“Look! Look!” gasped Jack, turning around. All did so and were just in time to see a tall tree about a hundred yards away fall slowly from the edge of the forest, landing in such a position that it partly blocked the roadway.
“Gee! what do you know about that?” panted Andy, his eyes almost starting from his head. “Why, we came past that spot less than a minute ago!”
“A—a—narrow escape, I’ll tell the world!” spluttered Fred. “Come on, let’s get to that cabin! It will be at least some safer than being in the open.”
By the time the Rovers and their chums gained the foot of the hill the rain was coming down in torrents. The wind was also rising, blowing leaves and small tree branches in various directions. Fred and Randy led the way, leaving the highway at a point where there were a number of large rocks. They stepped over a broken-down wire fence and then ran along a footpath, one side of which was overhung by dense bushes now becoming soaked from the rain.
“Wow!” spluttered Gif presently, as he followed Spouter. His chum had pushed back a large branch of a bush and this now swept back into place, catching Gif full in the face and giving him a perfect shower bath.
“Sorry. But I had to get past somehow,” cried Spouter.
“How much farther to go?” demanded Andy.
“Not much farther,” answered Fred. “I only hope the old cabin hasn’t fallen down since Randy and I were here before.”
Presently, just as there came more lightning and thunder, those in advance turned a corner of the path and came to a small clearing. In the center of this was on old and dilapidated cabin built, evidently, years before by some lumbermen. The front door to the cabin stood partly open and one of the windows was minus both the sash and the shutter it had once boasted.
“Anybody around?” sang out Jack.