The Rover Boys Series. Stratemeyer Edward

felt a bite and drew up a fine fish, weighing at least half a pound.

      Dick was anxious to try it, and took the line from John Barrow's hands. He was equally successful, and in a short while they had seven fish to their credit, weighing from a quarter to three-quarters of a pound apiece.

      "I'm going to tie a fish to the top of the pole," said Dick. "They may be hungry when they get here, especially if they miss the pole at our last camping place."

      "They won't want to eat raw fish, lad."

      "No, and I'm going to put a few matches in a paper and tie it to the fish, so they can cook it, if they wish."

      Dick's idea was followed out, and once more they went on, up a narrow stream which had many a turn among the cedar brakes and hemlocks which lined either side. Rocks were likewise numerous, and the lad came to the conclusion that locating the treasure was going to be no easy task.

      "It's rather desolate," he remarked. "I wonder what ever possessed that old Goupert to come here?"

      "It's not so desolate in the summer time, Dick. But I reckon Goupert was a mighty odd stick, as it was."

      At last they rounded a turn in the stream and came in sight of Bear Pond, a long and wide stretch of water located in the very midst of two tall mountains. The pond was covered with thick ice, and the snow lay upon it in long drifts and ridges. The ice was blackish and almost as hard as flint.

      "We may as well go into camp near the mouth of this stream," said Dick. "For from this spot we'll make our first hunt for the treasure."

      "I hope with all my heart that you find it, lad. But if you don't, don't be too disappointed."

      "I want to find Sam and Tom first. I shan't hunt for the treasure until I know of them."

      "That's right. We'll go on a hunt this afternoon, jest as soon as we've had some of these fish broiled for dinner."

      If there was one thing which John Barrow could do to perfection, it was to broil fish, and the meal he set before Dick half an hour later was so appetizing the lad could not help enjoy it, in spite of his anxiety over his brothers' prolonged absence. The fish was as sweet as a nut, and both lingered some time over the meal, until all that had been broiled were gone.

      "And now to find Tom and Sam," said Dick, at last, as he leaped up from the log upon which he had been sitting. "What shall we do with our things?"

      "Here is a hole in the rocks," answered the guide. "We'll hide them there and cover them with stones. I don't think anything will disturb the things between now and nightfall."

      The stores were placed in the cache and carefully covered, so that the wild animals might not get at them, and then they saw to it that their firearms were ready for use. A minute later they were off, on the hunt for Tom and Sam.

      CHAPTER XXI

       A PAIR OF PRISONERS

       Table of Contents

      It is high time that we return to Tom and Sam, and learn how the two Rover boys were faring in their unequal contest with Dan Baxter and his followers.

      As we know, it was Baxter himself who attacked Sam, while big Bill Harney threw Tom to the ground. Jasper Grinder went to Baxter's assistance, while Lemuel Husty ran to aid Harney.

      "Let go of him!" cried Sam, and managed to hit Baxter a glancing blow on the cheek.

      "I'll not let go yet," answered Baxter, and bore the youngest Rover to the earth. Over and over they rolled in the snow, until Grinder caught Sam by the legs and held him still.

      "That's right, Grinder, hold him!" panted Dan Baxter. "Don't let him get up!"

      But Sam was not yet subdued, and getting one foot clear at last, he kicked Jasper Grinder in the ear.

      "Oh! oh! my ear!" screamed the former teacher. "He has kicked my ear off. You scamp, take that!" And letting out with his foot, he gave Sam a vigorous kick on the side. At the same time Baxter struck the boy in the head with a stick he had been carrying, and then Sam suddenly lost consciousness.

      In the meantime Tom was having a similar struggle with Harney and Husty. But the boy, though strong, was no match for the two men, and they soon pinned him to the ground and held him there as in a vise, while he was nearly choked by the big guide, who had clutched him by the throat.

      "Let — let go — my — throat!" Tom managed to gasp.

      "Will you keep quiet?" demanded Harney.

      "Yes — yes."

      "All right, mind you do." And then the guide released his hold, but continued to sit as he was, astride of poor Tom's chest.

      "Have you got him?" came from Dan Baxter.

      "Yes," returned the big guide.

      "All right; then hold him,"

      "I will."

      Leaving Sam to be watched by Jasper Grinder, Baxter ran over to one of the sleds and procured a long rope.

      "Now then, Tom Rover, get up," he said sourly.

      Tom was glad to arise.

      "What are you going to do with me?" he questioned.

      "You'll see fast enough."

      "Going to try your old tricks of making me a prisoner, I suppose."

      "You're a prisoner already."

      "Thank you, for nothing," returned Tom, as coolly as he could.

      "Don't you get impudent, Tom Rover. If you try it on, you'll get more than you bargain for, let me tell you that."

      "You always were a first-class bully, Baxter. You like to tackle little boys, or else somebody who is helpless."

      "Shut up! I won't listen to you, now!" roared Baxter, and grabbing Tom's hands he forced them back and bound them together. Then the rope was passed around Tom's waist, so that he could not move his hands to the front.

      By the time this work was accomplished Sara was regaining consciousness. He gave a moan of pain, and then sat up in bewilderment.

      "Who — what's happened?" he stammered. Then he looked around. "Oh! I remember now!"

      He was very unsteady when he got on his feet, and it was Tom who made the first move toward him.

      "Too bad, Sam. They are a set of brutes."

      "Don't call me a brute, Rover," growled Jasper Grinder. "Neither you nor your brother have all you deserve."

      Sam was bound with a rope, and then both prisoners were told to walk over to the fire. This they did, and were left in charge of Husty and Jasper Grinder, while Baxter went off a distance, in company with big Bill Harney.

      "Well, what do you want to do with 'em?" demanded Harney, when he and the bully were out of hearing of the others. "'Pears to me you've taken the law in yer own hands."

      "I'm glad I've caught them," returned Dan Baxter. "They may help us to find what I am after."

      "Think they've got a better map nor yours?"

      "They may have."

      "Supposing that brother comes up, with John Barrow? They may make it hot for us."

      "That's what I want to ask you about, Harney. Isn't there some place around here where we might hide the prisoners? A cave, or something like that?"

      The big guide scratched his chin thoughtfully.

      "There's a tolerable place about quarter of a mile from here — the old B'ars' Hole, we use ter call it."

      "Of course we don't want to run up against any bears," said Baxter, with a show of nervousness.

      At this the big guide let out a rough laugh.