For a few moments the silence of despair was on every one. The knowledge that they were imprisoned in the cave came as a terrible shock.
“Is there no way out?” asked Nestor.
“Now don’t you folks go to worryin’,” spoke Broswick, in a more cheerful voice than seemed warranted under the circumstances. “I’ve been in tighter places than this, an’ come out on top!”
“But we’re buried!” cried Professor Snodgrass, who, for once, seemed to have forgotten all about his beloved specimens.
“That’s nothin’,” spoke Broswick. “You thought you was all goners when them cattle was comin’ after you, but I got you out, an’ I’m goin’ to do the same now!”
“You can’t burrow out like a rabbit,” said Ned.
“I’ve got a little instrument here that will help me,” said the hunter. “I never travel without a spade on my saddle. I’ve lost too many rabbits an’ woodchucks through not havin’ the means to dig ’em out, so I always carry a shovel along. I reckon it will come in handy. If I only had a light now——”
“No need to worry about that,” put in Nestor. “It would be a pretty poor miner that traveled without a bit of candle and some matches with him. I always go prepared for emergencies.”
He struck a match, a yellow glow filled the cave, and soon a candle gave good illumination. The boys could see that the cavern was of large size.
“I’ve often stayed in here to keep out the rain,” said Broswick, as he got his spade, “but I never was ketched like this before.”