Answer:
Phil, a terrified littlun, recounts his encounter with the beast, fueling the growing fear among the boys as darkness descends.
Step-by-step explanation:
Phil, a small, freckled boy with wide, fearful eyes, stood trembling before the assembly of boys on the platform.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the beach, and the air was filled with the eerie sounds of the jungle.
Ralph, the group's de facto leader, had summoned Phil to explain what he had seen the night before - the beast.
Phil's voice quavered as he recounted his tale.
He had been walking back to the huts from the bathing pool when he saw it - a huge, shadowy figure lurking at the edge of the jungle.
Its eyes glowed like fire, and it let out a low, guttural growl that sent shivers down Phil's spine.
The boys listened intently, their faces etched with fear. Some muttered among themselves, their whispers echoing in the twilight air.
Jack, the eldest of the boys, scoffed at Phil's story, dismissing it as a childish fantasy. But the littluns clung to their belief in the beast, their eyes darting nervously towards the darkening jungle.
Ralph, torn between his own skepticism and the growing fear among the littluns, decided to take action.
He proposed that they send a group of hunters into the jungle to investigate Phil's sighting.
Jack, eager to prove himself and assert his dominance, volunteered to lead the expedition.
As the hunters disappeared into the dense undergrowth, the littluns huddled closer together, their fear palpable.
Ralph tried to reassure them, but his own uncertainty was evident in his voice.
The night grew darker, the sounds of the jungle more ominous, and the fear of the beast tightened its grip on the boys.
Thus, the littluns' fear of the beast intensified as darkness fell and the hunters ventured into the jungle.