Faster and faster, the ore car rolled deeper into the mountain. Jack clung tight to his perch on the rear of the car. He could see the bobbing lights of the torches as the assailants kept running after them.
Jack knew they must be in the part of the tunnel, that was filled with gas, by now. They were traveling so fast, that its effect was not hitting them. Hopefully, they would roll to a breath of fresh air before they would succumb to the gas.
The pursuers ran fool heartedly into the gas, their torches exploding the air, bursting into a huge ball of flame, filling the tunnel and flaming after the rolling ore car.
Jack’s heart leaped in his throat, unable to make a sound. Stark terror raced through his tense body. His companions screamed. The car rolled on faster and faster downward through the tunnel, careening around curves and sharp turns, whipping the passengers violently from side to side, the giant fireball trailing at tremendous speed behind them, bathing them in its light and singeing them with its terrific heat.
A final turn brought them into a straightaway and they could see light from the gaping mouth of the tunnel below and up ahead. In a blinding second of speed, the car burst out of the mine entrance into the open air almost leaping from the tracks as Clayton tried to slow it with the hand brake. The wheels screeched and sparks flew from the rails as tremendous friction almost failed to slow their descent. They rolled to the end of the track and the car pitched forward and sideways into the churned turf at the base of the mountain. Jack jumped free, landing in the dirt and rolling, his companions tumbling in a confused tangle from the overturned car, as thunder roared inside the mountain when the gas exploded, practically blowing that part of the mountain away, rocks and clods of earth flying upwards and hailing down on everything below. Dark billowing clouds of smoke belched out of the hole that was once the entrance to the mine.
Clayton was still rolling on the ground as bullets plowed into the dirt beside him. He jumped up in a crouch, saw a guard running toward him, raising his rifle to shoot again, and fired twice into his belly. The man fell backward, his rifle flying into the air.
“Jack!” He heard Francy scream. “Look out behind you!” Jack spun around, looking for the danger. A shot rang out from behind him and as he looked up, he saw another guard pitching face down off the platform of the water tower above, blood splattered across his chest. The body plopped into the dirt close to the G-Man.
Clayton swung around to see an Indian had retrieved the rifle from the first guard that Jack had killed and had fired on the water tower guard who had taken a bead on Clayton. Jack waved acknowledgement of appreciation to the Indian. Another Indian retrieved the rifle and pistol from the water tower guard, just in time to rise and shoot two more advancing guards. The first Indian was now running back into the pack of workers, picking out guards to shoot.
More guards were quickly advancing toward them. Jack fired and downed one. His Indian allies got two more. More Indians seized the fallen weapons and now there was a force to be reckoned with.
Turning his attention to Francy, Little Elk and White Fawn, Jack could see they had recovered from their spill from the ore car and obviously they had not gotten hurt badly for they were making their way toward the building that served as a bunk house for the guards. Three guards spewed out the front door. Francy shot them dead with expert efficiency. Then she stepped inside, looked around and motioned the others inside.
A bullet singed Jack’s side, spinning him around to face his current assailant. He fired automatically, bringing down a man less that ten feet from him. The man’s last shot went off convulsively and the bullet bore into the dust at Clayton’s feet. Almost at once another man was on him from the rear. He twisted his body and squeezed the trigger. Click! The hammer fell on an empty chamber. By instinct alone, the G-Man whipped the pistol up and stuck the man full force with the pistol barrel. The man fell back and landed in the dirt. Jack slammed his colt into his holster, pulled the other one from his belt and shot the prone man.
****
Chapter Twenty Two
Flaming Guns