But no one heard him. The chorus was rolling out once more—
"Hold the Fort, for I am coming——"
Tap, tap, tap! Scrape, scrape, scrape! Hammer, hammer, hammer!
The hymn paused, wavered, and stopped dead on the final shout.
"By God!" screamed a voice—it was Denton's—"here they are!"
Carthew, with Hopper's arms tightening convulsively round him, started up.
"Is it true?" he asked hoarsely.
"Ay! Listen! They have found us. They are within a few yards of us," said Entwistle.
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!" sang Atkinson suddenly and exultantly, and the others joined him.