Alone!

At any other time it would have been a terrible thing thus to be left alone in such a place, but now to him who was thus imprisoned it afforded a great relief.  The work of burial, with all its hideous accompaniments, was stayed.  He could collect his senses and make up his mind as to what he should do.

Now, first of all, he determined to gain more air if possible.  The earth that had fallen had covered up many of the chinks, so that his breathing had become sensibly more difficult.  His confinement, with this oppression of his breathing, was intolerable.  He therefore braced himself once more to make an effort.  The coffin was large and rudely constructed, being merely an oblong box.  He had more play to his’ limbs than he could have had in one of a more regular construction, and thus he was able to bring a great effort to bear upon the lid.  He pressed.  The screws gave way.  He lifted it up to some distance.  He drew in a long draught of fresh air, and felt in that one draught that he received new life and strength and hope.

He now lay still and thought about what he should do next.  If it had only been himself, he would, of course, have escaped in that first instant, and fled to the woods.  But the thought of Ethel detained him.

What was her position; and what could he do to save her?  This was his thought.

He knew that she, together with the priest, was in the hands of four of the brigands, who were commanded to keep their prisoners safe at the peril of their lives.  Where they were he did not know, nor could he tell whether she was near or at a distance.  Girasole had led them away.

[Illustration:  “IN AN INSTANT THE OCCUPANT OF THE GRAVE SPRANG FORTH.”]

He determined to look out and watch.  He perceived that this grave, in the heart of the brigands’ camp, afforded the very safest place in which he could be for the purpose of watching.  Girasole’s words had indicated that the work of burial would not be resumed that night, and if any passers-by should come they would avoid such a place as this.  Here, then, he could stay until dawn at least, and watch unobserved.  Perhaps he could find where Ethel was guarded; perhaps he could do something to distract the attention of the brigands, and afford her an opportunity for flight.

He now arose, and, kneeling in the coffin, he raised the lid.  The earth that was upon it fell down inside.  He tilted the lid up, and holding it up thus with one hand, he put his head carefully out of the grave, and looked out in the direction where Girasole had gone with his prisoners.  The knoll to which he had led them was a very conspicuous place, and had probably been selected for that reason, since it could be under his own observation, from time to time, even at a distance.  It was about halfway between the grave and the nearest fire, which fire, though low, still gave forth some light, and the light was in a line with the knoll to Hawbury’s eyes.  The party on the knoll, therefore, appeared thrown out into relief by the faint fire-light behind them, especially the priest and Ethel.