“What’s been doing here?” demanded Tommy.

“You missed the biggest sensation of the excursion!” exclaimed George.

“Where are the fellows who busted up the furniture?” asked Sandy.

“You ought to know,” replied George.  “They ran out just before you entered.  It’s a wonder you didn’t meet them.”

“Who are they?” asked Will.

“You remember the two men who came to the window that night?” asked George.  “Well, these were the two men!”

“Did one of ’em have his head in a sling?” asked Tommy.

“Sure he did!” was the reply.

“Why don’t you sit down and tell us all about it?” asked Sandy.

“That won’t take long,” replied George.  “They came in here something like half an hour ago and began mixing up with the furniture.  They searched everything in sight and out of sight, and were about to take up the floor, I reckon, when they heard you coming.”

“Did they say what they were searching for?” asked Will.

“Not directly,” was the reply, “but I know from expressions I heard that they were searching for the Little Brass God.”

“The Little Brass God?” repeated Will.  “Why, they’ve got it now!”

“You bet they have!” Tommy joined in.

“How do you know they have?”

“Because we saw them have it in the cavern!” answered Will.  “They were in that cavern not more than five minutes before we left the hills.  They must have hustled to beat us to the cabin and make a half hour’s search before we arrived.”

“I think we’ve all got a lot of guesses coming,” Sandy observed.

“Yes, but what I can’t get through my head is why those fellows should be searching through the cabin for the Little Brass God when they have it in their possession,” Will said.

“You’re sure they had it?” asked George.

“I saw them have it in the cavern earlier in the evening,” was the reply.  “When we went to try to make them give it up, they vanished as if they had gone up in the air!”

The boys began straightening things in the cabin, and Sandy busied himself in the corner where the provisions were stored.

“I’d like to know where that Indian went,” Thede said, as he assisted Sandy in preparing some of the game which had been caught early the morning before.  “He won’t go far away, I’m thinking.”

Before the words were off the boy’s lips the door was pushed gently open and Oje looked in.  He made a gesture asking for silence and went out again, softly closing the door behind him.

“That’s a funny proposition!” whispered Tommy.  “Why don’t he come in and get some of the supper Sandy is getting ready?”

The door opened again, then, and Antoine staggered inside.  His face was bloodless and his eyes seemed starting from their sockets.  His clothing was slit in places as if he had been attacked with a knife, and he staggered about while searching for a chair.