So saying, he stooped, and went to work with hands and nails.
He made some progress, but he had not dug a foot, when his hands came into contact with a hard substance, which resisted all his efforts to move it.
It was a heavy stone, almost a rock in size, which had been shoved against the opening.
"No hope!" he said, despairingly.
As he spoke, a wild yell was heard without, followed by the noise of approaching steps.
The steps drew nearer; there was a halt made alongside the tree, then followed a noise of dry branches being dragged along and piled round the trunk.
"Ay! ay!" exclaimed Turk, aghast, "them heathens ain't even goin' to give us a chance to die in them underground flames, but is agoing to pile faggots and burn us at once."
Harry shuddered.
Then the thought occurred to him that perhaps Mary had perished in a similar manner.
In a few minutes the crackling of flames, betokened that the old tar had guessed aright.