad as that it was an accident he ducked under the bow ran clumsily then stopped and listened he came to the smashed acres of fruit and ate greedily he saw two little uns and not having any idea of his own appearance wondered why they screamed and ran when he had eaten he went toward the beach the sunlight was slanting now into the palms by the wrecked shelter there was the platform and the pool the best thing to do was to ignore this leaden feeling about the heart and rely on their common sense their daylight sanity now that the tribe had eaten the thing to do was to try again and anyway he couldn't stay here all night in an empty shelter by the deserted platform his flesh crept and he shivered in the Evening Sun no fire no smoke no rescue he turned and limped away through the forest toward Jack's end of the island the slanting sticks of sunlight were lost among the branches at length he came to a clearing in the forest where rock prevented vegetation from growing now it was a pool of shadows and Ralph nearly flung himself behind a tree when he saw something standing in the center but then he saw that the white face was bone and that the pig's skull grinned at him from the top of a stick he walked slowly into the middle of the clearing and looked steadily at the skull that gleamed as white as ever the conch had done and seemed to jeer at him cynically an inquisitive ant was busy in one of the eye sockets but otherwise the thing was a lifeless or was it little prickles of sensation ran up and down his back he stood the skull about on a level with his face and held up his hair with two hands the teeth grinned the empty sockets seemed to hold his gaze masterfully and without effort what was it the skull regarded Ralph like one who knows all the answers and won't tell a sick fear and rage swept him fiercely he hid out at the filthy thing in front of him that bobs like a toy and came back still grinning into his face so that he lashed and cried out in loathing then he was licking his bruised knuckles and looking at the bear stick while the skull lay in two pieces its grin now six feet across he wrenched the quivering stick from the crack and held it as a spear between him and the white pieces then he backed away keeping his face to the skull that lay grinning at the sky when the green glow had gone from the horizon and night was fully accomplished Ralph came again to the thicket in front of the castle rock peeping through he could see that the height was still occupied and whoever it was up there had a spear at the ready he melt among the shadows and felt his isolation bitterly they were savages it was true but they were human and the ambushing fears of the deep night were coming on ralph moaned faintly tired though he was he cannot relax and fall into a well of sleep for fear of the tribe might it not be possible to walk boldly into the fort say I've got pax laughed lightly and sleep among the others pretend they were still boys school boys who had said sir yes sir and worn caps daylight might have answered yes but darkness and the horrors of death said no lying there in the darkness he knew he was an outcast because I had some sense he rubbed his cheek along his forearm smelling the acrid scent of salt and sweat and the staleness of dirt over to the left the waves of ocean were breathing sucking down than boiling back over the rock there were sounds coming from behind the castle rock listening carefully detaching his mind from the swing of the sea Ralph could make out a familiar rhythm Gaeltacht beasts cut his throat spill his blood the tribe was dancing somewhere on the other side of this rocky wall there would be a dark circle a glowing fire and meat they would be savoring food and the comfort of safety a noise mirror at hand made him quiver savages were clambering up the castle Rock right up to the top and he could hear voices he sneaked forward a few yards and saw the shape at the top of the rock change and enlarge there were only two boys on the island who moved her talks like that Ralph put his head down on his forearms and accepted this new fact like a wound Sam and Eric were a part of the tribe now they were guarding the castle rock against him there was no chance of rescuing them and building up an outlaw tribe at the other end of the island Sam and Eric were savages like the rest piggy was dead and the conch smashed to powder at length the guard climbed down the two that remains seemed nothing more than a dark extension of the rock a star appeared behind them and was momentarily eclipsed by some movement Ralph edged forward feeling his way over the uneven surface as though he were blind there were miles of vague water at his right and the Restless ocean lay under his left hand as awful as the shaft of a pit every minute the water breathes round the death rock and flowered into a field of whiteness Ralph crawled until he found the ledge of the entry in his grasp the lookouts were immediately above him and he could see the end of a spear projecting over the rock he called very gently Sam and Eric there was no reply to Kerri he must speak louder and this would rouse those striped and inimical creatures from their feasting by the fire he set his teeth and started to climb finding the holds by touch