But he started toward the mouth of the cavern. Just then Bob looked at his watch in the firelight, and exclaimed:
"No wonder it seems dark—do you know it's half after four right now?"
"Wow! mother will be scared," said Ralph Tingley.
Just then there came a cry from Tom. Then followed a heavy, smothered thud. The boys dashed to the entrance. It was pitch dark. A great mass of hard packed snow filled the opening, and was being forced into the cave itself. In this heap of snow struggled Tom, fairly smothered.
They laid hold upon him—by a leg and an arm—and dragged him out. He could not speak for a moment and he had lost his cap.
"How did you do that?" demanded Bob. "What does it mean?"
"Think—think I did it on purpose?" demanded the overwhelmed youth. "I'm no Samson to pull down the pillars on top of me. Gee! that snow came sudden."
"Where—where did it all come from?" demanded his sister.
"From the top of the cliff, of course. It must have made a big drift there and tumbled down—regular avalanche, you know—just as I tried to look out. Why! the place out there is filled up yards deep! We'd never be able to dig out in a week."
"Oh, dear me! what shall we do?" groaned Belle, who was beginning to get nervous.