CHAPTER 7 - ASCENT
Stewpot put the phone down and walked into the kitchen rubbing his hands together.
"Well guys, are you almost ready?" he asked happily.
"I'm set" Julian smiled, a large rucksack at his feet.
Banksie, who sat at the table with a mouthful of toast gave him a thumbs up.
"Was that Mr McGuffey?" Julian asked.
"Just checking we're all ok, again" Stewpot replied, rolling his eyes.
"Don't 'e trust us or something?" Banksie added, spraying bits of toast over the floor.
"The guy's concerned about us. 'E's just like that" Stewpot shrugged. "Anyway, let's get going shall we?"
The lads left the cottage and started heading along the road towards the foot of the mountain. It was a chilly and misty morning and the lads walked quickly to keep warm. Despite the weather the forecast had promised blazing sunshine by midday.
"You guys got enough food and water?" Stewpot enquired.
"Check" Julian replied positively.
"And rain gear, incase it turns nasty?" Stewpot added.
"Look, you don't need to baby us" Banksie informed him. "We're fine."
"Alright!" Stewpot retorted with a sarcastic tone. "Sorry for caring!"
"Look!" Julian pointed. "All those people must be heading up the mountain too."
"Yeah, I think you're right" Stewpot agreed. "Let's catch up with them and ask" he suggested.
The lads caught up with a lively group of people, some young lads and girls and some older ones too.
Stewpot walked up to a man who looked like he was in his forties. "Excuse me mate. Is this the Tourist Track do you know?" he asked politely.
"Not yet my friend" the man replied happily. "Up this way, not far. You can follow us if you like."
"Cheers" Stewpot smiled. "Come on guys!" he beckoned the other two.
The three of them mingled in with the group.
"So have you walked to the top before?" Stewpot asked, continuing his conversation.
"Fourth time for me" the man replied happily.
"I hear it can be dangerous" Stewpot added.
"It can get a bit precarious near the top if visibility is poor, you can lose the track easily. But hopefully it will be clear for us by the time we get up there."
Stewpot nodded in thought. He looked back and saw that the other two had stopped altogether and were being left behind by the group.
"Uh, are we anywhere near the start of the track now?" he asked the man quickly.
"Just around this corner" the man pointed out.
"Great. Thanks for your help" Stewpot replied and he ran back to join his friends.
"What's the matter? Why have you stopped?" he asked them agitatedly.
Banksie looked embarrassed.
"He needs the loo" Julian replied matter of fact.
"What? Already?" Stewpot scoffed.
"Well I can't 'elp it, can I?" Banksie retorted. "I need somewhere no one can see me."
They all looked around but there wasn't a tree or bush or wall in sight.
"You'll 'ave to hold it!" Stewpot told him.
"Look, if it was just a number one, I'd just go here" Banksie informed them.
"Charming" Stewpot scoffed.
"Well at least there's no tractors around here" Julian grinned.
Banksie shot him an unamused glare.
"Sorry" Julian apologized.
"Look, let's keep going for a bit" Stewpot suggested. "There might be somewhere up ahead. Hopefully we can keep up with that group too. Come on, let's run."
Stewpot and Julian ran on while Banksie lagged behind.
"Come on!" Stewpot called back at him impatiently.
"You trying running with a full bladder!" Banksie moaned.
Eventually he caught up with them at the start of the mountain track.
"Look, there's a bit of a rock there" Stewpot pointed out.
Banksie nodded with an embarrassed smile.
"Well, 'urry up, or we'll lost that group!" Stewpot grumbled.
Banksie's cheeks flushed crimson. "Anyone...got any paper?" he stammered.
Stewpot groaned.
Julian reached into his bag and handed Banksie a small pack of tissues. "Here. Like I said, better to be over prepared than under."
"Ta" Banksie accepted the tissues and hastened behind the rock as fast as he could.
The others waited for their friend, Stewpot keeping his eyes on the group who were now now disappearing out of sight, but by the time Banksie re-emerged Stewpot had lost sight of them altogether.
"Took your time didn't ya?" Stewpot moaned.
"We ain't in no rush, are we?" Banksie retorted.
"Just come on!" Stewpot sighed.
They ran on for a little until Stewpot pulled up and the others followed suit.
"It's no good!" Stewpot moaned, bending over and holding his side. "We've lost them altogether! Anyway, I've got stitch now!"
"I'm pretty sure this is the main path though" Julian shrugged. "We should be ok."
"Do you think?" Stewpot asked between gasps for air. "I keep thinking about what Mr McGuffey said. Losing the track and getting stuck."
"Look, has anyone seen another path coming off this one yet?" Banksie asked. "'cause I haven't. So let's just keep going for now. We're bound to catch up with someone sooner or later or somebody may catch up with us and we can ask them then. Yeah?"
"Maybe. I suppose so..." Stewpot agreed anxiously.
"You're quite the worrier, aren't ya?" Banksie noted.
Stewpot didn't reply.
"Come on. It's going to be alright. Trust your uncle Banksie" Banksie assured them and began leading the way.
"Uncle Banksie?" Stewpot mouthed inaudibly at Julian.
Julian shrugged his shoulders and began to follow after Banksie. Finally, Stewpot pulled himself together and sought to catch up with his friends.
