Danny the Champion of the World

'I've got to make it,' he said. 'Is the rope tied properly?'

'Yes.'

I lay on my stomach with my hands dangling down into the pit. I wanted to help pull him up as soon as he came within reach. I kept the torch on him all the time.

'I've got to climb this with hands only,' he said.

'You can do it,' I told him.

I saw his knuckles tighten as he gripped the rope. Then he came up, hand over hand, and as soon as he was within reach I got hold of one of his arms and pulled for all I was worth. He came over the top edge of the pit sliding on his chest and stomach, him pulling on the rope and me pulling on his arm. He lay on the ground, breathing fast and loud.

'You've done it!' I said.

'Let me rest a moment.'

I waited, kneeling beside him.

'All right,' he said. 'Now for the next bit. Give me a hand, Danny. You'll have to do most of the work from now on.'

I helped him to keep his balance as he got up on to his one good foot. 'Which side do you want me on?' I asked.

'On my right,' he said. 'Otherwise you'll keep knocking against my bad ankle.'

I moved up close to his right side and he put both his hands on my shoulders.

'Go on, Dad,' I said. 'You can lean harder than that.'

'Shine the light forward so we can see where we're going,' he said.

I did as he asked.

He tried a couple of hops on his right foot.

'All right?' I asked him.

'Yes,' he said. 'Let's go.'

Holding his left foot just clear of the ground and leaning on me with both hands, he began to hop forward on one leg. I shuffled along beside him, trying to go at exactly the speed he wanted.

'Say when you want a rest.'

'Now,' he said. We stopped. 'I've got to sit down,' he said. I helped him to lower himself to the ground. His left foot dangled helplessly on its broken ankle, and every time it touched the ground he jumped with pain. I sat beside him on the brown leaves that covered the floor of the wood. The sweat was pouring down his face.

'Does it hurt terribly, Dad?'

'It does when I hop,' he said. 'Each time I hop, it jars it'

He sat on the ground resting for several minutes.

'Let's try again,' he said.

I helped him up and off we went. This time I put an arm round his waist to give him extra support. He put his right arm round my shoulders and leaned on me hard. It went better that way. But boy, was he heavy. My legs kept bending and buckling with each hop.

Hop...

Hop...

Hop...