wrathfully.
Evidently he was greatly excited.

"Duval, let me handle this matter," remonstrated Emil Bauermann. "We
want to have a serious talk with you young men," he added to the boys.

All of the occupants of the big sleigh sprang out in the snow, and
without waiting for an invitation to do so stalked into the Lodge.

The Germans were evidently in a bad humor, and they glowered at the
cadets in a way that made them feel far from comfortable.

"What is it you want?" demanded Gif, not liking the manner of their
intrusion.

"We want to come to an understanding," growled one of the Germans.

"You cannot play tricks behind our backs without taking the
consequences," grumbled another.

"Maybe you think you're smart, but you'll find that we are smarter,"
added a third. "Many a man has been so smart that he has stuck his head
into the noose."

"Let me handle this matter," broke in Emil Bauermann, and then uttered
some words in German. An animated discussion in that tongue followed,
the cadets understanding next to nothing of what was said.

"I do not like the looks of this at all," whispered Randy to Jack. "I
believe they came here to do us harm."

"That's the way it looks to me too," whispered Fred. "They must have got
wind in some way of our being up around their place."

The Germans had turned to the strange man who was with them, and when
they pointed to the cadets this stranger nodded. Evidently he was
identifying the boys.

"It is as I thought," said Emil Bauermann sternly, as he glared at the
young hunters. "This man saw you spying around our place and around the
Duval place. What do you mean by such conduct? Explain yourselves or
take my word for it, it will go hard with you," and he shook a menacing
fist in their faces.

CHAPTER XXX

THE EXPOSURE--CONCLUSION

It must be confessed that the six cadets did not like the menacing
attitude of the five Germans and Tony Duval. Evidently one of the
men--the stranger--had been spying on them, and he had carried his
information to the others.

"That's right, Bauermann, make them explain themselves," growled Tony
Duval. "And don't be too easy on 'em, either!"

"See here, you have no right to come in here without being invited,"
said Gif angrily.

"Poof! what are you but a pack of silly schoolboys?" growled the German.
"Perhaps you thought you were doing a wonderful thing spying around our
house and our barn? You didn't know we had someone watchi