“Don’t give up yet, Sandy,” Dick strove to encourage his chum.
Grimly, they stuck to the losing fight, determined not to give up until they had carried the last available stone into the passage to impede the progress of Fred Mistak, whose voice they could now plainly hear urging his men on to greater efforts. Like rats excavated by a clawing dog, Dick and Sandy were determined to sell their lives dearly.
Yet, Providence intervened. Suddenly, the work of Mistak’s men ceased, and the echo of running feet sounded in the icy corridor, accompanied by hoarse shouts of anger and dismay.
“What’s happened?” Sandy turned to Dick, hardly able to believe the good fortune that seemed to be coming to them.
Dick did not answer, but stood very still, listening intently. Finally, the last sounds of retreating footsteps died away.
“We’ll wait a little longer, then open up the passage and find out what or who frightened Mistak away,” said Dick.
For what seemed to the boys about a quarter of an hour, they waited in the dark passage. At the end of this time they began cautiously removing the boulders that blocked the passage. A few minutes later they crawled one at a time from the tiny entrance, finding the vicinity deserted.
“Funny,” Dick looked about puzzledly. “What do you suppose frightened them away?”
Sandy was as much at loss as his chum to account for Mistak’s departure, but presently a distant hail electrified them with attention, and the mystery of their rescue was solved.
About three hundred yards across the snow appeared a dog team and two men, the identity of whom the boys were not long in correctly guessing.