They looked back for just a moment and saw several figures leap from the same window out of which they had jumped. Framed in the light, these pursuers were easily visible.
Suddenly there was a sliver of flame in the darkness at the rear of the castle. A sharp report followed and then the whine of a bullet over the heads of the two fugitives.
"Hot stuff, Tom!" muttered Ned.
"They mean business!" assented the young inventor. "But we've got an answer ready!"
He turned quickly and fired at random, purposely aiming over the top of a dark patch that seemed to be composed of smaller patches. That it was a group of bandits summoned by Cunningham, Tom did not doubt.
There was a momentary halt on the part of the pursuers at this evidence of preparedness on the part of the late prisoners. But another bullet came whining its vicious song over the heads of the two young men. When Ned would have turned and fired, Tom called:
"Save your cartridges! We may need 'em later! Isn't that a gate just ahead?"
He pointed to where the fence seemed to have a break in it.
"It's a gate, all right," Ned answered. "But closed."
"And with a man on guard!" added Tom, as they drew closer and saw a figure emerge from some bushes to confront them. That it was a guard was evident a moment later, for he stepped across the path to bar the progress of Tom and Ned and was bringing a rifle to the ready as he growled: