"We'll have to take turns at watching him," said Dick. "It's too bad,
but I see no other way out of it."
They drew lots, and it fell to Sam to remain with the patient during the
afternoon. An hour later Dick, Tom, and the guide set off to look once
more for the treasure.
"Well, I'm tired enough to stay here and rest," said Sam. "That walking
this morning played me out completely."
There was not much to do, since Jasper Grinder had brought in sufficient
wood to last for a day or two. For an hour Sam rested and watched the
former teacher, who had fallen into a doze. Then the youngest Rover set
to work to improve the shelter, doing several things which the guide had
suggested.
The youth was hard at work patching up one side of the improvised hut
when he heard a movement in the brushwood not far away. Fearing some
wild animal he ran for his gun, but ere he could reach the firearm a
voice arrested him.
"Stop, Sam Rover, stop!"
The voice was that of Dan Baxter, and an instant later the bully came
into view, rifle in hand, and followed by Bill Harney.
"What do you want here, Baxter?" demanded Sam, as coolly as he could,
although the situation by no means pleased him.
"Are you alone?"
"No."
"Who is with you?"
"What business is that of yours?"
"I'm making it my business."
"I reckon he's alone, right enough," put in Bill Harney. "I don't see
anybody else around."
The big guide rushed forward, and knocking down Sam's gun placed his
foot upon it.
"Give me my gun!"
"Not so fast, my bantam!" cried the guide. "Baxter, reckon ye had better
look into the shack and see what's there."
The bully did as requested. On seeing Jasper Grinder, he started back.
"Grinder!"
"Who calls?" asked the wounded man, and opened his eyes. "So it is you,
Dan Baxter. What do you want?"
"What did you desert us for, Grinder?"
"I didn't desert you. I got lost, and they found me, half starved and
frozen. Now I am wounded. Are you in possession of this camp? Where are
the Rovers?"
"Sam is here. I don't know anything about the others. Have they found
that treasure yet?"
"No. They went off to look for it." Jasper Grinder tried to go on, but
fell back exhausted and could say no more.
"Here's a queer go!" muttered the former bully of Putnam Hall. "I
suppose they shot Grinder. If they did, they ought to suffer for it. I
guess--Hullo, what's up out there?"
A scuffle outside of the shelter had reached his ears. Bill Harney had
been standing close to some firewood, and without warning Sam had rushed
at the big guide and sent him sprawling backward.
"Hi! stop him!" yelled the guide, as he started to struggle to his feet.
But before he could get up, Sam had taken time by the forelock and
disappeared into the timber skirting the pond.
CHAPTER XXX.
A SUCCESSFUL SEARCH--CONCLUSION.
When Sam escaped from big Bill Harney he had but one purpose in view,
and that was to reach Dick and the others just as soon as possible and
acquaint them with the turn affairs had taken.
He had a fairly good idea of the direction the others had taken, and
knew that their tracks in the snow would be plain to follow. The main
thing at the start was to keep out of sight of the enemy.
In doing this, he had not only to avoid Harney and Baxter, but also
Husty, providing that individual was anywhere around, which was
probable. Consequently, although he traveled as fast as the deep snow
permitted, he kept a sharp lookout on every side.
The youth soon circled the lower shore of Bear Pond, and he found the
trail he was seeking. It led directly to the westward, and he followed
it up, almost on a run.
In the meantime Dick, Tom, and John Barrow had journeyed to the third
outlet of the lake, the stream which the guide thought must be the
original of Perch River. Here, after a good deal of trouble, the party
located what looked like the stump of a tree once struck by lightning.
"We've found it at last!" cried Dick. "I feel it in my bones that we are
on the right track!"
Again they measured off the distance with care, and now came to a large
flat rock, behind which was another, unusually sharp.
"The flat rock!" muttered Tom, and his heart began to thump wildly.
"Dick, you're right. We are on the right track. If the treasure isn't
here, it's been taken away."
They had brought along a pick and a crowbar, and now all set to work to
clear away the snow, and then the dirt from around the pointed rock. The
ground was hard, and at first they made but slow progress.
"Perhaps we'll have to build a fire, to thaw out the ground," suggested
John Barrow.
"Oh, that will take too long," said Tom. "I wonder if we can't turn the
rock over?"
