Part 92 (1/2)

The tree had been blown over by the storreat pine whose roots overhung Pete's cavern, and now the hollohich formed the entrance was filled up by the roots, the narrow passage closed, and at the bottom of a new pit formed in the sand, where the buried roots had been torn out and broken off, there was the dog, with jaws open, tongue out, and eyes starting, tearing away at the sand, which kept gliding back as fast as it was thrown out, evidently trying to rescue its ood old chap!” cried To the words for encouragement, uttered a loud bark, and tore away at the sand with its fore feet and kicked it aith its hind at a tre in quite a hly now, and felt that Pete , when the tree, only held on one side, had given way, burying hi itsall the next day and night the faithful companion for whom he had shown so little kindness had howled, and howled in vain, for help

To down into the hollow fro on the dog, and helping with all his ht; till once more he turned cold; but it ith a far more terrible chill, as he felt that it was all those hours since Pete had been covered in Worse, the position of the root indicated that one side had been driven right into the cave, the old roof, as it were, sinking down, and only one thing could have happened--the unfortunate occupantwas animated by no such ideas It knew that its rowled, and snarled as it tore away at the sand

Then a fresh idea struck Toood; hemen with shovels, a rope, levers, and an axe, for they would perhaps have to cut the unhappy prisoner free

But no; hehis life if a spark still lingered If he could only reach his face and uncover that before going for aid! And so he toiled on, scooping out the sand with both hands close by where the dog tore, for every now and then it buried its ain to bark furiously

”He knows,” thought Toht down there upon his knees, close at the side of the dog, to whoement, accompanied by a pat on the back

But it was sloork, for every now and then the sand frost the roots as soon as that beneath was taken away, and at the end of half-an-hour a feeling of despair accompanied the deadly weariness that now attacked his arms and shoulders, and involuntarily Tom Blount uttered a piteous cry

It was fro that this cry escaped hied its nose into the loose sand again, grew more and more excited as it tore away, and suddenly, to Toradually struggled on till even the long thin tail disappeared

Reaching down, the boy now found the sand co his ar's cold nose against his hand; the dry sand seemed to boil up as he snatched back his arain, to stand barking with all itsonce er, Toain, and found that his hand moved about freely in one direction, but touched pieces of root in the other, and then he started back with a cry of horror, for down in a holloeen two pieces of root he felt a face

The fear was only ain, and this time easily touched the face, which was quite clear of sand, the roots above striding over it, so to speak, and, as he felt upward, proving to be some inches distant

But the face was cold and still, and despair crept over the worker again He fought it back though, tore away at the sand, and at the end of a fewlike a rabbit burrohich he could see led right to the roots andthe dogthe burrow before Toent beast stood with its tongue out, panting heavily, and seeht for a moment, then he took off his neckerchief, pulled out his pocket-book, and tore out a leaf of paper, one side of which was covered with the names of the , as he carefully stepped out on to the fir hiht To his paper on a tree-trunk, he wrote clearly:--

”Follow the dog to the fir-wood Pete buried in sand Bring help, shovels, axes, ropes

”TB”

He rolled this in his neckerchief, tied it round the dog's neck, and then stood pointing homeward

”Go ho allop, Toht, and then cautiously creeping back into the hole to scoop away some of the sand which lay heaped round the burrow, to keep watch by one who he felt sure was dead

All Pete's short-co that he dare do nodown like so much water; all he could think of then was, that a fellow-creature lay buried close to hi for help, and he wanted to convince hiiving that aid

It was a difficult matter to mentally decide, and there were ht not to have trusted to the dog, but should have gone hi, even if the dog proved to be a trustworthywas this idea, that three ti off to run back; but each ti down in a hich showed how soon the burroould be closed up; and without air, now that the place had been opened, he felt that the last chance would be gone