Part 26 (2/2)

”I feel better,” announced Fred. ”Now if they'd bring us in something to eat we wouldn't be so badly off.”

”I wonder how it goes with poor Johnson,” said Mr. Baxter. ”That was a cruel blow he received. Callack shall pay for that some day.”

”He's a brute!” exclaimed Fred. ”I wish I was big enough to fight him.”

”I fancy if Johnson ever got at him in a fair fight Callack would wish he had never tried any of his tricks,” observed Jerry.

Anxious hours pa.s.sed. The captives, looking from the tent, saw Callack and several Indians grouped about the supplies they had taken from the sleds of the prisoners. They were appropriating to their own use such of the articles as they fancied, while Callack, unwilling to believe the gold was not there, was minutely examining every robe and garment, hoping to find part of the treasure concealed in the folds, or sewed up in them.

It was getting lighter with the approach of morning, though the days were successively getting shorter and shorter as the winter season advanced.

At last Callack became convinced that there was no trace of the gold to be found in the baggage of his prisoners. He gave up the search, and, calling to some of the Indians, ordered them to replenish the campfires, which had died down in the excitement over the attempted escape.

”I hope he thinks to send us some breakfast,” remarked Fred, as from the tent the captives saw the Indians preparing a repast.

”He's not very likely to, unless he thinks that by getting us in good humor we will tell him where the gold is,” said Mr. Baxter.

”Will you tell him?”

”Never! And I hope you boys will remain firm, no matter what he does.”

”I'll not,” declared Fred. The search for the gold had been too hard, and the possession of it meant too much to him to make him willing, even under stress of dire threats, to tell where it was hidden.

”He'll have to threaten me good and hard before I'll tell him where it is,” said Jerry.

”Perhaps he may find it himself,” suggested Fred.

”I don't think so,” observed Mr. Baxter. ”We hid it very carefully, and it will take some digging, even if he thinks to try that method, before he'll come upon it. By that time Holfax and his men may arrive.”

That it was not Callack's plan to starve his captives was shown a little later, when a couple of Indians came in with some hot tea and some meat. There was also some cold tallow, an article of diet much esteemed by the Alaskans in the winter, and the treasure finders had learned to eat it. For fats are very heating, and some such food as that is much needed in the Arctic region.

”He's up to some move,” said Fred, as, looking from the tent-flap, he saw a lot of the Indians beginning to break camp.

”Maybe they're going to leave us here and go back to the cave where we found the gold, thinking that we left it hidden there,” suggested Jerry.

”No, they know we brought the gold away,” said his father. ”Their spy was there for that purpose.”

”They certainly are moving the camp,” went on Fred.

Moving it they were, but for no great distance. The tents and supplies, including those of the prisoners, their sleds and dogs, were taken toward the place where the ice fort had been built around the base of the great hummock.

”He's going back to our old camp!” exclaimed Fred.

”I thought he would,” added Mr. Baxter. ”He's going to have a try for the gold there. Well, I hope he doesn't find it.”

A little later Callack approached the tent where the three captives were.

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