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When the hat was about as far out as the boy could send it without risking his own hands, a rifle shot rang through the cavern and the bullet cut its way through the exposed hat. "Don't you see?" Thede asked. "He knows you have a gun, and he figured that you'd fall into this chamber, and that we wouldn't dare reach over for it. He's a foxy old reprobate!" "What next?" demanded Will.
"Man from there!" he said. "Antoine?" asked Sandy. The Indian nodded and continued up the slope as if the matter were unworthy of further attention. "Now, what do you suppose Antoine came here for?" asked Thede. "Attracted by the fire, probably," "I don't understand what he's roaming about so much for," Thede continued. "What was he doing out at the burning tree?"
"We can be back long before night." "I don't know about that," replied Thede who had been listening to the conversation without speaking. "It's a long way over to the hills and the snow's deep." "Then I'll tell you what we'll do!" Tommy exclaimed excitedly.
"What you do here?" demanded Pierre, standing with his back against the door and facing George with a snarl of hate and suspicion. "I got lost!" was the quick reply. "You go 'way!" shouted the trapper. "Aw, what's the matter with letting him stay here all night?" asked Thede. "These boys are hunting and fishing, and the kid got lost in the swamp. He's all right!" "He follow me!" insisted Pierre.
"Perhaps they've found the Little Brass God!" suggested Thede. "Found your Little Brass Uncle!" cried Sandy. "Well, it's good news anyhow!" insisted Thede. "If it wasn't the boys wouldn't be taking the pains to build three big fires in order to tell us about it."
"And this track, here?" asked Tommy. "Probably a fox." "Well, what do you make of this?" Will demanded with a wink at Tommy. "That must have been a moose, but he passed here some time before the last fall of snow!" replied Thede. "Well, what's this wobbly little mark here?" Tommy asked. "Partridge!" replied Thede readily. "Well, here's another odd little mark.
While the boys discussed the possibility of finding an unguarded exit from the series of caverns, another shot sounded, and then they heard the rattle and crash of rocks falling upon an equally hard surface. "There's something doing, now, sure!" Tommy exclaimed. "Do you know of any other trappers in this section?" asked Will, turning to Thede.
"I know by the shape of the moccasin and by the way the fellow walks." "You know a whole lot of things!" laughed Sandy. "If you keep on accumulating knowledge, you'll beat Tommy out of his job as the Sherlock Holmes of the party!" "Well, if you don't believe he's an Indian, you'd better go and ask him!" Thede argued. "He's right over there in the thicket!"
"It's a shame to turn the poor creatures out in this storm!" George declared. "Perhaps they were just entering upon their long winter's sleep." "We didn't order them out!" grinned Thede. "It amounts to the same thing," George responded. "They've gone away, and are likely to freeze to death." "If you think they've gone away," Thede replied, "just turn your light toward the entrance.
"It isn't so very much of a walk. I guess we can make it in half an hour." Thede hesitated, but finally dressed himself for a cold journey, and fixed the fire so that no damage might be done by it during his absence. "How long has Pierre lived in this cabin?" asked George, as the boys started out. "It looks like an old building."
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