With the crowbar and the pick wedged against the flat rock they pushed
upon the pointed rock with all the force at their command. Several times
the tools slipped, but at last they held, and slowly the pointed rock
went up, until with a thud it rolled over and several feet away.
"Hurrah, a hole full of small stones!" cried Dick, and leaped down to
pick the stones out. Tom followed, and so did the guide.
"Dick! Tom! Hullo! hullo!" came the unexpected cry from a short distance
away.
"Who is that calling?" demanded Dick.
"It's Sam," replied the guide, looking up. "He's coming here as fast as
he can track it."
"Then something is wrong," said Dick, and for the moment the treasure
was forgotten.
It did not take Sam long to reach them. He was so out of breath that for
several minutes he was unable to talk connectedly. At last he gasped
out:
"Dan Baxter and that big guide--they attacked me and I ran away.
They--they are in possession of our traps."
"Baxter!" ejaculated Dick. "That's the worst yet. They'll steal all our
things and leave us to starve!"
"We might as well go right after them," put in John Barrow.
"Oh, say, let's unearth this treasure first," pleaded Tom. "If we leave
that, Baxter may follow up our tracks, as Sam did, and take it from
under our very noses."
"Tom is right--get the treasure first," said Dick.
Once more they set to work, Sam watching them while trying to get back
his breath and strength. Soon the last of the loose stones were removed
from the hole, and they came upon a thin metallic slab having in the
center a small ring. They pulled the slab up and disclosed a small
square opening, in the middle of which rested a metallic box, about a
foot and a half square and a foot in depth. The box was so heavy they
could scarcely budge it.
"The treasure at last!" came from all of the boys.
"Putty heavy, no mistake about that," was John Barrow's comment. "If
it's silver it's wuth considerable!"
"We must get it out somehow," said Dick, who was as excited as anyone.
"Let's get the crowbar under it."
This suggestion was carried out, and after a good deal of trouble the
box was brought up out of the hole. Beneath it lay an iron key, which
fitted the rusty lock of the treasure casket. Soon they had the box
open, and all gazed intently inside.
"Gold and silver!" shouted Tom. "See, the gold is on top, and looks as
if it had been put in some time after the silver. Wonder what the stuff
is worth?"
"Some thousand dollars, that's sure," said Dick.
Now that the treasure was found the boys scarcely knew what to do with
it. Then the guide came forward with a suggestion.
"We'll hide it in the snow for the present. Then the Baxter crowd won't
know where it is. The empty hole will throw 'em off the scent."
A nearby place was readily found, and into this the box was placed and
the snow was thrown loosely over it. This accomplished, they started
back for the camp with all possible speed.
It was a long tramp, and although he did his best Sam lagged behind.
"You go on, don't mind me," said the youngest Rover. "Only keep them
from running off with our goods."
It was a good half hour before the camp was reached. When they came in
sight of the spot it looked deserted.
"We may as well go slow," cautioned John Barrow. "There may be some sort
of a trap set for us."
They advanced with their guns ready for use, but nobody appeared, and
presently they stood close to the camp-fire. Then Dick ran into the
shelter, to find Jasper Grinder lying as Sam had left him.
"Mr. Grinder, where is the Baxter crowd?" he asked.
"Gone, half an hour ago," replied the wounded man.
"Where did they go to?"
"I don't know. They said something about following you up and spying on
you, to see if you had found the treasure."
"Creation!" ejaculated Dick, and ran outside again. "We've made a mess
of it!" he said. "They followed us up, and more than likely they've got
the treasure box this minute!"
It was found that but little in the camp had been disturbed, excepting
that Sam's gun had been taken off. What to do was now the question. Sam
could not walk further.
"Better stay here," said Dick. "If the Baxter crowd comes back, you can
hide."
Then he, Tom, and John Barrow set out to return to where the treasure
had been left. They were still some distance away when they discovered
Dan Baxter, Bill Harney, and Lemuel Husty making their way along the
snow-covered trail. In a few minutes they came up to the party.
"Baxter, where are you bound?" demanded Dick, striding up.
"You know well enough."
"We are after thet treasure," came from Harney, and it was plain to see
that he and Husty had been drinking heavily.
"The treasure is ours, Baxter, and you can't touch it."
"It will belong to whoever finds it," growled the bully.
"That's right," came from Husty. "Whoever gits it, owns it. Eh, Harney?"
"Plain truth, that is," hiccoughed the big guide.