the stick that had supported a skull hampered him but he would not be parted from his only weapon he was nearly level with the twins before he spoke again Sam and Eric he heard a cry in a flurry from the rock the twins had grabbed each other and were gibbering it's me Ralph terrified that they would run and give the alarm he hauled himself up until his head and shoulders stuck over the top far below his armpit he saw the luminous flowering round the rock it's only me Ralph at length they bent forward and peered in his face we thought it was we didn't know what it was we thought memory of their new and shameful loyalty came to them eric was silent but Sam tried to do his duty you got to go Ralph you go away now he wagged his spear and essayed fierceness you shove off see Eric nodded agreement and jabbed his spear in the air Ralph leaned on his arms and did not go I came to see you two his voice was thick his throat was hurting him now though it had received no wound I came to see you two words cannot express the dull pain of these things he fell silent while the vivid stars were split and danced always Sam shifted uneasily honest Ralph you'd better go Ralph looked up again you two aren't painted how can you if it were light if it were light Shane would burn them at admitting these things but the night was dark Eric took up and then the twins started their antiphonal speech you got to go because it's not safe they made us they hurt us who Jack oh no they'd been to him and lowered their voices push-off Ralph it's a tribe they made us we couldn't help it when Ralph spoke again his voice was low and seemed breathless what have I done I liked him I wanted us to be rescued again the stars spilled about the sky Eric shook his head earnestly listen Ralph never mind what since that's gone never mind about the chief you got to go for your own good the chief and Roger yes Roger they hate you Ralph they're going to do you they're going to hunt you tomorrow but why I don't know and Ralph Jack the chief says it's a bit dangerous and we've got to be careful and throw our Spears like as a pig we're going to spread out in a line across the island we're going forward from this end until we find you we've got to give signals like this Eric raised his head and achieved a faint ovulation by BD on his open mouth then he glanced behind him nervously like that only louder of course but I've done nothing whispered Ralph urgently I only wanted to keep up a fire he paused for a moment thinking miserably of the morrow a matter of overwhelming importance occur to him what saw you he could not bring himself to be specific at first but then fear and loneliness goaded him when they find me what are they going to do the twins were silent beneath him the death rock flowered again what say they Oh God I'm hungry the towering rock seemed to sway under him well what the twins answered his question indirectly you got to go now Ralph for your own good keep away as far as you can won't you come with me three of us we'd stand a chance after a moment's silence Sam spoke in a strangled voice you don't know Roger he's a terror and the chief they're both terrors only Roger both boys froze someone was climbing toward them from the tribe he's coming to see if we're keeping watch quick Ralph as he prepared to let himself down the cliff Ralph snatched the last possible advantage to be rung out of this meeting I'll lie up close and that thickets down there he whispered so keep them away from it they'll never think to look so close the footsteps were still some distance away Sam I'm going to be all right aren't I the twins were silent again here said Sam suddenly take this Ralph felt a chunk of me2 pushed against him and grabbed it but what are you going to do when you catch me silence above he sounded silly to himself he lowered himself down the rock what are you going to do from the top of the towering rock came the incomprehensible reply Rogers sharpened a stick that's both ends Roger sharpened a stick at both ends Ralph tried to attach a meaning to this but could not he used all the bad words he can think of in a fit of temper that passed into yawning how long could you go without sleep he yearned for a bed and sheets but the only whiteness here was the slow spilled milk Luminess around the rock forty feet below where piggy had fallen piggy was everywhere was on this neck was become terrible in darkness and death if piggy were to come back now out of the water with this empty head ralph whimpered and yawns like a little in' the stick in his hand became a crutch on which he reeled then he tensed again there were voices raised on the top of the castle rock Sam and Eric were arguing with someone but the ferns and the grass were near that was the place to be in hidden and next to the thicket that would serve for tomorrow's hideout here and in his hands touched grass was a place to be in for the night not far from the tribe so that if the horrors of the supernatural emerged one could at least mix with humans for the time being even if it meant what did it mean a stick sharpened at both ends what was there in that they had thrown spears and missed all but one perhaps they would miss next time too he squatted down in the tall grass remembered to the meats that