About half an hour later the mist was beginning to lift, slowly unveiling the breath taking landscape that surrounded them.
The boys stopped for a while to admire the view.
"Hey look, that's our cottage down there" Julian pointed out.
"Oh yeah" Stewpot smiled. He shook his head. "Everything looks so tiny from up here" he mused.
"Well look at those people way down at the start of the track" Banskie pointed out. "They look just like ants."
The boys watched them transfixed for a while, as the ants slowly began to make their way up and along the side of the mountain.
"Come on. Best to keep going" Stewpot said eventually.
They continued on for at least another couple of hours in glorious sunshine and after a stop for food they continued on their way, maybe an hour or so away from the summit. Out of seemingly nowhere though, the clouds now began to swirl and eddy over the side of the mountain and across the path in front of them. The temperature noticeably began to drop also.
"Be careful here" Banksie warned. "The path's beginning to narrow."
The boys picked their way slowly over the stoney path, the visibility growing poorer with each step.
Banksie took a step, his right foot skidded on a loose stone and he went down onto one knee. Now he could see just how near to the edge the path was.
The other two stopped in their tracks.
"Are you alright Banksie?" Julian asked him concerned.
"Yeah, I'm alright, but this is really dangerous here. We're way too close to the edge."
"Does it get any better up ahead?" Stewpot inquired.
Banksie shook his head. "I can't see anything" he grimaced.
"Maybe we should go back? Get out of this fog at least" Julian offered.
"Yeah, I think we should" Stewpot stammered nervously.
"I don't know" Banksie disagreed. "I don't think we've missed any paths."
"But if this path is too dangerous..." Stewpot reasoned.
"Look, maybe we can climb up here a bit, and keep following the path..." Banksie replied, finding a spot to put his foot in and heaving himself up a boulder."
"Don't be stupid!" Stewpot exclaimed, starting to panic again. "You could fall!"
"But I can see the path's wider just up over this rock" Banksie countered. "Much better than this path."
"But if we slip climbing up there..." Julian pointed out. "I think we should go back."
Banksie gave a defeated sigh. "Maybe you're right" he yielded, stepping back onto the lower path.
Stewpot's heart was in his mouth as he watched Banksie climb back down and gave a loud exhaled.
"You ok Stewpot?" Julian asked worried.
"Give me a minute" Stewpot replied, holding his chest.
Julian put his hand on Stewpot's shoulder to reassure him.
The boys waited while Stewpot caught his breath, then he turned around and started leading the others back along the path they had come. Eventually the path widened out once more and led them away from the edge of the mountain.
"Thank goodness for that!" Stewpot sighed, sitting down on the ground. "I'd be ok if it wasn't for this blasted fog!" he moaned anxiously.
"Maybe we should head back down altogether?" Julian suggested. "Come again tomorrow. What do you say Banksie?"
"You want to go back down again?" Banksie asked disappointed.
"I think it's best" Julian replied. "I mean Stewpot isn't enjoying himself, is he?"
Stewpot looked dejectedly at them both. "Sorry guys" he muttered awkwardly.
"You really don't think you can carry on?" Banksie asked him keenly.
Stewpot hung his head.
"Come on Banksie" Julian tried. "We've got all week to climb the mountain...do it for Stewpot."
"And Mr McGuffey didn't want us to split up either" Stewpot added.
Banksie sighed. "Yeah alright then" he agreed.
"Thanks Banksie" Julian smiled.
"Yeah, thanks" Stewpot added appreciatively.
Banksie nodded. "If we meet anyone on the way though, might be worth asking where we've gone wrong" he added.
The boys set off back down the mountain, the fog still thickly enveloping every footstep they took. In fact they didn't seem to be descending the mountain at all and the path started to narrow once more.
Stewpot stopped suddenly. "This doesn't seem right at all!" he uttered anxiously. "We must have come this way, but..."
The lads looked around them, but the visibility was even poorer than it had been before.
Stewpot started hyperventilating.
"Hey mate, take it easy" Banksie said holding Stewpot's arm. "Here, have a sit down" he suggested, helping Stewpot to the ground. Stewpot began to feel a little better sat down and his breathing improved.
"What do you think we should do?" Banksie asked Julian.
Julian thought. "I've got a whistle in my bag" he replied all of a sudden. He put his large bag down and started rooting through the pockets. Soon he pulled out a small silver whistle.
"No one's gonna hear that!" Stewpot lamented.
"It's worth a try" Julian replied optimistically. He blew the whistle as loud as he could several times. The lads listened hard for a reply...all that met them was silence.
Julian blew it a few more times...again, not a sound.
"It's no use" Stewpot moaned. "We're probably miles from anyone."
"Give it another go" Banksie encouraged.
Julian blew it again hard, seven or eight times and listened. Silence...then...
"Hey was that a shout?" Banksie asked.
Julian blew loud one more time on the whistle...then, no mistake, it was a man's voice calling!
"It came from over there!" Stewpot exclaimed standing up in nervous excitement.
"Are you sure?" Julian asked.
"Yes!" Stewpot cried, "over there!" He took three steps in the same direction to look and suddenly his foot slipped over the edge of the mountain and found himself clinging on for his life...