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."Well, that was Phantom Mountain."The miner seemed to have finished his story."Is that all?" asked Mr.Jenks."How did you know it was Phantom Mountain?""'Cause we seen the ghostmy partner and Ithat's why!" exclaimed the man,puffing on his pipe."As Isaid, we was campin' there, and 'long about midnight we seen somethin' talland white, and all shimmerin', with a sort of yellow fire, slidin' down theside of the mountain It made straight for our camp.""Huh! Guess you run, didn't you, Jed?" asked Bill Slatterly."Course we did.You'd a run too, if you seen a ghost comm' at you, an' firm' agun.""Ghosts can't fire guns!" declared Bill."I guess you dreamed it, Jed.""Ghosts can't fire guns, eh? That's all you know about it.This one did, andto prove I didn't dream it, there was a bullet hole in my hat next mornin'.Icould prove it, too, only I ain't got that hat any more.But that wasPhantom Mountain, strangers, an' my advice to you is to keep away from it.Iwas on it but I didn't exactly see it, 'cause it was dark at the time.""Was it near a peak that looked like a stone head?" asked Tom."It were, stranger, but I didn't take much notice of it.Me and my partner gotout of them diggin's next day, and I never went back.I ain't never said muchabout this place, but it's called Phantom Mountain all right, andI ain't the only one that's seen a ghost there.Other grubstakers has had thesame experience."Tom Swift Among the Diamond MakersCHAPTER XII THE GREAT STONE HEAD41"Why ain't I never heard about it?" demanded Bill, suspiciously."'Cause as why you're allers so busy talkin' that you don't never listen tonothin' I reckon," was Jed's answer, amid laughter.Page 37ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Can you tell us what trail to take to get there?" asked Tom, of the miner."Yes, it's called the old silver trail, and you.strike it by goin' to a placecalled Black Gulch, about forty mile from here.Then it's twenty mile fartheron.But take my advice and don't go.""Can it be reached by way of Indian Ridge?" asked Mr.Jenks, wondering how hehad been taken to the cave of the diamond makers.He did not remember BlackGulch."Yes, you can git there by Indian Ridge way, but it's more dangerous.You'relikely to lose your way, for that's a trail that's seldom traveled." Mr.Jenksthought that, perhaps, was the reason the gang had taken him that way."It'seasier to get to the stone head and Phantom Mountain by Black Gulch, but itain't healthy to go there, strangers, take my advice on that," concluded theminer, as he prepared to go to sleep again.Tom could scarcely contain the exultation he felt.At last, it seemed, theywere on the trail.He motioned toMr.Jenks, and they slipped quietly from the place, just as another dance wasbeginning."Now for Black Gulch!" cried Tom."We must hurry back to the airship, and tellthe good news."It's too late tonight," decided Mr.Jenks, and so they waited until morning,when they made an early start.They found Mr.Damon and Mr.Parker anxiously awaiting their return.Mr.Damonblessed so many things that he was nearly out of breath, and Mr.Parkerrelated something of the observations he had made."I think I have discovered traces of a dormant volcano," he said."I am inhopes that it will have an eruption while we are here.""I'm not," spoke Tom, decidedly."We'll start for Black Gulch as soon aspossible."The airship once more rose in the air, and, following the directions the minerhad given him, Tom pointed his craft for the depression in the mountains whichhad been given the name Black Gulch.It was reached in a short time, and then,making a turn up a long valley the airship proceeded at reduced speed."We ought to see that stone head soon now," spoke Tom, as he peered from thewindows of the pilot house."It's queer we didn't notice it when we were up in the air," remarked Mr.Jenks."We've been over this place before, I'm sure of it."The next moment Mr.Damon uttered a cry."Bless my watch chain!" he exclaimed."Look at that!"He pointed off to the left [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]