"In that case, it is ours for sure," grinned Dick. "We have it already."
At this announcement Dan Baxter staggered back.
"It--it aint true; you're joking," he faltered.
"It is true, Baxter. Come, I will show you where the treasure was
hidden--if that will do you any good. Here is the description." And Dick
brought it forth and let the bully read it.
"Where's the tree?" demanded Baxter.
"There is the tree, and over yonder is the rock. We turned it over and
found the treasure, just as we anticipated. It's ours, and I am simply
telling you this to save you the trouble of looking further for it. Dan
Baxter, you have played this game to a finish with your companions, and
you have lost."
If ever there was a disappointed and angry individual, it was Dan
Baxter. He raved and said all sorts of uncomplimentary things, and Husty
and Harney joined in, until John Barrow told all of them to shut up or
he would have the law on them.
"You had no right to make prisoners of Tom and Sam," he said. "But if
you'll behave yourselves, and not bother us in the future, we'll let
that pass."
To this Husty, who was a thorough sneak, consented at once, and then
Bill Harney did the same. Baxter remained silent.
"You've defeated me this time," he said, at last. "But, remember, I am
not done with you."
A little later Baxter moved off, and Bill Harney and Lemuel Husty went
with him. It was the last that the Rovers saw of their enemies for a
long while to come.
A few words more and we will bring to a close this story of the Rover
boys' adventures in the mountains.
Our friends found it no easy matter to get the heavy treasure box safely
to camp. In order to move it, they had to construct a drag of a treelimb
and hook a rope to this, and then it was all they could do to move it
along through the deep snow.
When they got the box into camp they lost no time in examining the
treasure. The gold and silver amounted to twenty-five hundred dollars,
and there were diamonds and other precious stones worth nearly as much
more.
"About five thousand dollars, all told," announced Dick. "That is not
such a bad haul, after all."
As there was now nothing more to look for, our friends spent ten days in
the camp, taking it easy most of the time, and spending a day in getting
back the missing sled. They went hunting twice, and the second time out
Dick got a fine shot at a deer, and brought down the creature without
trouble. Tom and Sam brought down considerable small game, and all voted
the outing a complete success, despite the interference occasioned by
their enemies.
At the end of the ten days Jasper Grinder was able to walk around,
although still weak. In the meantime John Barrow had constructed a sled
for the former school-teacher to sit upon, and on this he rode when they
started on the return to Timber Run.
When the settlement was gained the Laning girls, Mrs. Barrow, and Addie
were glad to see them back, and delighted to learn of the treasure and
its value. They said they had heard of Baxter and his followers, but
that all of the party had left Timber Run for parts unknown.
"Well, we don't want to see them again," said Dick. "We've had quite
enough of all of them." At Timber Run Jasper Grinder left them, and the
Rovers saw no more of him for many days.
The home-coming of the Rover boys was a day long to be remembered.
There was a regular party given at the country home, at which many of
their friends were present. The Laning girls were there, and also Dora
Stanhope, and Larry, Fred, George, and a host of others, not forgetting
Captain Putnam himself, who came upon a special invitation sent by Mr.
Anderson Rover. Alexander Pop waited upon the table as usual, his face
beaming with pleasure.
"Jes tell yo', yo' can't down dem Rober boys nohow," said the colored
man to Captain Putnam. "Da is jes like apples in a tub--yo' shoves 'em
under, an' up da pops, bright as eber." And the owner of Putnam Hall
laughingly agreed with Alexander.
"I trust that you will never be troubled by Dan Baxter again," said Dora
Stanhope to Dick, after he had told her the story of the treasure hunt.
"I trust so myself," replied Dick. "But he's like a bad cent, sure to
turn up when not wanted." Dick told the truth. How Dan Baxter turned up,
and what he did to bring the Rovers more trouble, will be told in
another volume, to be entitled, "The Rover Boys on Land and Sea; or, The
Crusoes of Seven Islands," a tale full of happenings far out of the
ordinary.
But for the time being troubles were of the past, and here let us leave
our friends, shouting as did the pupils from the Hall when the party
broke up:
"Three cheers for the Rover Boys! Hip, hip, hurrah!"
* * * * *
The Famous Rover Boys Series
By ARTHUR W. WINFIELD
Each volume is hailed with delight by boys and girls everywhere
12mo. Cloth. Handsomely printed and illustrated.
