large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_03_ormondroyd_64kb_32
large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_03_ormondroyd_64kb
English
2531
The earth reeled under him and would not stop no matter how tightly he clutched the grass. THE EARTH REELED UNDER HIM AND WOULD NOT STOP NO MATTER HOW TIGHTLY HE CLUTCHED THE GRASS
ounding the air frantically. Now they had turned back. The scarp loomed before them, solid and blank. Above them--high above them--was the ledge. It looked as though they would not get back to it. Up ... up ... up.... They crawled through the air. The wings flapped wildly, faster and faster. They were gaining--slipping back--gaining again. The Phoenix sobbed as it stretched its neck in the last effort. Fifty feet ... twenty feet ... ten.... With a tremendous surge of its wings, the Phoenix managed to get one claw over the edge and to seize the branch of a bush in its beak. David's legs slipped from the bird's back. He dangled over the abyss from the outstretched neck, and prayed. The bush saved them. They scrabbled up over the edge, tottered there for an instant, and dropped on the grass. For a long time they lay gasping and trembling. At last the Phoenix weakly raised its head. "Puff--well, my boy--puff puff--whew!--very narrow squeak. I--puff--" [Illustration] David could not answer. ING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG THE PHOENIX WAS BREATHING IN HOARSE GASPS ITS WINGS WERE POUNDING THE AIR FRANTICALLY NOW THEY HAD TURNED BACK THE SCARP LOOMED BEFORE THEM SOLID AND BLANK ABOVE THEM HIGH ABOVE THEM WAS THE LEDGE IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THEY WOULD NOT GET BACK TO IT UP UP THEY CRAWLED THROUGH THE AIR THE WINGS FLAPPED WILDLY FASTER AND FASTER THEY WERE GAINING SLIPPING BACK GAINING AGAIN THE PHOENIX SOBBED AS IT STRETCHED ITS NECK IN THE LAST EFFORT FIFTY FEET TWENTY FEET TEN WITH A TREMENDOUS SURGE OF ITS WINGS THE PHOENIX MANAGED TO GET ONE CLAW OVER THE EDGE AND TO SEIZE THE BRANCH OF A BUSH IN ITS BEAK DAVID'S LEGS SLIPPED FROM THE BIRD'S BACK HE DANGLED OVER THE ABYSS FROM THE OUTSTRETCHED NECK AND PRAYED THE BUSH SAVED THEM THEY SCRAMBLED UP OVER THE EDGE TOTTERED THERE FOR AN INSTANT AND DROPPED ON THE GRASS FOR A LONG TIME THEY LAY GASPING AND TREMBLING AT LAST THE PHOENIX WEAKLY RAISED ITS HEAD PUFF WELL MY BOY PUFF PUFF WHEW VERY NARROW SQUEAK I PUFF DAVID COULD NOT ANSWER
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