“Help! help!” came faintly to their ears, and now they located the cry. It proceeded from a small cave-like opening but a few feet away. They ran forward, and a moment later saw a sight that appalled them beyond measure. There in the snow, huddled in a miserable group, were Pete Sully, Bill Dixon and Len Spencer, a fixed look of despair on each of their pinched and frozen faces. “Why, Sully----” began Harry. “Give me something to eat, please!” broke in the big fellow, staggering to his feet. “Something to eat!” “Yes, yes, give us something to eat!” chimed in Bill Dixon and Len Spencer, imploringly. Harry and Jack looked at them in amazement. A single glance was enough. The bully of Rudskill and his companions were almost starved to death! CHAPTER XXXI. IMMEDIATE WANTS SUPPLIED. It is no wonder that Harry and Jack were for the moment so dumfounded that they could do little else than stare at the sight of the three haggard and pinched faces which gazed imploringly into their own. “Don’t say you won’t give us anything,” cried Pete Sully, seeing they did not reply. “We are starved--we haven’t had a mouthful to eat since yesterday morning!” “My gracious!” It was Jack who uttered the exclamation. “Nothing to eat since yesterday morning!” “It’s too bad, Sully,” put in Harry. “We’ll cook you something just as quick as we can.” “Never mind cooking it; give us one of those birds raw!” cried Dixon. “We can’t wait.” “Here is a bit left of our lunch,” said Jack. “Eat that while we are building a fire. What’s the trouble--couldn’t you shoot anything?” he went on. “And why haven’t you a fire?” “We lost our matches--they were in our traps, which were taken from us, and the snow kept us from going for game,” said Sully. “We did try to shoot some, but we couldn’t hit anything,” chimed in Len Spencer. The three starved youths were too weak to assist in gathering fuel for a campfire, so Jack and Harry let them sit still while the two of them bustled around with all speed. Soon a big blaze of brush was soaring skyward, around which the half-frozen trio crouched. Three of the birds were cleaned and spitted, and it was not long before the smell of the broiling meat filled the air. “Oh, but that smells good!” exclaimed Dixon, taking in a long whiff. “Don’t keep it over the fire too long, please!” “Here you are,” returned Harry, passing the bird over whole. “Take my advice, and don’t down it too fast, or your stomach won’t stand it.” Sully and Spencer were also supplied with a bird each, and it was a sight worth seeing to behold them tearing and chewing the meat like a starved dog does a long-sought bone. While the trio ate, Jack and Harry said nothing. They broiled one of the hares, and of this took a small portion, passing the remainder over to the unfortunates. But the two young hunters kept up a big thinking.