The smoke from the rain bomb had dissipated, but there was a cloudy sky and a threat of rain.
“I’d like to fire off some more of the bombs, and jest see what’d come of it,” said Deland wishfully. “I’ll bet we’d have a flood before night, if I did. But I ought to save ’em, I s’pose, to try fer rain down in the town. That’s why I came there in the first place. You can tell what an awfully dry country it is by seeing the people hurry to the Flash Light.” He laughed humorously, and studied the sky. “By Jove, I’d like to try some more of them bombs!”
He had the “grip” at the saddle horn in front of him as he thus rode forth.
Hatfield smiled to himself, with face turned away. He was not pleased to be tied up so tightly, but he was pleased by the fact that these men had commanded him to lead them to the lair of Panther Pete. He was leading them now toward the “trap” in the rock-girt hollow, where he knew Panther Pete would have sharpshooting riflemen lying in ambush.
Those riflemen, he believed, would cut the riders down with bullets, and he would be free again, and in a very short time.
CHAPTER XLI.
A GIRL’S HEROISM.
When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.
The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.
It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.
She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls. With this thought in view she inspected the little table. Finally, she tried to break the table up, hoping to get a substitute for a spade from one of the boards.