"My arm wedged round the block of stone; I've got it out."
It was Gwyn's turn to cry "Ah!" now, in the relief he felt; and for a
few minutes he lay listening to the peculiar rustling noise beyond him,
unable to stir. But he was brought to himself by a kick on the crown of
his head, and began to back away from his companion's feet as fast as he
could, getting out at last to find Sam Hardock kneeling by the hole,
lanthorn in hand, looking utterly despondent.
"It's no good, my lad," he said, with a groan. "What's the use o'
punishing yourself in this way? You ought to know when you're beat."
"That's what Englishmen never know, Sam," cried Gwyn.
"Ay, so they say, sir--so they say; but we are beat now."
The appearance of Joe's boots put an end to their conversation; and a
few minutes after he turned his face to them, looking ghastly in the
feeble light of the lanthorns.
"Thought I was going to die caught fast in there," he said, with a sob,
"Oh, Ydoll, it was horrible. You can't think how bad."
"Lie down for a bit and rest," said Gwyn, gently, for the poor fellow
was quite hysterical from what he had gone through; and without a word
he obeyed, lying perfectly still save when a shudder shook him from head
to foot, and he clung fast to Gwyn's hand.
"Do you think you could do any good by trying?" said Gwyn at last.
"Me, sir?" said Sam. "No; I'm too big. I should get stuck fast."
"No, there's room enough. He got himself fixed by wedging his arm in
beyond the stone."
"Yes, that was it," sighed Joe; and, to the surprise of both, Hardock
picked up his lanthorn, crawled to the hole, thrust it in and followed,
while the two lads lay listening to the rustling sounds he made, half
drowned by the shrieking and whistling of the wind.
In about a quarter-of-an-hour he backed out, drawing his light after
him.
"It's of no use, my lads," he said; "we may shake hands now, for we've
done all that we can do. I've been trying hard at that stone, but it's
wedged in fast. A shot o' powder might drive it out, but our hands
aren't powder nor dinnymite neither, and we may give it up."
No one spoke, and they lay there utterly exhausted in mind and body,
hour after hour, while their clothes began slowly to dry upon their
bodies. The rush of wind and the gurgle of water went on as if it were
boiling violently; and something like sleep overtook them, for they did
not move.
But from time to time Gwyn bent over one or the other of the lanthorns
to see to the candles, his one great dread being now lest they should
sink into a deep stupor, and come to, finding that they were in the
dark.
Then suddenly, after lying down for some time trying to imagine that it
was all some terrible dream, there was a quick, short bark; and unable
to bear this, the lad uttered a wild cry, and then, from the terrible
tension being taken so suddenly from off his nerves, he burst into a
hysterical fit of laughter.
The next minute Grip was licking at his face, following it up by the
same endearment bestowed upon the other two, and then bursting into a
prolonged fit of barking.