y; but as they all understood his way of looking at the worst side of
things none of the other boys took much stock in his gloomy
predictions.

"We must hustle to find some dry wood, so as to cook our supper, and
keep warm afterwards," Felix told them.

"Leave us alone to do that," Josh announced. "No matter how hard it has
been raining you can always get plenty of dry stuff out of the heart
of a stump or a log. And thank goodness we brought an ax along with
us."

"Say, did you feel anything then?" called out one of the other boys.
"Seemed to me the rocks might be trembling as they did when it
thundered extra loud. There it goes again! Get that, fellows?"

They certainly did, and a thrill of wonder and sudden anxiety passed
over them when the trembling sensation became even more pronounced.
Then they realized that a strange rumbling sound had arisen. It came
from further up the mountain, and yet drew rapidly closer, increasing
in intensity, until it began to assume the proportions of a terrible
roaring, while the rocks vibrated in a sickening way.

"Oh! it must be an earthquake!" shrilled one scout, in alarm.

"Lie still, everybody!" shouted Mr. Witherspoon; "don't think of
crawling out. It's a landslide coming down the side of the mountain!"

CHAPTER XVIII

CAMPING ON THE LAKE SHORE

For several minutes the scouts lay there and fairly held their breath
in the grip of that sudden fear that had come upon them. As the
rumbling noise and the sickening sensation of the rock trembling under
them passed away they regained in some degree their former confidence.

"The worst is over, I think," said Mr. Witherspoon; "but we'll stay
where we are a while longer."

Content to abide by his judgment, and glad that they had escaped being
caught in that avalanche of earth and rocks, the boys kept quiet until
finally, as there was no repetition of the landslide, they were allowed
to issue forth.

Investigation showed them where the slip had occurred. Some fault in
the formation of the mountain side had allowed it to happen, the
conditions being just right.

Later on the rest of the scouts went over to view the wrecked oak,
bringing back some of the splinters of wood to use in making the fire
they expected to have going presently.

Considering the two narrow escapes they had passed through recently,
one from lightning and the other from the avalanche, the boys all felt
that they had reason to be thankful.

"Yo