“climb up, andy! climb up! every time you see a lightning flash!”
“but where are we going, frank?”
“out of this cave! don’t you see what has happened? there’s a hole in the roof, and it slopes right down to us here. crawl up on your hands and knees, but don’t slip back. it’s our only chance!”
it was a few minutes after the stunning crash that had actually opened up a way of escape for the two lads imprisoned in the cave. frank was quick to see and take advantage of it. a sort of sloping way was now before them, and it was possible to crawl up along it.
but there was danger, too, for the rain was pouring in through the opening in the roof—a veritable stream of water, probably diverted from some puddles that had gathered from the heavy downpour. and to climb up through this, along a muddy, slimy slope, was no easy task. but it was their only means of escape, for back of them the tide was still rising relentlessly.
“all ready, andy?” called frank.
“as ready as i ever shall be,” was the grim answer.
“well, don’t move except when you see where you’re going by means of the flashes. it’s the only safe way. go ahead; i’ll follow.”
slowly the younger lad took his feet and hands from the niches. he was stiff from holding the same position so long, but his young blood was soon in circulation again. he crawled out on the slope. it was quite steep, but considerable earth had been jarred and washed from it so that it was no worse than going up the peaked roof of a house, and andy and his brother had often done this in carrying out some of their boyish pranks.
slowly and painfully the younger lad toiled upward, followed by his anxious brother. it was but a comparatively short distance up which to climb, but going on their hands and knees made it seem doubly long.
finally it was accomplished, however, and andy crawled out of the ragged hole and stretched out on the wet earth above, almost exhausted.
“come! get up!” cried frank, as he finished the perilous journey and sought to raise his brother. “you mustn’t lie there. you’ll get cold and stiff. move around—get warmed up. we’re safe now, andy! safe!”
“yes, i know, but i’m so tired—i—i want a rest.”
“there’ll be time enough to rest when we get to some shelter. it’s raining cats and dogs, and we can’t get much wetter. let’s see if we can make out where we are, and maybe we can get back to camp, and find some grub. i’m starved.”
“so am i. what time is it?”
“my watch has stopped,” answered frank, looking at the timepiece by a lightning flash. “the water did it.”
“mine’s not going either. well, let’s see if we can find our camp. some grub wouldn’t be bad. only we’ve got to look out for that man.”
“which side shall we go down?” asked frank, as they paused on the summit of the cliff.
“it’s hard to decide,” answered andy. “let’s try this,” and he motioned to the left.
down they went, slipping and stumbling, pausing now and then to get their breaths, and again to speak of the terrible fate they had escaped.
“don’t mention it any more,” begged andy with a shudder. “i can’t bear to think of that tide rising—rising all the while, and no way of getting out!”
“lightning probably struck a place on top where the earth was thinner than anywhere else, made a hole, and the rain did the rest,” was frank’s theory.
the racer boys stumbled on in the darkness.
drenched to the skin, covered with mud from the climb up the slope, tired and weary, the racer boys stumbled on in the darkness. sometimes they fell over huge boulders or were tripped on outcropping tree roots. but they did not halt until they were on the sandy beach, where the big waves were pounding. there, at least, the going was easier.
“now, which way?” asked andy, as they halted to rest.
“it’s hard to say. camp might lie in either direction, and it’s too dark to see. i guess it doesn’t make much difference. we’ll come up to it by morning, anyhow, if we can keep going that long. let’s head off this way.”
frank started to circle the island shore to the right, and andy followed. at times the rain would cease, and then it would begin its downpour again. the lightning was less frequent, but they did not need the flashes to guide them now.
that night seemed almost a year long, they said afterward. sometimes they fell from very weariness, only to get up again and struggle on. frank placed his arm about his brother and half carried him at times.
they covered many miles. as yet they had seen no indication of their “camp,” as they called the place on the beach opposite where they had left the gull riding at anchor, and where they had placed their small boat and a supply of provisions.
“we must have come the wrong way, and have almost made a circuit of the island,” said andy wearily.
“never mind, it can’t be much farther off now,” and frank tried to speak cheerfully. but it was hard work.
the rain had ceased for some time now, and, looking up the boys saw the faint gleam of stars.
“it’s going to clear,” observed andy.
“yes,” assented frank.
another mile was covered. a dim glow seemed to suffuse the sky. it grew brighter.
“it’s morning!” cried the older lad.
“yes, and look there!” suddenly exclaimed andy. he pointed ahead. “there’s where our camp was,” he added.
frank gazed for a moment in silence. then he gasped:
“but our small boat’s gone.”
“and so is the gull!” fairly shouted the younger lad as he waved his hand toward the place where it had been anchored. “that man has taken it and gone off! we’re marooned on cliff island!”
