“What sort of a magician are you?” asked Jerry.
“There’s a spring back there,” explained Broswick. “Many’s the time I’ve taken a drink at it and the last time I was here I brought this gourd for a dipper. Now it comes in handy.”
Each one took a draught of the cool water and felt the better for it. Then Nestor insisted that he was going to continue the digging. The others wanted to relieve him, but he would not let them. He plied the spade vigorously and the dirt was scattered to one side.
“Light! Light!” the miner cried, suddenly. “I can see light! We’re nearly out!”
A few more strokes of the shovel made the opening larger and then, with a shout and hurrah, the imprisoned adventurers rushed forward.
“Why! Why! It’s night!” exclaimed Bob, as he emerged from the cavern and saw the stars shining.
“Of course it is,” answered Nestor. “It was late afternoon when we took shelter in the cave, and we were there more than three hours.”
“Well, we’re out now,” said Jerry. “I wonder if the auto was damaged.”
The storm had ceased and the night was a fine, clear one. The moon was shining from a cloudless sky and thousands of stars were out. Jerry ran on ahead to the tree under which the auto had been left, for the machine was his chief concern.