"The cave! The cave!" cried Tom. "The diamond makers' cave!"
Hardly had he spoken than two men, each one carrying a gun,
showed themselves in the mouth of the cavern, and, instant later
they both ran toward the little party of adventurers.
CHAPTER XVII--THE PHANTOM CAPTURED
Surprise held Tom and his friends almost spellbound for the
moment. The young inventor's hand went toward the pocket where he
carried his revolver. Mr. Jenks, who had the only other weapon,
sought to draw it, but he was stopped by a gesture of one of the
two men with guns.
"Hold on, strangers!" the man cried. "I know what you're up to!
Better not try to draw anything--it might not be healthy. Now,
then, who are you, and what do you want?"
The question came rather as a surprise, at least to Tom and Mr.
Jenks. They had taken it for granted that these men--if they were
the diamond makers--would know Mr. Jenks, and guess at his errand
in coming back to Phantom Mountain. But, it seemed, that they
took them all for casual strangers.
No one answered for a moment. Tom caught the eye of Mr. Jenks,
and there was a look of hope in it. If ever there was a time for
strategy, it was now. Evidently Munson, the stowaway on the
airship, had not yet been able to send a warning to his
confederates.
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