pick under the projecting rock. He felt a
shock of surprise; the pick passed right through it; a shudder thrilled
him; he clenched his teeth, made a superhuman effort, buried his pick
still more deeply, throwing as much weight into it as he could, and then
fell prostrate, his face towards the ground. His pickaxe had escaped
from his hand and fallen through to the other side.

Through the opening thus formed there rushed a gust of refreshing air
which at once increased in strength. The smoking torches which had been
flung on the ground were spontaneously re-kindled. Their flame licked
the walls. The miners began to breathe heavily; those who had half
swooned revived a little and began to move. Many raised their heads,
drinking in the air with such avidity that they became sick. The chief
miner crept with difficulty through the opening and began to breathe
with deep gasps the vivifying air.

"It is there ... there!" repeated old Ivan dreamily.

"Yes, old man, it _is_ there, you are right," the miners answered,
suddenly recovering their courage.

All the men who had been half-insane a moment before were now convinced
that they were saved. In any case, it was a respite; they would not die
yet. Death had been left behind in the race once more; they would be
able to wrestle with it, and they must profit by this respite to get out
of this place. If they had to die after all, well, they would die, but
elsewhere, not in this cramped black hole. They set to work again, and
this time so zealously that in a short time they succeeded in clearing
away the mass of earth which obstructed the opening into the
neighbouring gallery. To judge from the quantity of air which came from
below they guessed it must be much larger than the narrow passage in
which they were working. They hastened to work at this outlet which
promised deliverance. The pickaxes struck the rocks violently, and the
shovels dug deeply. They disputed with each other the right to work, and
he who could clear away the most won; they nearly came to blows in order
to dig near the opening in order to reach the new passage. The opening
grew larger every moment. Old Ivan glanced at it and his face grew
radiant with joy, because he saw beyond it the white Apparition waiting.

"Here I am, Lord, here I am!" he murmured, and if his comrades had not
prevented him, he would have tried to pass through the opening at the
risk of blocking it up.

After another half-hour of work