taking all that
trouble about the powder. I'm hot yet with climbing."

"It's all Sep Duncan's fault," cried Bob. "I never did see such a chap
as he is. Well, what's to be done now?"

"Let's go on the top again and see it go," cried Big.

"Oh, no," I said, "it wouldn't be safe till the powder's gone off."

"You mean it wouldn't have been safe if I'd done what you wanted," cried
Bob triumphantly. "I say, Big, he wanted me to put the powder under the
stone on the other side, so that when it went off it would have blown
the stone over this side instead of down into the Gap, only I wouldn't."

"Well, it does seem a pity after taking all that trouble," cried Bigley
dolefully. "I say, isn't it time it started?"

"Yes," said Bob in his sour way. "I don't believe old Sep lighted the
rag."

"That I'm sure I did, and it was smoking fast when I came away."

"Ran away, you mean, you coward!"

"Ho--ho--ho!" laughed Bigley.

"What are you laughing at, stupid?" said Bob.

"At you. Didn't you say to me, `come on, Big, let's run for it now.
It's all alight.'"

"Well, I thought it was then, old clever-shakes. Don't you be so
precious ready with your tongue."

"Here, don't make all this bother," I said pettishly. "I did light the
rag, and it has gone out again. Never mind, I can soon get another
light."

"Let's wait a minute first," said Bob cautiously.

It was good advice, and we did wait I suppose quite a minute, but to us
it seemed more than five, and considering now that it was quite safe, I
jumped up and we went back to the ridge, looking eagerly towards the
place where the stone hung over the Gap, but it was hidden from us by
the great blocks we had run round, or else probably we might have seen
what we smelt--the thin blue stream of smoke that curled up from beneath
the great block.

As it was, our noses and not our eyes saved us, for I being in front,
and just about to pass on to the open edge of the Gap, stopped suddenly
and said:

"I can smell burning. Can't you?"

"I can smell the tinder," said Bob. "Go on and--"

He did not finish his speech, for the earth shook beneath our feet, and
we saw a flash and a great puff of smoke, and quite a hurricane of bits
of slate and stone and earth came flying by our ears, turning us into
statues for the moment. Then I bounded forward, followed by my
companions, to stand beneath a broad canopy of smoke that floated
inland, and just in time to see the great