t had no right to be
where it had slid.

Then, seeing that the work of remedying the accident was under
way, almost as soon as the accident had occurred, Blake and Joe,
followed by Mr. Alcando, hurried on through the rain, up to their
ankles in red mud, for the rain was heavy. It was this same rain
that had so loosened the earth that the slide was caused.

"Here's a good place!" cried Blake, as he came to a little
eminence that gave a good view of the slipping, sliding earth and
stones.

"I'll go on a little farther," said Joe. "We'll get views from two
different places."

"What can I do?" asked the Spaniard, anxious not only to help his
friends, but to learn as much as he could of how moving pictures
are taken under adverse circumstances.

"You stay with Blake," suggested Joe. "I've got the little camera
and I can handle that, and my extra films, alone and with ease.
Stay with Blake."

It was well the Spaniard did.

With a rush and roar, a grinding, crashing sound a large mass of
earth, greater in extent than any that had preceded, slipped from
the side of the hill.

"Oh, what a picture this will make!" cried Blake,
enthusiastically.

He had his camera in place, and was grinding away at the crank,
Mr. Alcando standing ready to assist when necessary.

"Take her a while," suggested Blake, who was "winded" from his
run, and carrying the heavy apparatus.

The big portion of the slide seemed to have subsided, at least
momentarily. Blake gave a look toward where Joe had gone. At that
moment, with a roar like a blast of dynamite a whole section of
the hill seemed to slip away and then, with a grinding crash the
slanting earth on which Joe stood, and where he had planted the
tripod of his camera, went out from under him.

Joe and his camera disappeared from sight.

CHAPTER XX

AT GATUN DAM

"Look!" cried Mr. Alcando. He would have said more--have uttered
some of the expressions of fear and terror that raced through his
mind, but he could not speak the words. He could only look and
point.

But Blake, as well as the Spaniard, had seen what had happened,
and with Blake to see was to act.

"Quick!" he cried. "We've got to get him out before he smothers!
Pack up this stuff!"

As he spoke he folded the tripod legs of his camera, and laid it
on top of a big rock, that seemed firmly enough imbedded in the
soil not to slip from its place. Then, placing beside it the spare
boxes of film, and throwing