falling stones and a crash. The massive post
lurched towards him and the air was filled with snow. He heard struts
and braces crack as the post tore them out, and thought Festing turned
round in order to see what was happening. He pushed him away, and
then sank into loose snow and fell. Before he could get up there was a
deafening noise, something struck him a heavy blow, and he was buried.

After a short struggle he got his head out, and finding that he was
thinly covered, made an effort to extricate himself. When he had done
so, he saw the men some distance up the bank. They were all there except
Festing, but he noticed a heap of big stones and broken beams close by.

"Back here, boys! The boss is underneath!" he shouted, and threw himself
upon the stones as the others ran up.

For a minute or two they worked desperately, flinging the lumps of rock
about and dragging away the beams; and then stopped as they uncovered
Festing. His face looked very white, although a red stain ran down his
forehead. Charnock shivered and glanced at the break in the white mass
above the track.

"It's risky, but we've got to pull him out before some more snow comes
down," he said in a hoarse voice. "Scrape the snow off carefully, Tom.
Get hold here with me, Pete."

After two or three minutes' cautious work they lifted Festing out of
the hole. He was unconscious and his arm looked short and distorted.
Charnock felt horror-struck and dizzy, but pulled himself together.

"Go for Kerr, one of you," he said. "Then I want the stretcher and a
hand-sledge. Bring a blast-lamp; ours is smashed."

The men scattered, except for one who stayed with him, and kneeling in
the snow he opened Festing's fur-coat and took off his cap. His head
was cut and his arm broken, but Charnock did not think this altogether
accounted for his unconsciousness. He suspected broken ribs, but could
detect nothing unusual when he felt his comrade's side.

Kerr arrived first and looked at Festing.

"Unconscious all the time?" he asked, and when Charnock nodded resumed:
"Most important thing's to get a doctor, and I'll see to that. Then I'll
get some brandy."

As he hurried away three or four men came down the hill with the sledge
and stretcher, and one rigged and lighted a powerful lamp. Accidents are
common at construction camps, and one of Norton's gang examined Festing.

"He's sure got it badly; arm's not the worst," he said. "We'll tend to
that and then slide