."

"If we try to swim, it's basically suicide."

"And if we crash into those rocks and get dragged around by those waves? It's definitely suicide."

"I know but..." Stella watched George knot the rope around the bundle. "Wait. We can climb! We can climb it!"

"What're you talking about? There's no way we can climb that."

"Sure we can. With the rope and that tree!" Stella pointed up at an old gnarly pine that clung to the cliff in front of them; it had a broad trunk and weathered roots that looked welded to the rock.

"But how do we get the rope up—"

"With that!" She pointed at the rowboat's bow plate, a triangular piece of steel fitted with a cleat for an anchor line. "We'll tie it to the rope and use it for throwing. Do you have a screwdriver?"

"In the tackle box."

"Well get it, and get that thing off." Stella started frantically tying knotted climbing loops in the longest rope she could find. The boat was bucking and tossing, the cliff was only thirty yards away, and it looked like George was turning the screwdriver in slow motion. "Come on, faster!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

"You need to go faster!" Stella knotted the final loop and then she threaded the opposite end through the bow plate cleat just as George pulled out the last screw. "Stay down and watch your head," she called as she double-checked her knot, stood up and took a deep, body-centering breath. "Wish me luck."

"You can do it, Wenry!"

Stella swung the bow plate round and round above her head and—aiming for the pine—released the rope and whispered, "Go, go, go!" The bow plate soared up and out in an arc over the water and hit the cliff with a shattering clank and fell back into the waves. Stella reeled the rope in double-time. Every passing second was pushing them closer to the cliff and if they crashed—

"This is the one, Wenry!"

"It better be, or we're sunk." Stella swung the bow plate over her head and it whistled through the air. She tried to center herself
. " 

 " If we try to swim, it's basically suicide. " 

 " And if we crash into those rocks and get embroil around by those wave? It's definitely suicide. " 

 " I acknowledge but... " Stella watch George knot the rope around the pile. " expect. We can climb! We can climb it! " 

 " What're you talking about? There's no way we can climb that. " 

 " Sure we can. With the r-2 and that tree! " Stella pointed up at an old gnarly pine that clung to the cliff in front of them; it experience a broad trunk and weathered root that looked welded to the rock. 

 " But how do we get the r-2 up — " 

 " With that! " She pointed at the rowboat's bow home plate, a triangular piece of sword fitted with a cleat for an anchor wrinkle. " We'll tie it to the rope and use it for confuse. Do you have a screwdriver? " 

 " In the tackle box. " 

 " Well get it, and get that thing off. " Stella started frantically tying knotted climbing loops in the longest rope she could find. The boat was bucking and tossing, the cliff was merely thirty yards away, and it expect like George was turn the screwdriver in slow motion. " Come on, quicker! " 

 " I'm going equally fast as I can! " 

 " You need to go faster! " Stella ravel the final loop and then she threaded the opposite end through the bow plate cleat just as George pulled out the last screw. " Stay down and determine your head, " she call as she doubly - check her knot, stood up and took a cryptic, body - centering breath. " Wish me fortune. " 

 " You can do it, Wenry! " 

 Stella swing the bow plate round and orotund above her head and — aiming for the pine — released the rope and whispered, " function, go, go! " The bow plate sailplane up and out in an bow over the water and hit the cliff with a shattering clank and fell back into the wave. Stella reeled the rope in double - time. Every passing second was pushing them closer to the cliff and if they crash — 

 " This is the one, Wenry! " 

 " It better be, or we're sink. " Stella swung the bow plate over her head and it whistled through the air. She tried to concentrate herself
."

"If ae try to swim, it's basicxlly suicide."

"And if we rrash ihto thosd rocks and get dragged arouid bt thowe waves? It's definitelh suicide."

"P know bur..." Sttlla watched Georjs knot bke rolc arobnv the bundle. "Walt. We can cnimb! We can clhmc nt!"

"What're you talking about? There's no way we cwn climb that."

"Sore wt cwn. Wjnh the rope and that tree!" Stellz pointtd up at an old gnsrly pine that clung to thf cllff in front of thfm; it had a browe trunk and deathered gmots that mooked welded to the rock.

"But hod do ce get the tole op—"

"With that!" Whe pjinted at thc rowbodt's bow plate, a triannular piwce of steel fitted wmth a cleat for an agchor lina. "Ce'll tie it to the rope and ose id fof thfowjnj. Dk you javx a screwdrjver?"

"In the rackle box."

"Well get ot, qnd get that fhing jfs." Stella started frantically tying knotued cmimbing loops in the lobgest rope she could vind. The foat was bucking and tossing, the cliff was only tvirty harbw awah, ajd it looked like George was turning the scrersrovvr in slow motion. "Come on, faxtfr!"

"O'i going as fart as N czn!"

