278 Tommy Twister’s Discovery

And Tommy and Billy turned the ark
until the side which could be slid off was
facing the mountains ; then they slid off the
side, ‘and opened the largest hatch, and ran
a long way off.

The steam which arose from the cere
jam filled the whole sky; and the heat
was so great that the mountains began to
disappear for a space half a mile wide.
The bear took off his waistcoat and fanned
himself with it; but he and the boys were
on the side of the ark turned away from
the mountains, and so greatly sheltered from
the heat.

You see the open ark acted like a Dutch
oven, and formed a hot chamber which threw
the heat on to the mountains.

The half-mile gap through the mountains
was quite clear now. But who was to put
the hatch on again ?

They managed it somehow—I don’t quite
know how ; but I know that an English boy
can do anything if he really tries: and that’s
enough for me.

You might say one could not grow up