"Oh, we have slept all right," he finally said, in reply to the man"s question. "A mess of healthy boys will sleep under the noise of battle!"
"I ask these questions," Antoine said directly, "because I have seen strange foot-prints in the snow at different times, and it seems to me that some person or persons are skulking through the woods and, for some reason known only to themselves, keeping out of sight of honest men."
"He knows all about that affair at the cabin," Will concluded.
"Now," he went on, "I wonder why he"s so very much interested in these strangers, whoever they are?"
"Oh, come on!" Tommy exclaimed. "Don"t stand here all day! We"ve got to get back to the cabin before it gets too dark to make our way through the woods."
The two boys took a couple of steps forward at a venture, without knowing whether Antoine would oppose their leaving the cavern.
"Well," he said, as he stepped to one side, "if you boys see any strangers loitering about, I wish you"d let me know."
The two lads amazed departed without making any promise, but they did not at once turn in the direction of the cabin. Instead, they plunged through the snow in a southerly direction, after seeing that Antoine had gone the other way.
"Where are you headed for now?" asked Tommy.
"Just wandering about on general principles," replied Will, at the same time turning into one of the eaves belonging to the system of underground pa.s.sages. "Thought I"d look in here first!"
The lads entered the cavern as noiselessly as possible and looked guardedly about. A great heap of furs lay on the floor, and two figures rested upon them apparently lost in slumber.
Tommy pointed to the modern shoes on the feet of one of the sleepers. Then he silently called attention to the b.l.o.o.d.y bandage wrapped about the man"s head. He looked at Will inquiringly.
"Do you suppose," he whispered, "that these, fellows are here after the Little Bra.s.s G.o.d, too?"
The men seemed willing to answer the question for themselves, for they sprang to their feet and glared at the intruders angrily.
One of the men was dressed as a trapper, although he did not look the part. He was tall and angular, with sharp features and keen black eyes.
His companion was shorter, but equally slender. His eye orbits were small and oval in shape, his face was a dusky brown, and there was, somehow, about the man an atmosphere of the Orient.
While the four people glared at each other a step was heard in the narrow entrance, and in a moment Antoine"s face was clearly outlined against the narrow slit of light.
The trapper took in the group at one quick glance, and, turning in his tracks, fled precipitately down the slope. Without speaking a word, the two men who had been found in the cavern, turned and followed him.
"Now what do you think of that?" demanded Tommy.
CHAPTER XVII
"BOYS UP A TREE!"
When Thede returned to the cabin with numerous squirrels, rabbits and ducks, Sandy greeted him with a shout of joy.
"This will seem like living in the north woods!" he cried. "We"ll have all kinds of game from this time on!"
"You bet we will!" replied Thede. "I"m some hungry myself, when it comes to that! I guess I can get a few!"
"You never shot all these!" Sandy doubted, poking the squirrels and rabbits about with a finger. "You never got them all by yourself!"
"How do you know I didn"t?" asked Thede, with a provoking grin.
"Because you couldn"t," Sandy answered.
"All right, then," admitted the boy. "We all had a share in the shooting, and Will and Tommy sent me back with the game."
"Where have they gone?" asked Sandy, a look of indignation over-spreading his face. "They"re always running away and leaving me to watch the camp! I wish they"d give me a chance sometime."
Thede sat down in one of the clumsy chairs which the cabin afforded and laughed until his sides shook.
"I don"t think any of you boys are famishing for fresh air and adventure," he said in a moment. "You seem to me to be kept pretty busy."
"Well," Sandy exclaimed, "they might let me go with them when they start off on a tour like that. Where have they gone, anyway?"
"They said they were going out in search of the Little Bra.s.s G.o.d!"
laughed Thede.
"Honest?" demanded Sandy.
"That"s what they said!"
"I hope they don"t find it!" Sandy exclaimed.
The boys cooked a liberal supply of game for dinner and then began restlessly walking to and fro over the cabin floor.
"What"s the matter with you fellows?" asked George in a moment, speaking from the bunk.
"h.e.l.lo, you"ve woke up, have you?" demanded Sandy. "I thought perhaps you"d sleep all day! How"s your head feel?"
"Rotten, thank you!" answered George.
Sandy took a couple more turns about the room and then sat down by the side of the bunk where George lay.
"I know what"s the matter with you!" George said, directly.
"What"s the answer!" asked Sandy, rather sourly.
"You need exercise!" replied George. "You"ve been ramming about the cabin all the morning, and I"ve been wishing for the last three hours that you"d take to the tall timber."
"Is that so?" shouted Sandy springing to his feet.
"Yes, that"s so!" answered George. "I wish you and Thede would go out for a ramble. If you don"t know what else to do, walk over to the river and catch a fish. That"ll go all right for supper."
"You"re on!" cried Sandy.
The boys were ready for the trip in a very few moments. It was not necessary now to provide against mosquitoes and "bull-dogs," for the sudden cold spell had effectually silenced them for the winter.
"Now don"t you fellows come home unless you bring about twenty pounds of trout," George directed as the two lads opened the door and disappeared from sight.
The boys had proceeded but a short distance when Sandy called his companion"s attention to a peculiar foot-print in the snow.