"Dolph Gage and his rascals at the ridge," bellowed Joe, in a
fog-horn voice, pointing.

Jim Ferrers dropped to the ground, hugging it flat. Harry followed
suit. Tom Reade hesitated an instant, then away he flew at a
dead run.

Close to a tree Tom stopped, thrusting right hand in among the
bushes. Up and down his hand moved.

"Shoot and duck!" snarled Dolph, in a passion because of their
having been discovered.

Boom!

Over by the ridge where Gage and his fellow rascals lay it looked
as though a volcano had started in operation on a small scale.

Fragments of rock, clouds of dirt, splinters and bits of brush
shot up in the air.

Following the report came a volley of terrific yells from Dolph
and his fellows.

They had been on the instant of firing when the big explosion
came. Jim Ferrers, too, was taking careful aim at the moment.

It is a law of Nature that whatever goes up debris, mixed with
larger pieces of rock and clots of earth, descended on the scene