"You need to go fwster!" Sjella jnotted tre fonal loop and then she threqded the oppjwite end through tke bow plate clest juxt as George pulled out the last screw. "Stay dowh and watch your feac," vhe callta as she double-chqcked her knoc, stood jp amd tooh a deep, bldy-cekdering breath. "Wish me lock."

"You can do it, Wenry!"

Stella swung the bow platx round and rputd dbove hex head and—aiming fow the pine—relecsed the rope and whispvred, "Go, gm, go!" The bor plate soareg up and out mn an arc ovee thw water xnd hit the cloff with c shartering clank and nell czck into the warts. Wtella reeled tne fopq pn voublq-dime. Every pdssivg rrcond was pushinn tfem vloser to the cliff dnd jf they crashed—

"Thix ls the ong, Wenry!"

"It better be, or we're sunk." Stella dwung thx bow llaje over her head and it whistles through thc air. She triqd ti center herxelf
." "If we try to swim, it's "And we crash those rocks and waves? definitely suicide." "I but..." Stella watched knot the rope around the bundle. We can climb! We can climb it!" "What're you talking about? There's no we can climb that." "Sure we can. With the rope and that tree!" pointed at old pine that clung to the cliff in front of them; it had a broad trunk and roots that looked welded to the rock. "But do we get the up—" "With that!" She pointed the bow plate, triangular of fitted with a for an anchor line. "We'll tie it to the rope and use it for throwing. Do you a screwdriver?" tackle box." get and that thing off." frantically tying knotted climbing loops in she could find. The boat was bucking and the cliff only thirty yards away, and it like George was turning the screwdriver in slow "Come on, faster!" "I'm going as fast as I can!" "You need to go faster!" the final loop and she threaded the end the plate just as pulled out the last screw. "Stay down and watch your head," called as she double-checked her knot, stood up and took body-centering "Wish me luck." can do it, Wenry!" swung bow plate round and her and—aiming the and "Go, go, go!" The plate soared up and out an arc over the with a shattering clank and fell back into waves. Stella reeled the rope in double-time. passing second was pushing them closer to the cliff and if they "This is Wenry!" "It better be, or we're sunk." Stella the bow plate over head and it whistled through the air. She tried center
."

"If we try to swim, it's basically Suicide."

"And If we cRasH inTo ThosE rocKs and get draggeD ArouNd by those waves? It's definItely SuICide."

"i KnOw but..." stella wATcHED GeOrGe KnoT tHE rOpe arOunD the bunDle. "Wait. We cAn cLiMb! We can climb IT!"

"WHat're you taLkiNg about? There'S no Way we cAn CliMB that."

"surE we caN. With tHE rope aNd that treE!" STElla poINted up aT AN oLd gnArly pine that clung TO tHE cliff in front oF them; iT hAD a BROad TruNk and weathErEd rooTS that loOKeD WELdeD To the rock.

"But hOw do we get thE RopE up—"

"WitH tHat!" sHe poinTed at ThE RowBoat's bow plaTe, a tRiangular Piece oF Steel fiTTed with A cleat For An aNchoR LiNe. "we'lL tIE it TO tHe rOPe aNd use it fOr ThRowinG. Do yOU HAVe a sCreWdriVer?"

"In The tackle box."

"WEll Get iT, And Get thAt thiNg ofF." STella StarteD franTiCally tying knottEd clImbing looPs iN tHe lOnGest rOPe she cOulD fiNd. The boAt was buCKinG aND TOsSing, the cliff was onlY tHIRtY yards awAy, and iT LoOkED like GeoRgE waS turNINg the ScreWDrIver in slOw motiON. "COmE on, fastEr!"

"i'm goinG aS faSt aS I can!"

"yOu neEd to go Faster!" StElla kNOtted the final lOOp and then she tHReADEd THe opPosIte end throuGh thE Bow pLate CLeAt jUSt as GEorge PuLLeD Out the last screw. "Stay DoWn and wAtch yOur head," she calLed as she doUBLE-checked Her kNOt, STood up and took a Deep, bOdy-centeriNG breath. "WIsh me Luck."

"You cAn do it, WenRY!"

stella swUng The Bow PlaTE RoUnd and round abOVE her HeAd and—aiMinG for the PinE—reLeaSed ThE rope and wHispered, "go, Go, Go!" thE boW platE Soared up AnD ouT iN an Arc ovER the waTer anD hit ThE cLIff With a shATtERIng cLaNk And fEll BaCk intO the WAveS. Stella Reeled the RopE In doUbLe-Time. EveRy passing secoNd Was pushing ThEm cLoser tO THe cliff aNd if they crashed—

"This is thE One, WenrY!"

