in, for he, too, had
discovered the ominous fact even before his chum announced it. There
was nothing to be done but set their teeth grimly and bear it. The
rocks were now all around them. If only they could discover that
friendly ledge!

"Yes, it's beginning to come down now, because I can hear it in the
treetops over that way, can't you, Frank?"

"What you hear is mostly the wind, Will; but that sounds bad enough, I
own up. There, I remember that broken tree making a bow above the
path we followed. And the ledges were close by it, I'm dead certain.
Come this way, Will; chances are we'll run on them right off."

This cheery talk buoyed up the despondent spirits of the other, and he
set his teeth grimly, determined to hold out to the end. Another flash
that almost blinded them, quickly followed by a resounding bellow of
thunder, announced that the downpour of rain must be very close
indeed; doubtless it would descend upon them with that furious gale of
wind.

"Hurrah! here they are, Will! Brace up, old fellow, for it's going to
be all right!"

So dense had the darkness become that Frank found himself relying
almost wholly on the electric flashes for his illumination. The last
brilliant charge had disclosed the fact of the near presence of the
ledges which he had kept in mind so long.

Fortune favored them in that Frank was able to discover the largest
ledge close at hand. It stood out far enough to allow of their
crawling well underneath, where the rain, no matter how it was driven
by the furious wind, could not reach them.

Even as the two fugitives dropped down on their hands and knees, and
started to creep under the flat rocks, the rain began to fall
heavily. In fact it seemed to Will that hardly had his feet been drawn
under the accommodating shelter than the heavens opened, and the
floods descended.

The two boys pushed well in and made themselves as comfortable as
their condition allowed. This of course was not saying much, for they
were sitting on hard rock, with their heads touching the shelf that
hung above.

It was utterly impossible for them to exchange a single word just
then, owing to the riot of sound that came from beyond. The thunder
bellowed, the wind roared, trees could be heard at intervals crashing
to the ground, and the rain beat a terrible tattoo on the rock that
sheltered them.

So fast did the lightning play that they were glad to close their eyes
lest in staring into that dazzling