'tis
Lem's silver," said Jamie innocently.

"The others? Who's 'the others'?" demanded Bill.

"Doctor Joe and the other scouts," Jamie explained.

"'Doctor Joe and the other scouts,'" quoted the big lumberman. "Who's
this here Doctor Joe? And who's the other scouts?"

"He's Doctor Joe! Everybody knows Doctor Joe!" explained Jamie, quite
astonished that any one should ask who Doctor Joe might be. "The
scouts be the other lads of the Bay, sir."

"Well, this here Doctor Joe, whoever he is, and these here other
scouts, whoever they be, better keep out'n our business and mind their
own," roared the man. "I suppose they're this here bunch what's
campin' down by the brook and been runnin' all over the country
to-day?"

"Aye, sir, we're all campin' down handy to the brook, and we've all
been lookin' for the cache, but I'm the only one that finds the rock,"
admitted Jamie.

"You ain't camped down there now!" The man swore a mighty and strange
oath that made Jamie tremble. "You was camped there, but _now_ you
ain't! You're goin' with us, _you_ be! Hear that?"

"Aw, let the kid go!" broke in Hank, impatiently. "We better be
gettin' a jog on us too. Leave the kid be, and come on. He's just a
kid and he can't kick up any trouble. Leave him be, and let's get out
of here."

"Not me!" The man gave Jamie's arm a painful twist. "I ain't goin' to
leave this here kid to go back and blab to that there Doctor Joe and
the hull country. He heard our talk, and if it gets to the boss you
know what that means. I ain't takin' any chances on him, and I'm half
of this."

"We'll be gettin' in bigger trouble if we takes him along. We'll have
the hull country huntin' us," Hank protested.

"You heard me! I ain't goin' to take chances on his blabbin'! He goes
along, and I'll fix him so's he won't blab and nobody'll get our trail
if they do hunt us. The snow'll hide it," insisted Bill.

"Well, let's get a move on then," said Hank. "The wind's risin' and
it's goin' to kick up a sea. I don't want to be caught out on the Bay
again in a sea like we had that other time. The snow's goin' to be
thick too, and we'll lose our bearings."

"Go on, then. I'll foller with the kid," said Bill, still holding
Jamie's aching arm.

"Better let the kid go," said Hank, swinging a rifle over his left
shoulder and with an axe in his right hand striding away through the
darkness and thickly falling snow.

"Come along you!" and Jamie's captor, gripping Jami