"Throw down the knife, then!" Tommy demanded.

Instead of throwing down the knife, Antoine seemed preparing for a
spring. It was evident that he had not yet abandoned the hope of
gaining his revolver. The weapon which Will had seized left his
hand with a swift whirl, and the next moment the knife crashed from
Antoine's hand to the floor. The fellow's wrist had been broken.

He fell back with a groan, but remained inactive only a second.

"I'll come back!" he shouted, and disappeared through the entrance.

Tommy followed him out after having secured Will's automatic, but
he was nowhere in sight on the slope. The tracks in the deep snow
showed that he had turned in the direction of the cavern which the
boys had known to their cost that morning.

"He's gone after our revolvers!" shouted Tommy.

"I'm afraid that's right," Sandy answered, sticking his head
cautiously out of the opening. "He's the man who hid them,
probably!"

"He'll be back directly," Will prophesied, "so one of you would
better remain on guard at the door. If he catches us all inside,
we'll be in the same fix we were when he found us!"

"I'd rather fight bears than a snake like that!" declared Sandy.

A faint voice was now heard calling from some unseen recess.