"As ready as I ever shall be," was the grim answer.
"Well, don't move except when you see where you're going by means of the flashes. It's the only safe way. Go ahead; I'll follow."
Slowly the younger lad took his feet and hands from the niches. He was stiff from holding the same position so long, but his young blood was soon in circulation again. He crawled out on the slope. It was quite steep, but considerable earth had been jarred and washed from it so that it was no worse than going up the peaked roof of a house, and Andy and his brother had often done this in carrying out some of their boyish pranks.
Slowly and painfully the younger lad toiled upward, followed by his anxious brother. It was but a comparatively short distance up which to climb, but going on their hands and knees made it seem doubly long.
Finally it was accomplished, however, and Andy crawled out of the ragged hole and stretched out on the wet earth above, almost exhausted.
"Come! Get up!" cried Frank, as he finished the perilous journey and sought to raise his brother. "You mustn't lie there. You'll get cold and stiff. Move around—get warmed up. We're safe now, Andy! Safe!"
"Yes, I know, but I'm so tired—I—I want a rest."
"There'll be time enough to rest when we get to some shelter. It's raining cats and dogs, and we can't get much wetter. Let's see if we can make out where we are, and maybe we can get back to camp, and find some grub. I'm starved."
"So am I. What time is it?"
"My watch has stopped," answered Frank, looking at the timepiece by a lightning flash. "The water did it."