“He may bury us alive,” he said, “but the smoke and damp can’t hurt us, for this wind will sweep it all out at once. How long will he be?”
It seemed quite an hour before Gwyn, who had crept right up the hole till he could touch the stone, heard any sound, and then it came all at once, when he was beginning to lose all hope again.
The sound was the tap of a hammer upon stone, so near that he felt the jar.
“Mr Gwyn, sir,” came from close by.
“Yes, here.”
“I’ve got the cartridge, and I’m going to wedge it under the stone, but it’s going to be a hard job to light the match in this strong wind. Now, you go back, and when you’re all safe I’ll do my work and get safe, too, for it will be like a great cannon going off at both ends at once. How long will it take you?”
“Two minutes,” said Gwyn.
“I’ll count two hundred, and then begin.”
Gwyn shuffled back, gave his news, and the trio of prisoners crept behind angles of the cavern, Gwyn taking the light; and then they waited what seemed to be an hour, with the conclusion growing that Vores had been unable to light the fuse, and had gone back.
“Sam!” shouted Gwyn at last.