's another. Soon let daylight down by your ribs.
I want to get that hand and arm clear first so as you can hold the hat
to shade your face."

And all the time he chatted away, coolly enough, the pick was wielded so
dexterously, every blow being given to such purpose, that he cut out
large pieces of the compressed snow and hooked them out of the rapidly
growing hole.

It was the work of a man who had toiled for years amongst the granite
deep down in the bowels of the earth, and experience had taught him the
value of striking so as to save labour; but all the same the task was a
long one, and it grew more difficult the deeper down he went.

"'Bliged to make the hole bigger, my son," he said; "but you hold up; I
sha'n't be long now. I say, how deep down do you go? Are you a
six-footer?"

"No, I'm only about five feet eight," said Abel, whose face looked
terribly pained and drawn.

"Aren't you now?" said the man coolly. "I should ha' thought by the
look of your head and chest that you were taller. Been a longer job
with me. I'm over six foot three, and good measure. There, now that
arm's clear, aren't it? Can you lift it out?"

Abel shook his head sadly.

"There is no use in it," he said faintly.

"Might ha' knowed it. Bit numb like with the cold. But you keep a good
heart, and I'll have you out. It's only a bit o' work, and no fear of
caving in on us. Just child's play like. There's one arm clear, and a
bit of your side, and the rest'll soon follow."

The man paused in the act of getting the the top off the spirit-flask,
and shouted to his companions, "Hoi! Here, quick, lads, and help me
here. My one's going out."

For a ghastly look crossed Abel's face, his eyes grew fixed, as they
half-closed, and his head fell over on one side.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

A COWARD BLOW.

The two men who had been fighting hard to reach Dallas, the sound of
whose strokes seemed nearer than ever, rushed to their companion, who
had begun chafing the buried man's face and temples, with the result
that Abel raised his head again and looked wildly round.

"I thought he was a goner, my sons," whispered the big fellow. "Go on
back to your chap; I'll manage here."

The two men, who were excited by their task, rushed back again, and
their companion moistened Abel's lips.

The man began to work his pick again with wonderful rapidity, enlarging
the hole, and every now and then giving a furtive glance at the prisoner
a