CHAPTER VI
THE CAVE OP THE TWO BEARS
"Bears?" exclaimed George, as the lads listened in front of thecave, "do you think there are polar bears up here? I think it'scold enough for the big white variety."
"Put your head inside the cave," Thede suggested, "and you won't bewondering whether there are any bears here."
George did as requested, and soon the warm animal odor noticeablein the various zoos of the country attacked his nostrils.
"What kind of bears are they?" he asked.
"I've heard Pierre say there were black and brown bears," repliedThede. "You know I haven't been in here only a few days."
"I wonder if they'll bite."
"Stick your arm in there and find out," Thede answered.
"I don't believe they'll jump on us if we keep our light going,"George argued. "Anyway," he went on, "we've got to get somewhereout of this wind and snow. If we don't, we'll freeze to death!"
Very slowly and cautiously the boys made their way into the cavern.It was a small place, not more than six feet in width and twicethat in depth, and the electric revealed about all there was inside.
Two black huddles of fur showed under the finger of light, and asthe boys crept on, George with his automatic ready for use, twopair of surly, pig-like eyes became visible.
The animals stirred restlessly as the boys advanced and finallybegan edging toward one side of the cave, as if seeking a way out.
"Get out of the entrance," advised George as soon as both animalswere on their feet, "and we'll give them a chance to escape."
This plan was followed, and, much to the delight of the youngsters,the animals sprang outside and for a moment disappeared in thedarkness.
"It's a shame to turn the poor creatures out in this storm!" Georgedeclared. "Perhaps they were just entering upon their longwinter's sleep."
"We didn't order them out!" grinned Thede. "It amounts to the samething," George responded. "They've gone away, and are likely tofreeze to death."
"If you think they've gone away," Thede replied, "just turn yourlight toward the entrance. They're not going to give up their warmnest without a scrap, and I can't say that I blame them for it."
It was considerably warmer in the cave and, out of the tempest, theboys were quite comfortable in their thick clothing. They huddledtogether at the far end of the cavern, and George kept the lightturned, on the two bears, who were now growling savagely.
"Why don't you shoot?" asked Thede.
"What's the use of shooting until I have to?" demanded George."They can come in here if they want to, if they'll only behavethemselves."
"If they try to come in here," declared Thede, "I'll go up in theair about nine hundred feet."
Although they did not attempt to re-enter the cavern, the bearskept close to the entrance. It was clear that only the light ofthe electric kept them from attacking the boys.
"They'll stay right there till morning," exclaimed Thede, "andwe'll have to shoot them anyway before we can get out. They arekicking themselves now," he continued with a grin, "because theylet us in here without a battle. I wish we understood bear talk sothat we could learn what they're saying to each other."
"Nothing very complimentary to us," George declared.
As the night advanced it grew colder and the boys moved about inquest of a more sheltered corner. They could still hear the bearsmoving about outside, but paid no attention to them.
"Look here," George said presently, as the search-light rested fora moment on a break in the rock. "I wouldn't wonder at all if wecould get further under the hill. There's an opening here whichlooks wide enough for us to crawl through."
"It's a wonder the bears didn't find it then," commented Thede.
"I'm going to see whether I can get through it or not," Georgeinsisted. "It may be a warmer corner. Anyway, it'll give usexercise, and that's what we need about this time."
Throwing the spear of light into the crevice, the boy glancedkeenly about. The walls of the opening seemed to be smooth, and toextend only a short distance. Just below where the walls broke hecould see the brown floor of another cavern."
"I guess it's all right," he said to Thede. "You take the lightand hold it down and I'll scramble in. May as well break my neckas to freeze to death."
"Let me take your hand, then," advised Thede, "so yon can be pulledback if you don't like the looks of the new furnished room."
"I'd like to be in a furnished room on Washington boulevard justthis minute," George broke in.
"I wouldn't mind a good box in Gamblers' alley," said Thede.
When all was ready Thede gave one hand to George and lowered himdown to the full length of both arms.
"All right!" George cried in a moment, "I can feel my toes touchingthe rock. Let go! You drop down now, and I'll steady you when youlight."
