tales of trail and town-第49章

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extended　between　them　and　the　carcass　of　the　bear；　showing　the

glistening　rock　below。　　Again　they　were　thrown　down　with　a　sharp

shock。　　Jackson　Tribbs；　who　had　been　showing　a　strange　excitement；

suddenly　gave　a　cry　of　warning。　　〃Lie　flat；　fellers！　but　keep　a…

crawlin'　and　jumpin'。　　We're　goin'　down　a　slide！〃　　And　the　next

moment　they　were　sliding　and　tossing；　apparently　with　the　whole

snow…field；　down　towards　the　gullied　precipice。



What　happened　after　this；　and　how　long　it　lasted；　they　never　knew。

For；　hurried　along　with　increasing　momentum；　but　always

mechanically　clutching　at　the　snow；　and　bounding　from　it　as　they

swept　on；　they　sometimes　lost　breath；　and　even　consciousness。　　At

times　they　were　half　suffocated　in　rolling　masses　of　drift；　and

again　free　and　skimming　over　its　arrested　surface；　but　always

falling；　as　it　seemed　to　them；　almost　perpendicularly。　　In　one　of

these　shocks　they　seemed　to　be　going　through　a　thicket　of

underbrush；　but　Provy　Smith　knew　that　they　were　the　tops　of　pine…

trees。　　At　last　there　was　one　shock　longer　and　lasting；　followed　by

a　deepening　thunder　below　them。　　The　avalanche　had　struck　a　ledge

in　the　mountain　side；　and　precipitated　its　lower　part　into　the

valley。



Then　everything　was　still；　until　Provy　heard　Julian's　voice

calling。　　He　answered；　but　there　was　no　response　from　Tribbs。　　Had

he　gone　over　into　the　valley？　　They　set　up　a　despairing　shout！　　A

voicea　smothered　onethat　might　be　his；　came　apparently　from　the

snow　beneath　them。　　They　shouted　again；　the　voice；　vague　and

hollow；　responded；　but　it　was　now　surely　his。



〃Where　are　you？〃　screamed　Provy。



〃Down　the　chimbley。〃



There　was　a　black　square　of　adobe　sticking　out　of　the　snow　near

them。　　They　ran　to　it。　　There　was　a　hole。　　They　peered　down；　but

could　see　nothing　at　first　but　a　faint　glimmer。



〃Come　down；　fellows！　　It　ain't　far！〃　said　Tribbs's　voice。



〃Wot　yer　got　there？〃　asked　Julian　cautiously。



〃Suthin'　to　eat。〃



That　was　enough。　　In　another　instant　Julian　and　Provy　went　down　the

chimney。　　What　was　a　matter　of　fifteen　feet　after　a　thousand？

Tribbs　had　already　lit　a　candle　by　which　they　could　see　that　they

were　in　the　cabin　of　some　tunnel…man　at　work　on　the　ridge。　　He　had

probably　been　in　the　tunnel　when　the　avalanche　fell；　and　escaped；

though　his　cabin　was　buried。　　The　three　discoverers　helped

themselves　to　his　larder。　　They　laughed　and　ate　as　at　a　picnic；

played　cards；　pretended　it　was　a　robber's　cave；　and　finally；

wrapping　themselves　in　the　miner's　blankets；　slept　soundly；　knowing

where　they　were；　and　confident　also　that　they　could　find　the　trail

early　the　next　morning。　　They　did　so；　and　without　going　to　their

homes　came　directly　to　schoolhaving　been　absent　about　fifty

hours。　　They　were　in　high　spirits；　except　for　the　thought　of

approaching　punishment；　never　dreaming　to　evade　it　by　anything

miraculous　in　their　adventures。





Such　was　briefly　their　story。　　Its　truth　was　corroborated　by　the

discovery　of　the　bear's　carcass；　by　the　testimony　of　the　tunnel…

man；　who　found　his　larder　mysteriously　ransacked　in　his　buried

cabin；　and；　above　all；　by　the　long　white　tongue　that　for　many

months　hung　from　the　ledge　into　the　valley。　　Nobody　thought　the

lanky　Julian　a　hero；least　of　all　himself。　　Nobody　suspected　that

Jackson　Tribbs's　treatment　of　a　〃slide〃　had　been　gathered　from

experiments　in　his　father's　〃runs〃and　he　was　glad　they　did　not。

The　master's　pardon　obtained；　the　three　truants　cared　little　for

the　opinion　of　Hemlock　Hill。　　They　knew　THEMSELVES；　that　was

enough。











End