7 Cheng’s big idea

Chapter Seven CHENG'S BIG IDEA Through the thick, ashy clouds, Cheng caught a glimpse of something. But the next moment, the clouds hid it from sight again. Cheng groaned. "If only we could see better!" There was another roar from the volcano and a blast of ash. But then the clouds parted once more. This time Cheng could see that it was definitely Halani! She was sitting down

on the gray, rocky side of the volcano. Cheng wondered why. Then he realized that she was holding onto her ankle. "It looks like she's hurt," said Leah, with a frown of dismay. Cheng nodded. No wonder Halani hadn't left the volcano when it erupted. Beside her, more difficult to see through the smoke, was Keemo. The puppy looked as if he was on guard, standing close to Halani with his ears pricked. Cheng guessed he could hear the helicopter. He looked at the stretcher in the back.

Then he looked at the door, with its external winch. Cheng knew what he had to do. "I'm going down there," he said. "I don't think we can land next to them," said Leah anxiously. "The visibility's too poor." "I know," Cheng said. He set the controls to automatic, unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat and stood up. "You'll have to winch me down. Take over the controls, Leah. I'm going to rescue Halani and Keemo." Leah's eyes were wide. "Are you sure?" Cheng nodded. He was sure. Leah settled down in the pilot's seat, flicking switches and keeping the helicopter steady. Following the Beagle's helpful beeping and flashing lights, Cheng unbuckled the stretcher from the back of the helicopter. Then he pushed the door open.

The cabin instantly filled with ash, making his chest tighten. Keeping his hands as steady as he could,

Cheng attached the stretcher ropes to the winch mechanism. He tried not to look down. When he was confident that all the ropes were attached, he looked across at Leah. "Pass me a radio," he said, "so we can stay in touch. Can you see how to operate the winch?" "The Beagle is showing me," said Leah. She pointed at the glowing screen in front of her. "Thanks, Beagle," said Cheng. BEEP, BRRRP BEEP, said the Beagle. "I'll hover, OK?" said Leah. She looked at him and smiled. "You've got this, Cheng." Cheng nodded. He took a deep breath as he harnessed himself to the stretcher. Then he gave Leah the signal to lower him down. The stretcher swung and twisted in the

smoky air beneath the helicopter's belly. Cheng clung on, keeping his eyes trained on the ground as it grew closer. It was scary, but amazing. He could see the glowing crater and the sides of the volcano as it fell away toward the ocean. Every now and then, the clouds gave him a glimpse of the water. There was another large spout