ogs trop dead, yah!"

Finally Gus Schmidt came to a halt and announced that they must go into
camp for the night. The dogs needed the rest. They could continue the
chase at the first sign of dawn.

"Do you know where we are?" asked Dick.

"Out in der ice und snow, dot ist all I know," said the German. "I
nefer vos here pefore."

"If we are not lost we are next door to it," murmured Dick.

They had brought along a little tent and sleeping bags, and after
supper made themselves as comfortable as possible. The dogs had been
fed and they snapped and snarled over the bones thrown to them.

Only once during the night were Dick and his companion disturbed. From
a distance came a yelping which the dogs at once answered.

"What is that?" asked the youth, sitting up. "Not the dogs of the
other sled?"

"Nein, dot vos foxes," answered Gus Schmidt. "Ton't podder mit dem.
Da ton't come here--da vos afraid of ter dogs." And he turned over to
go to sleep again.

Dick could not sleep with any kind of comfort. He was utterly
exhausted, yet his mind was continually on Tom. What was his poor
brother doing, all by himself, amid that desolation of ice and snow?

At daybreak they were on the way again. The sun had come up, but soon
it was hidden by a heavy bank of clouds, and then the snowflakes
commenced to fall.

"Dot ist pad," said Gus Schmidt, shaking his head.

"You mean, it will wipe out the trail?" said Dick.

"Yah--der drail to find your prudder und der drail for us to git pack
py. Maype ve besser go pack now."

"No! no! don't turn back! Please don't go back!" pleaded Dick. "He
can't be so very far ahead of us. We are sure to catch up to him in a
very short while now. If we----"

Dick did not finish, for a strange sight ahead caught his eye. Coming
towards them was a dog team on a gallop. Behind the team was an
overturned sled, empty.

CHAPTER XXX

GOOD-BYE TO ALASKA--CONCLUSION

"Is that your sled?"

"Yah. Vait, I vos sthop dem!" yelled Gus Schmidt, and with a dexterity
that was really marvelous he turned his own team about and in a few
seconds was traveling after the runaways.

"Wait! I'm going to get off! To look for my brother!" cried Dick, and
as the German slackened his speed for a few seconds, the oldest Rover
boy sprang out in the snow. He went sprawling, but was not injured.
Almost before he knew it, the two sleds had disappeared and he was left
alone.

All around him w