plied George, "but I swiped one!"

"Well, we mustn't show a light until they get some distance away!"
advised Sandy. "We don't want them to know that we have it."

"And we'll need it badly," George suggested, "if we're to give Bert any
attention! I wonder if the poor boy has had any care since he's been
here! It doesn't seem to me that they would be heartless enough to leave
him here in an unconscious condition very long!"

"You can never tell what such fellows'll do," Sandy observed.

The boys remained silent for a long time, each one busy with his own
thoughts. After what seemed an aeon, they saw that it was daylight
outside. Then they turned on their electric and made an examination of
their wounded chum.

They found that the bandage on his head had been changed, and that his
pulse was not so high as when he had been discovered in an unconscious
condition at the cabin.

"I guess they've done the best they could," Sandy observed, "and I'm
much obliged to them for that! Have you got anything to eat?"

"Now, look here, Sandy," George replied whimsically, "have you any idea
that I'd ever go away with you without taking something to eat? You got
up from the table one minute and demand something to masticate the next!
You're about the most regular boy at your meals I over knew. What'll you
have now, pie or cake?"

"Pie!" laughed Sandy.

"Well, you get a bear sandwich!" replied George. "I've got four great
big thick ones wrapped up in paper and stowed away in my pockets. If
those ginks had suspected anything of the kind, they would have taken
them away from me. They're a bum lot, those men!"

"Produce one of the sandwiches!" demanded Sandy. "They named me Sandy at
first because I'm such a hand for sandwiches!"

George brought forth two great slices of bread and about a pound of
fried bear meat. Sandy's eyes sparkled at the sight.

"We'll have one apiece now," George suggested, "and one apiece tonight.
But every time they come near the cave, we'll tell them how hungry we
are. That will make them think we're suffering."

"You don't think we're going to stay here till night, do you?" demanded
Sandy munching away at his meat.

"I hope not," answered George.

"I wonder if Bert's had anything to eat since he got the wallop on the
coco?" asked Sandy. "Suppose we mince some of this meat up very fine and
feed it to him. He may not know when he swallows it, but it will give
him strength just the same."

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