Eventually, Roy came upon the buried wood beams and he used them as dams to hold the dirt along the sides. This allowed Roy to pile the dirt higher. Despite being exhausted, the thought, of being rescued, gave Roy a second wind. When his shovel broke one of the jars hidden in the dirt, Roy was angry. He dropped to his knees and started fishing for another jar. His fingers were sore, but he finally located a jar of corn and green beans. At least we'll eat tonight.
Just after daybreak, Tom and his workers arrived. Refreshed, the men inside the log cabin attacked the entrance with renewed energy. They wanted to make as much progress as possible before it got too hot. In no time, the dirt they were moving filled the open floor allowing for easier movement in the cabin. They recovered several broken boards which Abe explained belonged to the old doorway. Finally, they ran into several beams under the rubble. As they pulled them free, the ceiling above started cascading down again.
"We'll need to shore up the roof of the tunnel. Abe, look around and see if you can find some loose boards."
Abe gathered a few boards and the men constructed a wooden roof using the old beams. As the dirt rained down, it filled the boards above their head. The weight caused the boards to creak. Each time, they heard the sound of dirt raining down; everyone would stop digging and wait. After a long, exhausting day, the men were ready to call it quits and return the next day. Then one of the men suddenly called out.
"Quiet everyone, stop working and listen."
A muffled sound of someone digging could be heard. In a flash, everyone began digging feverishly. Several times they would stop to check on the sounds. Once they identified the direction it came from, they would resume digging. Instantly, a hand thrust into the dirt making a fist. Tom grabbed the hand and started shaking it. He recognized it as Roy's. While they clasped hands, the other men hurried to dig the opening around the hands. Then an arm appeared and a shoulder. Roy was not about to let go and gripped the hand that was holding his with intensity. When the dirt tumbled out of the opening, Roy pulled the hand back through to his side.
Tom thrust his head into the dirt. "Roy my friend, are you alright?"
Roy bent over and kissed Tom on the forehead. "I am now."
Instantly, the ceiling began to cascade down and Tom was jerked back by the workers. The opening started closing quickly, so Roy began digging with his hands, but the dirt kept falling. A board thrust through the earth with a note nailed on the end. Roy snatched the note and moved away from the falling dirt. In an instant, the board retreated into the dirt.