Final answer:
In the given passage, Elias took a few hours to secure the tunnels for his escape.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elias took a few hours to secure the tunnels for his escape. In the given passage, it is mentioned that he turned to the left and traveled southward for about a mile or more to reach the opening of the tunnels. However, the exact duration of time is not specified.
The excerpts provided do not contain specific information about how long it took for Elias to secure the tunnels for his escape. Although there are mentions of time associated with different events and situations, such as a group wandering in the desert for six days, families being given a week to evacuate their homes or the detailed travel time to reach Spiral Jetty, none of these directly answer the question about Elias's time spent on securing tunnels. Without additional context or information directly related to the question, it is not possible to determine the exact time it took Elias to prepare for his escape.
Hence, Elias took a few hours to secure the tunnels for his escape.