narrow passage
closed, and at the bottom of a new pit formed in the sand, where the
buried roots had been torn out and broken off, there was the dog, with
jaws open, tongue out, and eyes starting, tearing away at the sand,
which kept gliding back as fast as it was thrown out, evidently trying
to rescue its master, who must have been buried there.

"Oh, you good old chap!" cried Tom, as he sprang to the side of the pit;
and the dog, taking the words for encouragement, uttered a loud bark,
and tore away at the sand with its fore feet and kicked it away with its
hind at a tremendous rate, sending it flying in quite a mist.

Tom had grasped the situation thoroughly now, and felt that Pete must
have been sleeping in his cave that night with his dog, when the tree,
only held on one side, had given way, burying him. Then the dog had
contrived to scratch its way out, leaving its master prisoned to lie
there in darkness, while during all the next day and night the faithful
companion for whom he had shown so little kindness had howled, and
howled in vain, for help.

Tom saw it all now, and he sprang down into the hollow from which the
pine roots had been torn, to begin cheering on the dog, and helping with
all his might; till once more he turned cold; but it was with a far more
terrible chill, as he felt that it was all those hours since Pete had
been covered in. Worse, the position of the root indicated that one
side had been driven right into the cave, the old roof, as it were,
sinking down, and only one thing could have happened--the unfortunate
occupant must have been crushed to death.

But the dog was animated by no such ideas. It knew that its master was
below, and it panted, and growled, and snarled as it tore away at the
sand.

Then a fresh idea struck Tom. He could do but little good; he must run
for help, and bring men with shovels, a rope, levers, and an axe, for
they would perhaps have to cut the unhappy prisoner free.

But no; he might be the means of the poor fellow losing his life if a
spark still lingered. If he could only reach his face and uncover that
before going for aid! And so he toiled on, scooping out the sand with
both hands close by where the dog tore, for every now and then it buried
its muzzle, snuffling and blowing, and raised it again to bark
furiously.

"He knows," thought Tom; and he tore away with all his might down there
upon his knees, close at the side of the dog, to whom he utter