e next moment there was a rush and roar again; the air that had been
compressed and driven back rebounded, as it were, rushing through the
open cavity, and Gwyn felt that he could breathe again.

"Where are you?" cried Hardock; and now Gwyn realised that the explosion
had put out the light.

"Here. Where's Joe Jollivet?"

"I'm here," panted the lad. "I couldn't breathe for a bit. Think the
block's blown away?"

"I'm going to feel," replied Gwyn. "Here!" he cried, excitedly, "the
floor's covered with pieces of broken stone; but I can't find my way.
Yes, all right; I can feel the way in."

"Mind you don't get wedged in with the bits, my lad," cried Hardock,
excitedly. "Here, let me go first."

"No," said Gwyn, "I--"

His next words were not heard, for his head and shoulders were in the
cavity and his voice was swept on before him ere he could say, as he
intended, "I shall soon be back."

But there was no risk of getting himself wedged, for the explosion had
swept everything before it; and he crept on and on, till his heart gave
a bound, for he realised that he must have passed the spot where the
stone had wedged up the orifice, and the way to life and light was open.

"Ahoy!" he shouted with all his might; and "Ahoy!" came from a distance,
for the wind, which was whistling by him, drove the answer back. But in
another minute, as he extended his hand to feel his way along, he
touched something warm in the darkness, and his hand was seized.

That warm grasp, which meant so much to the lad, acted upon him like the
discharging rod of the electrician upon a Leyden jar; in an instant his
energy seemed to have left him, and he lay prone in the narrow way, only
half-conscious of being very slowly dragged over rough stone for some
time before the dizzy, helpless sensation passed off, and he struggled
slightly.

"Let go!" he cried. "I must go back and tell them."

"No, my lad, I'll do that," said a familiar voice. "There's room to
pass here. Think you can go on crawling up now?"

"Yes--yes, I'm all right. Did I faint?"

"I suppose so, sir. Wait a moment." There was a moment's pause, and
then Gwyn heard the words bellowed out, "All clear! Got to them!
Coming now."

There was a murmur at a distance, and then Vores spoke again,--

"I'm coming by you now. Are the others strong enough to crawl?"

"Yes," said Gwyn, faintly, for his heart was beating strangely now just
when he felt that he ought to be at