The four rabbits were plump and heavy, and the boys shouldered them with much satisfaction.  Then the onward course was resumed, until Dick again called a halt.

“Here is where we’ll make trial No. 2,” he said.  “Now see if any of you can locate the blasted tree in this neighborhood.”

All began to search around in various directions, and presently Sam let out a call.

“Here’s a fallen tree!”

“Struck by lightning?” queried Dick.

“I don’t know about that.  Perhaps Mr. Barrow can tell us.”

The others walked over, and the guide cleared the snow from the upper end of the fallen timber.

“Not much signs of being struck by anything but the wind,” he announced.  “Still, I aint sure.”

“We’ll try from this point, anyway,” said Tom.  “No use of missing any chance, however small.”  And on this the others agreed.

Once again they began to pace off the ground as before.  Here the task was as difficult as ever, as they had to pass through some timber thickly intergrown with brush.

“I suppose in Goupert’s time this timber was small,” observed the guide.

The tramping around was beginning to tire them, and soon Sam had to stop to rest and get back his wind.

“I feel like a regular snow-plow,” he gasped.  “Tell you what, it takes the wind right out of a chap.”

“You rest while we go ahead,” suggested Tom, but Sam did not wish to do this.

“Not much!  If the treasure is going to be found, I want to be on deck!” he cried.

Presently they we’re at it again, Dick pacing off the steps as carefully as ever.  They had still fifteen paces to go when John Barrow came to a stop with a sniff of disgust.

“Wrong ag’in!”

“How so?”

“This is leadin’ us right out on the pond.”

“I declare, so it is!” murmured Dick.  “We started due southwest, didn’t we?”

“To a hair, lad.  To tell the truth, I didn’t take much to this trail from the start.  To my mind this stream is a new one.  I think the next outlet is one of the old-timers.”

Once more they held a consultation, and Tom asked how far it was to the next stream.

“Right over yonder rise o’ ground,” answered the guide.  “But hadn’t you better wait till after dinner before ye tackle it?”

Dick consulted his watch.

“I declare!  Quarter to twelve!” he exclaimed.  “No wonder I’m feeling hungry.”

“I was getting hungry myself,” said Tom “But I wasn’t going to be the first to stop.  What shall we do—­go back to camp?”

“Yes,” said Dick.  “I don’t like the idea of leaving Jasper Grinder there all day alone.”

“Nor I,” came from the other Rovers.

John Barrow was asked to lead them back by the shortest route, and they started quarter of an hour later, after all had had a chance to rest and get back their wind.

“I hope we get a chance at some deer while we are up here,” remarked Dick, as they turned back.