of the cliff fell away!
When Will and Ed regained their feet and looked through the dust which
was rising over the scene, they saw that there was no longer any cavern
in view. The rock on which they stood was sliding down the slope.

"Buried alive!" cried Will with a sob, "Buried alive!"

CHAPTER XIX

VICTIMS OF THE QUAKE

The broad rock upon which the boys stood slid down the declivity for
some distance and brought up against a thicket of trees which stood not
far from the bank of the creek. The boys were fairly thrown from their
feet as the rock struck, but fortunately they were not injured in the
least. It was quite dark now, and the dust rising from the disturbed
earth made the scene still more dim.

The first thing the boys heard when they scrambled to their feet was a
faint moan and then a call for help.

"Sandy! George!" called Will.

There was no answer from above, but a faltering voice was heard just at
the edge of the thicket, where the rock had crushed into a hemlock of
unusual size.

"Help," the voice said. "Help!"

Will threw his searchlight in the direction of the sound and soon saw a
writhing figure in the underbrush which had been crushed down by the
fall of the rock.

"Who are you?" asked Will.

"Fenton," was the answer.

"Where'd you come from?" asked the boy in amazement.

"For God's sake," exclaimed the writhing man, "don't stop to ask
questions now. My leg is smashed under the rock upon which you are
standing! It is enough to say that I came here with Cameron!"

"Where is Cameron?" asked Will. Fenton pointed further down the slope.

"He fell over in that direction when a rock struck him," he said.

Will and George made a thorough examination of the slope where the
cavern had been before wasting any time on their injured enemies.

They called loudly to George and Sandy but received no answer.

"I'm afraid," Ed said, "that the boys were crushed under the falling
rocks! If they were, we ought to leave the men responsible for their
death where they are! They are not deserving of human help!"

"And yet," Will replied, "I can't find it in my heart to leave them in
such a plight. We ought at least to see if we can get them out of their
present cramped quarters."

After much exertion the boys managed to manufacture something like a
handspike from one of the broken saplings, and with this they began
prying at the heavy rock. It gave, but slowly.

While they worked away, hop