"No such luck," growled Tom Phipps. "They've got away, that's all.
They know what they're doing."
Chunky swaggered to the edge with rifle dropped over his left arm, and
peered over.
"Guess I'll hurry 'em along," he announced, clearing his weapon for
action.
Tad sprang forward and forced the barrel up.
"Chunky, Chunky!" he warned.
"I was just going to scare 'em, that's all," grinned the fat boy,
lowering his rifle.
At that moment the boys fell upon Chunky, fairly hugging him in their
delight. After the keen edge of their excitement had worn off, they
pressed him for the story of how he had happened to find his way into
the Ruby Mountain at that time.
The lad explained that having been hunting in that vicinity and
becoming tired out he had sat down to rest. While thus engaged the
men had come along. They were talking of the explosion, and from them
he learned that the drift in which the Pony Rider Boys were imprisoned
was immediately beneath their hiding place in the Ruby Mountain.
Interested at once, the lad followed them into the mountain.
"But, how did they get in here?" demanded Tom.
"Through a hole in the rocks, that went straight in."
Phipps insisted on being taken to the place at once. He found that
entrance had been made through an abandoned shaft that extended into
the mountain a short distance on the level.
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