There was no time for either to retreat.  He started toward Elaine, and seized her roughly.

Back and forth over the rocky floor they struggled.  As they fought,—­she with frantic strength, he craftily,—­he backed her slowly up against the prop that upheld the roof.

He raised his keen knife.

She recoiled.  The prop, none too strong, suddenly gave way under her weight.

The whole roof of the chamber fell with a crash, earth and stone overwhelming Elaine and her assailant.

. . . . . . .

By this time Joshua had left the house and had gone out into the garden to get something to pry open the fireplace door.

Of a sudden, to his utter amazement, a few feet from him, it seemed as if the very earth sank in his garden, leaving a yawning chasm.

He looked, unable to make it out.

Before his very eyes a strange figure, the figure of Long Sin in his oxygen helmet, appeared, struggling up, as if by magic from the very earth, shaking the debris off himself, as a dog would shake off the water after a plunge in a pond.

Long Sin was gone in a moment.

Then again the earth began to move.  A paw appeared, then a sharp black nose, and a moment later, Rusty, too, dug himself out.

Joshua had run into the house to get a spade when Rusty, like a shot, bolted for the house, took the window at a leap and all covered with earth landed before Joshua and Aunt Tabby.

“See!—­he went down there—­now he’s here!” cried Aunt Tabby, pointing at the fireplace, then looking at the window.

Rusty was running back and forth from Joshua to the window.

“Follow him!” cried Aunt Tabby.

Rusty led the way back again to the garden, to the cave-in.

“Elaine!” gasped Aunt Tabby.

By this time Joshua was digging furiously.  Rusty, too, seemed to understand.  He threw back the earth with his paws, helping with every ounce of strength in his little body.

At last the spade turned up a bit of cloth.

“Elaine!” Aunt Tabby cried out again.

She was in a sort of little pocket, protected by the fortunate formation of the earth as it fell, yet almost suffocated, weak but conscious.

Aunt Tabby rushed up as Joshua laid down the spade and lifted out
Elaine.

They were about to carry her into the house, when she cried weakly, but with all her remaining strength.

“No—­no—­Dig!  Craig—­Walter!” she managed to gasp.

Rusty, too, was still at it.  Joshua fell to again.  Man and dog worked with a will.

“There they are!” cried Elaine, as all three pulled us out, unconscious but still alive.

Though we did not know it, they carried us into the house, while Elaine and Aunt Tabby bustled about to get something to revive us.

At last I opened my eyes and saw the motherly Aunt Tabby bending over me.  Craig was already revived, weak but ready now to do anything Elaine ordered, as she held his hand and stroked his forehead softly.