Red Line 4, Coursebook

58 f i f ty - e i ght Nasty is right.We shot into the rapids, a long line of huge waves that exploded between the rocks in the center and the cliff on the right. It was over fast. At the bottom we rode the tall waves and I saw with joy that Freddy’s boat had also made it. Troy was pointing back and laughing at Al. After a few miles of calm water we came to Hermit Rapids, with the helicopters above us. Hermit wasn’t scary at all, and we were sure enjoying having the audience. Then we began to hear thunder from the black clouds downriver. As soon as the lightning started, the helicopters turned and flew away. Troy was laughing. “Looks like our friends can’t take a little weather.” The next moment a dark wall of rain was marching up the canyon. We couldn’t see Crystal Rapids when we got near, but we could sure hear them. We got out of the boats and went down a trail, then through a field of boulders. Between us and the cliff wall opposite, the whole river went into a narrow slot and then fell into a deep hole. The violence of the water was shocking. “What do you think, Freddy?” Troy said. “We can make it, right?” He explained his plan, and Freddy listened. Then Freddy said, “No. Water’s too strong, that hole’s too bad. But there’s no reason we can’t carry everything around it.” “You mean walk?” Troy said. “Do you guys have any idea how much work that would be? Look, have we had any trouble so far? How many times have I flipped, tell me that. That’s right – zero. Let’s get started.” “Sorry,” Freddy said. “I’m walkin’. If we lose the boats in there, what happens to us?” Only Freddy, I realized, would be brave enough to stand up to Troy. The rest of us were sheep, and had been, all the way. “We’ll carry the other boat and be ready,” Freddy said helpfully, “if anything happens.” “You’re so sure we’re going to flip,” Troy sneered. “You’d love to rescue us, wouldn’t you, Freddy? Adam, will you come with me?” The rain stopped. The rest of us said, “Good luck!” to Adam and Troy and lifted the other raft onto our shoulders. We had just got to the boulder field when we heard a shout above the noise of the rapids. We looked back to see a brave, silly sight: Troy was rowing, while Adam was holding a rope in the boat with one hand and waving his free hand like a bronc rider. Troy was rowing hard, was trying to pull against that current. He was working …working … but he wasn’t making it. A violent wave lifted the boat up and over the hole. The boat fell, and then it flipped. “Quick!” Freddy shouted, and we started running through the boulders. They’re going to die, I thought. What are we doing here? Halfway down, we saw the boat close to one of the rocks in the river. No sign of Troy or Adam. “Holy mother,” Rita said. “Holy mother.” From Downriver , by Will Hobbs (adapted) 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 40 45 50 55 60 65 3 Check-in Language Talkwise Text Wordwise Check-out Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv