Chapter Seven: Shadows and Tall Trees

As they travel toward the mountain, the boys stop to eat. Ralph looks at the ocean and thinks about how the boys have become more lazy and intolerable. As he looks out at the water, he feels that there is no hope of the boys have of escaping the island. Simon, however, lifts Ralph’s spirits by reassuring him that he will make it home. That afternoon, the hunters find pig feces, and Jack suggests they hunt the pig while they try to hunt for the beast. The boys then quickly track a large boar, which leads them on a chase. Ralph, who has never been on a hunt before, quickly gets caught up in the exhilaration of the chase. He excitedly throws his spear at the boar, and even though it barely hits the animal’s snout, Ralph is excited with his accuracy. Soon afterwards, Jack holds up his bloodied arm, which he claims the boar grazed with its tusks. Although the boar escapes, the boys remain excited, and they reenact the chase among themselves with Robert playing the boar. As they dance, chant, and spear Robert with their Rober tries to drag himself away. The group nearly kills Robert before they remember that they were merely playing a game. When Robert suggests that they use a real boar in thenext game, Jack replies that they should use a littlun instead causing the boys to laugh. A little while afterward, Simon volunteers to return Piggy and the littluns and tell them that the group will not return until later that night. After Simon's volunteering, Ralph proposes that they wait until morning to climb the mountain; however, Jack starts to climb the mountain and dares Ralph to follow. In hopes of regaining the respect of the group, Ralph follows along with Jack and Robert, who volunteers to go with them. As Jack progresses up to the summit of the mountain, Ralph and Roger wait somewhere near the top. Jack returns, breathlessly claiming to have seen the monster. Due to the excitement and horror of this claim, Ralph and Roger climb up to have a look. As they reach the summit, a large, shadowy forms with the shape of a giant ape, making a strange flapping sound in the wind. Terrified, the boys sprint down the mountain to warn the others.