Page:Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers.djvu/196

186 There was a sudden commotion at one end of the cave. A man rushed in. At the sight of him Tom stared and uttered an exclamation.

"Munson—the stowaway!" he whispered.

"Hello!" cried Folwell, as he saw his confederate. "I thought you were East, keeping Jenks away from here."

"He got the best of me!" cried Munson, "he and that Tom Swift! I stowed away on their airship, but they found me out by a wireless message, and marooned me in the woods. I've been trying to get here ever since! Didn't you get my messages of warning?"

"No—what warnings?" cried Folwell.

"About Jenks, Tom Swift and the others. They're here—they must be on Phantom Mountain now. In fact, I shouldn't be surprised if they were in this cave. I traced them to their camp, but they're gone. They may be among us now—in some of the secret recesses!"

For an instant Folwell stared at the bearef of these tidings. Then he cried out:

"Scatter men, and find these fellows! We must get them before they discover our secret!"

"It's too late—we know it!" exulted Tom Swift. Then he whispered to the others to hurry to the part of the cave where Bill Renhad first hidden them.