Just then Heather slipped on some loose rocks and slid down part of the tunnel.
As the others ran to help her, they heard more rocks falling behind them.
Rocks tumbled into the pathway, filling it nearly to the top.
The girls screamed.
Suddenly, everyone and everything was very, very quiet.
Dust from the rockslide hung in the air, making the cave seem possessed with ghosts dancing in the beams from the flashlights.
"We're trapped! We'll never get out of here!" sobbed Heather.
"Just stay calm, girls," said Mr. Dobson.
"Let's see if we can lift some of these rocks out of the way."
Every time they moved rocks near the bottom of the pile, more tumbled in to take their place.
"We're going to die in here!" yelled Susan.
"Now, dont panic," said Mr. Dobson in a calm voice.
"When we aren't back to camp in an hour, someone will come looking for us and dig us out."
"But I can't stand it," wailed Susan. "There might be bats in here."
"It's too dusty. I can't breathe!" wheezed Alicia as she gasped for breath.
"You have to remain calm," said Mr. Dobson in a stern voice.
"All this panic will only make things worse!"
"I can see sunlight," said Karen softly.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Heather shone her flashlight on Karen's face.
"What did you say?"
"I said, I can see sunlight," said Karen as she pointed to the top of the rock pile.
"So what? Nobody can climb up there wihtout pushing more rocks down," said Mary.
"The hole is too small for anyone to get through," said Alicia.
"I don't know about that," said Mr. Dobson.
"Karen, you're small enough. You might be able to get up there and get us some help."
Mr. Dobson lifted Karen up so she could stand on his shoulder.
"Be careful of the rocks, Karen," he said. "Try to get through the hole without knocking any more down."
Karen carefully reached up for a small ledge that stuck out of the side of the tunnel.
Mr. Dobson pushed and she pulled until she was kneeling on the ledge.
Slowly Karen stood up and found the opening was near her shoulder.
Karen's hands and legs were shaking.
She took a big breath and let it out slowly.
"Please, God, help me," she whispered.
Karen opened her eyes, stood on her tiptoes and sucked in her stomach.
She pushed with her legs until her shoulders were through the hole and then wiggled her way out into the sunshine.
"I'll be right back with help," she called down through the opening.
"Hurry," yelled Susan.