“Bejabers, ain’t there some other way av gettin’ out av this place?” cried Barney, giving the plateau a sweeping glance.
But the chain of hills surrounding it did not lend color to such a possibility.
“It don’t look like it,” said Frank, dubiously.
“I jes’ fink dat am de only way out ob dis place,” said Pomp.
“We are in a kind of trap,” declared Frank Reade, Jr. “We were not sharp or we would have avoided this scrape.”
As it was, however, the best they could do was to watch for an opportunity to run the gauntlet through the Pass.
But they had not long to wait for new and thrilling developments. Suddenly Pomp gave a startled cry.
“For massy sakes, Marse Frank, jes’ yo’ look out yonder. Whatebber am dey up to now?”
Over the edge of the plateau there was visible a line of men advancing rapidly toward the Steam Man.
They were deploying right and left as if to surround him. This was certainly their purpose.