t of the cave, "do you think there are polar bears up h

e suggested, "and you won't be wonder

m animal odor noticeable in the various z

bears are th

y there were black an

haven't been in her

if they'

there and find ou

George argued. "Anyway," he went on, "we've got to get somewher

. It was a small place, not more than six feet in width and twice

and as the boys crept on, George with his automatic ready

advanced and finally began edging toward on

as soon as both animals were on their feet

ht of the youngsters, the animals sprang outsi

this storm!" George declared. "Perhaps they we

ounts to the same thing," George responded. "They

light toward the entrance. They're not going to give up their war

omfortable in their thick clothing. They huddled together at the far end of the caver

you shoot?"

demanded George. "They can come in here if the

declared Thede, "I'll go up in

bears kept close to the entrance. It was clear that only t

can get out. They are kicking themselves now," he continued with a grin, "because they let us in here w

plimentary to us,

in quest of a more sheltered corner. They could still hear t

a break in the rock. "I wouldn't wonder at all if we could get further under th

ars didn't find it th

orge insisted. "It may be a warmer corner. Anyway, it'll g

walls of the opening seemed to be smooth, and to extend only a short distance. J

ake the light and hold it down and I'll scramble i

de, "so yon can be pulled back if you don'

room on Washington boulevard ju

ood box in Gamblers'

hand to George and lowered him dow

eel my toes touching the rock. Let go! You drop

ment following their arrival there, they heard t

range of hills," Thede said, "but I never

suddenly shut off his flash light

that f

pered George. "Do

ke a light," th

ire, doesn't it

e and there's a man si

lazing vigorously, and the cavern in which it stood was well clouded with smoke. It was ev

to that fire!" Geor

why

may be an outlaw hiding from the police. And in that case he wouldn't relish the ide

ed, "I'm going to craw

. That fire lo

ittle in advance. The man at the fire sat wit

in on him," Thede declared. "If he does, we can hold

, and George was about to call out to hi

d. "Stand still where you are and look to the li

s his eyes rested on something which glittered like gold in the red light of the fir

what that i

hat it is!" was t

citedly. "And I'm going to sneak over there and

an do it!" a

st got t

how did it ever get here?" whispered Th

it got here. The thing for us to do right now is to get possession

vised, "and if he moves or makes any f

toward the fire. It was clear that the man was asleep, his chin

hing distance, was unquestionably the Little Brass God, the qu

ch, and the misshapen, leering face. The boy heard a soft warning whispered from the opposite side of the room and tu

in his eyes. While the boy looked the expression changed from wonder to alarm, f

h was extended toward the shelf of rock, and then a million stars seemed to be falling from the heavens. There

ng into the cavern through an opening much lower down th

of snow, and the trees and shrubs of the fore

d to ashes and it

Brass God