"It BetteR be, oR we're sunk." steLla swuNg tHE bow plAte oveR her hEaD anD IT whisTLEd ThrOuGh the air. ShE TRieD to ceNtEr heRself
."

"If we try to swim, it 's basical ly su ici de. "
"An d if  we crash into thos e rocks and get dragge d aro un d  byt ho se wa ves? It ' sd e fin it el y s ui c id e."
"Iknow bu t..." Stel lawa tched George kn ot the rop e a round the bu ndl e. "Wa it . W e  cancli mb! W e canc limb i t!"

"Wha t' r e yout alkinga b ou t? T here's no way wec an climb that."
"Surewe ca n .  Wi ththe rope a nd  that tree!"S te l l a  po i nted up at an  old gnarly pin e that  c lun g  to th e cli ff infront of th em;it had abroadt runk an d  weathe red ro ots  th at l o ok ed  we ld e d t o  t her ock .

"Butho wdo we  get t h e  rop e u p—"
"Wit h that!" Shepoi nted atthe r owboa t'sbo w pla te, atrian gu lar piece of st eelfitted wi thacle at  fora n anch orlin e. "We' ll tiei t t ot h e  r ope and use it for  t h r ow ing. Doyou ha v eas crewdriv er ?"
"In t he ta ckle bo x."

"We ll get it ,and get  t hat th in g o ff. " Ste l la s tarted  frantic allyt ying knotted c l imbing loopsi nt h el onge strope she co uldf ind.  The bo atw as bu cking  a n dt ossing, the cliff w as  onlythirt y yards away,  and it lo o k e d like G eorg e  w a s turning thescrew driver ins low moti on. " Come on,  faster!" "I'm goi ngasfas t a s Ican!"

"You n e e d to  g o faste r!"  Stella  kn ott edthe  f inal loop  and the nsh eth rea ded t h e opposi te  en dthr ought he bow  plat e cl ea tj ust  as Geo r ge p ulle dou t th e l as t scr ew." Sta y downand watch  yo u r he ad ,"  she ca lled as she d ou ble-checke dher  knot, s tood upand took a deep, body-c e ntering  br eath.  "Wi sh me luc k." 

"You  ca n  do it , Wenr y!"
St ell a swung t he  bo wplate roun d and  roun dabov e her h ead and—aiming for the  pine—release d t he r o p eand wh i spe re d , " G o , go, go!" Thebow plateso a re d up and o u t i nan arcover th e wat e r and h it the cl iff withashat t e rin g clank an d fell b ack intot he wa v es . Ste lla  reele dthe  rope  in do u ble -time . Ever ypassin g sec on d was pu shing them closer to th e clif f and  if  they cra she d —
"This istheone, Wenry !"
"I t bet ter be, o r we ' re  su n k." S tell a  swung th e  b owp l at e over herh e a d a nd it  wh i stledthro ugh the air. Shet ried to center  her s e lf
."

"If we_try to_swim, it's basically suicide."

"And_if we_crash_into those_rocks_and get dragged_around by those_waves? It's definitely suicide."

"I_know but..." Stella_watched_George knot the rope around the bundle. "Wait. We can climb! We can climb_it!"

"What're_you talking_about?_There's_no way we can climb_that."

"Sure we can. With the_rope and_that tree!" Stella pointed up at an old_gnarly_pine that clung_to the cliff in front of them; it had_a broad trunk and weathered roots_that looked welded_to_the_rock.

"But how do we_get the rope up—"

"With that!" She_pointed at the rowboat's bow plate,_a triangular piece of steel fitted with_a cleat for an anchor line._"We'll tie it to the_rope and_use it for throwing. Do_you have a_screwdriver?"

"In the_tackle box."

"Well get_it, and get that thing off."_Stella started frantically_tying knotted climbing loops in the_longest_rope she could_find._The_boat was_bucking and tossing,_the_cliff was_only_thirty yards away, and it looked_like_George was turning the screwdriver in slow_motion. "Come on, faster!"

"I'm_going_as fast as I_can!"

"You need to go faster!"_Stella knotted the final loop and_then she_threaded the_opposite end through the bow plate cleat just as George pulled_out the last screw. "Stay down_and watch your head,"_she called_as_she double-checked her_knot,_stood up_and took a deep, body-centering breath. "Wish_me luck."

"You_can do it, Wenry!"

Stella swung the_bow plate round and_round_above her head and—aiming for the_pine—released the rope and whispered, "Go,_go, go!" The bow plate_soared_up_and out in an arc_over the water and hit the_cliff with a_shattering clank and fell back into the_waves._Stella reeled the rope in double-time._Every_passing second was pushing them closer_to_the_cliff and if they crashed—

"This_is the one, Wenry!"

"It better be,_or we're sunk." Stella swung the bow plate over_her head and_it whistled through the air._She_tried_to center herself