“I guess that will be far enough to let him fall,” went on the diamond seeker. “Come on, Mr. Damon, help me throw him overboard!”
“You—you're not going to throw me over—with the airship two miles high; are you?” gasped the man.
“Will you tell us what we want to know, if we don't?” asked Mr. Jenks.
“What do you want to know?”
“How you got aboard, and what your object was in coming.”
“That's easy enough. I had been hanging around the shed for several days, watching a chance to get in. Finally I saw it, when that colored man went to feed his mule, and I slipped in, and hid in the airship. The stores were all in then, and I stowed myself away among the boxes. I had food and water, so I didn't touch any of yours,” and he looked at Mr. Damon, who seemed much relieved.
“And what was your object?” demanded Mr. Jenks.
“I wanted to prevent you from going to Phantom Mountain.”
“How?”
“By destroying the airship if need be. But I hoped to accomplish it by other means. I would have stopped at nothing, though, to prevent you. You must keep away from there!”