Price, 60 Cents per Volume. Postpaid.
THE ROVER BOYS DOWN EAST
Or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune.
Old enemies try again to injure our friends.
THE ROVER BOYS AT COLLEGE
Or, The Right Road and the Wrong
Brimming over with good nature and excitement.
THE ROVER BOYS ON TREASURE ISLE
Or, The Strange Cruise of the Steam Yacht
A search for treasure; a particularly fascinating volume.
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM
Or, The Last Days at Putnam Hall
The boys find a mysterious cave used by freight thieves.
THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS
Or, The Deserted Steam Yacht
A trip to the coast of Florida.
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE PLAINS
Or, The Mystery of Red Rock Ranch
Relates adventures on the mighty Mississippi River.
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE RIVER
Or, The Search for the Missing Houseboat
The Ohio River is the theme of this spirited story.
THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP
Or, The Rivals of Pine Island
At the annual school encampment.
THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA
Or, The Crusoes of Seven Islands
Full of strange and surprising adventures.
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS
Or, A Hunt for Fame and Fortune
The boys in the Adirondacks at a Winter camp.
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES
Or, The Secret of the Island Cave
A story of a remarkable Summer outing; full of fun.
THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST
Or, The Search for a Lost Mine
A graphic description of the mines of the great Rockies.
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE
Or, Stirring Adventures in Africa
The boys journey to the Dark Continent in search of their father.
THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN
Or, A Chase for a Fortune
From school to the Atlantic Ocean.
THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL
Or, The Cadets of Putnam Hall
The doings of Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover.
GROSSET & DUNLAP--NEW YORK
* * * * *
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Companion Stories to the Famous Rover Boys Series
By ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
Open-air pastimes have always been popular with boys, and should
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12mo. Handsomely printed and illustrated.
Price, 60 Cents Per Volume, Postpaid.
THE PUTNAM HALL ENCAMPMENT
Or, The Secret of the Old Mill
A story full of vim and vigor, telling what the cadets did during the
summer encampment. *** and among other things their visit to a
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healthy fun in it.
THE PUTNAM HALL REBELLION
Or, The Rival Runaways
The boys had good reasons for running away during Captain Putnam's
absence. They had plenty of fun, and several queer adventures.
THE PUTNAM HALL CHAMPIONS
Or, Bound to Win Out
In this new tale the Putnam Hall Cadets show what they can do in
various keen rivalries on the athletic field and elsewhere. There is
one victory which leads to a most unlooked-for discovery.
THE PUTNAM HALL CADETS
Or, Good Times in School and Out
The cadets are lively, flesh-and-blood fellows, bound to make friends
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something is told of a remarkable midnight feast and a hazing that had
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THE PUTNAM HALL RIVALS
Or, Fun and Sport Afloat and Ashore
It is a lively, rattling, breezy story of school life in this country,
written by one who knows all about its ways, its snowball fights,
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excitements its rivalries, and its chilling disappointments.
Other Volumes in Preparation.
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By Horatio Alger, Jr.
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Price, 60 Cents per Volume. Postpaid,
THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT
Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success
A plain but uncommonly interesting tale of everyday life, describing
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FROM FARM TO FORTUNE: Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience
Nat was a poor country lad. Work on the farm was hard, and after a
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OUT FOR BUSINESS: Or, Robert Frost's Strange Career
Relates the adventures of a country boy who is compelled to leave home
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We must leave to the reader to discover.
FALLING IN WITH FORTUNE
Or, The Experiences of a Young Secretary
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YOUNG CAPTAIN JACK: Or, The Son of a Soldier
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A SAILOR BOY WITH DEWEY
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WHEN SANTIAGO FELL
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PIONEER BOYS OF THE GREAT NORTHWEST
Or, With Lewis and Clark Across the Rockies
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WITH BOONE ON THE FRONTIER
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FROM OFFICE BOY TO REPORTER
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LARRY DEXTER, REPORTER
Or, Strange Adventures in a Great City
LARRY DEXTER'S GREAT SEARCH
Or, The Hunt for a Missing Millionaire
* * * * *
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ADRIFT ON THE PACIFIC
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THE CRUISE OF THE TREASURE SHIP
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THE RIVAL OCEAN DIVERS
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* * * * *
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RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER
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