“Now, David, we must go on again,” exclaimed Dick, rousing himself; “we shall soon be where the hewers are at work.”
“Oh, I cannot, I cannot move another step, I fear,” answered David, in a voice which showed how weak he had become.
Dick made him take a little more food, and then, putting his arm round him, helped him along. Thus they went on for some distance.
“Hark!” exclaimed Dick, joyfully, “I hear the sound of a pick. Yes, I’m sure of it. There is some one singing, too. It’s a putter. He’s coming this way.”
As he spoke, the dull sound of the pick, “thud, thud, thud,” reached their ears. With their spirits raised they were again going on, when out went Dick’s lamp. They were in complete darkness. Not a glimmer of light came from where the other men were at work. Dick shouted as loudly as he could to draw attention. As to David, his voice could not help much. No one attended to them. They stumbled on for some time farther.
“I know that voice. It’s Bill Hagger, I’m sure,” said Dick. “I’ve often heard him sing that song; I would rather it had been any one else, but I don’t think he would ill-treat us now.”
Dick shouted to Bill to come with his light. Just at that moment while they were waiting for Bill’s answer, there was a loud, thundering crash, with a fearful shriek and cries for help.
“The roof has fallen in, and Bill is buried under it. Oh, let us push on, and see if we cannot help him out,” cried Dick.
The two boys had groped their way on for some distance, when they saw far-off the glimmer of a light.
“That must be Bill’s lantern,” said Dick. “He must have set it down before the roof fell in on him.”