Sam had given him and began to tear at it ravenously while he was eating he heard fresh noises cries of pain from Sam and Eric cries of panic angry voices what did it mean someone besides himself was in trouble for at least one of the twins was catching it then the voices passed away down the rock and he ceased to think of them he felt with his hands and found cool delicate fronds backed against the thicket here then was the night Slayer at first light he would creep into the thicket squeezed between the twisted stems ensconced himself so deep that only a crawler like himself could come through and that crawler would be jabbed there he would sit and the search would pass by him and the cordon waver on all you lading along the island and he would be free he pulled himself between the ferns tunneling in he laid the stick beside him and huddled himself down in the blackness one must remember to wake at first light in order to diddle the savages and he did not know how quickly sleep came and hurled him down a dark interior slope he was awake before his eyes were open listening to a noise that was near he opened and I found the mould an inch or so from his face and his fingers gripped into it light filtering between the fronds of fern he had just time to realize at the age long nightmares of falling and death were passed and that the morning was come when he heard the sound again it was an ovulation over by the seashore and now the next savage answered and the next the cry swept by him across the narrow end of the island from c-2 Lagoon like the cry of a flying bird he took no time to consider but grabbed his sharp stick and wriggled back among the ferns within seconds he was worming his way into the thicket but not before he had glimpsed the legs of a savage coming toward him the ferns were thumped and beaten and he heard legs moving in the long grass the savage whoever he was Lu lated twice and the cry was repeated in both directions then died away Ralph crouched still tangled in the ferns and for a time he heard nothing at last he examined the thicket itself certainly no one could attack him here and moreover he had a stroke of luck the great rock that had killed piggy had bounded into this thicket and bounced there right in the centre making a smashed space a few feet and extend each way when Ralph had wriggled into this he felt secure and clever he sat down carefully among the smashed stems and waited for the hunt to pass looking up between the leaves he caught a glimpse of something red that must be the top of the castle rock distant and unmeant Essene he composed himself triumphantly to hear the sounds of the hunt dying away yet no one made a sound and as the minutes passed in the green shade his feeling of triumph faded at last he heard a voice Jack's voice but hushed are you certain the savage addressed sent nothing perhaps he made a gesture Roger spoke if you're fooling us immediately after this there came a gasp and a squeal of pain Ralph crouched instinctively one of the twins was there outside the thicket with Jack and Roger yoshiya he ments in there the twin moaned faintly and then squealed again he meant he'd hide in there yes yes Oh silver laughter scattered among the trees so they knew Ralph picked up his stick and prepared for battle but what could they do it would take them a week to break a path through the thicket and anyone who wormed his way in would be helpless he felt the point of a spear with his thumb and grinned without amusement whoever tried that would be stuck squealing like a pig they were going anyway back to the tower Rock he could hear feet moving and then someone sniggered they came again that high bird-like cry that swept along the line so some were still watching for him but some there was a long breathless silence Ralph found that he had bark in his mouth from the nod spear he stood and peered upwards to the castle rock as he did so he heard Jack's voice from the top --have --have --have the red rock that he could see at the top of the cliff vanished like a curtain and he could see figures and blue sky a moment later the earth and jolted there was a rushing sound in the air and the top of the thicket was cuffed as with a gigantic hand the rock bounded on thumping and smashing toward the beach while shower of broken twigs and leaves fell on him beyond the thicket the tribe was cheering silence again Ralph put his fingers in his mouth and bit them there was only one other rock up there that they might conceivably move but that was half as big as a cottage they is a car a tank he visualized it's probable progress with agonizing clearness that one would start slowly dropped from ledge to ledge trundle across the neck like an outsized steamroller --have hey hey Ralph put down his spear then picked it up again he pushed his hair back irritably took two hasty steps across the little space and then came back he stood looking at the broken ends of branches still silence he caught sight of the rise and fall of his diaphragm and was surprised to see how quickly he was breathing just left of center his heartbeats were visible he put the spear down again hey hey hey hey shrill prolonged cheer something boomed up on the red rock then the earth jumped and began to shake steadily while