the story all a
myth? Was there no waterfall, no cave, no gold?

Fred went a little way ahead. As he turned a place where a big ledge of
rock jutted out, hiding what was behind from view, he uttered a cry.

"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Baxter, hurrying up, thinking the lad had
been hurt.

"The waterfall!" cried Fred. "There it is, frozen solid! See!"

And so it was. The great cold had solidified, into fantastic shapes, the
falling water, until it looked like nothing but a vast ledge of ice,
with great columns, like spears, hanging down here and there.

"Now for the cave!" cried Fred, hurrying forward. "It must be at one
side of the fall."

Mr. Baxter, Fred, and Jerry hastened forward, while Holfax and Johnson
remained behind to look after the dogs, that seemed to develop a sudden
wild desire to run away.

It was hard climbing, over the piled-up masses of frozen water, and
great icicles, but the gold-seekers managed it. Mr. Baxter was in the
lead. He passed across a frozen pool, into which, during what summer
there was in that cold region, the waters of the cataract fell, and
then, with a loud shout, he pressed forward.

The boys, close at his heels, saw him headed toward a dark opening. They
hurried to join him.

"The cave!" cried Fred. "It's the cave where Stults hid his treasure!"

Mr. Baxter was just at the entrance. As he was about to pass under the
icy ledge, there was an ominous crackling overhead. Fred looked up. To
his horror he saw a great icicle, that had become detached from the mass
at the frozen waterfall, come toppling straight down toward where Mr.
Baxter was standing, he having hesitated a moment to look into the black
interior of the cavern.

"Look out!" cried Fred. "Go into the cave!" Mr. Baxter comprehended his
danger. He took a step forward, but, just then, his foot slipped, and he
fell.

The great mass of ice, sharp as a spear, and weighing a ton or more, was
falling straight down on the prostrate man, as if to transfix him.

CHAPTER XVI

DIGGING FOR TREASURE

Fred never could distinctly recall, afterward, how he accomplished it,
but he did. As he saw the mass of ice descending toward Mr. Baxter, the
boy, with a swift, comprehensive look, took in the situation. A daring
scheme came into his head.

From where he and Jerry stood, on a sort of little hill, the ice
descended, in a slope, to the mouth of the cave. The frozen surface was
almost as smooth as glass.

"My fa