So, by touch, and remembered details, as the relationship of the winze to the adit, he led the way, directly into a smooth, solid wall of granite. They returned to the winze and tried again. This time he measured the distance —using two hands laid palm down, one in front of the other, as 18"— before coming to impassable rock. The portal of the mine seemed totally blocked.

After another half hour of minute examination, Jed reached the conclusion that balance of pressures so common of the rock mechanics along a shear zone had been altered by the explosion. A solid slab had fallen as if a gate across the exit.

This meant they had to find the air shaft that Kearns had used. Another of the senses was put into use. By standing upright, and walking hand over hand upon the ceiling, and sniffing for a hint of fresher air. It took what seemed to be three or four hours to find the shaft. Telling time in the dark, without a reference to the position of the sun, difficult.

What was measurable was that 400 years ago men had hacked their way down along the contact between granite, and a softer rock, in a lust for riches. Now they were clawing upward through a sticky clay with even a more precious passion. To live.

A well rounded boulder had slipped down and stuck right were the shaft narrowed into a vertical chimney. Jed cautioned Jenny to move out the way, if possible, for he was going to try and roll it past. A tug on his leg let him know she understood. Handful after handful of dirt rained down on her head before the rock moved. "Now," he shouted warning, "tuck yourself under me. Here it comes."

As she told him later, the boulder brushed her arm as it shot past, forcibly downward, picking up speed as if a giant marble in a pinball game. But, this wasn't why she had grabbed his legs and pulled. She didn't know if he could hear the ground shifting once again. The wet clay helped them slip away in time to avoid being crushed by the earth swallowing the shaft.

With the "back door" of the mine closed, they were trapped. No escape possible meant a slow death from a lack of oxygen, starvation, or being driven mad to the point of suicide. For the first time in his life Jed had to admit to himself that there was absolutely no hope.

Jenny, reasoning that it was senseless to stand, cramped, in the uncomfortable raise, led the way back down to the main adit floor. Here they lay exhausted, as if in preparation for a final sleep.

Many hours later, Jed lifted his head from an uncomfortable pillow to listen.

"What is it, Jed?" Jenny questioned, awaking.