A volley of rifle shots poured out of the cavern entrance.
The bullets did no harm, however, and the Terror continued on.
Reaching the opening she glided in, the hubs of her wheels grazing the rocks on each side, so close did she run.
Another volley met her.
It was lucky Jack had on his armor.
Had he not been so protected be might have perished.
Shot after shot struck him, and bullet after bullet hit the stage.
On she advanced unhesitatingly, though into a short gloomy pa.s.sage, and then Jack turned on the search-light.
The dazzling glare gushed into an enormous cavern in which, the James Boys had ridden upon their horses.
At the sides there were ledges and galleries, above the roof was domed, and from the main cave numerous pa.s.sages branched off in various directions.
Near one of these pa.s.sages stood Siroc with Jesse James astride of his back, the bandit clutching a rifle.
The rest of the men were grouped behind him.
"Hulloa!" he shouted at Jack.
"Jesse James, I demand your surrender!" cried the inventor.
"Why should I?" demanded the bandit.
"Because you can"t get away from here alive."
"That"s all you know about it. There are plenty exits."
"Will you give in?"
"I want to compromise."
"That I"ll never do!"
"I"ve got a great inducement---"
"You can make none to me."
"Come here, and you"ll see."
A suspicion of treachery flashed over Jack"s mind.
He turned to his companions, and said in low tones:
"We want him dead or alive. Fire at him!"
Before Jack"s friends could obey, a grating sound was heard above the Terror, and the inventor glanced upward.
A cry of alarm escaped his lips.
Several of the bandits had gone up on the gallery above the Terror, and were pushing over a huge rock that rested there.
Just as Jack looked up it fell.
The rock must have weighed a ton.
It came down directly toward the roof of the Terror.
Jack gave the starting lever a sudden jerk, and the stage suddenly darted ahead.
She was too late to escape injury, though.
With a sickening crush the rock struck the rear end of the roof, crushing it like an egg sh.e.l.l, and going down on the platform, it carried it and the steps away.
A howl of joy escaped the James Boys.
They thought the terror was destroyed.
It was lucky Jack"s friends were in the front room.
Although the machine was badly damaged, she was not crippled so she could not work.
The machinery had escaped injury, as Jack had caused her to run ahead just in the nick of time.
"Give it to them, boys!" panted Jack.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The three shots struck the men in the gallery.
Not one of the villains knew what hit them.
"Again!" roared Jack.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!