“How about those other two fellows?” Jack asked as he loosened the last knot about Bob’s ankles.
“That’s a chance we’ll have to take,” Bob replied. “I’m going on the assumption that they’ve gone off somewhere, but I may be wrong and if I am—well we’ve taken chances before.”
“Sure we have,” Jack agreed.
“It’s darker than the ace of spades,” Bob declared as they groped their way across the cave till they reached the side where the door was placed.
“We must jump him the instant he opens the door,” Bob explained. “He had a business like looking automatic in his hand when he came in and he’ll probably have it all ready this time.”
“Well, here’s hoping he won’t have a chance to use it.”
Slowly the time passed until they judged that he had been gone nearly an hour although they could only guess at the time as their watches had been taken away from them together with all their other possessions. But finally they heard someone enter the outer room and a moment later the bar was removed and the door pushed cautiously open. The man did not enter at once but threw the light from his flash into the cave. Knowing that he would at once discover their absence from the spot where he had left them, Bob did not wait but at once sprang for the opening. With a smothered cry the man tried to draw back but Bob was too quick for him and almost before he could make a move he had him around the neck and was bearing him down to the ground.
Bang!
The gun went off with a sound which nearly deafened them but the bullet fortunately did no damage and before he could again press the trigger Jack, had seized his wrist and with a violent twist sent the gun spinning several feet away. Feeling sure that Bob would be able to handle him now that he was disarmed, he quickly retrieved the gun and then turned to watch the combat ready to help if his brother was in need of it. But, as he had thought, Bob was having no trouble in handling the situation. He had the man flat on his back and one hand was on his throat. In fact the stranger had ceased to struggle.
“Might as well let him up now, Bob,” Jack told him. “I’ve got his gun.”