you're a cool one," commented Mr. Damon, as he
complied with the man's request, and got up from his stomach. "But look
out for him, Tom. He had a gun, for he fired it in the air."

"He hasn't it now," answered the young inventor. "I knocked it from his
hand when I leaped for him."

"That's what you did," assented the man, as he got up, while Tom kept a
tight hold of him, as did Mr. Jenks. "What kind of a grizzly bear hug do
you call that, anyhow, that you gave me?"

"That was a football tackle," explained Tom.

"I allers heard that was a dangerous game!" remarked the former phantom
simply. "Well, now you've got me, what are you going to do with me?"

"Take you where we can have a good look at you," replied Mr. Jenks, as
he kicked aside the wooden framework, and the sheet which had made the
"ghost" appear so tall. "So this is how you worked it; eh?"

"Yep. That was the 'haunt' stranger. I made it myself, and it worked all
right until you folks come along. I rather suspicioned from the first,
when I played the trick over on 'tother side of the mountain, that you
wouldn't be so easy to fool as most prospectors are."

"Oh, so you're the only ghost then?" asked Tom.

"I'm the only one."

By this time they had reached the camp. Tom threw some light logs on the
fire, which blazed up brightly. As the flames illuminated the face of
their captive, Mr. Jenks looked at him, and cried out:

"Why it's Bill Renshaw!"

"That's me," admitted the man who had played the part of the phantom,
"and thunder-turtles! if it ain't Mr. Jenks who was once in the diamond
cave with us. Whatever happened to you? I never heard. The others said
you got tired and went away."

"They took me away--defrauded me of my rights!" declared Mr. Jenks,
bitterly. "But I'll get them back! To think of Bill Renshaw playing the
part of a ghost!"

"They made me do it," went on the man, somewhat dejectedly. "I wanted to
be at work in the cave, but they wouldn't let me."

"Is this man one of the diamond makers?" asked Tom, in great surprise.

"He is--one of the helpers, though I don't believe he knows the secret
of making the gems," explained Mr. Jenks. "He was one of the men in the
cave when I was there before, and he and I struck up quite a friendship;
didn't we, Renshaw?"

"That's what, and there ain't no reason why we can't be friends now;
that is unless you hold a grudge against me for firing at you. But I
only shot in the air, to scare you away.