set a guard for the night, but as
the spot seemed free from danger for the time being, this was dispensed
with, and all went to bed, to sleep soundly until sunrise.

"And now for the treasure hunt!" cried Sam, who was among the first to
awaken. "It's just a perfect day, and we ought to accomplish a good
deal, if we set to work right after breakfast."

He talked freely, for Jasper Grinder was still asleep--snoring lustily
in a corner of the shelter. John Barrow was already outside, boiling
coffee, broiling another bear steak, and preparing a pot of beans for
cooking. He had likewise set some bread for raising.

"Goin' to give you a breakfast as is a breakfast," said the guide; with
a broad smile. "Reckon all of you are ready for it, eh?"

"I am," said Dick. "Phew! but this mountain air does give one a
tremendous appetite!"

While Jasper Grinder still slept Dick brought forth the precious map
and studied the description, and also the translation of the French text
into English, which Randolph Rover had made for them.

"'To find the box of silver and gold, go to where Bear Pond empties into
Perch River,'" he read. "Well, we are at this spot, or, at least, at one
of the spots. It may mean this branch, and it may mean one of several
others."

"We can try one branch after another," put in Sam. "Go on with the
description."

"'Ten paces to the west is a large pine tree which was once struck by
lightning,'" continued Dick. He looked around. "I don't see any tree
like that around here."

"You must remember, my lad, that that writin' was put down years ago,"
said John Barrow. "More'n likely if the tree was struck an' blasted,
it's fallen long ago, and the spring freshets carried it down the
river."

"That's true," said Sam, with a falling look. "But, anyway, we ought to
be able to locate the stump."

"Yes, we ought to be able to do that."

"I'm going to locate it now," cried Sam, and stalked off to where the
pond emptied into the stream. From this spot he stalked ten paces
westward, and of a sudden disappeared from view.

"Help!" he cried.

"Hullo, Sam's disappeared!" cried Dick, and ran toward the spot.

"Look out!" sang out John Barrow. "There may be a nasty hole there!"

Nevertheless, he too went forward, and they soon beheld Sam floundering
in snow up to his neck. He had stepped into a hollow between the rocks,
and it took him some time to extricate himself from the unpleasant
position.

"Oh, my, what a