ed to try. Besides, to wait longer was not possible. Asphyxia
was threatening in this narrow space, reduced every moment, in a
medium already saturated with carbonic acid.

The best tool Dick Sand could employ to pierce a hole through the wall
was a ramrod furnished with a screw, intended to draw the wadding from
a gun. By making it turn rapidly, this screw scooped out the clay like
an auger, and the hole was made little by little. Then it would not
have a larger diameter than that of the ramrod, but that would be
sufficient. The air could come through very well.

Hercules holding up the lantern lighted Dick Sand. They had some wax
candles to take its place, and they had not to fear lack of light from
that source.

A minute after the beginning of the operation, the ramrod went freely
through the wall. At once a rather dull noise was produced, resembling
that made by globules of air escaping through a column of water. The
air escaped, and, at the same moment, the level of the water rose in
the cone, and stopped at the height of the hole. This proved that they
had pierced too low--that is to say, below the liquid mass.

"Begin again," the young novice said, coolly, after rapidly stopping
the hole with a handful of clay.

The water was again stationary in the cone, but the reserved space had
diminished more than eight inches. Respiration became difficult, for
the oxygen was beginning to fail. They saw it also by the lantern's
light, which reddened and lost a part of its brightness.

One foot above the first hole, Dick Sand began at once to pierce a
second by the same process. If the experiment failed, the water would
rise still higher inside the cone--but that risk must be run.

While Dick Sand was working his auger, they heard Cousin Benedict cry
out, suddenly:

"Mercy! look--look--look why!"

Hercules raised his lantern and threw its light on Cousin Benedict,
whose face expressed the most perfect satisfaction.

"Yes," repeated he, "look why those intelligent termites have
abandoned the ant-hill! They had felt the inundation beforehand. Ah!
instinct, my friends, instinct. The termites are wiser than we are,
much wiser."

And that was all the moral Cousin Benedict drew from the situation.

At that moment Dick Sand drew out the ramrod, which had penetrated the
wall. A hissing was produced. The water rose another foot inside the
cone--the hole had not reached the open air outside.

The situation was dreadful.