“A letter from Dick,” said Tom, and read it aloud.  “We are on the right track, Sam, and if we only continue to steer clear of Dan Baxter and his gang we’ll be safe.”

“Dick asks us to fire two shots, a minute apart, as a signal,” came from Sam.  “I’ll do it at once.”  And without delay he discharged the shotgun, waited sixty seconds, and then discharged it again.

Both listened intently, and from a great distance came back two other shots, also a minute apart.

“They heard the signal!” ejaculated Sam joyfully.  “It came from up the river, didn’t it?”

“Yes; come on!”

Without stopping to eat the food which had been left for them, the boys hurried forward just as rapidly as their now tired legs would carry them.

They had brought their skates along and these were put on, after which progress was easier.  It was now growing dark, and they began to wonder if they would be able to rejoin Dick and Mr. Barrow before nightfall.

“I hope we meet them,” said Sam.  “I’ve no fancy for remaining in this open, alone.”

“Try another two shots,” suggested Tom, after an hour had gone by, and Sam did so.  Immediately came answering reports, directly to their left.

“Hullo!” yelled Tom, at the top of his lungs, and Sam at once took up 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.