"Buck up, old man," said Hal. "We're not dead yet and while there's life there's hope. We've been in some ticklish positions before and pulled through all right."
"We were never in a hole like this before," said Chester.
Hal had made his way to one side of the pit.
"Here," he called to Chester, "you climb up on my shoulders and see if you can reach the top."
Chester did as Hal suggested and his efforts were rewarded by touching something overhead.
"What luck?" asked Hal.
"Good," said Chester. "I have touched something. Feels like a log."
"Can you pull it loose?"
"If I do we're likely to be crushed down here."
"If you don't we're likely to suffocate down here," returned Hal. "I can scarcely get my breath now. We'll have to take a chance."