The Young Treasure Hunter Part 29

"All right, but it's terrible cold," answered Jerry.

"Indeed it is, though it's not so bad as it was up on that hummock.

Let's stop a minute, and see if they are after us."

They paused to listen. The only sound was the mournful howling of the wind, and the occasional boom, like that of a cannon, as some immense crack opened up in the ice about them.

"They haven't discovered that we are gone, or else they don't know which way we took," said Mr. Baxter. "Come on, we must get farther away than this."

"Where are we going?" inquired Fred. "We can't stand much exposure, in this weather, and without food."

"I know it," replied Mr. Baxter. "I have hopes that we may chance upon some settlement of friendly Indians, where we can not only get food and shelter, but enlist their aid in capturing Callack."

"That sounds too good to be likely to happen," observed Jerry.

"Burr-r-r-r but it's cold."

"Don't think of it," advised his father. "Move a little faster, and get your blood in good circulation. Then you'll feel warmer."

"I don't believe I've got any blood left in me," replied his son. "It seems just like ice water."

They trudged on, not knowing and scarcely caring where they were going, as long as it was away from Callack's camp. In fact they could see but a short distance before them, and had to go it almost blind, for the snowflakes were like a pall of frozen fog.

"Hark!" suddenly exclaimed Mr. Baxter, when they had been tramping along about half an hour. "Isn't that shouting behind us?"

The boys listened. Faintly there sounded voices in pursuit.

"They're after us!" exclaimed Fred. "What shall we do? Shall we run, or give fight?"

"We haven't any weapons, or we might stand them off," remarked Jerry.

"I'm almost willing to give up. We can't go on this way very far."

"I'd rather freeze to death out here than back in Callack's camp,"

observed Mr. Baxter grimly. "Let's go on, but we'll turn off to the left."

He swung around and began to run, the boys following. The three fugitives had not taken a dozen steps when suddenly Mr. Baxter, who was in the lead, disappeared.

"Why--why----" began Fred, when he found himself slipping down, and an instant later, Jerry also toppled into a big hole, that opened through the snow right at their feet. The two boys brought up with a jolt, and found themselves sprawled out beside Mr. Baxter. They had fallen down an opening toward a sort of cave, the black mouth of which was directly in front of them.

"Well, we came right down the chimney," observed Mr. Baxter. "This is a lucky fall. We'll have a place to stay, and we'll throw Callack and his Indians off the track."

He rose to his feet, and started into the cave, which seemed a large one. They had toppled down a shaft or hole in the roof. The boys followed him, and as they entered the cavern they saw a faint light at the farther end.

"This cave has a back and a front door," observed Mr. Baxter. "Come on, boys, we'll conceal ourselves in here until they have given up the search."

As he spoke there sounded above their heads, and off to one side, the shouts and yells of Callack and his men, who were running at top speed after their captives. For the fight had been quelled, and the escape discovered.

The cave was found to be one hollowed out under the earth and rocks, and there was no ice or snow in it.

"Say, this is as warm as toast!" exclaimed Jerry.

"Toast! Don't mention such things," begged Fred. "I'm half starved. I wonder why who ever made this cave didn't leave something on the sideboard for visitors to eat?"

"I guess this is a natural cave," replied Mr. Baxter. "There doesn't appear to be any signs that any one was ever in it before. It will serve us well, though, as Fred says, it's hard to be without food."

There was nothing to do but wait until it was safe to emerge. The fugitives went close to the other opening of the cavern. In front of it stretched a big level field of ice and snow, as far as the treasure seekers could observe, which was not far, for the snow still came down in big flakes.

The warmth, which was a welcome change from the terrible cold, made them drowsy, and before they knew it the escaped captives were dozing off.

How long they slept they could not tell, as there was no way of measuring time, and with no change from daylight to darkness.

With their awakening came a renewal of the pangs of hunger. In that cold climate men need to eat often and heartily to combat the frost king, and the captives, weakened by the exposure, their exertions and lack of food, suffered very much.

But they grimly bore it all, and, though the boys felt it more than did Mr. Baxter, who was seasoned to hards.h.i.+ps, they never complained.

"Maybe if one of us went out, we could find some edible mosses beneath the snow," suggested Fred. "That would be good for us, wouldn't it, Mr.

Baxter?"

"Yes, if we can find the moss. There are some kinds that will keep a man from starving. I'll go out of the cave. I think it will be safe now. It must be several hours since Callack and his crowd pa.s.sed."

Mr. Baxter went to the mouth of the cave and looked out. It had stopped snowing, and the northern lights were flickering in the sky.

"I'll chance it," he said.

As he was about to step forth he heard a noise to one side. It was the movement of something over the frozen surface of the snow. He started, and was about to dart back into the cavern, thinking it was some of the Indians, when Fred, who had come to the entrance with Mr. Baxter, cried out:

"It's one of our sleds, with two dogs fast to it. Hurrah! It's a sled with food on it!"

"Well, if this isn't a marvel!" exclaimed Jerry. "How did that get here?

Did Callack send it?"

"The dogs probably wandered away during the fight," said Mr. Baxter.

"See, they are not properly harnessed; they are only tangled up in the thongs. I wonder if we can catch them?"

Hurrying out, the old miner called sharply to the animals in the Indian tongue, of which he had learned a few words. The beasts halted. They were almost exhausted from pulling the heavy load from which, doubtless, they had probably tried to break loose.

"Food! food!" cried Fred, rus.h.i.+ng from the cave, and beginning to tear away the robes over the load on the sled. "Now we're all right!"

With eager hands Mr. Baxter and Jerry aided Fred. The dogs lay down in the snow, panting and weary.

"We'll feed them well, to pay them for having brought us this sled,"

said Mr. Baxter. "It has saved our lives. Fate sent the beasts this way.

Now boys----"

But he did not finish the sentence, for, at that instant with wild shouts, there came rus.h.i.+ng over a little hill of ice several fur-clad figures. And the foremost of them was Callack, while behind him came several Indians.

"Here they are! We've got them!" cried the ugly white man. "I'm glad I decided to trace those straying dogs. Don't run or I'll shoot!" he added, and the captives saw that he had a gun. They could not have run if they wanted to, they were so exhausted. Fate had apparently aided them only to cast them once more into the hands of their enemies.

"Ah! You thought you'd get away from me, did you?" asked Callack exultantly, as he and his men rushed upon the treasure seekers. "Well, you nearly got away, and if it hadn't been that I started off after the dogs that strayed away with the sled, you might have fooled me. But now I've got you, and I'll wager you won't get away again."

The captives said nothing. They were too miserable. They were roughly bound, though their legs were left free, and then they were led away.

Callack sat in comfort on the dog sled, the animals managing to pull him and the load of food, as the trail back to camp led down hill.