The trembling and the creaking recommenced, but farther away; then, with a gigantic noise of tearing, there came a rending crash, followed by utter silence.
"Now!"
He let go the boy's arm and turned sharp off to the right.
"That's not the way to the shaft," protested Anton.
"We'll try the North Gallery," answered Clem. "Likely enough the fall has followed the line of the fault."
A sharp run of a hundred yards brought them to a pile of rock blocking up the passage. Clem licked his hand to make it moist, and then slowly passed it across the entire face of the obstruction.
"No!" he said. "There's not a breath of air coming through. That way's blocked."
He turned in another direction. With all the ventilation stopped, the air was growing heavy. Fifty yards' run, and then—
Blocked again!
This time Clem made no comment. He turned back to try the farther side of the mine. As they wheeled round a corner, and saw a gleam of light he cried, with a note of relief: