chum!" whispered Sandy. "If we get up nearer, we may be
able to hear what they say."

The boys crept along under the dim light of the infrequent stars, and
finally crouched down behind an angle of rock which was not more than
twenty feet removed from where Cameron stood.

They had hardly taken their position when a second figure made its
appearance. The two stood talking together in whispers for a short time
and then started to walk away.

"There's something doing, all right!" exclaimed Sandy.

"Yes, indeed, there is!" agreed George. "They wouldn't come out into
such a hole as this after midnight to tell each other what good fellows
they are, or anything like that."

"I'm getting suspicious!" Sandy chuckled.

"Why suspicious?"

"Because those fellows whispered!"

"I see the point," replied George. "From our standpoint those fellows
were all alone here in one of the wild places of Alaska, yet they drew
close together and whispered when they communicated with each other!"

"They wouldn't do that," urged Tommy, "unless they were afraid of being
overheard. It shows that they believe some one to be watching them."

The two men were now moving quite swiftly up the slope of the mountain.
At times they were entirely hidden by the luxuriant growths, and at
times they came out on little bald spots where rock outcropped to the
exclusion of vegetation. The boys followed on into the thickets, pausing
now and then to listen for the sounds of the advance of the others.

Presently they came to a shelf of rock which overlooked the valley of
the rivulet. They paused for a moment to listen for the sounds of those
in advance when a strong electric searchlight was thrown on their faces
and they saw the grim, round barrel of an automatic pointing at their
breasts.

"You may as well hand over your automatics, boys!" Cameron said.

"And be quick about it, too."

This last sentence came from a thin, cadaverous looking fellow whose
face was only half revealed through the meshes of the head net.

There was nothing for the boys to do but to pass over their revolvers.
Their searchlights were also taken from them, and then their hands were
tied tightly behind their backs.

"Did you have a pleasant tramp through the woods?" asked Cameron.

"Say," growled Sandy, "if you'll just turn my hands loose, I'll give you
a poke in the jaw!"

"That wouldn't be polite!" sneered Cameron.

"Don't take any lip from the young imps," snarled th