He did hot "question why" at her warning; he instantly did as he
was told. He, too, had noticed the falling pebble. With all the
agility of which he was capable he rolled under the narrow
projecting ledge above him. Katherine O'Donovan was a good
soldier also. She whirled and ran to the roadway. She had
barely reached it when, with a grinding crash, down came the huge
boulder, carrying bushes, smaller rocks, sand, and debris with
it. On account of its weight it fell straight, struck heavily,
and buried itself in the earth exactly on the spot upon which
Donald had been lying. Linda raised terrified eyes to the top of
the wall. For one instant a dark object peered over it and then
drew back. Without thought for herself Linda rushed to the
boulder, and kneeling, tried to see back of it.
"Donald!" she cried, "Donald, are you all right?"
"Guess I am, unless it hit one foot pretty hard. Feels fast."
"Can you get out?" she cried, beginning to tear with her hands at
the stone and the bushes where she thought his head would be.
"I'm fast; but I'm all right," he panted. "Why the devil did
that thing hang there for ages, and then come down on me today?"
"Yes, why did it?" gasped Linda. "Donald, I must leave you a
minute. I've got to know if I saw a head peer over just as that
stone came down."
"Be careful what you do!" he cried after her.
Linda sprang to her feet and rushed to the car. She caught out
the field classes and threw the strap over her head as she raced
to the far side of the fireplace where the walls were not so
sheer.
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