"One moment, sir," begged Ned, as the inventor whispered: "What next?"
The boy was over at the side of the keg and rummaging there, it seemed.
"For Heaven's sake, don't waste time on that, my lad," urged the inventor. "Let us make a dash for it. Those men may be near at hand."
"All in good time, sir; but I want to cinch these rascals if we can and cinch them good and tight!"
"But why waste time on that powder barrel?"
"Powder barrel nothing—— I mean, it's not a powder barrel, sir."
"What?"
"That's right. Look here!"
Ned held up a handful of papers which he had extracted from the keg.
"When I said 'bluffed' just now, that's what I meant. But, Mr. Varian, we've called their bluff with these!"