ay," grunted Shaw, rolling over on his back, "I'm all fried out."

"You have plenty of fat left," grinned Jimmie. "How did you fellows
get here?"

"By following the signs in the stones," Frank replied.

Then Jimmie turned to Peter, also panting from his climb.

"Where's the drum you went after," he demanded, tauntingly.

"I got lost on the way down," Peter explained. "I didn't think I'd
ever see or hear a drum again. Then I came upon Frank. He was lost,
too. I was on my way down to the camp, and he was on his way up to
the camp, and we met half a mile to the south of the camp, both
trudging along like fools."

The situation was explained in a few words. Both boys had missed the
trail, and had found, not the camp, but each other. They had last met
in New York. Frank had not the slightest notion that Peter had left
the city. It was a fortunate meeting, for the two, after greeting
each other like chums, had studied the situation out much better than
one could have done, with the result that, after many false trails had
been followed, they had struck the one left by Jimmie.

"Where are they going with Fremont?" Frank asked, in a moment.

"They seem to be going after the reward," replied Jimmie.

"He'll get all the reward that's coming to him before he gets over the
river and claims the money," Frank exclaimed. "Do you think Fremont
knows that you are here?"

Jimmie shook his head.

"I've had to keep back," he said, "and Fremont never will look my way
when I get close up to where he is."

"He ought to know," the drummer said.

"I've done my best," Jimmie said, in a discouraged tone.

Frank Shaw smiled and dropped down behind a huge rock.

"Just wait a minute," he said. "Just wait until I catch me breath,
and I'll put him wise to the fact that there's a Black Bear somewhere
in this turned-up-on-edge country. Watch, and see him jump."

Frank put his hand to his throat and emitted a growl which would have
done credit to a genuine black bear, a bear in a museum warning the
inquisitive to keep away from his cage. The threatening sound,
however, seemed to come from the other side of the slope where the
prisoner stood.

The Englishman drew a revolver and glanced sharply around, while the
outlaws seized their guns and held them ready for action. It was clear
to the boys that they had been completely deceived by the signal, and
were expecting an attack from the animal at any moment.