Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-04-28

ness. and preparations for dinner went
on rapidly.
Jack brought in wood, and un-
packed the provisions and spread blan-
kets. Frank. while attending to the
cooking. also furnished something to
coslS. happening TO see a rabbit run.
ming ps0t at which he got snap shot.
and m0naged by good luck to bring
down.
After eating all we could, we lay back
upon our blankets. taking comfort 10
the fullest extent. Jack, proud Of the
success of his plan, was rather disposed
TO glory over Frank, who had opposed
il pretty strongly.
lie now asked, triumphautly:
GLAD you came, aren't you, Frankly,
boy?"
Was It an earthquake. or was it the
cave falling in?
A dull, rumbling noise Jared the very
rock, followed by the sound of heavy
mass striking the ground with a rush
like tornado. while in one moment
we found ourselves plunged in dense
darkness, lit up by the blazing fire.
We quickly understood what had
taken place. The bank of SNOW above
us, loosened by thawing, had slid down,
and we were buried behind an ava
lanche!
NO. I'm not, Jacly, boyl" replied
Frank. struggling out of the snow,
which half covered him, and answering
Jaca's question as if all was perfectly
serene.
There was something so ludicrous
about this that. Notwithstanding our
dangerous situation, Jack and roared
with merriment and Frank gave q dry
chuckle-his nearest approach to a
laugh.
But this didn't last long. The state
of affairs was too serious. Here we
were, halfway up mountain, shut of
from escape by an unknown depth OF
snow, and the day half spent, besides.
How were we TO escape?
Dig out with our hands and hatch
cts" said Jack.
NO use" answered Frank. There
must be tons of snow out there, and
this is a small hole. We couldn't stow
away what we'd dug out"
As this was very true, we gave up
the plan.
Then" continued Jack, let's dig
round the edge next to the rock"
Cant be done" again objected
Frank, for the same reason. And II
you could do it, the whole thing would
cave in on us"
We gave that up. too.
Build n fire under it, and melt a
hole through, suggested.
Frank routed me also.
How are we going TO keep a fire
burning with snow-waier dropping
down on it?"
Then fix things yourself" said Jack,
petulantly, as if Frank was TO blame
for it all.
"Ill try to-" responded he, calmly
let me think q minute"
He looked all around, and then
seemed TO fall into a brown study"
Il have It," said he, at last. Harry
your idea of melting isn't so bad, after
all. I think we can use it. You see
bays, this heap outside must be shaped
something like half a sugar loaf-very
broad at the bottom and quite sinai
at the top. The upper part touches
the roof, which is very thin, you know
Now, If we can build a good fire W
there, and heat the roof pretty thor
oughly, the hot rock will melt the snow
touching it all along its edge to TIT
open air, and the rest of the heat viii
follow the same direction. Under
stand"
We did, and said so. But how to bull,
a fire so high up?
Frank showed rs. Under his direc
tion we tramplee the snow into harl
slope, and al the summit Frank dug
level recess. in which we built the fir
upon our frying-pan and some stone
we found scattered about,
Fortunately there was q fair draugh
through q crevice made for that pun
pose long before. But still the smok
was pretty bad. as our watery eyes an
constant coughing gave evidence.
Frank made as long a passage as b
could parallel with the rock, so tina
the hot air might go that way. The
we awaited results.
The first was a stream of water tina
made things very unpleasant for us III
Ill we turned it off down an incline
tunnel into the bank
As the rock heated, the stream be
came larger. and we joyfully perceive
that the scheme worked just as Fran
had said it would, until, when our WOO
was completely gone, and the sled a
well, the smoke began to clear ava
and finally went up in a body around tn
tongue OF ledge overhead.
"Hurrah!" CALCULATED Frank. 9Th
ways clear now!"
Perhaps It was; but we had to wa
until :he fire burned away. and the
it took some time for the rock. 10 coo
of, as it was nearly red hot in places.
1t did cool at last, however, and Jacl
Ratchet in hand, crawled up the hol
BY vigorously plying his weapon, /
enlarged it until we were ell three alb
10 squeeze through and come out upo
the steep shelf-into starlight 1t ha
taken the whole afternoon to free ou
selves.
Ill go .,otl4-,. ,t.o.,4 - -.