“Yes?”
“W-w-w-where are we? This isn't the coal bin. Are you hurt?”
“I give it up. Are you?”
“I think not. Why, Griggs, this must be one of the big coal carts!”
“I shouldn't wonder,” I assented vaguely.
“But—how——”
“Your miserable coal-scuttle must have stunned us, picked us up and dumped us in with the coal!” I exclaimed, suddenly enlightened.
“Do—you—think,” came through the blackness. “Huh! It's stopped!”
For a long, long time, as it seemed, there was silence. The weight of coal pressed down until I was near to madness. Hawkins was grunting painfully.
I was speculating as to whether he was actually succumbing—whether I could stand the strain myself for another minute—when everything began to slide. The coal slid, I slid, Hawkins slid—the world seemed to be sliding!