mine, more and more
subdued--at least so it seemed to me--"I say, I weren't looking; it
didn't go down on the dog too--did it?"

"No, Shock, I saw her run away."

There was a few moments' silence and then he said:

"Well, I am glad of that. I likes dorgs, and we was reg'lar good
friends."

"Hark!" I said; "is that Ike digging?"

"No," he said; "it was some more sand tumbled down, I think."

I knew he was right, for there was a dull thud, and then another; but
whether inside or outside I could not tell. It made me tremble though;
for I wondered whether I should be able to struggle out if part of the
roof came down upon my head.

All at once Shock began to whistle--not a tune, but something of an
imitation of a blackbird; and as I was envying him his coolness in
danger I heard a scratching noise and saw a line of light. Then there
was another scratch and a series of little sparkles. Another scratch,
and a blue flame as the brimstone on the end caught fire; and then, as
the splint of wood burned up, I could see in the midst of a ring of
light the face of Shock, looking very intent as he bent over the burning
match, and held to it the wick of a little end of a common tallow
candle.

"I allus carries a bit o' candle out of the lanthorns," he said, showing
his teeth; and then he held up the light, and I could see that the
opening to the cave was completely closed up, just as if the roof had
all come down, and the cave we were in was not half the size it was at
first, a slope of sand encroaching on the floor. I felt chilled, for I
felt that it would be impossible to tunnel through that sand.

"Now, then," said Shock coolly, "that there's the way--ain't it? Well,
we don't want no light to see to do that; so you put it out 'case we
wants it agen, and put it in yer pocket. I'll go down on my knees and
have first scratch, and when I'm tired you shall try, and we'll soon get
through it. We won't wait for Ike."

I longed to keep the candle burning, but what Shock said seemed to be
right; so I put it out, and as I did so I saw the boy begin to scratch
away as hard as he could at the sand in the direction of the entrance,
and then in the dark I could hear him panting away like some wild
animal.

"I say," he cried at last.

"Yes," I said.

"It don't seem no good. More you pulls it away, more it comes down.
It's like dry water, and runs all through your hands."

"Let me have a try," I said.

"All right. Y