"That we are imprisoned far under the surface," answered the miner impressively.

CHAPTER XXII

THE BOYS FACE A MYSTERY

"Then how are we going to get out?" asked Ned Rector as the guide's match went out.

"That depends upon how long it takes to dig us out," answered Mr.

Phipps.

"Then they know we are here?" questioned Tad.

"Oh, yes. Luckily for us, they do."

"Will they have to dig far--is that pile between us and the railroad very thick?" stammered Ned.

"It looks so. Of course I am unable to say what has taken place on the other side of it. The entire main cross cut may have tumbled in for all I know."

"If it has, what then?" demanded Tad.

"It will take that much longer to get us out. That's all."

"How long?"

"Master Ned, I don't know. No one can answer that question. Perhaps hours--perhaps days," said Tom solemnly.

"But we'd starve in that time," protested Walter.

"One can go without food much longer than one would imagine. People have fasted for more than a month, as you probably are aware. No, boys, they will get us out in time. The only thing that troubles me now is the air," said the engineer.

"What about it?"

"Well, we can't live without air, you know. It seems to be fairly fresh now, but how long it will continue that way there is no knowing.

I'll examine the barrier, but keep back out of the way while I am doing so."

The young engineer climbed over the heap of broken rock in front of him, and made a careful inspection of the cave-in that had so effectually imprisoned them in the drift.

He found nothing to encourage him. The condition of the collapse was even worse than he had antic.i.p.ated.

"Can you pace--measure off by taking a series of long steps?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Tad promptly.

"Then please go back to where the bend in the cut begins, and pace down to where I am."

Tad did so promptly, glad to be able to do something to occupy himself as well as to help relieve the tension for the others.

"Exactly forty paces," he informed Mr. Phipps.

"One hundred and twenty feet, eh?" The engineer made a brief calculation in his mind. "One hundred and twenty feet. H-m-m-m."

"Is it as bad as you thought?" questioned Tad.

"Worse."

"Tell me what you have found?"

"Only forty feet of cave-in between us and freedom. That's all."

"I should say that was enough," muttered the lad.

"Ample."

"Is there anything we can do, Mr. Phipps?" spoke up Ned.

"Not a thing. All any of us can do at present is to wait. Knowing we are here, they will lose no time in attempting to get us out. I wish the telephone were working so we might let them know we are all right.

We might as well go back. I'll make a trip out here occasionally to learn if they are making any signals to us. They will do this as soon as they can get near enough to the obstruction to make themselves heard."

"Make signals--how?" questioned Ned.

"We use a code, a telegraph code. They will rap with a hammer then we'll answer them."

"But you have no hammer--"

"No, I'll use a rock to pound with if they get near enough. There's no hurry, however. It will be a long time before there's any occasion to communicate."

Turning back, Tom led the way through the pa.s.sage to the large chamber which they had but recently left. Arriving there, he directed each of the lads to light a match at the same time so he could make a survey of the room to determine whether it were safe for them to remain there or not.

"See that hole up there?" he exclaimed.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Tad.

"It's a check. You see there must have been a weakness in the strata at that point--perhaps it had already started to check there, when the force of the explosion split it wide open. The opening is large enough to admit a man's body. Hold your lights down here while I examine this rubbish that has fallen through."

They did so, and Mr. Phipps dropping to his knees sorted over the stones and dirt that had fallen from above.

At a muttered exclamation from him, the lads crowded closer.

"Queer, very queer," he mused.

"What's queer?" asked Ned.

"Why, this stuff. It appears to be surface material mixed with pieces of rock of about the same quality as that of which the Ruby Mountain is composed."