ide, as it was too steep."

"I hope we shall be able to go forward in the morning," came from Mr.
Jenks.

"What do you mean?" asked the lad, struck by a peculiar significance in
the diamond man's tones.

"Why, that landslide may have opened a great gully in the side of
Phantom Mountain, which will prevent us from passing. It was a terrific
lot of earth and stones that slid away," answered Mr. Jenks.

"It certainly was," agreed Mr. Parker. "I would not be surprised if
the mountain was half destroyed, and it may be that the diamond cave no
longer exists."

"Not very cheerful, to say the least," murmured Mr. Jenks to Tom, and,
as it was getting quite chilly, following the storm, they went inside
the tent.

Tom could hardly wait for daylight, to get up and see what havoc the
landslide had wrought. As soon as the first faint flush of dawn showed
over the eastern peaks, he hurried from the tent. Mr. Damon heard him
arise, and followed.

A curious scene met their eyes. All about were great rocks rent and torn
by the awful power of the lightning. The fronts of the stone cliffs
were scarred and burned by the electrical fire, and fantastic markings,
grotesque faces, and leering animals seemed to have been drawn by some
gigantic artist who used a bolt from heaven for his brush.

But the eyes of Tom and Mr. Damon took all this in at a glance, and then
their gaze went forward to where the avalanche had torn away a great
part of the mountain.

"Whew! I should say it was a landslide!" cried Tom.

"Bless my wishbone, yes!" agreed Mr. Damon.

Below them, in the valley, lay piled immense masses of earth and stones.
Boulders were heaped up on boulders, and rocks upon rocks, being tossed
about in heaps, strung about in long ridges, and swirled about in
curves, as though some cyclone had toyed with them after the lightning
flash had tossed them there.

"But the mountain isn't half gone," said Tom, as his eyes took in what
was left of the phantom berg. "I guess it will take a few more bolts
like that one, to put this hill out of business."

Though the landslide had been a great one, the larger part of the
mountain still stood. An immense slice had been taken from one side, but
the summit was untouched.

"And there's where the diamond cave is!" cried Tom, pointing to it.

"I think so myself," agreed Mr. Jenks, who came from the tent at that
moment, and joined the lad and Mr. Damon. "I think we shall find the
cave somewhere