“That’s all right, but I don’t want to get crushed,” retorted his younger brother.
“Each of us had better stay here,” put in Harry. “The trouble is all outside of the cave.”
“Might be better in the open air than here——” began Boxy.
“Especially when the roof seems to be giving way,” added Andy.
“Yes, but you can’t pass the doorway without peril,” returned Jack.
“Either it is a snowslide or a landslide,” cried Harry. “Wait and listen!”
“Rocks comin’ down sumwhar!” grumbled Pickles. “Oh, my!”
Ro-o-u-m! crash! Down in front of the cave-like shelter came a perfect avalanche of snow and loose stones, completely filling the doorway and bending in the brush wall until the poles that held it in place gave way at the top.
“Back, all of you!” shouted Harry, and they retreated just in time to prevent themselves from being completely buried.
After the first slide came several others, and for the time being the boys were afraid they would be buried alive under the cliff. They waited with wildly beating hearts for fully quarter of an hour after the last fall, and then began an examination of the situation.