Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/341

A DIVING-BELL. 313 to communicate, Dick, without comment, turned back again to hîs opération. Again the gurgling noise ! again the water's upward rush ! For the second time he had failed to effect an aperture to the outer air ! The situation was to the last degree alarmîng. The water had ail but reached Mrs. Weldon, and she was obliged to take hêr boy into hcr arms. Everyonefelt nearly stifled. A loud singing was hcard in the ears, and the lantern showed barely any lîght at ail. A few minutes more and the air would be incapable of supporting life. One chance alone remained. They must bore another hole at the very summit of the cône. Not that they were unaware of the imminent danger of this measure, for if the ant-hill were really submerged the water from below would immediately expel the remaining air and death must be instantaneous. A few brief words from Dick explained the emergency of the crisis. Mrs. Weldon recognized the necessity, — " Yes, Dick, do ît ; there îs nothing else to bç done.'* While she was speaking the light flickered out, and they were in total darkness. . Mounted on the shouldefs of Hercules, who was crouch- îng in one of the side-cells, hîs head only just above water, Dick proceeded to force the ramrod into the clay, whiçh at the vertex of the ant-hill was considerably harder and thicker than elsewhere. A strange mingling of hope and fear thrilled through Dick Sands as he applied his hand to make the opcning which was to admit life and air, or the flood of death ! The silence of the gênerai expectation was broken by the noise of a sharp hissing ; the water rose for eight inches, but ail at once it ceased to rise ; it had found its icvel. No need this time to close the orifice ; the top of the ant-hill was hîgher than the top of the flood ; and for the présent, at least, they could ail rejoice that theîr livcs were spared ! A général cheer, led by the stentorian voice of Hercules, involuntarily broke from the party ; cutlasses were brought into action, and the clay crumbled away beneath the vigor- ous assault that was made upon it. The welcome air was açlmitted through the new-made aperture, bringing with it