They heard the tree bend and
crack. Then came a tremendous crash, and they felt one of the rocks
moving.
"Maybe we'll be crushed to a jelly!" groaned the shipowner's son.
There was no time to say more, for an instant later the tree came down,
directly over the top of the opening. Several small branches thrust
themselves down upon the lads, pinning them to the bottom of the
crevice. The rocks trembled, and for the moment the boys were afraid
they would be crushed to death, as Phil had intimated.
"Safe, Phil?" asked Dave, as the rocking of the stones and the big tree
ceased and the wind seemed to die down once more.
"I--I guess so! A tree limb is on my back, though."
"I've got one across my legs."
With caution both boys crawled from beneath the branches and out of the
split in the rocks. They could see where the big tree had been uprooted,
leaving a hole in the soil fifteen feet in diameter. The top of the tree
was all of a hundred feet away from this hole.
"We were lucky to be between the rocks, Phil," said Dave, with a grave
shake of his head. "Otherwise, if that tree had come down on us----"
"We wouldn't be here to tell the tale," finished the shipowner's son.
"Ugh! it makes me shiver to look at it."
"Now it is down, we may as well get between the rocks until we are sure
this blow is over," went on Dave, after standing several minutes in the
rain.
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