he miners have never
deserted one another, and that twenty men, one hundred men, would sooner
be killed than leave a comrade without assistance. You know that well
enough."

"That is true," murmured Uncle Gaspard.

"Make no error, they are trying their hardest to reach us. They have two
ways, ... one is to bore a tunnel to us down here, the other is to drain
off the water."

The men began a vague discussion as to how long it would take to
accomplish this task. All realized that we should have to remain at
least eight days in our tomb. Eight days! I had heard of miners being
imprisoned for twenty-four days, but that was in a story and this was
reality. When I was able to fully grasp what this meant, I paid no heed
to the talk around me. I was stunned.

Again there was silence. All were plunged in thought. How long we
remained so I cannot tell, but suddenly there was a cry;

"The pumps are at work!"

This was said with one voice, for the sounds that had just reached our
ears had seemed to touch us by an electric current and we all rose up.
We should be saved!

Carrory took my hand and squeezed it.

"You're a good boy," he said.

"No, you are," I replied.

But he insisted energetically that I was a good boy. His manner was as
though he were intoxicated. And so he was; he was intoxicated with hope.
But before we were to see the beautiful sun again and hear the birds in
the trees, we were to pass through long, cruel days of agony, and wonder
in anguish if we should ever see the light of day again.

We were all very thirsty. Pages wanted to go down and get some water,
but the professor advised him to stay where he was. He feared that the
debris which we had piled up would give way beneath his weight and that
he would fall into the water.

"Remi is lighter, give him a boot, and he can go down and get water for
us all," he said.

Carrory's boot was handed to me, and I prepared to slip down the bank.

"Wait a minute," said the professor; "let me give you a hand."

"Oh, but it's all right, professor," I replied; "if I fall in I can
swim."

"Do as I tell you," he insisted; "take my hand."

In his effort to help me he either miscalculated his step, or the coal
gave way beneath him, for he slid over the inclined plane and fell head
first into the black waters. The lamp, which he held to light me, rolled
after him and disappeared also. Instantly we were plunged in darkness,
for we were burning only one light,--