the noise has steadily increased Ralph was shot into the air thrown down dashed against branches at his right hand and only a few feet away the whole thicket bent and the roots screamed as they came out of the earth together he saw something red that turned over slowly as a mill wheel then the red thing was passed and the elephantine progress diminish toward the sea Ralph knelt on the ploughed up soil and waited for the earth to come back presently the white broken stumps the split sticks in the tangle of the thicket refocused there was a kind of heavy feeling in his body where he had watched his own pulse silence again yet not entirely so they were whispering out there and suddenly the branches were shaken furiously at two places on his right the pointed end of a stick appeared in panic Ralph's thrust his own stick through the crack and struck with all his might ah his spear twisted a little in his hands and then he withdrew it again oh oh someone was moaning outside and a babble of voices rose a fierce argument was going on and the wounded savage kept groaning then when there was silence a single voice spoke and Ralph decided that it was not jacks see I told you he's dangerous the wounded savage moaned again what else what next Ralph fastened his hands round the chewed spear and his hair fell someone was muttering only a few yards away toward the castle Rock he heard a savage say no in a shocked voice and then there was suppressed laughter he squatted back on his heels and showed his teeth at the wall of branches he raised his spear snarled a little and waited once more the invisible group sniggered he heard a curious trickling sound and then a louder crepitation as if someone were unwrapping great sheets of cellophane a stick snapped and he stifled a cough smoke was seeping through the branches and white and yellow wisps the patch of blue sky overhead turned to the colour of a storm cloud and then the smoke billowed round him someone laughed excitedly and a voice shouted smoke he wormed his way through the thicket toward the forest keeping as far as possible beneath the smoke presently he saw open space and the green leaves of the edge of the thicket a smallish Savage was standing between him and the rest of the forest a savage striped red and white and carrying a spear he was coughing and smearing the paint about his eyes with the back of his hand as he tried to see through the increasing smoke Ralph who launched himself like a cat stabbed snarling with the spear and the Savage doubled up there was a shout from beyond the thicket and then Ralph was running with the swiftness of fear through the undergrowth he came to a pig run followed it for perhaps a hundred yards and then swerved off behind him the ululation swept across the island once more and a single voice shouted three he guessed that was the signal to advance and sped away again till his chest was like fire then he flung himself down under a bush and waited for a moment till his breathing steadied he passed his tongue tentatively over his teeth and lips and heard far off the ovulation of the pursuers there were many things he could do he could climb a tree but that was putting all his eggs in one basket if he were detected they had nothing more difficult to do than wait if only one had time to think another double cry at the same distance gave him a clue to their plan any savage balked in the forest would utter the double shout and hold up the line till he was free again that way they might hope to keep the court an unbroken right across the island Ralph thought of the boar that had broken through them with such ease if necessary when the chase came to close he could charge the court and while it was still thin burst through and run back but run back where the cordon would turn and sweep again sooner or later he would have to sleep or eat and then he would awaken with hands clawing at him and the hunt would become a running down what was to be done then the tree burst the line like a bore either way the choice was terrible a single cry quickened his heartbeat and leaping up he dashed away toward the Oceanside and the thick jungle till he was hung up among creepers he stayed there for a moment with his calves quivering if only one could have quiet a long pause a time to think and there again shrill and inevitable was the ovulation sweeping across the island at that sound he shied like a horse among the creepers and ran once more until he was panting he flung himself down by some ferns the tree or the charge he mastered his breathing for a moment wiped his mouth and told himself to be calm Sam and Eric were somewhere in that line and hating it or were they and supposing instead of them he met the chief or Roger who carried death in his hands Ralph pushed back his tangled hair and wiped the sweat out of his best eye he spoke aloud think what was the sensible thing to do there was no piggy to talk sense there was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch think most he was beginning to dread the curtain that might waver in his brain blacking out the sense of danger making a simpleton of him a third idea would be to hide so well that the advancing line would pass without discovering him he jerked his head off the ground and listened