Attempt To Be Brave

Northern Advocate, 24 January 1939, Page 2

Attempt To Be Brave

.. (By Hilda Webb, Oakleigh. age 16.)

“Now we will show Phil, we can'be as brave as he,. Peg,” cried Letty to her pal. “Here’s where the cave is supposed to be.”

“The two girls ran to the entrance and crawled through the opening.

“I wonder what happened to Iho girls” Phil asked himself sleepily as lie rose from his comfortable position. “They seemed to have disappeared altogether.

“All this time,the gilds had been slowly crawling through the dark cave. All things seemed ghostly to them in the torchlight.

“What is that over there?” gasped Peg, clutching her pal’s arm. “Why Peg, you old’goose, its only an old skeleton of some sort,” was her mere courageous pal’s reply. * “Can we turn back now, Letty, please?” asked Peg. hi hate it. I don’t care if Phil is braver than wo are,” she added.

“Scared, old Peg?” asked her chum leasingly. “Come oh. I want to see what is around this corner.” In her haste Letty fell over a stone in the way, hurting her foot as she did so.

“Oh, my leg, Peg,” she groaned. “No, it’s my foot. Oh, what am I to do. I can’t walk now.”

“Will you wait here while I go back for Phyl?” asked her chum. “Oh, no. Peg. don’t leave me, please,” she cried. “I'll try to walk, but don’t leave me here on my own.”

Painfully she crawled after her friend, a ’ gasp of pain escaping her lips every move. Sick with pain she slumped to the floor of the cave. “Oil, Letty,” cried her chum as she looked at her pale face. “Talk to me, please.” The once frightened Peg, no longer afraid, knew she must got her friend out somehow, and look for help. .Slowly she carried her now unconscious friend along through the low passage. Every now and then she had to let her burden down and crawl under a low rock and drag her friend after her.

“Hew much further is it?” she moaned to herself as, with faltering steps, she carried on. “Girls, Peg, Letty.” came a cry from the distance. Poor Phil! was frantic. He had loked in vain for his sister and her friend.

“Was that a call,” he asked himself as Peg’s weak voice came to his ears. The voice came again and Phil’s heart leapt to his mouth as he dashed across the beach. “Why, they must be in the old cave,” he said, “but they’re in trouble. Oh, why did I go to sleep? I didn’t think they’d go into the cave by themselves They must be braver girls than I thought” were his thoughts as he ran into the cave. “Letty, where are you?” he cried, as he crawled along through the dark. Then out of the darkness came the flicker of a torchlight. “Over here, Phil.” cried Peg. “Letty’s hurl her foot; she’s fainted.” “Letty's fainted. Oh, why didn’t you wake me,” he cried, as he bent over his sister’s still form. s “Rub her hands. Peg,” he commanded as he examined the now swollen foot. “Have you a sash. Peg?” ho asked “She's coming round.” Peg stopped her rubbing and threw him her sash, and he bound up the ankle as best lie could. With a sigh, Letty came to life and groaned with

the pain. , “It’s all right, old girl. Well soon have you out,” cried her brother, as he took his sister in his arms and plunged on through the cave out on to the beach. .. Peg ran home as fast as she could for her father, and Letty was carried home to her parents. • “Why, girls, whatever struck you to go into the'cave?” asked, Phil that evening as they all sat round the fire Peg was standing to keep Letty company, and she now sat by her friend on the sofa.

“We wanted to show you We were as brave as you,” replied his sister. “Never again will I be as stupid as to try to be.” . •• . “But you are,” cried her brother, “and so is Peg. I wouldn’t go into the cave by myself for all the tea in China,” he added, laughing. “You mean that Phil?” asked his sister happily. “We aren’t cowards in your eyes any longer, then?” “No,'girls,” he cried. “You’re fit for anybody to be proud of as friends and sisters.” “But we were frightened, Phil,” they cried in unison. “Never mind if you were. So was I when I couldn’t find you,” —Original.