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. "Stand still
where you are and look to the little shelf of rock on the other
side of the fire."
George looked, and his automatic and his searchlight almost
clattered to the floor as his eyes rested on something which
glittered like gold in the red light of the fire. He turned to
Thede, and there was a tremor in his voice as he whispered in his
ear.
"Do you know what that is?" he asked.
"I think I know what it is!" was the whispered reply.
"It's the Little Brass God!" whispered George excitedly.
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