1. Describe Ralph's frantic flight. 2. What's the irony that the boys are rescued by a military ship during wartime?

1. Ralph is being smoked out. His only option is to run towards the water,

"He stumbled over a root and the cry that pursued him rose even higher. He saw a shelter burst into flames and the fire flapped at his right shoul- der and there was the glitter of water. Then he was down, rolling over and over in the warm sand, crouching with arm to ward off, trying to cry for mercy."

2. The irony of this is that these boys are supposed to emulate the very institution that ends up saving them. The boys, coming from British military school, were supposed to be the epitome of organized and disciplined. The soldier surveying the devastation was shocked,

“I should have thought,” said the officer as he visualized the search before him, “I should have thought that a pack of British boys—you’re all British, aren’t you?—would have been able to put up a better show than that—I mean—”