“Only a few feet, judging from the sound of the stones as they rattled down.”
Then the Earthstopper lets himself down the wall of the cave, and holds the candle whilst the Squire descends. The flame, held at arm’s length, was nearly on a level with the floor of the tunnel. Guided by the sounds of the conflict, they thread their way between the rude pillars of granite, and at length reach the badger’s stronghold on the far side.
“They are no distance in, Andrew,” says the Squire, speaking of the terrier and the badger, who are going at it tooth and nail.
“No, sir, touchin’, do ee hear un gruntin’, wonder ef I can see un.” Whereupon he lies flat on the loose soil, and holding the candle in front of him, looks into the hole.
“Can you see the badger?”
“No, sir, the dog’s in the way, and the dust es enough to blind ee; but he’s ourn, sir, we shall get un; white or grey, we shall get un. Have ee got the tongs, case they’re wanted?”
“Yes, I’m holding them.”
At this moment the man who had been shovelling comes up with another miner, with candles stuck in their hats, Shellal and the coachman, from the mouth of the tunnel, see the twinkling lights come and go as the miners make their way across the cave, and a spark or two struck by hobnailed boots, and they start at Andrew’s scream of encouragement to the dog, and the echoes it awakes.
“Es that your teeth chatterin’, Shellal?”
“Iss, you wonder, do ee? bra’ wisht auld place edna? don’t et strike thee that way? mowldy smill about un.”