ore contracted. However, that did not seem to
trouble old Ivan, who continued to advance with confidence. He still
saw distinctly the white Apparition Who shed a mysterious radiance in
the darkness. From time to time he murmured, "Here I am Lord, here I
am!" and that renewed his strength.

Even now when his two elbows touched the walls, and the lowness of the
rocky roof above his head prevented him raising his torch which he was
obliged to hold in front of him a little slanted and at arm's length,
the old man never doubted that he was guided by our Lord in person, Who
pointed him out the way. Behind him the miners were half suffocated
because the thick smoke of the torches filled the narrow passage in
which it was difficult to breathe, as the confined atmosphere had been
unchanged for an immeasurable time. This was apparent by the way in
which the flames of the torches lengthened themselves, seeming to seek
the oxygen they required, and then burning dimly in the darkness.

All at once Ivan halted. He was confronted by a dead wall without any
apparent outlet. However, doubt was not possible for him, for he had
distinctly seen the white Apparition pass through the wall. Now it was
waiting for him on the other side of the wall which had so unexpectedly
intervened.

"He has stopped there; I have seen Him!" Ivan stretched out his lean arm
in front of him, no one knew why.

The chief miner decided to make a last attempt, "Let us dig, my
children! We must make a way for ourselves."

But though he gave the order, he doubted whether there was anything on
the other side of the wall but a mass of earth, rocks and ore.
Fortunately, just here the passage was a little wider and they could
work three abreast. They set to work bravely. However, the flames of the
torches exhausted the air and they grew very dim. Their smoke blinded
and half-choked the miners, but they persisted and dug huge holes in the
earth which was not very hard.

Leaning his back against a wall, Ivan looked straight in front of him.
He knew that behind this mass of earth and stones the Apparition which
he had known so well in his childhood awaited him.

"We are buried alive!" murmured one of the men.

"Are we making any way?" asked the chief miner, ignoring the remark.

But the men, with perspiration pouring from them, continued their work
without replying.

VIII

Half an hour passed in this way. Half-suffocated, some of the miners lay
down flat on