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. And neither of the two men
recognized Mr. Jenks as the man who had been defrauded of his rights.
It might be possible to conceal the real object of the adventurers until
they had time to formulate a plan of action.

"Well," exclaimed the man with the gun, impatiently, "I ask you folks a
question. What do you want?"

Fortunately, neither Mr. Damon nor Mr. Parker replied. The former
because he deferred to Tom and Mr. Jenks, and the scientist because he
was busy inspecting some curious rocks he picked up. As it turned out
this was the luckiest thing he could have done. It lent color to what
Mr. Jenks said a moment later.

"What are you doing up here?" demanded the man again. "Don't you know
this is private property?"

"We--we were just looking around," answered Mr. Jenks, which was true
enough; as far as it went.

"Prospecting," added Tom.

"After gold?" demanded the second man, suspiciously.

"We'd be glad to find some," retorted the lad. At that moment Mr. Parker
began breaking off bits of rock with a small geologist's hammer which he
carried. The men with the guns looked at him.

"So you think you'll find gold up here?" asked the one who had first
spoken.

"Is there any?" inquired Tom, trying to make his voice sound eager.

"Nary a bit, strangers," was the answer, and the two men laughed
heartily. "Now, we don't want to seem harsh," went on the man who seemed
to be the spokesman, "but you'd better get away from here. This is
private ground,