A STARTLING DISCOVERY. 105 
we get away from here ? These fellows are good-natured 
enough, but somehow I don't wholly trust them. Once or 
twice I caught old Loklok exchanging glances with some 
of his big subjects, and I didn't like the look in his eyes." 
I say, let's part company with the whole crowd as 
soon as possible," urged Rob. " I feel about them just 
as you do, father. They looked at my rifle to-night as if 
they'd eat it. I don't believe they'll be satisfied until 
they've laid hands on everything in our packs. They 
could hardly keep from fighting over Hugh's rod there 
while he was catching the grayling for dinner." 
" Whist ! " came from the doorway. " There's an 
Injun goin' into the house beyant." 
As " beyant " was only a foot or two away, caution was 
certainly necessary. 
The huts w^ere mostly in pairs, and the Buttons had 
noticed, on entering theirs, that, in common with the 
rest, it directly faced a duplicate of itself, with only a 
narrow passageway, a foot or two in width, between. 
" Sure, it's the ould ' Bear ' himself ! " added Teddy, 
softly, peering out of the door. 
" If Loklok is to occupy that hut for the night," said 
Mr. Button, decidedly, " it's of no use for us to think of 
leaving by the front door. We must make our way out 
of the rear of the hut, and that very early in the morn- 
ing, before the Ayans are up." 
Fortunately, this hut was a little removed from the 
others in the village, and the back was toward the forest. 
