"That was a close shave!" murmured the senator's son. "Dave, this spot is full of perils!"
On they went once more, until Dave was almost certain he saw some sort of an opening ahead of them. He pointed it out; and just then the tiny light of the pocket lantern began to flicker.
"No; the oil is gone," was the answer, after Dave had shaken the lantern to make certain of that fact.
"What will we do if we are left in the dark?"
"Hurry; I think we can reach that opening--if it is an opening."
They ran, and as they did so the lantern flickered up for the last time and went out. Then Dave stopped short and Roger clung to him.
"I won't--but we must go slow, or we'll knock our heads on a rock or on the icicles."
They advanced with all the caution they could command. Each was filled with a nameless dread, for if there was no opening ahead what should they do? To go back the way they had come was next to impossible in the dark. A dozen steps, and both went down in a hollow, Roger rolling on top of his chum. The spot was like a huge washbowl, and all of the sides were covered with ice. They tried to scramble out, only to slip back over and over again.
"This is the limit!" cried Roger, desperately.
"If we---- Oh, wait!" He felt in his pocket.
"I've got five matches. I'm going to light one."
"Make it last as long as possible," was Dave's advice.
The match was ignited and the boys gazed around the hollow. Dave found some bits of projecting rocks and pulled himself up, and Roger came behind, the match burning itself out in the meanwhile. Then they pushed on, until they presently came to an opening through which the snow came down.
"Out at last!" murmured Dave. "I am thankful for that!"
"We have reached the open air, but we are not out of our difficulty," returned the senator's son. "I can't see anything of the road, can you?"
"Not yet, but it must be somewhere in the neighborhood, for we went upward in the cave."
They had come out at a point where there was a small table-land, which the wind of the night before had swept almost clear of snow. Below was the valley and above them a patch of firs.
"That's the forest," said Dave, pointing upward. "The road runs through there. I think the place where we took the tumble is over yonder."