the cry.

"Hullo!" came back faintly. "Tom! Sam! Is that you?"

"Yes. We are on the river!"

"All right!"

The yelling now stopped, and Tom and Sam came to a halt and sat down on
a flat rock to wait. Ten minutes passed, when they saw Dick rush into a
clearing, followed by John Barrow. As soon as the eldest Rover saw them
he waved his hand enthusiastically.

"Where in the world have you been?" came from Dick, as soon as he
reached them, and saw that neither was injured. "We've been looking high
and low for you."

"We've been prisoners of the enemy," answered Tom. "By the way, have you
seen anything of Dan Baxter and his party?"

"No. Do you mean to say Baxter made you prisoners?"

"He and his crowd did."

"How many are there with him?"

"Three men, Bill Harney the guide, Lemuel Husty, and Jasper Grinder."

"Jasper Grinder!" burst out Dick. "Impossible!"

"It is true, Dick. I was as much astonished as you."

"I suppose Baxter promised him a share of the treasure if it was
found."

"More than likely. But I don't believe they'll find the treasure."

Tom and Sam soon told their story, to which Dick and John Barrow
listened with keen interest. Hardly, however, was the tale finished than
the guide urged them to move on.

"It's quite a few miles to camp," he said. "And, unless I am mistaken,
it's getting ready for a big fall o' snow."

John Barrow was right about the snow. Less than quarter of an hour later
the thick flakes began to fall. Then came a finer snow, which the wind
blew around them like so much hard salt.

"We are in for a corker!" cried the guide. "The sooner we git back to
our supplies the better it will be for us!"

CHAPTER XXV.

SNOWED IN.

With the coming of night the downfall of snow increased until it was
impossible to see a dozen feet in any direction. The wind also increased
in fury until it blew a regular gale. At first this was in their favor,
being directly on their backs and sending them over the ice at a furious
pace, but soon it shifted, first to the left and then to in front of
them, and now further progress appeared out of the question.

"I'm afraid we can't make it!" gasped Dick, turning to catch his breath.
"I'm almost winded now."

"I've got to stop," came from Sam. "I'm ready to drop."

"I can't see a thing," said Tom. "And I'm in mortal terror of skating
into some big air-hole."

"You are right, lads, we'll have to give up the idea of reaching camp
to