Read Online 04 Volcano Adventure by Willard Price - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Willard Price
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heavier than the Japanese.
Hal did not expect much. Probably Kobo could not lift him. Or the trousers would split, or pull apart. Then he would start sliding and wouldn’t stop until he plopped into a bath twenty times as hot as boiling water. And with his trousers off! Well, he wouldn’t suffer long.
The heat, the noise, the danger - they made odd notions race through his brain. He didn’t want to die with his trousers off. He had heard an old soldier say, ‘l want to die with my boots on.’ That was the way he would like to die, too, if he had to die - in full uniform, fighting a glorious fight. But to pass out by slipping and sliding half-dressed into a pot hole - that was no way to die. That was something to make anybody laugh. He could laugh at it himself, and he did. Kobo was astonished to see him laughing.
Another fancy struck him: if he turned up at the pearly gates without his trousers would St Peter let him in?
All this fled through his half-dizzy mind in a moment. Then he heard Kobo calling:
‘You big boy. I no can bring up unless you help. I count to three. Then you come like everything and I pull like so. Are you ready?’
‘Ready!’ replied Hal. His daydreams were gone now and he tensed himself for the big effort.
‘Ichi!’ began Kobo. Hal knew that ichi meant one. In his excitement Kobo had forgotten his English and was counting in his own language.
WzV Hal gathered up all his strength. ‘SAN!’ yelled Kobo, and pulled.
Hal leaped upwards at the same instant. The stones flew out from under his feet. There was a muttering growl and the whole gravel bed upon which he had been lying began to slide. A ripping sound told him that the trousers were coming apart at the seams.
But by now he had his hands over the edge of the solid rock occupied by Kobo.
There he dangled as everything went out from under him. Every stone that slid started another stone sliding. The landslide spread left and right until it seemed that the whole slope was roaring downwards. It thundered like the hooves of a thousand wild horses and clouds of dust rose from it.
The avalanche crashed down into the lava lake making a sound like heavy surf on an ocean beach.
Helped by Kobo, Hal scrambled up on to the rock. Then they turned and climbed on firmer ground to the edge of the crater. Here they looked back on a terrifying sight as the avalanche carried billions upon billions of tons of rock down into a blazing lake so hot that it would almost immediately turn the hard rock into flowing liquid.
Half dazed by their experience they trudged on along the edge of the crater until they met Dr Dan and Roger. As soon as they saw them these two gentlemen began to laugh.
Hal thought, they wouldn’t laugh if they knew what we have been through. Then his mind cleared a bit and he realized that something was missing. They had forgotten to put on their trousers. Kobo was still carrying them in his hand. He began to untie them from each other.
The doctor was no longer amused. He could see by the bedraggled and weary appearance of the two boys that something pretty bad had happened. They were bruised and battered and covered with dust.
‘We heard an avalanche,’ Dr Dan said. ‘Were you mixed up in it?’
‘We certainly were,’ said Hal. ‘And I’d be at the bottom right now if it hadn’t been for Kobo. Kobo and two pairs of trousers.’
He and Kobo pulled on their badly ripped trousers.
Dr Dan was looking at them thoughtfully. Then he turned and started down the mountain with Roger. For a while they walked in silence, each too full of his own thoughts to speak. Then Dr Dan said:
‘Well, Roger, I think Kobo has paid for his lessons.’
‘I’ll say he has!’ agreed Roger.
Chapter 10
The sinking ship
Again the Lively Lady sailed, this time due south. Japan was left behind.
Left behind also was Kobo who had returned to his school for another examination. Hal anxiously wondered what the result would be. He was to get word
Hal did not expect much. Probably Kobo could not lift him. Or the trousers would split, or pull apart. Then he would start sliding and wouldn’t stop until he plopped into a bath twenty times as hot as boiling water. And with his trousers off! Well, he wouldn’t suffer long.
The heat, the noise, the danger - they made odd notions race through his brain. He didn’t want to die with his trousers off. He had heard an old soldier say, ‘l want to die with my boots on.’ That was the way he would like to die, too, if he had to die - in full uniform, fighting a glorious fight. But to pass out by slipping and sliding half-dressed into a pot hole - that was no way to die. That was something to make anybody laugh. He could laugh at it himself, and he did. Kobo was astonished to see him laughing.
Another fancy struck him: if he turned up at the pearly gates without his trousers would St Peter let him in?
All this fled through his half-dizzy mind in a moment. Then he heard Kobo calling:
‘You big boy. I no can bring up unless you help. I count to three. Then you come like everything and I pull like so. Are you ready?’
‘Ready!’ replied Hal. His daydreams were gone now and he tensed himself for the big effort.
‘Ichi!’ began Kobo. Hal knew that ichi meant one. In his excitement Kobo had forgotten his English and was counting in his own language.
WzV Hal gathered up all his strength. ‘SAN!’ yelled Kobo, and pulled.
Hal leaped upwards at the same instant. The stones flew out from under his feet. There was a muttering growl and the whole gravel bed upon which he had been lying began to slide. A ripping sound told him that the trousers were coming apart at the seams.
But by now he had his hands over the edge of the solid rock occupied by Kobo.
There he dangled as everything went out from under him. Every stone that slid started another stone sliding. The landslide spread left and right until it seemed that the whole slope was roaring downwards. It thundered like the hooves of a thousand wild horses and clouds of dust rose from it.
The avalanche crashed down into the lava lake making a sound like heavy surf on an ocean beach.
Helped by Kobo, Hal scrambled up on to the rock. Then they turned and climbed on firmer ground to the edge of the crater. Here they looked back on a terrifying sight as the avalanche carried billions upon billions of tons of rock down into a blazing lake so hot that it would almost immediately turn the hard rock into flowing liquid.
Half dazed by their experience they trudged on along the edge of the crater until they met Dr Dan and Roger. As soon as they saw them these two gentlemen began to laugh.
Hal thought, they wouldn’t laugh if they knew what we have been through. Then his mind cleared a bit and he realized that something was missing. They had forgotten to put on their trousers. Kobo was still carrying them in his hand. He began to untie them from each other.
The doctor was no longer amused. He could see by the bedraggled and weary appearance of the two boys that something pretty bad had happened. They were bruised and battered and covered with dust.
‘We heard an avalanche,’ Dr Dan said. ‘Were you mixed up in it?’
‘We certainly were,’ said Hal. ‘And I’d be at the bottom right now if it hadn’t been for Kobo. Kobo and two pairs of trousers.’
He and Kobo pulled on their badly ripped trousers.
Dr Dan was looking at them thoughtfully. Then he turned and started down the mountain with Roger. For a while they walked in silence, each too full of his own thoughts to speak. Then Dr Dan said:
‘Well, Roger, I think Kobo has paid for his lessons.’
‘I’ll say he has!’ agreed Roger.
Chapter 10
The sinking ship
Again the Lively Lady sailed, this time due south. Japan was left behind.
Left behind also was Kobo who had returned to his school for another examination. Hal anxiously wondered what the result would be. He was to get word
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