Part 34 (1/2)
”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 d.i.c.k. ”Impossible!”
”It is true, d.i.c.k. 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 d.i.c.k 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 s.h.i.+fted, 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 d.i.c.k, 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-night,” came from John Barrow seriously. ”But where to take you to out of this awful storm I scarcely know.”
”Any kind of shelter will do,” said Sam. ”We can rig up a hut under some big cedar tree.”
”In that case, let us stick as closely to the river as possible.”
”Why?”
”We can get fish then, if we need 'em.”
No more was said, and the guide at once led the way to a thick clump of cedars growing but a rod away from the edge of the river. The cedars formed something of a circle, about fifteen feet in diameter, and by clearing out some brushwood in the center they made quite a cozy resting place. On the outside the cedars were laced together, and the snow was banked up on all sides, leaving but one opening, two feet wide and several feet high, for the purpose of supplying them with fresh air.