“How's that?” Mr. Damon wanted to know.
“Well, I think we are on the side of Phantom Mountain where the diamond cave is,” went on the lad. “The fact that the phantom appeared here, soon after we arrived, shows that the men kept close track of our movements. It also shows, I think, that the phantom did not have to travel far to be on the spot, whereas we had to make quite a trip to get around the base of the mountain. I think the cave is up there,” and Tom pointed toward the spot where the weird figure had been last seen, before the storm drove it back.
“There may be two phantoms,” suggested Mr. Jenks. “They may keep one on this side of the mountain, and one on the other, to warn intruders away.
“It's possible,” admitted Tom. “Well, we'll see how things look in the morning, when we'll take up our march again, and go up the mountain. We'll reach the top, if possible, which we couldn't do from the other side, as it was too steep.”
“I hope we shall be able to go forward in the morning,” came from Mr. Jenks.
“What do you mean?” asked the lad, struck by a peculiar significance in the diamond man's tones.
“Why, that landslide may have opened a great gully in the side of Phantom Mountain, which will prevent us from passing. It was a terrific lot of earth and stones that slid away,” answered Mr. Jenks.
“It certainly was,” agreed Mr. Parker. “I would not be surprised if the mountain was half destroyed, and it may be that the diamond cave no longer exists.”
“Not very cheerful, to say the least,” murmured Mr. Jenks to Tom, and, as it was getting quite chilly, following the storm, they went inside the tent.
Tom could hardly wait for daylight, to get up and see what havoc the landslide had wrought. As soon as the first faint flush of dawn showed over the eastern peaks, he hurried from the tent. Mr. Damon heard him arise, and followed.