Without waiting to see what the others might be
going to do, Adrian started on a run for the window in the cave.
“If I can’t do anything more,” he thought, “I can at least tell Billie to keep up his courage! I wish I was in there with him.”
As he climbed up the mound, he noted that a little volume of smoke was coming out of the window, which now served as a chimney for the cell in which Billie was confined.
“Powder smoke!” he exclaimed as he drew near enough to get a whiff. “It must be from the explosion.”
He bent over the hole and tried to look into the cell, but could see nothing.
“Billie!” he called; but there was no response.
Again he called, this time more loudly, but still there was no answer, and Adrian’s heart fairly stood still with apprehension.
“I wonder what can be the matter?” he gasped. “By George, I wish I was in there!”
He had hardly uttered the words, when the place on which he was standing seemed to give way beneath his feet and he felt himself slowly falling.