first hunt for the treasure."

"I hope with all my heart that you find it, lad. But if you don't, don't
be too disappointed."

"I want to find Sam and Tom first. I shan't hunt for the treasure until
I know of them."

"That's right. We'll go on a hunt this afternoon, jest as soon as we've
had some of these fish broiled for dinner."

If there was one thing which John Barrow could do to perfection, it was
to broil fish, and the meal he set before Dick half an hour later was so
appetizing the lad could not help enjoy it, in spite of his anxiety over
his brothers' prolonged absence. The fish was as sweet as a nut, and
both lingered some time over the meal, until all that had been broiled
were gone.

"And now to find Tom and Sam," said Dick, at last, as he leaped up from
the log upon which he had been sitting. "What shall we do with our
things?"

"Here is a hole in the rocks," answered the guide. "We'll hide them
there and cover them with stones. I don't think anything will disturb
the things between now and nightfall."

The stores were placed in the cache and carefully covered, so that the
wild animals might not get at them, and then they saw to it that their
firearms were ready for use. A minute later they were off, on the hunt
for Tom and Sam.

CHAPTER XXI.

A PAIR OF PRISONERS.

It is high time that we return to Tom and Sam, and learn how the two
Rover boys were faring in their unequal contest with Dan Baxter and his
followers.

As we know, it was Baxter himself who attacked Sam, while big Bill
Harney threw Tom to the ground. Jasper Grinder went to Baxter's
assistance, while Lemuel Husty ran to aid Harney.

"Let go of him!" cried Sam, and managed to hit Baxter a glancing blow on
the cheek.

"I'll not let go yet," answered Baxter, and bore the youngest Rover to
the earth. Over and over they rolled in the snow, until Grinder caught
Sam by the legs and held him still.

"That's right, Grinder, hold him!" panted Dan Baxter. "Don't let him get
up!"

But Sam was not yet subdued, and getting one foot clear at last, he
kicked Jasper Grinder in the ear.

"Oh! oh! my ear!" screamed the former teacher. "He has kicked my ear
off. You scamp, take that!" And letting out with his foot, he gave Sam a
vigorous kick on the side. At the same time Baxter struck the boy in the
head with a stick he had been carrying, and then Sam suddenly lost
consciousness.

In the meantime Tom was having a similar struggle wi