He laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet. The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye.
"I am not going to play any longer. Not with you. I am not going to be part of Ralph's lot-I am going off by myself. He can catch his own rams. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do, can come too."
He blundered out of the triangle towards the drop to the white sand.
"Jack!"
Jack turned and looked back at Ralph. He cried out, high-pitched, enraged.
"No!"
He leapt down from the platform and ran along the beach, paid no heed to the steady fall of his tears; and until he dived into the forest, Ralph watched him. Ralph spoke to himself:
"He will come back. when the sun goes down, he will come."
He looked at the conch in Piggy's hand. Piggy said,
"We can do without Jack Merridew. So now we can really decide on what is what."
For a while, they sat in depressed silence. Piggy continued:
"The most important thing on the island is the smoke and you can't have no smoke without fire."
Ralph made a restless movement.
"No go. We have got no fire. That thing sits up there-we'll have to stay here."
Piggy lifted the conch. "We got no fire on the mountain. But what's wrong with the fire down here? A fire could be built on them rocks. On the sand, even. We'd make smoke just the same."
"That's right!" "Smoke!"
Question 1: What does Jack decide to do at the beginning of the passage?
Answer: Jack decides to leave Ralph's group and go off by himself, refusing to be part of Ralph's leadership anymore.
Question 2:How does Jack react when Ralph tries to stop him from leaving?
Answer: Jack becomes enraged and shouts "No!" before running off along the beach.
Question 3: According to Ralph, what does he believe Jack will do later?
Answer: Ralph believes Jack will come back when the sun goes down.
Question 4: What does Piggy suggest is the most important thing on the island?
Answer: Piggy suggests that the most important thing on the island is the smoke, indicating the significance of maintaining a signal fire.
Question 5: Why does Ralph express concern about their situation?
Answer: Ralph expresses concern because they have no fire, and he believes they have to stay where they are because of the threat posed by the unknown "thing" on the mountain.
Question 6: What solution does Piggy propose to the problem of not having a fire?
Answer: Piggy suggests building a fire on the rocks or on the sand to create smoke, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a signal fire for rescue.