“Run, I say! Don’t you see the tree is coming down?”
Gilbert now understood the words, and glanced toward the clump of trees. The largest was already over at an angle of forty-five degrees. In a moment more it was sure to hit the earth and crush everything beneath it.
Gilbert started to leap to a point of safety. But his legs were weak from the shock received and he stumbled on the rocks and fell headlong.
As he went down the tree gave another crash and dropped ten or fifteen degrees more, so that some of the branch ends touched the prostrate captain’s body.
Ben saw the danger fully, and gave a scream of horror. Was it possible that he was going to see his chum mangled before his very eyes? He shivered, and an icy chill ran down his spine.
Then like a flash his mind was made up. He must save Gilbert at any cost. He turned back and crawled under the tree branches.
“Have a care!” shouted the Japanese captain. “Have a care! The tree is settling! You will be caught!”
“Oh, Ben!” gasped Gilbert. He could say no more, for a thick limb was pressing him to the earth and cutting off his wind.
“Give me your hand, Gilbert! There, that’s it! Now try to pull yourself loose!”
“I—I can’t do it! I—my clothing is caught, and I—I—”