"It's coming again, Frank!" shrieked Lanky a short time afterwards, as once more the side of the mountain commenced to tremble under their feet.
"Seems so," Frank, between stiff lips. "Keep a grip on yourself, Lanky. It will pass. I guess we'll pull through all right."
There is nothing more apt to carry a feeling of panic to the human heart than to feel the solid earth, which all his life he had deemed staple, quiver and writhe as if in agony. Small wonder then that stout-hearted Lanky Wallace found himself gripped with increasing fear.
Frank caught hold of his chum's arm. He knew that the touch of reassuring fingers was more apt to steady Lanky than any cheering words he might utter. Besides, talking under such appalling conditions was anything but an easy thing.
This second tremor also passed off, and again the two young prospectors found themselves safe. Lanky began to recover a part of his customary assurance.
"If only that's the wind-up of these slides, then everything'll look bright again," he called out. "Oh, Frank, there sure is a break in those black clouds nearly overhead, for I caught a glimpse of sunlight!"
"Yes, that's so," replied his chum, and then adding hurriedly: "Hold tight, Lanky, for here's where we get ours!"
The grinding noise came on once more, closer, more dreadful than ever, and the boys reeled like drunken men and held their breath with awe. Wildly did the side of the great mountain, home of slides, tremble and writhe. Above them the lads could hear the deafening noise of the oncoming mass of dislodged material, rushing down to find rest far below amidst the remnants of former similar catastrophes.
It seemed as though all creation must be in eruption, with massive rocks piling over each other and racing down the slide.
Lanky, completely overcome, fell down on his hands and knees as though exhausted and hopeless. For an indefinite space of time he felt himself moving, at first swiftly downward, then with diminished speed.