large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_03_ormondroyd_64kb_36
large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_03_ormondroyd_64kb
English
2531
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. 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
--now, your arms around my neck--your legs _behind_ my wings, please--there we are. Ready?" "No," said David faintly. "Splendid! The proof is to be demonstrated, the--to be brief, we are off!" The great wings were outstretched. David gulped, clutched the Phoenix's neck tightly, and shut his eyes. He felt a hopping sensation, then a long, sickening downward swoop that seemed to leave his stomach far behind. A tremendous rush of air snatched at his shirt. He opened his eyes and choked with fright. The ground below was rushing up to meet them, swaying and revolving. Something 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 ... up.... They crawled through the air. The wings flapped wildly, faster and faster. They were gaining--slipping back--gaining again. NOW THEN UPON MY BACK HOW AM I GOING TO SIT ON MY BACK QUITE SO NOW YOUR ARMS AROUND MY NECK YOUR LEGS BEHIND MY WINGS PLEASE THERE WE ARE READY NO SAID DAVID FAINTLY SPLENDID THE PROOF IS TO BE DEMONSTRATED THE TO BE BRIEF WE ARE OFF THE GREAT WINGS WERE OUTSTRETCHED DAVID GULPED CLUTCHED THE PHOENIX'S NECK TIGHTLY AND SHUT HIS EYES HE FELT A HOPPING SENSATION THEN A LONG SICKENING DOWNWARD SWOOP THAT SEEMED TO LEAVE HIS STOMACH FAR BEHIND A TREMENDOUS RUSH OF AIR SNATCHED AT HIS SHIRT HE OPENED HIS EYES AND CHOKED WITH FRIGHT THE GROUND BELOW WAS RUSHING UP TO MEET THEM SWAYING AND REVOLVING SOMETHING 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
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