Chapter one

'Let's walk to Steamers today,' said Sam. He's my big brother and he's mad Keen on bushwhacking. 'Yeah, let's,' said Clancy. He's my little brother and he's mad keen on anything that Sam wants to do.

All holidays he followed Sam like he was stuck to him with blobs of glue. 'What's Steamers?''You tell him, Dinah,' said Sam.

So I did. 'It's a fantantastic beach,' I said. 'It's got

Humongous waves, so big that even Sam is only game to paddle. You can only get there by walking and the last climb down is at least a hundred steps cut into the rock. We went three years ago, when you were only two. Dad carried you on his back in a special pack and you slept most of the way.' 'I could walk now,'said ClancyH

there are so many steps at the end. And then you have to turn around and come all the way back. You only just made it when you were five, Dinah.' 'You're too heavy, Clancy,' said mum. 'You'll be fine fora while and then one of us will have to carry you. We'll go to Steamers next years.' "I'll walk it all by myself,' said Clancy.

'You're not big enough.' 'I go to big school.' 'It is the best beach,' said Sam. 'And we'll help him. Won't we, Dinah?' He punched me in the arm till I nodded.

Chapter two

We set out early early. Clancy led the way with Mum. We could hear them laughing and joking up ahead of us. We'd been going for about half an hour when they stopped dead in their tracks. They both crouched.

and peered into the bush at the side of the track. Then Clancy took off. He swept aside the ferns and banksia

branches and disappeared into the scrub. 'Clancy!' Mum screamed.

'Come back here!'

Sam threw his backpack to Mum and went after Clancy. We heard his boots thudding on rocks and cracking branches. Then we saw him banging on tightly to Clancy's arm as they came back onto the track. 'You don't go off like that on your own,' said Sam. 'We should turn back now,' said Mum. 'What on earth were you

thinking?' Dad crouched beside Clancy and brushed some twigs from his hair. 'It was a goanna,' said Clancy. 'I just wanted to see where it went.' 'Well, no more,' said Dad. He took Clancy's hand and we set off again

Chapter three

Everything was fine at first. The beach was fantastic: all golden cliffs and clear blue water. We built a massive sandcastle, we buried Dad in sand up to his neck and then we went for a paddle.

The waves weren't as big as i remembered. We dug our toes into the sand and let the spray come to our chests.

'Where's Clancy?' said Sam. 'Back there.' I turned around. No Clancy. "Clancy!' Sam shouted.

He dived into the water behind me. I duck-dived and felt my way along the bottom. The water

Sam was holding Clancy, who was coughing up mouthfuls of sea water. His eyes were streaming

and there was seaweed in his hair. 'I could have saved myself,' he said. 'Maybe,' said Sam.

Chapter Four

We are and drank till Dad's backpack was empty and then we started home. Clancy raced across the beach to be first at the rock steps.

'One, two, three,' he sang as he jumped from one step

up to the next. 'Four, five, six.' I caught him at number thirty. 'Are you getting puffed?' 'Nope.' He slowed down at about sixty-five, dragging his feet but not saying anything. By ninety we were all stacked

up behind him. I was puffing and legs were tired.

We stopped at the top of the steps to catch our breath. 'OK?' said Mum. 'Are you feeling all right?' Clancy didn't answer. He stood up, put his water bottle in his backpack and started walking. We stretched out along the track behind him. 'Maybe he'll make it,' I hissed to Sam.

'He has to,' Sam said. 'I'm not carrying him.'

Chapter Five

The track back to our camp had a long flat section and then a dip and a tight bend. When we came round the bend, we saw Clancy sitting on a rock, leaning against an old man backsia tree. His face was shiny red and

he was pulling the sections off a backsia cone. 'What's up, mate?' said Sam. Clancy stared at the

ground. "i'm just having a little rest,' he whispered. we crouched beside him. 'The first time we came camping,' said Sam, 'I was

so scared of these trees.' He pointed at the jagged backsia leaves and the huge cones with their gaping eyes. 'I thought they were magic, and they were going to grab me out of my tent and race off with me into the bush.' Clancy dropped the cone took a couple of small steps, stopped and shook his head.

'Come on,' I said. 'Mum and Dad are catching up.' Sam grabbed Clancy's hand. 'Let's see how many

steps it takes to get to the next bend.' By the time we all got there, Clancy was barely

'How many steps was it?' asked sam. 'Sixty-three and I'm sitting down.' 'We'll do it in fifty steps, then a break, then fifty more,' said Sam. 'Deal?' 'Deal,' said Clancy. and that took care of the next fifteen minutes. We reached a section where rain had made deep ruts in the path. Clancy

caught his foot in one. He slipped and landed on his side. His lip trembled, but he didn't cry.

I went to pull him up. 'I can do it myself,' he said. Slowly, he raised himself on one hand,

and then on his knees, and then he stood up. A trickle of blood ran down his leg to his sock.

Chapter Six

'Having trouble, ,ate?' Dad had come up to us. Clancy didn't answer. He looked down at his feet and mumbled something that we couldn't hear. 'I know a good song that gets you walking.' Dad stood

Clancy alongside him. 'Now, you know your left foot from your right. Have they taught you that at big school?''I know before I went.' 'Of course you did. So. We step off on the left foot.' And Dad sang:

'I left my wife in New Orleans with nothing to eat but a bag of beans.

It was eight, right, Right to get on with my life.'

Clancy stepped along beside him. After a minute he sang:

'I left my dad in New Orleans With noting to eat but a bag of beans.

It was right, right, Right to get on with my life.' We all laughed. And that took care of another fifteen minutes.