Danny the Champion of the World

'Keep going,' he gasped. 'Come on. We can make it.'

'There's the hedge,' I said

, waving the torch. 'We're nearly there.'

Hop...

Hop...

Hop...

When we reached the hedge, my legs gave way and we both crashed to the ground.

'I'm sorry,' I said.

'It's O.K. Can you help me get through the hedge?'

I'm not quite sure how he and I got through that hedge. He crawled a bit and I pulled a bit, and little by little we squeezed through and out the other side on to the track. The tiny car was only ten yards away.

We sat on the grassy bank under the hedge to get a breather. His watch said it was nearly four o'clock in the morning. The sun would not be up for another two hours, so we had plenty of time.

'Shall I drive?' I asked.

'You'll have to,' he said. 'I've only got one foot.'

I helped him to hop over to the car, and after a bit of a struggle he managed to get in. His left leg was doubled up underneath his right leg and the whole thing must have been agony for him. I got into the driver's seat beside him.

'The rope,' I said. 'We left it behind.'

'Forget it,' he said. 'It doesn't matter.'

I started the motor and switched on the headlamps. I backed the car and turned it round and soon we were heading downhill on the bumpy track.

'Go slowly, Danny,' my father said. 'It hurts like crazy over the bumps.' He had one hand on the wheel, helping to guide the car.

We reached the bottom of the track and turned on to the road.

'You're doing fine,' he said. 'Keep going.'

Now that we were on the main road, I changed into second gear.

'Rev her up and go into third,' he said. 'Do you want me to help you?'

'I think I can do it,' I said.

I changed into third gear.

With my father's hand on the wheel I had no fear of hitting the hedge or anything else, so I pressed down hard on the accelerator. The speedometer needle crept up to forty.

Something big with headlamps blazing came rushing towards us. 'I'll take the wheel,' my father said. 'Let go of it completely.' He kept the little car close in to the side of the road as a huge milk-lorry rushed past us. That was the only thing we met on the way home.

As we approached the filling-station my father said, 'I'll have to go to hospital for this. It must be set properly and then put into plaster.'

'How long will you be in hospital?'

'Don't worry, I'll be home before evening.'

'Will you be able to walk?'