"`Steady!' I yelled; and they pulled away slowly, while I wondered
whether the rope would give way. But it held, and I felt my head bang
against the sand, and some more fell. Then, as I kicked my legs about,
I felt myself dragged more into the hole, and I tried to help myself;
but all I did was to send about a ton of sand down from under me. Then
very slowly I was hauled past an elbow in the hole, and I was got round
towards the other when a lot more sand fell from beneath me, and then,
just as I was seeing daylight, there was a sort of heave above me, and
the top came down and nipped me fast just about the hips.
"`Haul! my lads, haul!' the ganger shouted, and they hauled till I felt
most cut in two, and I had to holler to 'em to stop.
"`I shall want my legs,' I says. `They ain't much o' ones, but useful!' "There was nothing for it but to begin digging, for they could see my
face now, and they began watching very carefully that the sand didn't
get over my head, when, all at once, as they dug, there was a slip, and
the sand, and the roots, and stones all dropped down into the hole
below, and I was hauled out on to the top safe and sound, 'cept a few
scratches, and only a bit of the sleeve of my shirt left.
"There, you know the rest."