"Oh, yes he does," said Tom.
"He does? How?"
"Because he was here, and warned me against you!"
"You don't mean it! Well, they are getting desperate! We must be on our guard. What sort of a man was he?"
Tom described the fellow, and Mr. Jenks stated that this tallied with the appearance of the person who had been shadowing him.
"But we'll fool them yet!" cried Tom, who had now fully entered into the spirit of the affair. "If they can follow us in the Red Cloud they're welcome to. I think we'll get ahead of them."
He then told of Mr. Damon and Mr. Parker, and Mr. Jenks agreed that it would add to the strength of the party to take these two gentlemen along.
"Though I can't say I care so much for Mr. Parker," he added. "But now as to ways and means. When can we start?"
Thereupon he and Tom talked over details in the seclusion of the little office, and arranged to leave Shopton in about a week. In the meanwhile the airship would be overhauled, stocked with supplies and provisions, and be made ready for a swift dash to the mountains.
