“Well, ’tis my first experience of ’em,” he said, “and I can tell you I don’t want to have another.”
Scarcely had the words escaped his lips when a far more violent oscillation shook the solid earth, followed by the same uncanny subterranean rumble. Then a loud crash, like the sound of falling rocks, smote upon our ears, followed by terrified screams and shouts from human voices.
CHAPTER XX.
THE ESCAPE FROM THE CAVE.
We sprang to our feet in genuine alarm. The guard of four armed men at the doorway fled panic-stricken into the outer cave, crying in shrill tones to their fellows.
“God preserve us from this awful danger!” exclaimed Mr. Triggs in faltering tones.
His courage seemed to have deserted him in this strange emergency. As for me, I felt completely dazed, and unable either to think or to act.
An atmosphere of stifling dust was filling our cavern from without.
The awful dangers that threatened us were, that the roof of the cave might fall in and bury us in its rocky débris, or that the entrance to the cavern might get blocked by a fallen crag and entomb us alive.
Ned Burton was calmness and coolness itself on this occasion. His voice never faltered, nor did his cheek blanch. He at once took the lead, and issued authoritative orders without consulting us. His splendid bravery, his presence of mind, and his readiness of resource quickly restored our confidence, and braced us up to meet the emergency like British seamen—who, like their immortal Nelson, should not know what fear is.
Our guards had dropped their weapons in their panic. This did not escape Ned’s eagle eye. In an instant he had pounced upon them, and at the same time he took a hasty survey of the outer cavern.