Brass God

vern, stretched his legs and arms, to see if

weakness, and called to Thede, who, as the reader knows, had left hours before, i

ts, the boy staggered dizzily toward the heap of ashes in the center o

. A few red coals still remained, and a blaze soon grew under th

friend of the night before. He looked at his watch and noted that it was eigh

ng to cross the light zone in the center of the cavern. Whatever had taken place

he had lain on the hard floor of the cavern for countless aeons. He did not remember what had caused the wound on

ide and the dazzling light of the sun on the snow on the other side, t

actually caught sight of the Little Brass God

tion to the ugly image whose evil eyes seemed to take on

he man by the fire, the Little Brass God on t

ede had gone, and wh

ld stand by me if I got into trouble, and here he runs away, leaving me lying unconsc

t not have been as innocent and loyal as he had pretended to be. He

y pondered, "we have

o

the country. He wondered as to the identity of the man who sat watching the fire. The light had been dim,

ore wood and spread his hands to the cheerful warmth of the fire. "Judging from t

" he added. "If they knew how hungry I am just at

series of growls came from the entrance to the

nter of me last night?" George mused. "I presume you're hungry, all right, but I'd rather

ourage, for they entered the mouth of the cavern and stood growling

been attacked at once. He glanced at the rapidly decreasing pile of wood, and wondered what wou

light of the fire. The bears were gradually moving forward, and every time the lad laid a st

burn away so fast. The blaze seemed

ost gone. The bears sniffed at the blood stains where the boy had

n minutes longer. Then there would be a rush

struggled spasmodically for a moment, and then straightened out and lay still. The nex

dea who the man might be, and was not quite certain that the fellow had not taken from him

eorge saw a tall, ungainly figure with long legs, a long, slim body,

moccasins, and fur cap. A belt of red leather, probably colored and tanned by some Indian process, was dr

to the cavern, standing the butt of his ri

orward and extending his hand, "that's abo

lied, "is in the neck, right about where the

stated. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am, and s

I saw the bears looking in, and knew from the smoke coining out that there was a human being in here, t

l right in about a minute," George said w

et here?" as

of the Little Brass God. While he talked, there came to his mind an indistinct impression that th

left him on the floor of the cavern to die of cold and exposure, or to be devour

ne said, after the boy bad concluded h

hungry!" Ge

gly about at the two b

k bear steak

repeate

e Boy Scout medals on

r medals," he said. "You ought t

w what they are

ite a lot about Boy Scout work and trainin

are!" decla

an removing the skins from the dead animals. He worked swiftly and skillfully, and i

e coals, and I'll tote in more wood. You don't seem quite

lost considerable blo

ht water from a nearby stream, and the boy's head

"we'll go to my own hom

the boy found a very comfortable cavern, almost completely lined with fur. There was a chimney-like crevice in the ceiling which permitted th

" George ventured,

rrival with a cup of go

grotesque forms. The boy's head swam dizzily. He caught a cynical smil