CHAPTER XV.

THE BAND OF HORSEMEN.

The moment Jack Howard saw his friends emerge from the passage, he shouted to them to look out for the crabs.

The four needed no second warning. The next moment they were shooting into the crawling monsters right and left.

"Clear a path to the rock!" shouted Joe, who was doing his part of the shooting.

His advice was promptly acted upon, and half a minute later Jack and Joe dropped from their perch and rushed to the side of their friends.

Leaving the fire still burning brightly on the top of the rock, all hands rushed through the passage and soon reached the cave where the skulls and bones lay in such numbers.

Strange to say, none of the huge land crabs followed them, nor did any more of the strange animals appear.

In a very short time Van led the way to the incline, where he and his three companions had slid down in such an unexpected manner.

By dint of the greatest exertion, they managed to crawl up the slippery place.

"Now, then," observed Lank Edwards, "we are all right till we strike ther dwarfs."

"I think we can get the best of them if we keep our eyes open," returned Jack. "'Lead on, Van."

With their weapons ready for instant use, they proceeded along the passage.

Without mishap they reached the end, and beheld the lighted fires of the dwarfs before them.

But they saw something else, too. Coming toward them, was a band of the little cave dwellers, with Doc Clancy and his ally in their midst.

"They think the crabs have finished Joe and I by this time, and now they are going to put them two scoundrels in the horrible cave," said Jack.

"I hope they won't have as much luck as you fellows did," returned Lank Edwards. "The quicker the crabs make a meal of 'em, the better it will be for us."

The mate had scarcely finished speaking when a wild shout went up from the approaching dwarfs, and they beheld Doc Clancy and his man fleeing from them with all their might.

Almost at the same instant our friends saw this, a deafening explosion rang out, causing them to be nearly thrown from their feet.

"The fire on the rock caused that, I'll bet!" exclaimed Jack, as soon as he had recovered himself.

His friends took it for granted that he was right, as the noise came from that direction.

But the explosion proved of great value to our friends, as well as to the villainous couple, who had broken away from their captors.

The terrific report frightened the dwarfs so badly that everyone in the cavern fell prone to the ground, and remained lying upon their faces.

Heartily glad to leave the place, Van and his companions followed Doc Clancy and his pal, who were making for the outlet of the cavern as fast as they could go.

Nothing interfered with them, and fifteen minutes later they were in the open air once more.

The moon had risen, and by aid of its light they beheld not only the horses they had left hobbled in the vicinity, but the two Jack and Joe had been thrown from, as well.

The animals were quite tame now, and seemed glad to meet their masters.

All hands deemed it advisable to mount, and leave the dangerous valley at once.

Accordingly, they did so, and half an hour later they were ascending a steep hill at its other side.

Once at the top of the hill, the country was level, and covered with vegetation.

The howling of wild beasts could be heard on all sides of them, and so fierce were the noises that it became necessary for the party to come to a halt and start a fire before they had traveled five miles.

Selecting a good spot, the required dry wood was collected, and a rousing fire started.

The horses were kept together in a bunch near this, and then, dividing themselves into watches they prepared to pass the remainder of the night.

But so thrilling had their adventures been since they had boarded the raft up the river, that none in the party could sleep till near morning.

When morning arrived a hearty breakfast was made from a doe shot by Jack, and then a consultation was held as to what course to pursue.

"There is one thing certain," said Prof. Drearland, "we would never be able to reach the coast if we started back the way we came. My advice is to keep on until we strike some civilized people."

"Here are hoof prints!" Van exclaimed, suddenly. "That proves that Doc Clancy made good his escape. Where he can go, we surely can, so we will follow the trail."

Sure enough, there was the trail made by two horses, leading on through the wild forest.

The sun was not over an hour high when the party set out once more.

"How far do you think we have traveled since we left the coast?" said Jack, addressing the professor.

"About eight hundred miles," was the reply.

"That are what I call somethin' great," spoke up Lank Edwards. "Just think of it! Eight hundred miles through ther wildest country on ther face of ther earth, an' only lost one man! An' look what we have passed through, too. It is enough ter fill a book, I reckon."

"You are right," returned Van, "and ever since we have started we have been chasing a murderer."

"I think I'll be the means of stoppin' this chase of yours, Van," said the mate. "I'll give it ter ye plain, right now, that I am goin' ter shoot Doc Clancy ther first time I git ther chance. I can't help it, whether you like it or not; he's earned his fate a dozen times since I've known him, an' it's got ter be done."

Our hero said nothing to this. He saw that the speaker meant what he said, and so he concluded to let things take their own course.

When he came to think over the matter, he concluded that Lank Edwards was about right. If Doc Clancy was killed, the murder of his uncle would be avenged, and that would settle it.

The party rode on in silence for the best part of an hour, scarcely exchanging a word until the edge of the forest was reached.

They beheld a long, level plain before them, which was dotted here and there by small groups of trees.

The trail of the two villains was before them, but although they looked carefully over the plain, they could not see a moving object.

As the sun was scorching hot, they concluded to rest until toward evening. A long ride under the rays of the blazing sun might prove fatal to them, the doctor said.

Selecting a cool, shady spot by the side of a small rivulet, the horses were turned upon the luxuriant grass, and the party prepared to take the rest they were so much in need of.

Thus far all hands had enjoyed remarkably good health, but it was owing to the medicines carried by Dr. Pestle.

It was probably four o'clock in the afternoon when they got ready to start over the plain.

Just as they were mounting they saw a number of horses coming swiftly over the plain toward them.

"Wild horses, I guess," observed the professor.

"No, they ain't, either," returned Lank Edwards, who had been gazing intently at the approaching animals. "They ain't wild horses, nohow, 'cause wild horses ain't likely to have men on their backs, an' these fellers have."

"What!" gasped our hero. "A party of mounted men?"

"That's just what it are," was the reply.

"Let's get under the cover of these trees and wait till they get a little nearer," suggested Jack.

They at once did so.

Ten minutes more and all were satisfied that the horses were mounted.

There were about fifty of them, and at the head of the column were two men in civilized dress.

It did not take our hero long to see that these two were Doc Clancy and the villain who had joined his forces with him.

He knew then that the scoundrels were bent on wiping them out. In some manner they must have come across the horsemen and made friends with them, and then got them to assist in their vile purpose.

"What do you propose to do?" our hero asked, turning to his friends.

"I'll tell yer what I'm a-goin' ter do," said Lank Edwards. "I'm a-goin' ter wait till they git near enough, an' then I'm a-goin' ter shoot Doc Clancy, an' ther other feller, too, if I kin. If them fellers on ther horses behind 'em can't fight any better than they kin ride, I think we kin clean out ther whole business easy enough."

Nearer and nearer approached the horsemen, and our friends could see that the mate was right when he said they were not good riders.

For the most part, they appeared more like drunken men than anything else, by the manner in which they wabbled about.

When the approaching band was within five hundred yards of our friends, Lank Edwards' rifle suddenly flew to his shoulder and two reports rang out in rapid succession.

Both Doc Clancy and his companion threw up their hands and fell to the ground.