Part 11 (2/2)

But the hail was from down the narrow valley, and these echoes were from above.

”Hurrah! Help coming!” cried Abel wildly. ”Ahoy, there! Help!”

He wrenched his head round to utter the cry, and was conscious of a heavy pang in his injured throat. But what of that at such a time, when the cry was answered by another? ”Ahoy! ahoy!” No deceiving echo, for in addition came, ”Where are yer?” and that was echoed too.

Abel's lips parted to reply, but a chill of despair shot through every nerve once more, and he uttered a bitter groan.

There they were--there could be no doubt of it. The three cowardly, treacherous ruffians had escaped, and he was calling them to his help.

Not four hundred yards down the valley, plainly to be seen in the broad suns.h.i.+ne, all three of them, two dragging a heavily laden sledge, the other, the big-bearded ruffian, a short distance in front, in the act of putting his hands to his mouth to shout again:

”Where away, O?”

”Will they see me with just my head out like this? Yes, they are certain to, for they must come by here. Oh, Dal, Dal, old man, don't dig now. For heaven's sake, keep still: they're coming to finish their horrid work.”

CHAPTER TEN.

A HUMAN FOSSIL.

”You be blowed!” cried a bluff cheery voice. ”Eckers be jiggered!

Think I don't know the difference between a hecker an' a nail?”

”No.”

”Don't I? I heered some one holloa, and as I don't believe in ghosts, I say some one must be here. Ahoy! where are you, mate?”

The speaker turned from his two companions, who were dragging the sledge up the slope of the snow-fall, and then smote one thigh heavily with the palm of his great hand.

”I'm blest!” he shouted, as he ran a few steps and dropped on one knee by Abel's head. ”No, no; don't give in now, my lad. Hold up, and we'll soon have you out o' this pickle. Here, out with shovels and pecks, lads. Here's a director of the frozen meat company caught in his own trap. Specimen o' Horsestralian mutton froze hard and all alive O.

Here, mate, take a sup o' this.”

The speaker unscrewed the top of a large flask, and held it to Abel's lips, trickling a few drops between them as the head fell back and the poor fellow nearly swooned away.

”That's your sort. Never mind its being strong. I'd put some snow in it, but you've had enough of that. Coming round, you are. What's it been--a heavy 'lanche?”

”Yes, yes,” gasped Abel; ”but never mind me.”

”What! Want to be cut out carefully as a curiosity--fly-in-amber sort of a fellow?”

”No, no--my cousin! Buried alive, man. Hark! you can hear him digging underground.” The great st.u.r.dy fellow, who bore some resemblance to ruddy-haired Beardy, sufficient in the distance and under the circ.u.mstances of his excitement to warrant Abel's misapprehension, stared at the snow prisoner for a few moments as if he believed him to be insane.

”He's off his 'ead, mates, with fright,” he said in a low voice to his companions, who were freeing the shovels; but Abel heard him.

”No, no,” he cried wildly. ”I know what I am saying. Listen.”

The great, frank-looking fellow laid his ear to the snow, and leaped up again.

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