“Gosh, but a plateful of beans would be fine!” cried Tom.  “I can tell you what,” he added reflectively; “you want to do without things to learn their real value.”

On they went once more, this time slower than before, because both Sam and Jasper Grinder showed great signs of weariness.  They had to move around a long bend of the stream, and for fear of getting into a deep drift the guide did not dare to make a short cut.  They passed the pole set up by John Barrow and Dick at the forks of the stream, and then headed directly for where the cache was located.

“When we get settled we can put up a regular hut,” said John Barrow.  “Then we can be as comfortable, almost, as at home.”

“I’m anxious to locate the treasure,” said Tom, “We can—­Gracious me!  Look there!”

They had come in sight of the cache, and now beheld two great black bears standing over the loose stone’s, doing their best to scratch them away and get at the party’s stores!

CHAPTER XXVII.

Bringing down two bears.

“Bears!” burst out Sam, and started back in alarm.

“Bears!” shrieked Jasper Grinder, and turned as pale as death.  “Oh, somebody save me!” He wanted to run, but he was in such a tremble he could not, and sank on his knees in the snow in terror.

Crack!  It was the report of John Barrow’s rifle, and one of the bears was hit full in the left eye.  Crack! went the piece Dick carried, and the other bear was hit in the neck.  Then Tom fired the shotgun which had been found on Jasper Grinder, and the bear Dick had hit was wounded in the side.

Of course there followed a terrible uproar, and in a twinkle both bears left the pile of rocks and came toward those who had wounded them.  The one that had been wounded in the eye was mortally hit, however, and staggered in a heap before he had gone ten paces.

But the second bear was full of fight, and his course was directly for Tom.  Before the lad could run the beast was almost on top of him.

“Dodge him!” called out Dick.  “Dodge him, Tom!”

“Shoot him, somebody!” yelled back Tom.  “Shoot him, quick”

And then he dodged behind some nearby brush.  But the bear was almost as quick, and ran directly into the brushwood, to face him on the opposite side.

By this time John Barrow had the rifle reloaded, and now he skirted the brushwood, followed by Dick.  Crack! went the rifle again, just as bruin was about to pounce upon Tom.  But the bullet merely clipped the hair on the bear’s back, and in a twinkle the beast was on Tom and had the lad down.

With his heart in his throat, Dick made a leap with the shotgun.  Bang! went the piece, when he was not over three yards from the bear.  The charge entered the beast’s ear, and with a snort he rolled over and over in the snow, sending it flying in every direction.