Page:Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers.djvu/159

Rh 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.