“Say!” cried Sandy, “you want to hurry with those whinnicks, for Pierre is almost standing on his head, threatening to shoot if you try to break through.”

Will collected a number of heavy stones which had fallen from the walls and threw them with all his strength against the partition.

The cracks widened, and slivers of brittle rock fell away.  His efforts were greeted with cheers from the other side, and he redoubled them, with the result that in a short time, a passage between the two sections of the underground chambers had been made.

When Will stepped through the opening he saw Pierre’s fur cap sticking up above a barrier which reached almost to the ceiling.  The long barrel of his rifle protruded threateningly into the room.

“I guess,” Will proposed, “that we’d better get out of range of that gun.  It doesn’t look good to me.”

The boys crowded back into the chamber which Will had recently left and looked at each other with inquiring eyes.

Pierre’s harsh laugh came from the outer room.  “You thieves!” he cried.  “You die like bear in a trap.”

“What does the old idiot mean by that?” asked Will.

“Search me!” replied Tommy.

“How did he ever get you in here?”

“That’s a pretty question to ask of us!” declared Tommy.  “How did he ever get you in here?”

“He came to camp and volunteered to help find you run-away boys,” replied Will.  “He brought me to the hills and tumbled boulders into the entrance to the cavern.”

“Well, he came to our assistance almost as soon as we reached the hills in search of George,” Tommy grinned.  “He was so mighty careful to get us into safe quarters that he led us into this rotten hole and fixed it so we couldn’t get out!”

“What’s he doing it all for?” Will asked, turning to Tommy.

“Perhaps Thede Carson can tell you better than I can,” replied Tommy.  “You remember Thede Carson, don’t you, Will?”

“I seem to see a faint, resemblance in this lad to a boy I used to know as Thede Carson,” Will laughed.  “He looks now, though, as if he had plenty to eat, and a good place to sleep!”

“I have been eating regularly,” grinned Thede, “but there’s no knowing whether I’ll ever connect with another bear steak.”

“He came up here with Pierre,” Sandy explained.  “Perhaps he can tell you what the half-breed is up to.”

“I don’t know any more about it than you do!” replied Thede.  “He didn’t seem to like the idea of my associating with George,” the boy added with a wink at Will, “and so he bunched us together and locked us up.”

While Pierre gave vent to hoarse shouts of rage, and many entirely unnecessary and insulting taunts, the boys explained the events of the past night.  The thing which startled Will most was the story Thede told about having caught sight of the Little Brass God.

“Are you sure?” he asked.