All at once I heard a peculiar soft beating noise, and my heart leaped,
for it sounded like the quick strokes of a spade at regular intervals.
"Hear that, Shock?" I cried.
"Hear what?" he said, and the noise ceased.
"Somebody digging," I cried joyfully.
"No. It was me--my feet," he said, and the sound began again, as I
realised that he must be lying in his old attitude, kicking his legs up
and down.
If I had any doubt of it I was convinced the next moment, for he burst
out: "I've been to Paris, and I've been to Do-ho-ver,
I've been a travelling all the world o-ho-ver.
Over and over, and over, and o-ho-ver,
So drink up yer licker and turn the bowl o-ho-ver."
"Don't, don't, don't, Shock," I cried passionately. "I can't bear it;"
and I again covered my face with my hands, and crouched lower and lower,
listening to the trickling of the sand that seemed to be flowing in like
water to take up all the space we had left.
Suddenly I started, for a hand touched me.
"Is that you, Shock?"
"Yes. Mind my coming and sitting along o' you? I ain't so werry dirty
now."
"Mind? no," I said: "it will be company."
"Yes," he said. "It's werry dark and werry quiet like, ain't it?"
"Yes, very."
"Ain't Ike a long time?"
"Yes," I said despairingly, for I began to wonder whether we should be
found.
"I'd ha' came shovelling arter him 'fore now. I say, ain't you tired?"
"Tired!" I said. "No, I never thought of feeling tired shut up in this
horrible place. Let's try if we can't get out by the way the smoke
went."
"I've been trying," said Shock; "but it's too high up. You can't reach
it."
"Not if you stood on my shoulders?"
"No," he said. "I looked when you had hold of the candle, and if you
did try you'd only pull the sand down atop of your head."
I knew it, and heaved a deep sigh.
Then there was a long silence, and I was roused out of thoughts about
how we had enjoyed ourselves that morning, and how little we had
imagined that we should have such a termination to our holiday, by a
heavy breathing.
I listened, and there it was quite loud as if some animal were near.
"Do you hear that, Shock?" I whispered.
There was no answer.
"Shock!" I said, "do you hear that noise?"
No answer, and I understood now that in spite of our perilous position
he had fallen fast asleep.