Evening journal., 1899-06-07
- eontras. with rs dazzlIng Wide.


thp of coffee soon relieved our weari-
ness, and preparations for dinner went
on rapidly.
Jack brought In wood, and / UNI
1 ed the provisions and spread blnn-
hets Frank, while attending 60 iae
cooking. also furnished somei.hg 20.
zoe h. happening to see rabbit run,
ming psot at which he got snap shot
aud mor aged by good luck to bring
down.
After eating all We could, we lay back
upon our blankets. taking comfort to
the fullest extent Jack. proud OF the
success Of his plan. was rather disposed
to glory over Frank. who had opposed
IL pretty strongly.
He now asked. triumphantly:
GLAD you came. aren't you, Frankly,
boy?"
Was IL an earthquake, or was II the
cave falling in?
a dull, rumbling noise Jared the very
rock. followed by the sound of heavy
mass striking the ground with rush
like tornado, while in one moment
we found ourselves plunged in dense
durkncss, lit up 10y the blazing fire.
We quickly understood what bad
taken place. The bank of snow above
us. loosened by thawing, had slid down,
and we were buried behind an ava
lanchel
mo. I'm not. Jacky. boyl" replied
Frank. struggling out of the snow,
which half covered him. and answering
jacks question as If all was perfectly
serene.
There was something so ludicrous
about this that. Notwithstanding our
dangerous situation, Jack and | reared
with merriment and Frank gave 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 OIL
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.
mo 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 il
you could do il, the whole thing woulC
cave In on u.s.
We gave that up. too.
Build a fire under It, and melt 1
hole through, suggested.
Frank routed me also.
How are we going to keep a fr'
burning with snow-water dropping
down on it2"
"Then fix things yourself" said Jack
petulantly, as II Frank was to blan
for it all.
"In try TO-" responded he, calmly
LET me think q minute"
He Looked all around, and the
seemed to fall into a brown study"
Il have IT," said he, at last. Harry
your idea of melting isn't so bad, afte
4 hlls 4 We CAu USE H. ARA HN'
bays. this heap outside must be shape
something like half sugar loaf-ver
broad at the bottom and quite smal
at the top. The upper part touche
the roof, which is very thin. You know
I Now, If we can build a good fire "a
there, and heat the roof pretty thor
oughly, the hot rock viii melt the snow
touching II all along its edge to tn
open air, and the rest of the heat wi
follow the same direction. Under
stand2"
We did, and said so. But how to bull
fire so high up2
Frank showed u.s. Under his dire,
ton we tramplee the snow into har
slope, and at 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 a fair draugii
through a crevice made for that puI
pose long before. But still the smo'
was pretty bad. as our watery eyes an
constant coughing gave evidence.
Frank made as long a passage as b
I cOulu phIhlltl Win the iochf - ihd
I the hot air might go that way. The
we awaited results.
The first was n stream of water this
made things very unpleasant for us NJ
til we turned IL Off down an incline
tunnel into the bank.
/, As the rock heated. the stream b.
! came larger, and we joyfully perceive
that the scheme worked just as Fran
had said it would, until, when our woo
4 wns completely gone. and the sled q
well. the smoke began to clear ava
4 and finally went upin a body around Il
4 tongue OF ledge overhead.
p "Hurrahg CALCULATED Frank. 1T
: ways clear nowl"
r Perhaps Il was; but we had TO wa
: until the fire burned away. and the
IL took some time for the rock to co.
, Off. as it was nearly red hot in places.
: 1t did cool at last, however. and JAG
: Ratchet in hand, crawled up the hol
. BY vigorously plying his weapon.
!. enlarged IL until we were all three alb
to squeeze through and come out upC
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