"What are you waiting for, you numskull?" he cried. "Why didn't you shoot? I heard you fire once some minutes ago, and thought you might have been aiming at a stray one. I had almost the whole flock bunched right before me. You couldn't get a better chance if you waited a week. Now I've got to waste another half-hour chasing 'em round again. What's the matter with you, anyway? Why don't you speak?"
He was within five yards of the silent group under the spruces when Spurling's voice rang sharply out:
"Halt there!"
At the same instant he flashed the ray from his electric lantern straight into the captain's face.
Brittler stopped short, as if struck by lightning. His jaw dropped, and a ludicrous look of alarm and bewilderment overspread his features.
"Take your hand off his mouth, Budge," ordered Jim, "and let him tell the captain what's happened."
"I've been taken prisoner, Captain. They jumped on me in the dark and I had a chance to fire only one shot. I think there's at least half a dozen of 'em, and they've got both our revolvers, so we haven't a chance. That's all there is to it."
Brittler had recovered from his first panic. He bristled up with pretended indignation.
"What do you mean, whoever you are, by jumping on us this way? And take that light off my face! I don't like it."