Now and again, as Blunk and his father dug to make larger the hole Winkie had discovered, there came that rumbling sound, like far-off thunder. Farmer Tottle was still blasting.
But the woodchucks were some distance from it now, and no more lumps of earth fell on them. With their paws Mr. Woodchuck and Blunk dug away, throwing the dirt behind them. By this time Mrs. Woodchuck and the two girl Woodchucks had set to work thrusting the dirt to one side so they would have room to get out when the time came.
At last the hole was made large enough, and Mr. Woodchuck could thrust his head out. He looked all around, sniffed to see if he could smell danger, listened with both his ears, and then called down to the others:
“Come on! It’s all right! Thanks to Winkie, we are now getting out of our stopped-up burrow, though I thought we never should.”
“Let the children go up first,” said Mrs. Woodchuck. And Winkie, having found the way, was the first to follow her father outside the underground house, through the extra hole that had been dug.
“Why, it’s black night!” cried Winkie, as she scrambled out beside Mr. Woodchuck.
“Yes, it’s dark, so much the better for us,” said Mr. Woodchuck. “That farmer and his dog won’t see us.”
Night had come while the woodchucks dug to free themselves from the caved-in burrow.
Up came Blinkie, and then Blunk.
“Now, Mother, it’s your turn!” called Mr. Woodchuck down the hole.