"I guess we're too late, boys," he said in a hushed voice.
"That's too bad," said Ned sympathetically. "I'm sorry."
"What shall we do?" questioned Jack. "Can't we help him at all?"
David shook his head sadly. He again swung the searchlight around the place, examining the walls carefully as he did so.
"I'm sure that it's no use, boys," he said. "If the fellow had not been beyond help he would not have stopped crying out. In such a time as this, heartless though it may seem, we'll have to look out for ourselves without spending energy on those beyond help."
"You're right, I guess," agreed Ned sadly. "I heartily wish that we were all back in America again, beyond the influence of this awful war. I sincerely hope that it will be confined to Europe."
"I echo your sentiment," said David. "And now," he added briskly, "let us give our attention to getting out of this place. I wonder if we can move some of these looser stones and get through into the room beyond. We may be able to get out to the street that way."
"What do you know about the layout of this place?" asked Jack.
"We are now under one of the big buildings—I should say under the ruins of one of the big buildings of Peremysl. It got struck by shells during the early part of the engagement and was neglected after that. The men we heard were refugees from the Russian army who thought they would be able to appear after the German occupation and do some damage to the invaders. They were well equipped with supplies of various sorts, including ammunition, and intended to get out to-night."
"I wonder if they have all gone?" asked Jack.