18
　　A little exploring
　　There was a long pause after this strange story. It was very hard to believe – and yet they had seenand heard such strange things the last few days that they felt anything might be true of this lonelymountain.
　　‘But what’s the idea?’ asked Jack¹, after a while. ‘And why all the wheels and wires and things?
　　I just don’t get the hang of it all.’
　　‘Nor do I. But Sam reckons that if the experiment came off, and men could really fly with thesewings, somebody would make a most colossal² fortune!’ said Philip. ‘Everyone would want them.
　　Everyone would fly.’
　　‘It sounds lovely,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘I should love to fly like the birds do – much, much betterthan going in an aeroplane!’
　　They all felt the same – but nobody could really believe in these ‘wings’ that Sam had talked of.
　　‘How did he escape?’ asked Jack, nodding at the black man.
　　‘He did an absolutely mad thing – as dangerous as jumping off a helicopter to try the “wings”,’
　　said Philip. ‘He got a parachute out of the stores, came in here, fitted it on – and jumped!’
　　Everyone shuddered³. ‘What! Jumped out of this cave, right from the top of the mountain?’ saidJack. ‘Gosh, he’s a brave man!’
　　‘He is. His parachute opened, and he floated down to earth, landing with an awful bump. But ofcourse he’d learnt how to fall, and he soon recovered. The next thing was – to find safetysomewhere.’
　　‘He couldn’t have found a lonelier, more deserted⁴ bit of country than in these mountains,’ saidJack. ‘I suppose he didn’t even know where he was.’
　　‘He hadn’t the faintest idea,’ said Philip. ‘I told him we were in Wales – but he didn’t knowwhere that was.’
　　‘And then the dogs got after him, I suppose?’ said Jack. ‘Poor Sam!’
　　‘Yes. He knew about them, because they live up on the mountain-top with the men. He saysthey’re used to scare any possible wanderer who comes near this mountain – and, of course, tohunt anyone who does escape – or find anyone who crashes if the wings don’t work.’

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