there was another noise to attend to now a deep grumbling noise as though the forest itself were angry with him a somber noise across which the ovulations were scribbled excruciating ly as on slate he knew he had heard it before somewhere but had no time to remember break the line a tree hide and let them pass a nearer cries stood him on his feet and immediately he was away again running fast among the thorns and brambles suddenly he blundered into the open he found himself again in that open space and there was the fathom wide grin of the skull no longer ridiculing a deep blue patch of sky but cheering up into a blanket of smoke then Ralph was running beneath trees with the grumble of the forest explained they had smoked him out and sent the island on fire hide was better than a tree because you had a chance of breaking the line if you were discovered hi Ben he wondered if a pig would agree and grimaced at nothing find the deepest thicket the darkest hole on the island and creep in now as he ran he peered about him bars and splashes of sunlight flitted over him and sweat made glistening streaks on his dirty body the cries were far now and faint at last he found what seemed to him the right place though the decision was desperate here bushes in a wild tangle of creeper made a mat that kept out all the light of the Sun beneath it was a space perhaps a foot high though it was pierced everywhere by parallel and rising stems if you weren't into the middle of that you would be five yards from the edge and hidden unless the savage chose to lie down and look for you and even then he would be in darkness and if the worst happened and he saw you then you had a chance to burst out at him fling the whole line out of step and double back cautiously his stick trailing behind him Ralph worms between the rising stems when he reached the middle of the mat he'd lay and listened the fire was a big one and the drum roll that he had thought was left so far behind was nearer couldn't a fire outrun a galloping horse he could see the Sun splashed ground over an area perhaps fifty yards from where he lay and as he watched the sunlight in every patch blinked at him this was so like the curtain that flapped in his brain that for a moment he thought the blinking was inside him but then the patches blinked more rapidly dulled and went out so that he saw that a great heaviness of smoke lay between the island and the Sun if anyone appeared under the bushes and chanced to glimpse human flesh it might be Sam and Eric who would pretend to not see and say nothing he laid his cheek against chocolate-colored earth licked his dry lips and closed his eyes under the thicket the earth was vibrating very slightly or perhaps there was a sound beneath the obvious Thunder of the fire and scribbled all you lations that was too low to hear someone cried out Ralf jerked his cheek off the earth and looked into the dulled light they must be near now he thought and his chest began to thump hide break the line climb a tree which was the best after all the trouble was you only had one chance now the fire was nearer those volleying shots were great limbs trunks even bursting the fools the fools the fire must be almost at the fruit trees what would they eat tomorrow Ralf stirred restlessly in his narrow bed one chanced nothing what could they do beat him so what kill him a stick sharpened at both ends the cries suddenly near her jerked him up he could see a striped savage moving hastily out of a green tangle and coming toward the mat where he hid a savage who carried a spear Ralf gripped his fingers into the earth be ready now in case Ralf fumbled to hold his spear so that it was point foremost and now he saw that the stick was sharpened at both ends the savage stopped fifteen yards away and uttered his cry perhaps he can hear my heart over the noises of the fire don't scream get ready the savage moved forward so that you could only see him from the waist down that was the butt of his spear now you could see him from the knee down don't scream a herd of pigs came squealing out of the greenery behind the Savage and rushed away into the forest birds were screaming mice shrieking and a little hopping thing came under the mat and cowered five yards away the savage stopped standing right by the thicket and cried out Ralph drew his feet up and crouched the stake was in his hands the stake sharpened at both ends the stake that vibrated so wildly that grew long short light heavy light again the ovulation spread from shore to shore the savage knelt down by the edge of the thicket and there were lights flickering in the forest behind him you could see Annie disturb the mold now the other two hands a spear a face the Savage peered into the obscurity beneath the thicket you could tell that he saw lights on this side and on that but not in the middle there in the middle was a blob of dark and the savage wrinkled of his face trying to decipher the darkness the seconds lengthened Ralph was looking straight into the savages eyes don't scream you'll get back and how he's seen you he's making sure a stick sharpened Ralph screamed a scream of fright and anger and desperation his legs straightened the screams became continuous and foaming he shot forward burst the thicket was