instant the walls of the cavern began to give. Chester,
realizing what was happening, sprang into the mouth of the cave, closely
followed by Hal and Stephan. Now, under the massive rock, Alexis
stirred. In spite of the great weight upon him, he turned slowly under
it, until it rested squarely upon his back. Then stretching his hands
out before him, he rose to his knees balancing the rock upon his back.
Then he straightened up, and the rock tumbled from him with a terrible
crash. He turned, and with his friends, dashed from the cave.

They had not escaped a second too soon.

There was a terrible rending sound, the crunching of rock against rock,
and slowly the walls of the cavern gave; then fell inward with a fearful
crash.

Some distance from the cavern the four stopped running. Hal wiped the
moisture from his brow.

"A close call and no mistake," he said weakly.

Chester grasped Alexis by the hand.

"I thought you were done for," he exclaimed.

Alexis grinned.

"Can't kill me that way," he said. "What's a little rock like that? It
was play for me to lift it."

"Maybe so," replied Chester, "but even now, I can scarcely believe what
I saw."

"Why," said Alexis, "I could have lifted that rock with one hand. It was
child's play. Now I can still remember one great feat I accomplished. It
was in St. Petersburg--Petrograd now, by the grace of God and the Czar.
There is a little stream runs through the city. Over this there is a
bridge. I was passing along one day, when I saw that the bridge, having
been weakened in the middle, was about to fall. Well, there was no one
on it, so that would have been all right. But, dashing down the street
was an ambulance. The woman in it was very ill. It was absolutely
necessary that she be taken across the bridge at once. At the bridge the
driver was held up. The guard would not allow the ambulance to cross. It
was too dangerous. But delay meant death for the lady. I leaped into a
small boat and was quickly under the middle of the bridge. The bridge
was low, and by standing I could just touch it. I put my two hands under
the bridge and braced it while the ambulance crossed. I was sorely
tested, but I held out. I account that one of my greatest feats."

"And so you should," said Hal dryly.

"But," demanded Stephan, who was greatly interested in his brother's
wonderful narrative, "how is it, that with all that weight resting upon
you, and you standing in a boat, the boat didn't