
A massive volcano awakens after ages of silence, spewing rivers of molten lava that turn the sky a bruised purple and fill the valley with choking smoke. Huddled under a rugged cliff, a lone boy and two trembling wolf‑dog cubs cling to the stone for shelter, the only survivors of a shattered cliff‑dwelling community. As the fire‑demon roars and the earth shudders, the boy must confront a world transformed by flame and ash.
Exhausted and terrified, he falls into a strange, hunched sleep, his hands clasped protectively around his neck—a posture that seems both instinctual and alien to modern eyes. The night stretches on, the glowing lava casting eerie shadows on the cavern walls, while the cubs watch silently. In this precarious moment the boy’s courage and the bond with his animal companions become the only hope against the relentless fury of the volcano.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (219K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2019-12-31
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1887–1979
Best known for adventure stories written for young readers, this prolific American author brought everything from Boy Scout exploits to prehistoric fantasy to life. His books have an energetic, practical feel that reflects a long connection to youth magazines and storytelling for boys.
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