It took the two men some time to make the required hole, and, at length, when they had completed it, they had been at least twelve hours in constructing their cannon.
“Now,” observed Dick, “we must try it before we go home.”
The rest promptly agreed with him, and he proceeded to load the huge weapon with a good charge of the powder that had been manufactured by them.
This was plentifully wadded and pounded in thoroughly, and then they prepared to set it off.
To avoid any possible accident, a slow-match was rigged and lighted, and then they repaired to a safe distance to await the result.
There was a fizzing noise, made by the slow-match, and a few seconds later a terrific explosion rang out, which shook the very ground upon which they stood.
At the very instant it died out a rumbling sound was heard, and the unknown light that illumined the strange country went out as if by magic, leaving them in total darkness!
[CHAPTER XXI.
THE EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.]
Two years had slipped by since the advent of the party into the land of mystery, and at length the white men left in Hez determined they would endeavor to find their companions who had disappeared, and who, they believed, were not far distant, but for some reason were prevented from rejoining them.