doing in the
eating line since noon!"

"Never you mind the hardships of life!" grinned Will. "We've got
great news for you, so get ready to shout!"

"What's the great news?" demanded Sandy.

"We've got the Little Brass God penned up in the cavern just under
this rock! We've got a cinch on him this time!"

CHAPTER XX

A SIGHT OF THE GOD

"All quiet at the cabin?" asked Tommy.

"All quiet when we left," Sandy replied.

"What time did you leave?" demanded Tommy, suspiciously.

"Shortly after dinner."

"And you've gone and left George alone all this time!" exclaimed
Tommy indignantly. "You're a bright lot!"

"We thought you boys would be back to the cabin long before this!"
Sandy declared. "But what is it about this Little Brass God?"

"When we reached the system of caverns which we visited not long
ago, and in which we were held prisoners for a short time," Will
said, "we found two men, well bundled up in furs, lying asleep, or
apparently asleep, in one of the smaller rooms. They sprang up
when they saw us and seemed about to engage in conversation with us
when Antoine made his appearance. Antoine seemed to want to talk
with us, too, but when he saw the two men who had been asleep in
the cavern he hot-footed down the slope, with the two fellows after
him. I never saw a man run so fast in my life."

"I bet they chased him clear to our tree!" Thede cut in.

"I guess he never stopped running until be got there anyway!" Sandy
grinned. "But why should he come right back here after being
chased away?"

"I don't think he did!" "Will replied.

"Oje saw him out here not long ago!" Sandy insisted.

"What was he doing?"

"I presume he was watching the fire."

"The two men who pursued him are back, too!" Will continued.
"Tommy and I found them in a cute little nest in the rocks not more
than an hour ago. Just before we built these fires, in fact."

"I suppose you built the fires to lure us from the cabin!" laughed
Sandy. "Well, we wasn't at the cabin, but we saw the signals just
the same!"

"We wanted you to come and help capture the men who have the Little
Brass God," Will answered.

"So you've got the Little Brass God penned up under the hill!"
laughed Sandy. "You've got it, and yet you haven't got it!"

"I never said we had it!" Will replied. "I said we had it penned
up under the hill. You didn't give me time to explain that there
were two men penned up with it."

"All right!" S