A lot come down and buried me.

I sha'n't do it no more." He uttered a series of strange gasps and cries, shaking himself, spitting, and stamping on the ground.
"I swallowed lots o' sand, I think, and it come down on my back horrid.
You try now." I hesitated, but felt that I must not be cowardly if I wished for us to escape; and so I asked him to light a match again.
He did so, and by its feeble light I saw where to work, and also that, the place seemed to be filling up with the sand, and that we had not half so much room as we had at first.
Then out went the light, and with a desperate haste I went down on my hands and knees and began to tear at and throw the sand behind me, filling up our prison more and more, but doing nothing towards our extrication, for as fast as I drew the sand away from the tunnel more came; and at last, just as I began to think that I was making a little progress, I heard a rustling, dribbling sound, some hard bits of adhesive sand fell upon my head, and I instinctively started back, as there was a rush that came over my knees, and I knew that if I had remained where I was, tunnelling, I should have been buried.
"What, did you get it ?" cried Shock, laughing.
I was so startled that I did not answer.
"Oh! he's buried!" cried Shock in a wild tone; and he threw himself by me, and began to tear at the sand.

"Mars Grant, Mars Grant," he cried excitedly.

"Don't leave me here alone." "I'm not there, Shock," I said.

"I jumped back." "Then what did yer go and pretend as you was buried in the sand for ?" cried the boy savagely.
I did not reply, and I heard him go as far from me as he could, muttering and growling to himself, and in spite of my position I could not help thinking of what a curious and different side I was seeing of Shock's character.