Both boys were soon in the lower cavern and a moment followingtheir arrival there, they heard the claws of the bears rattling onthe rocks above.
"I've heard Pierre tell about caves in this range of hills," Thedesaid, "but I never knew that they had caves two stories high."
As the boy ceased speaking, George suddenly shut off his flashlight and laid a hand on the other's arm.
"What's that for -----"
"Keep still!" whispered George. "Do you see anything?"
"Looks to me like a light," the other replied.
"Looks like a fire, doesn't it?" asked George.
"It certainly is a fire and there's a man sitting in front of it."
The fire showed at the end of a narrow passage, perhaps ten ortwelve yards away. It was blazing vigorously, and the cavern inwhich it stood was well clouded with smoke. It was evident thatthe watcher by the fire was as yet unconscious of the approach ofthe two boys.
"I wish we could get to that fire!" George said with a shiver.
"And why not?"
"I don't think he'd be hiding here if he was keeping open house,"replied George. "He may be an outlaw hiding from the police. Andin that case he wouldn't relish the idea of his underground retreatbeing discovered, even by two boys who want to get warm."
"Anyway," Thede insisted, "I'm going to crawl up close and see whatI can find out. That fire looks good to me."
The boys advanced cautiously, with George a little in advance. Theman at the fire sat with his chin on his breast as if in soundsleep.
"I don't believe he'd say anything if we walked right in on him,"Thede declared. "If he does, we can hold a gun on him and invitehim to a more friendly mood."
The man did not move as the boys came on, and George was about tocall out to him when Thede caught him by the shoulder.
"Don't you dare make a motion!" the boy whispered. "Stand stillwhere you are and look to the little shelf of rock on the otherside of the fire."
George looked, and his automatic and his searchlight almostclattered to the floor as his eyes rested on something whichglittered like gold in the red light of the fire. He turned toThede, and there was a tremor in his voice as he whispered in hisear.
"Do you know what that is?" he asked.
"I think I know what it is!" was the whispered reply.
"It's the Little Brass God!" whispered George excitedly. "And I'mgoing to sneak over there and lay my hands on it before that fellowwakes up!"
"You never can do it!" advised Thede.
"I've just got to do it!"
"If that is the real Little Brass God, how did it ever get here?"whispered Thede. "Strangest thing I ever heard of."
"Gee whiz!" whispered George. "We mustn't stand around wonderinghow it got here. The thing for us to do right now is to getpossession of it. I believe I can get over there without wakingthat fellow up."
"Let me take your gun, then," Thede advised, "and if he moves ormakes any funny breaks, I'll keep him under cover!"
George handed his gun over to the boy without a word and moved ontoward the fire. It was clear that the man was asleep, his chin
resting on his breast, his shoulders supported by a wall of rock.
The thing which glittered on the ledge, now almost within reachingdistance, was unquestionably the Little Brass God, the quest ofwhich had brought the boys into the Hudson Bay country.
George had never set eyes on the toy, but there was no mistakingthe crossed legs, the folded arms, the paunchy stomach, and themisshapen, leering face. The boy heard a soft warning whisperedfrom the opposite side of the room and turned his eyes from agreedy contemplation of the Little Brass God to the figure of theman crouching before the blaze.
The fellow had lifted his head, and now sat staring at the boy witha dumb wonder in his eyes. While the boy looked the expressionchanged from wonder to alarm, from alarm to anger, and then thedoubled-up figure straightened and sprang forward.
The boy heard a pistol shot, sensed the acrid smell of powdersmoke, felt a muscular hand grasp the wrist which was extendedtoward the shelf of rock, and then a million stars seemed to befalling from the heavens. There was a roar as of an ocean beatingagainst breakers, and then a lull during which he heard anotherpistol shot.
When the boy regained consciousness, daylight was creeping into thecavern through an opening much lower down than the one by which theboys had entered the upper cavern.
The earth outside was covered with a thick mat of snow, and thetrees and shrubs of the forest were bending beneath burdens of purewhite.
The fire had burned to ashes and it was miserably cold.
The Little Brass God was gone!