Hills End by Ivan Southall Read Free Book Online Page B

future.
    He stood at the bank and shivered. The water was dark, running high, rumbling. Glory, the river was almost yelling at him!
    He stumbled back to the mill across the flats.
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    * * *
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    The heat indeed was very trying and Miss Elaine Godwin shuffled up the face of the bluff, perspiring freely, shaking so much at the knees that she was sure they were knocking together. Dear, dear, dear! Why couldn’t she act her age and admit it was too much for her? She was groaning for breath and her pulse was beating so hard in her temples that all she could hear was its thud-thud-thud.
    She was such a fool. Here she was, condoning this danger, encouraging these children to risk their lives, when she should have forbidden this exercise. Exercise? Indeed no. It was a criminally foolish escapade which might leave her responsible for injury or death. Those dreadful parents sending their children after her! It was too much responsibility altogether. And, bless her soul, she’d have to get down again afterwards. That would be worse by far. It was this continual patter of little stones, and the times she slipped on wet rocks or slime, the times she looked down because the depths drew her eyes with a dreadful fascination, the times she groped for a foothold and sent a shower of fragments on the children beneath her. The times she was giddy and her head swam, the times she wanted to scream at the top of her voice, yet had to say so calmly, ‘Come along, children.’
    Suddenly she was there, on the wide ledge that formed the opening to a cave, and Paul was smiling at her and Adrian seemed unusually subdued.
    â€˜Well, well, well,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Here we are.’
    Harvey, Gussie, Maisie, and finally Frances came up on the ledge behind her. The girls were flushed and excited, full of their achievement because not too many girls had got as far as this before. They had been surprised to discover that the way up was far less dangerous than they had been told. Of course, they had had to be careful, but no more careful than in climbing a tree.
    Miss Godwin was still fluttery and was finding it difficult to conceal her distress. All she wanted to do was sit down, and she never knew how she resisted the yearning. She was a brave soul and a far better leader than she gave herself credit for. They never dreamt that she was frightened, never imagined the state of her mind.
    â€˜Now, Adrian,’ she said, ‘we’re in your hands.’
    â€˜Have you brought a torch, Miss Godwin?’
    â€˜Of course. Of course. Always prepared.’
    Adrian wished most fervently that she hadn’t been. That had been a possible way out for him—no torch—and even now perhaps if the torch were small enough he might contrive to flatten the battery; but no, Miss Godwin’s torch was an electric lantern, six volts, and its power would last for days.
    â€˜Is it very far in, Adrian?’
    â€˜No, miss. So long as we find the right cave it’s only a few yards.’
    â€˜Goodness!’ Miss Godwin was rather stern. ‘You have no doubt that you can find it?’
    â€˜Oh, no. It might take a little time, but I’ll find it.’
    â€˜Very well. As I said, we’re in your hands. Take the torch. We don’t know how soon we’ll need it. The sunlight won’t last for ever.’
    It was Gussie who was left behind. She was so enthralled by the great rock bed lying beneath her that these silly caves pitting the face of the bluff seemed unimportant. She had climbed high, right up here, and the view was the reward, the depth of space, the impression that she was sitting in an aeroplane looking over the side. She was sure she could see the pool where Butch had stopped, sure she could see him lying in the shade. She simply didn’t notice the sky until suddenly there were no shadows.
    She glanced up, and the sun had vanished behind the strangest looking cloud she had ever seen.