for other
deposits of the precious metal.

Tom and Ned were digging together not far from one another. Suddenly
Ned let out a joyful cry.

"Strike anything?" asked Tom.

"Something rich," answered the bank clerk. He lifted from a hole in
the ground a handful of the golden pebbles.

"It's as good as Abe's was!" exclaimed Tom. "We must stake it out at
once, or the Fogers may jump it. Come on, we'll go back and tell
Abe, and get Mr. Parker and Mr. Damon over here."

The three men were some distance away, and there was no sign of the
Fogers. Tom and Ned hurried back to where their friends were,
leaving their picks and shovels on the frozen ground.

The good news was soon told, and, with some stakes hastily made from
some extra wood carried on the airship, the little party hastened
back to where Tom and Ned had made their strike.

As they emerged from behind a big hummock of ice they saw, standing
over the holes which the lads had dug, Andy Foger and his father!
Each one had a rifle, and there was a smile of triumph on Andy's
face!

"What are you doing here?" cried Tom, the hot blood mounting to his
cheeks.

"We've just staked out a claim here," answered the bully.

"And you deserted it," put in Mr. Foger smoothly. "I think your
mining friend will tell you that we have a right to take up an
abandoned claim."

"But we didn't abandon it!" declared Tom. "We only went away to get
the stakes."

"The claim was abandoned, and we have 'jumped' it," went on Mr.
Foger, and he cocked his rifle. "I need hardly tell you that
possession is nine points of the law, and that we intend to remain.
Andy, is your gun loaded?"

"Yes, pa."

"I--I guess they've got us--fer th' time bein'," murmured Abe, as he
motioned to Tom and the others to come away. "Besides they've got
guns, an' we haven't--but wait," added the miner, mysteriously. "I
haven't played all my tricks yet."

CHAPTER XXIII

ATTACKED BY NATIVES

To state that Tom and his friends were angry at the trick the Fogers
had played on them would be putting it mildly. There was righteous
indignation in their hearts, and, as for the young inventor he felt
that much blame was attached to him for his neglect in not remaining
on guard at the place of the lucky strike while Ned went to call the
others.

"I guess Andy must have been spying on us," spoke Ned, "or he would
never have known when to rush up just as he did; as soon as we
left."

"Probably," admitte