The next thing on the program was to overcome the sentry just beyond the outer end of the narrow cleft, where the walls lifted themselves hundreds of feet above the passage in to the valley.
This was accomplished by Jack himself, unaided—he crept up behind the dozing man, dealt him a blow on the head, and tumbled him in a heap. Thus their way was cleared, and they could proceed to the place where their ship awaited their coming.
“Gimme me jest five minits, fellers,” Perk besought the others; whereupon Jack fell upon the senseless vidette and dragged him some distance away—it was an act of mercy, since the man must have been killed otherwise, when Perk completed his little arrangement; for it had been settled between Jack and himself that, in order to convince these tough lawbreakers they could no longer depend on their Hole-in-the-Wall to hide them from those who were ever on their trail, the overhanging walls of the pass must be brought down in a heap of ruins, that would forever choke all entrance and exit in and out of the valley.
“All set, Jack—she’s fixed, an’ goin’ like wildfire—let’s clear out pronto, ’fore she gets busy!” Perk was crying, in some little excitement.
As they moved hurriedly off there came the loud sound of an explosion from within the cliff encircled valley.
“That’s on’y the little bomb I stuck under that rattletrap airship to send it in the wust wreck ever,” explained Perk, he kept looking back while trailing the others.
Loud yells and whoops reached them from within the barrier. Showing how those of the gangsters left behind were expressing their astonishment and alarm at such an unheard of happening in their midst.
“Huh! that ain’t jest nawthin’ to what—” but what Perk intended to say was drowned in a most terrific explosion, that made the rocky surface of the earth under their feet quiver like an animal in its death throes. A vivid sheet of flame darted upwards—then there came a sickening crash after crash as if the whole mountain were toppling down, with fragments falling for half a minute after.
Fortunately they were far enough away by that time to escape any possible damage. Simeon in particular seemed to be deliriously happy; it was as though in this utter destruction of the robber roost he found solace for the death of his late companion; also all the insults and indignities to which he himself had been subjected at the hands of those tough gunmen.
Reaching the ship they went aboard. Then came the last critical act of the moving drama—getting the big plane safely launched with such difficulties to contend with. But, as if to add a finishing touch to Jack Ralston’s usual luck—also due in great part to his skill, and efficiency—this hazard was safely passed, the launching followed by their thrilling climb into the air spaces, with unlimited possibilities awaiting their choice of a route.