ook the
ground. The two men were thrown against each other and both went in a
heap to the bottom of the ditch. The breath was knocked out of their
bodies, and every thought was driven from their minds except the
instinctive desire to remain alive until nature's onslaught had ceased.

When the worst was over, they scrambled to their feet, brushed the dirt
from their clothes and faces, and stared grimly at each other.

"If it didn't seem too conceited to think that all this fuss was being
made on our account," growled the captain, as he picked up his spade.
"I'd surely make up my mind that something was trying to shoo us away
from this treasure hunting."

"Yes," agreed Tyke. "Now, if I was superstitious--"

"I wonder," broke in the captain with sudden alarm, as he thought of
the two errant members of the party, "where Ruth and Allen were when
this quake happened."

"The only safe thing is to say that they were together somewhere," said
Tyke. "I notice that they're never far apart. Don't you worry, Rufe.
Allen will take good care of her."

But the captain was already climbing out of the excavation. He gave
Tyke a hand and helped him up.

"Where did you last see them, Tyke?" Hamilton asked, as his eyes
scanned the surrounding landscape without catching a glimpse of the
figures he sought.

"The last I saw of Allen he was going down toward them trees," replied
Tyke, indicating a corner of the jungle, "an' a little later, out o'
the corner of my eye, I saw Ruth going in the same direction. Now,
don't fret, Rufe. They'll turn up as right as a trivet in another
minute or two."

"The jungle!" gasped the captain in alarm. "Don't you see, Tyke, that
some of those trees have been shaken down. Maybe they've been caught
under one of them. Hurry! hurry!"

He set off, running hurriedly, and Tyke hastened after him as fast as
he could.

They were soon at the jungle's edge. Several giant trees had fallen
victims to the earthquake's wrath, but a frantic searching among their
trunks revealed no traces of the missing ones.

The captain wiped his brow and gave a great sigh of relief.

"So far, so good!" he exclaimed. "They've escaped that danger anyway.
I had a fearful scare. I don't mind admitting that my heart was in my
mouth for a minute."

"Same here," assented Tyke, who despite his faith in Drew's
resourcefulness had secretly shared the captain's alarm. "But if
they're not here, where in Sam Hill can th