"I allus carries a bit o' candle out of the lanthorns," he said, showing
his teeth; and then he held up the light, and I could see that the
opening to the cave was completely closed up, just as if the roof had
all come down, and the cave we were in was not half the size it was at
first, a slope of sand encroaching on the floor. I felt chilled, for I
felt that it would be impossible to tunnel through that sand.
"Now, then," said Shock coolly, "that there's the way--ain't it? Well,
we don't want no light to see to do that; so you put it out 'case we
wants it agen, and put it in yer pocket. I'll go down on my knees and
have first scratch, and when I'm tired you shall try, and we'll soon get
through it. We won't wait for Ike."
I longed to keep the candle burning, but what Shock said seemed to be
right; so I put it out, and as I did so I saw the boy begin to scratch
away as hard as he could at the sand in the direction of the entrance,
and then in the dark I could hear him panting away like some wild
animal.
"I say," he cried at last.
"Yes," I said.
"It don't seem no good. More you pulls it away, more it comes down.
It's like dry water, and runs all through your hands."
"Let me have a try," I said.
"All right. You go where I did, and keep straight on."
Keep straight on! It was, as he said, like grasping at water; and the
more I tore at it, in the hope of making a tunnel through, the more it
came pouring down, till in utter despair I gave it up and told Shock it
was no good.
"Never mind," he said. "It's dry and warm. I've been in worse places
than this is, where you couldn't keep the rain out. Let's sit down and
talk. I say I wish I'd got the rest o' my rabbud."
I didn't answer, for, hot, weary, and despairing at our position, I was
lying down on the sand with my hands covering my face.
I don't know how long a time passed, for I felt confused and strange;
but I was aroused by Shock, who exclaimed suddenly: "Here, I want to get out of this. Let's have another try at scratching
a hole."
I heard him move, and then he struck a light again so as to see where to
begin.
"Must know, you see," he said. "If I get scratching at the wrong side,
it would take so long to get out."
In spite of my trouble I could not help feeling amused, there seemed to
be something so droll in the idea of Shock burrowing his way right into
the hill and expecting to get out; but the next moment I was listening
to him and watching the tiny spark at the end of the burned match die
out.