al of clambering over obstacles in order to get
along; but so far as a cave went none had been found.

Mr. Gordon knew that some of his charges must be perilously near the
point of exhaustion. All the boys were not as robust and hardy as Paul
and several others. He was becoming genuinely alarmed concerning them,
knowing that unless shelter were quickly found they would be apt to
fall.

"We must change our tactics," he called out, finally; "and instead of
going on in a trailing line, spread out and cover more ground. If any
one finds a cave let him give the scout's shout of discovery!"

After that they advanced more slowly, since it was really every one for
himself. Paul saw that the scoutmaster must have been right when he
declared that they had not yet experienced the worst of the terrible
Summer storm. It seemed to be getting slowly but surely more violent,
and he wondered what amount of damage it would carry along the farms of
the Bushkill, and the various towns and villages bordering its banks.

Stumbling blindly at times, it was no wonder the boys had many a tumble.
Hands were bruised and scratched, yet in the excitement little attention
was paid to such trifling things.

Several times Paul fancied that one of his mates had called out, and
hope began to surge afresh through his heart. In every case, however, it
proved to be a mistake, since no succeeding calls announced the glad
fact that shelter had been discovered. He was forced to believe that
the sounds he heard were only new exultant shrieks of the wind, as it
swept along the side of old Rattlesnake Mountain.

Jack was close at the side of his chum, and when the darkness prevented
them from actually seeing each other, they frequently caught hands, so
that they might not be separated.

Whenever a little lull came in the storm the cheery voice of the
scoutmaster was heard, encouraging his followers to hold out "just a
little longer." In this time of gloom Mr. Gordon endeared himself to the
hearts of those soaked boys as he had never before done while the sun
was shining, and all seemed well.

Paul realized that they were now plodding along over ground that was
totally unfamiliar to him. It gave him new hope that shortly one of the
extended line might discover what they sought.

And it was just when he was bolstering up his courage in this fashion
that he heard a sudden sharp cry from his chum. The lightning flashed
out at that second and Paul looked ea