de might get a little more sleep, but the youth was allowed to
slumber until he aroused of his own accord, just as day was breaking.

"Hullo, I've slept all night!" he exclaimed, leaping up with something
of a hurt look. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I thought as how you needed the rest," was the answer from the guide.

"Aren't you sleepy?"

"Not very. A sleep early in the night generally does me more good nor
hours o' it later on."

"You haven't seen or heard anything of Tom or Sam?"

"Nary sight or sound, lad. It's too bad, but don't worry too much."

"They couldn't have seen the firelight," returned Dick, with a sorry
shake of his head. "It beats all where they went to, doesn't it?"

"I've been a-thinking that maybe they went on ahead, Dick."

"Ahead? That they somehow passed us?"

"Yes; while we were lookin' for 'em. They may be up at B'ar Pond now,
waitin' for us."

"Do you advise going up there?"

"We might as well. We can put up a post here, with a message for 'em--in
case they do come this way."

"That's an idea, and we can put up other posts, too. Then, if they
strike our trail, they'll be sure to go straight in following us." And
Dick's face brightened a bit.

John Barrow was already preparing breakfast, and he agreed with Dick to
leave some cooked meat in a cloth tied to the top of the pole the youth
erected not far from the fire. On the cloth they pinned a note, telling
of the direction to Bear Pond, and asking Tom and Sam to follow and fire
two shots, a minute apart, as a signal.

It was a clear day and the sun, shining over the mountain tops, made the
snow and ice glitter like pearls and diamonds. There was no wind, so the
journey toward Bear Pond was far from unpleasant. They moved slowly,
dragging the sled behind them, and searching to the right and the left
for some trace of the missing Rovers.

"I don't believe they came up here," said Dick after half the distance
to the pond had been covered, "I don't see the least trace of any human
being, although I've seen the footprints of several wild animals."

"The wind might have covered the tracks during the night," was John
Barrow's hopeful response.

"I'd rather lose the treasure, even if it is worth thousands, than have
anything happen to Sam and Tom."

Just before noon they came to a point in the river where it divided into
several branches.

"We'll stop here and put up another sign pole," said the guide.
"Remember what I said? All