CHAPTER ELEVEN
Castle Rock
In the short chill of dawn the four boys gathered round the black smudge
where the fire had been, while Ralph knelt and blew. Grey, feathery ashes
scurried hither and thither at his breath but no spark shone among them.
The twins watched anxiously and Piggy sat expressionless behind the
luminous wall of his myopia. Ralph continued to blow till his ears were
singing with the effort, but then the first breeze of dawn took the job off his
hands and blinded him with ashes. He squatted back, swore, and rubbed
water out of his eyes.
"No use."Eric looked down at him through a mask of dried blood. Piggy peered in
the general direction of Ralph.
" 'Course it's no use, Ralph. Now we got no fire."Ralph brought his face within a couple of feet of Piggy's."Can you see me?""A bit."Ralph allowed the swollen flap of his cheek to close his eye again."They've got our fire."Rage shrilled his voice."They stole it!"