“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.

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