Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/339

 A DIVING-BELI.. 3 1 1 It was an exploit that required considérable agility ; the dîver would hâve to find the orifice, make hîs way through ity and, without loss of a moment, let himself rise to the surface outside. Full half a minute elapsed, and Dick ivas making sure that the negro had been successfui in his effort, when hîs biack head emerged from the water. There was a gênerai exclamation of surprise. " It is blocked up," gasped Bat, as soon as he had re» covered breath enough to speak, " Blocked up ? " cried Tom. " Yes," Bat affirmed ; " I hâve felt ail round the wall very carefully with my hand, and I am sure there is no hole left ; I suppose the water has dissolved the clay." •* If you cannot find a hole," exclaimed Hercules, ** I can very soon make one ;*' and he was just about to plunge hîs hatchet into the side of the ant-hill, when Dick prevented him. He reflected for a few moments, and went on,-^ destruction ; perhaps the water is over the top ; if it is allowed to enter, then at once is an end of ail." once ; there is no time to lose," He was right ; the water had rîsen till ît was quîte sîx feet deep ; none but Mrs, Weldon, Jack, Nan, and Cousin Benedict, who were lodged in the upper cells, were fairly above its surface. Dick now came to hîs détermination. At about a foot above the water-level, that is, about seven feet from the ground, he resolved to bore a hole through the clay. If he should find himself in communication with the open air, he would hâve the proof. he desired that the top of the cône was still uncovered ; if, on the other hand, he should ascer- tain that he had pierced the wall below the surface of the extemal water, he would be prepared to plug up the hole instantaneously, and repeat the experiment higher up. It was true that the înundatîon mîght hâve rîsen even fifteen feet above the plain ; in that case the worst had come and
 * Stop, stop ! you must not be în such a hurry ! '*
 * We must be cautions ; an impetuous step may be
 * But whatever we do," urged Tom, " must be done at