Two o'clock
Some of the men beg to be allowed to push out and die fighting , but Drummond sternly refuses . `` At the worst , '' he says , `` we can retire into the back cave ; we have abundant water there . The air will last several hours yet , and I tell you help will come , -- _ must _ come , before the day is much older . '' Two o'clock . Hissing flames and scorching heat block the cavern entrance . The rocky barrier grows hotter and hotter ; the air within denser and more stifling . The water in the canteens and pails is no longer cool .