The rain came down in torrents for some time longer, but at last the storm abated, rifts of blue sky appeared in the clouds, and the boys started off toward the school.
They were taking a short cut through the woods, when they were startled at seeing a great tree, that had been split from top to base, lying across the path.
“Jiminy Christmas!” exclaimed Bobby. “This is what the lightning hit that time.”
“It made a clean job of it,” cried Fred. “But listen,” he added, as muffled sounds came from the great tangle of branches. “What’s making that noise?”
“It’s somebody in there!” ejaculated Bobby, as he peered through the green welter of boughs and branches. “Quick, Fred, let’s get in there.”
With much difficulty, they forced their way through the tangle of foliage, until they were able to see two dim figures crouching in the center of the mass. Their surprise was great and became still greater, when they recognized them as two of the smaller of the Rockledge boys, Charlie White and Jimmy Thacker.
They were confused by their fright, and were whimpering. They gave only broken and stammering replies to the questions of their rescuers, who had a good deal of work in getting them out from the boughs that held them down.
They were finally pulled out to the open air. They were more frightened than hurt, although they had a number of scratches and bruises where the branches had swept against them in their fall.
“How did you boys manage to be caught in there?” queried Bobby and Fred in one breath.
“We were standing under a tree while it was raining,” answered Charlie, who was not quite as upset as his companion, “when this other tree was hit and fell over. We tried to run, but the branches caught us before we could get away.”