e in. May as well break my neck
as to freeze to death."

"Let me take your hand, then," advised Thede, "so yon can be pulled
back if you don't like the looks of the new furnished room."

"I'd like to be in a furnished room on Washington boulevard just
this minute," George broke in.

"I wouldn't mind a good box in Gamblers' alley," said Thede.

When all was ready Thede gave one hand to George and lowered him
down to the full length of both arms.

"All right!" George cried in a moment, "I can feel my toes touching
the rock. Let go! You drop down now, and I'll steady you when you
light."

Both boys were soon in the lower cavern and a moment following
their arrival there, they heard the claws of the bears rattling on
the rocks above.

"I've heard Pierre tell about caves in this range of hills," Thede
said, "but I never knew that they had caves two stories high."

As the boy ceased speaking, George suddenly shut off his flash
light and laid a hand on the other's arm.

"What's that for -----"

"Keep still!" whispered George. "Do you see anything?"

"Looks to me like a light," the other replied.

"Looks like a fire, doesn't it?" asked George.

"It certainly is a fire and there's a man sitting in front of it."

The fire showed at the end of a narrow passage, perhaps ten or
twelve yards away. It was blazing vigorously, and the cavern in
which it stood was well clouded with smoke. It was evident that
the watcher by the fire was as yet unconscious of the approach of
the two boys.

"I wish we could get to that fire!" George said with a shiver.

"And why not?"

"I don't think he'd be hiding here if he was keeping open house,"
replied George. "He may be an outlaw hiding from the police. And
in that case he wouldn't relish the idea of his underground retreat
being discovered, even by two boys who want to get warm."

"Anyway," Thede insisted, "I'm going to crawl up close and see what
I can find out. That fire looks good to me."

The boys advanced cautiously, with George a little in advance. The
man at the fire sat with his chin on his breast as if in sound
sleep.

"I don't believe he'd say anything if we walked right in on him,"
Thede declared. "If he does, we can hold a gun on him and invite
him to a more friendly mood."

The man did not move as the boys came on, and George was about to
call out to him when Thede caught him by the shoulder.

"Don't you dare make a motion!" the boy whispered. "