In Lord of the Flies, how does Ralph manage to survive once the hunt begins?

In the final chapter of the novel, Ralph is forced to run and hide from Jack and his savage group of hunters in order to survive. At first, Samneric give Ralph a piece of meat to help him before the hunt begins. Ralph starts off by hiding in a thicket close to Castle Rock because he thinks that the boys won't expect him to be hiding so close to their headquarters. Ralph crawls into the...

In the final chapter of the novel, Ralph is forced to run and hide from Jack and his savage group of hunters in order to survive. At first, Samneric give Ralph a piece of meat to help him before the hunt begins. Ralph starts off by hiding in a thicket close to Castle Rock because he thinks that the boys won't expect him to be hiding so close to their headquarters. Ralph crawls into the twisted vines and foliage next to Castle Rock, covering himself with ferns and leaves to wait for the search party to pass him. The next morning he sees several savages near his hiding spot attempting to find him. Ralph wiggles his way further into the ticket and finds a small space to hide in the spot where the boulder had smashed into the forest. Ralph hears Samneric tell Jack where he is hiding, but feels secure that they won't enter the thicket. All of a sudden Ralph hears crashing through the forest as the boys roll boulders down from Castle Rock's hill. The final boulder rolls straight towards Ralph's hiding spot, and he is flung into the air as the massive rock rolls past him.

Ralph then smells smoke. He begins to crawl through the forest beneath the smoke. Ralph spots a savage standing in between him and the rest of the forest. He launches himself at the savage and stabs him with his spear. Ralph then sprints a hundred yards down a pig-run before swerving off the path. Ralph debates on what to do next. He could climb a tree, break the line, or hide and the let the group pass him. Ralph decides to hide in a small crevice about a foot from the ground and lays flat, facing the opening with his spear. As the fire rapidly spreads through the forest, a savage approaches Ralph's hiding spot and crouches down to peer into the crevice. Ralph leaps out and stabs the boy. Then, he dodges the spears thrown by the other savages. He races through the burning forest and stumbles upon the sand where he encounters a naval officer. The boys stop chasing him and stand in silence looking at the naval officer who thinks they are playing a game. Ralph is lucky to be alive and narrowly escapes Jack's band of savages.