Bab 251: Inside the tunnel

Mia's heart was racing as she looked into the darkness of the cave. She tried to hold on to the conversation that was happening between the men.

"Blast it, man, it's a miracle you're not dead," Ford's brow drew together as voice rose. "How many collapses have you had??"

Ford had stepped slightly inside the cave and was running his hand on the rock above.

"Minor ones? A couple a day, perhaps. Mostly where I'm digging. It helps extend the tunnel faster…" Gary was responding. Ford's gritty words were full of exasperation.

"This ground isn't stable. Did you feel the rock here? Look at it? Without timbers to brace it, the whole tunnel is liable to fall on your head. It would be better to build the inside entirely with angled crossbeams to support it, but even a few timbers here and there would be better than the death trap you've created!"