A few minutes before this, after a long uphill climb, the car had entered a narrow ravine between two hills, the sides of which were studded with great bowlders. One of these had become dislodged in some manner, and it was the sight of the huge stone rolling and clattering directly down upon them that had brought the cry of alarm from the driver.
As it rolled down the precipitous slope, the big bowlder dislodged tons of gravel and dirt, which came flying down with it, until it was the center of a small landslide. To the Radio Boys, it seemed that there was no escape for them, and they gripped the sides of the car, prepared to jump out as a last resort, although it seemed as though that could avail them little. The ground trembled, and a noise like thunder filled the air.
It was impossible to stop, as this would leave them directly in the path of the oncoming bowlder. Their only chance lay in putting on speed and attempting to get past ahead of the huge stone, which was now bounding downward at terrific speed, part of the time leaping bodily through the air as it caromed off some obstruction in its path.
The driver opened the throttle to the limit, but the car was heavily laden, and accelerated sluggishly. For a few seconds their fate hung in the balance. The great bowlder hurtled down upon them, and leaped into the air directly above them. Looking up, the boys could see the tremendous mass perhaps a hundred feet away, its shadow blotting out the sun. The automobile seemed to be only creeping, and seconds seemed like hours. Then, with a crash that made the ground quiver and shake, the bowlder plunged to the road not fifteen feet back of their car. Flying splinters of rock pelted over those in the automobile, and they crouched low to avoid the deadly shower. Tons of sand and gravel followed the bowlder and piled across the road where their car had passed a few short seconds before, forming a drift many feet deep.
But now the moment of dire peril had passed, and the occupants of the car drew long sighs of relief. The driver kept on at high speed until they had passed through the defile, and then pulled up and shut off the engine. His hand shook, and several moments went by before he trusted himself to speak.
“Whew!” he exclaimed finally in a voice that was not quite steady. “That was what you might call a close shave, young fellers.”
“Too close for comfort,” said Herb, essaying a grin that somehow did not look quite natural. “I wonder what we’d look like now if that bowlder had landed on top of us.”
“That’s a nice, cheerful thought, I must say,” replied Bob. “We would have the same general appearance as a dog run over by a steam roller. I think we owe a vote of thanks to our driver for getting us out of a tight place.”
The thanks were enthusiastically given, and in a short time, they resumed the journey.
Not much was said for a long time, as each was busy with thoughts of their recent narrow escape. Eventually the boys recovered their usual care-free spirits, however, and they began to pay attention to the country through which they were passing.