r the work. All through the night and till noon the following day he
dug among the fallen rocks and dirt, cleaning this _debris_ away after
he had loosened it with his bare hands.

The impact of the fall when he had been thrown down the shaft had jarred
him greatly. With the slightest movement of the body his back and
shoulders ached, sending shoots of pain in protest to his brain. The
sprained ankle he had bound tightly in a wet handkerchief, but every
time his weight rested on that leg he had to grit his teeth. But it was
not in him to quit. He stuck to his job till he had done the shift set
himself.

At noon he crawled back to the foot of the shaft. He was fagged to
exhaustion. For half an hour he lay stretched on his back with every
muscle relaxed.

Presently he cut from his coat the pocket that contained the sandwich
and divided the mash of ham and bread into two parts. One of these he
ate. The other he returned to the coat.

Favoring his ricked ankle as best he could, Jack climbed the wall ladder
to the ledge upon which he had found himself lying the previous night.
Five minutes' examination of the walls showed him that there was no
chance to reach the top of the shaft unaided. He tested the jammed
timbers to make sure they were secure before he put his weight upon
them. During the next six hours he called aloud every few minutes to
attract the attention of anyone who might chance to be passing near.

Toward evening he treated himself to his first cigar, making the most
of the comfort that it gave him. When the stub grew short he held it on
the small blade of his knife so as not to miss a puff. What was left he
wrapped in a pocket handkerchief for later use.

As the stars began to come out in the little patch of blue sky he could
see just above his prison Jack lowered himself again to the foot of the
shaft. Here he lay down a second time and within five minutes had fallen
into a deep sleep.

About midnight he awakened and was aware at once of a ravenous hunger.
He was still resolute to win a way out, though the knowledge pressed on
him that his chances were slender at the best. Till morning he worked
without a moment's rest. The fever in his ankle and the pain of the
sprain had increased, but he could not afford to pay any attention to
them. Blood from his scarred, torn hands ran down his wrists. Every
muscle in his abused body ached. Still he stabbed with his knife into
the earth that filled the tunnel an