rt to find that his foot alone
caught him. Again he rolled from side to side, and again he rested.

"Bill! Bill! For God's sake, what has happened?" he heard an agonized
call from ahead.

"I'm all right, boy," he called back patiently. "Just keep away from
the hole so I can get air. I'm--I'm just findin' some places a little
tight."

His reply did not seem to allay the solicitude of his companion, who
called again, "Can I help you in any way?"

"Only by keeping clear. I'll make another try. Stand clear so if she
comes down you won't be caught. If she does come--well--good-bye,
Dick!"

As he spoke the final word he made another fiercely desperate effort
from his new position. There was a ripping, searing pain along the
length of his foot which he disregarded in that supreme attempt and
suddenly he seemed to slide forward while back of him came a
crunching, grinding noise as the disturbed rock which had pinioned him
settled down into place. He crawled desperately forward. A light
flared in his eyes and he felt strong hands thrust under his arm pits
and was jerked bodily out to the floor of the drift. They fell
together and the candle, falling with them, was extinguished. They
were overwhelmed, as they lay there in the darkness, gasping, by a
terrific crashing impact as if the whole mountain had given way and at
their very feet huge rocks thundered down. They crawled farther along
on hands and knees and the falling rock seemed to pursue them
malignantly. For an age it seemed as if the whole drift would give way
as each set of timbers came to the strain and failed to hold. Then
again all was still.

Strangling, sweating, spent, they got to the side wall and raised
themselves up, gasping for fresh air. Their senses wavered and swooned
in that half-suffocation and slowly they comprehended that they were
still alive and that the dust was settling. "Are you all right?" they
called to each other in acute unison, their voices betraying a great
apprehension, and then, reassured for the instant, they sagged weakly
against the walls and each reached out to find the other. Their hands
met and clasped fervently and, again in unison, they said, "Thank
God!"

A match spluttered dimly through the dark and dust-clogged air, a
candle slowly took flame and they looked at each other. Bill was
leaning against the wall, weakly, and trying to recover his strength.
A tattered trousers leg clung above his bared leg and foot where he
ha