They both glanced up and down the beach. No one was in sight. Fortunately they had brought their shovels out of the cave.
With these they began digging at what had been the entrance to the "pirate" cavern. Shovelful after shovelful of sand they tossed aside, until their arms ached, but they would not stop.
"We must get him out!" gasped Bob.
"Before he smothers!" added Frank.
They worked with a will. Luckily for Sammy, he had been coming out of the cave when the accident happened. Otherwise he would have been so far back that he might never have been gotten out alive.
As it was Frank and Bob had dug for only a few seconds before they saw a hand moving about in the sand. Then another hand appeared beside it, and they stopped digging.
"There he is!" cried Bob, joyfully.
"And he's alive!" said Frank. "Use your fingers—not your shovel—we might hurt him."
With their hands they now scooped away the sand, and in a few seconds Sammy's face appeared. He was gasping for breath, and looked quite pale and frightened, but with the help of his chums he was soon completely uncovered.
"Are you all right?" asked Bob.
"I—I guess so," answered Sammy, shaking the sand from his clothes, and feeling all over himself to make sure. "Yes," he went on. "Nothing's busted."
"How did it happen?" asked Frank.
"I don't know. All of a sudden the sand began to slide. I got scared and ran for the front of the cave. Then the front door went shut, you might say, and I was caught. I held my breath, made a little place for my mouth and nose, and