in the open and screaming snarling and bloody he swung the stake and the savage tumbled over but there were others coming toward him crying out he swerved as a spear flew past and then was silent running all at once the lights flickering ahead of him merged together the roar of the forest rose to thunder and a tall Bush directly in his path burst into a great fan shaped flame he swung to the right running desperately fast with the heat beating on his left side and the fire racing forward like a tide the ululation rose behind him and spread along a series of short sharp cries the sighting call and brown figures showed up at his right and fell away they were all running all crying out madly he could hear them crashing in the undergrowth and on the Left was the hot bright thunder of the fire he forgot his wounds his hunger and thirst and became fear hopeless fear of flying feet rushing through the forest toward the open beach spots jump them for his eyes and turned into red circles that expanded quickly till they passed out of sight below him someone's legs were getting tired and the desperate ovulation advanced like a jagged fringe of Menace and was almost overhead he stumbled over a mute and the cry that pursued him rose even higher he saw a shelter burst into flames and the fire flapped at his right shoulder and there was the glitter of water then he was down rolling over and over in the warm sand crouching with arm to ward off trying to cry for mercy he staggered to his feet tensed for more terrors and looked up at a huge peaked cap it was a white topped cap and above the green shade of the peak was a crown an anchor gold foliage he saw white drill epaulets a revolver a row of gilt buttons down the front of a uniform a naval officer stood on the sand looking down at Ralph and weary astonishment on the beach behind him was a cutter her boughs hauled up and held by two ratings in the stern-sheets another rating held a submachine gun the ovulation faltered and died away the officer looked at Ralph doubtfully for a moment and took his hand away from the butt of the revolver hello squirming a little conscious of his filthy appearance Ralph answered shyly hello the officer nodded as if a question had been answered although any adults any grownups with you dumbly ralph shook his head he turned a half pace on the sand a semicircle of little boys their bodies streaked with colored clay sharp sticks in their hands were standing on the beach making no noise at all fun and games said the officer the fire reached the coconut palms by the beach and swallowed them noisily a flame seemingly detached swung like an acrobat and licked up the palm heads on the for the sky was black the officer grinned cheerfully at Ralph we saw your smoke what have you been doing having a wall something Ralph nodded the officer inspected the little scarecrow in front of him the kid needed a bath a haircut a nose wipe and a good deal of ointment nobody killed I hope any dead bodies only two and they've gone the officer leaned down and looked closely at Ralph two killed Ralph nodded again behind him the whole island was shuddering with flame the officer knew as a rule when people were telling the truth he whistled softly other boys were appearing now tiny tots some of them brown with the distended bellies of small savages one of them came close to the officer and looked up hi i'm but there was no more to come first of all we miss Madison sought in his head for an incantation that had faded clean away the officer turned back to Ralph we'll take you off how many of you are there Ralph shook his head the officer looked past him to the group of painted boys who's boss Here I am said Ralph loudly a little boy who wore the remains of an extraordinary black cap on his red hair and who carried the remains of a pair of spectacles at his waist started forward then changed his mind and stood still we saw your smoke and you don't know how many of you there are no sir I should have thought said the officer as he visualized the search before him I should have thought that a pack of British boys you're all British aren't you would have been able to put up a better show than that I mean it's a spike that's at first said Ralph before things he stopped we were together then the officer nodded helpfully I know jolly good show like the coral island ralph looked at him dumbly for a moment he had a fleam picture of a strange glamour that at once invested the beaches but the island was scorched up like Deadwood Simon was dead and Jack had the tears began to flow and sobs shook him he gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island great shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body his voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island and infected by that emotion the other little boys began to shake and sob - and in the middle of them with filthy body matted hair and unwiped nose Ralph for the end of innocence the darkness of man's heart and the fall through the air of the true wise friend called piggy the officer surrounded by these noises was moved and a little embarrassed he turned away to give them time to pull themselves together and wait allow his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance [Music] [Music]