More Beetles 



reed is laid bare, we push it lower in. It 

 began by going about nine inches under- 

 ground, it is now eighteen inches down. 

 Soon it becomes impracticable to remove the 

 earth with the spade, which is hampered by 

 lack of room. We have to go on o,ur knees, 

 collect the rubbish in both hands and toss it 

 outside. The more we do so, the deeper 

 the hole becomes, increasing the already 

 enormous difficulty. A moment arrives 

 when, to continue, we are obliged to lie flat 

 on our stomachs and dip the front of our 

 bodies into the hole, as far as our more or 

 less supple waists allow. Each dip flings up 

 a good handful of earth. And the reed 

 goes lower and lower, without giving any 

 indication of an immediate check. 



It is impossible for my son to continue in 

 this fashion, despite his youthful elasticity. 

 To reach the bottom of the disheartening 

 cavity, he lowers the level of the sustaining 

 soil. A cut is made at one side of the circu- 

 lar pit, giving just enough space to admit his 

 two knees. This is a shelf, a ledge, which 

 will be lowered as we go on. The work is 

 resumed, this time more actively; but the 

 reed, when we consult it, descends, descends 

 to a great depth. 



