Up went the Steam Man with prodigious strides.
Nearer the top he drew. Pomp had no means of knowing whether it would be possible to go further or not.
But his best hopes were realized upon reaching the summit.
Down a gentle incline the Steam Man went, and through a scattered grove of trees, and came out into a valley deep in the hills.
The sound of firing was now quite plain.
Indeed, as Pomp guided the Man down into the valley, he saw the powder smoke of the conflict in the pass, just a short way up the valley.
“By golly!” muttered the darky, joyfully, “I reckon dat I get dar jes’ in de bes’ time. Won’t Marse Frank be glad fo’ to see me!”
But at that moment a startling thing occurred.
The Man was traveling slowly, when just as the bottom of the incline was reached, two powerful savages sprung out of the grass and seized the throttle rein.
Pomp was so taken by surprise that for a moment he could not act.