"Certainly," replied Mr. Baxter.
"It will be useless. I have traveled too far afterthat gold to give it up now. You had better surrender. I'll guarantee to get you safe to the river."
"Never! We are going to keep the gold."
At that moment, whether by accident or design, one of the Indians discharged his gun at Johnson, who had not done as Mr. Baxter had thought he would, and concealed himself behind some blocks of ice. Instead he stood bolt upright.
There was a cry of pain from the colored man. An instant later he raised his rifle quickly and fired into the midst of the advancing Alaskans. One Indian fell.
"Are you hurt?" cried Mr. Baxter anxiously.
"Jest a scratch on mah cheek," replied Johnson. "But it was so close, sah, dat it done made me mad. I hit one o' dem rascals."
"That's what you did. I hope you didn't kill him, for I don't want any bloodshed if we can avoid it. Still, they fired first."
The moment the Indian fell his companions were thrown into confusion. They had not expected such vigorous resistance. Several of them threw down their guns and rushed to their fallen comrade. A well-directed fire at that moment would probably have scattered the enemy, but Mr. Baxter did not want to shoot into the midst of the Indians, unarmed as most of them now were.
Callack was in a rage. He stormed at his allies, and made them take up their guns again. The Indian Johnson had hit was only wounded, and he was carried to the rear. But the quick response of the colored man to the attack of theIndians had a good effect. It frightened the Alaskans, and, notwithstanding the demands of the rascally white man, they would not again advance. They wanted to consider matters first, and Callack was too big a coward to proceed alone.
Sullenly he retreated with his band of Indians to a small hollow about half a mile from the Baxter camp.
"Don't think we're going to let you go," he called out angrily as he went away. "We're going to have that gold."
Mr. Baxter did not reply. He watched the withdrawal of the Indians.
"Keep a close watch," he cautioned Johnson. "Tell us as soon as you see any suspicious movement."
"Dat's what I will, an' I'll shoot, too."
"No, don't do that unless they attack us again. They may leave us alone after this."
The position of the treasure finders was perilous enough. They were in a desolate country, and, though they had plenty of provisions for the time they had calculated on, they would not have enough if they were detained by the enemy. Their only hope was that Callack's men would retreat.
"Well, they've given us a chance to get breakfast, at any rate," remarked Mr. Baxter. "Now you boys hustle around, make some tea, cook some meat, and get things ready, while I bring the dogscloser in and feed them. Then I'll lay out some more ammunition. If it comes to a fight we'll have our hands full."
"Do you think they'll go away?" asked Fred.
"No; to be frank, I don't think they will. Callack is too greedy after the gold. He knows we have it."
"Then what are we going to do? We can't fight such a big crowd."
"I don't know. Perhaps I can think up some plan. But now get busy with the breakfast."
The meal was soon ready and eaten, Fred taking the place of the colored man on the ice hill while Johnson ate. Mr. Baxter had brought the sleds closer to the big hummock, had fastened the dogs more securely, and had opened several packages of cartridges.
"Why can't we build some sort of a fort?" suggested Fred.
"A fort?" inquired Mr. Baxter.
"Yes; to protect ourselves."
"What could we make it of?"
"Blocks of ice."
"So we could. I wonder I didn't think of that. It's a good idea, Fred. We'll do it. Get the picks and shovels. We can soon throw up a breastwork that will be proof against their bullets, and, as we occupy the highest ground, they can't fire down on us."
There was plenty of material for the fort, and before night there was a good rampart of ice, built in a semicircle out from the big rock, and taking in the tent and sleds, to which the dogs were kept fastened. They were quiet now, Mr. Baxter having given them a good feeding of seal blubber.
"What are your plans?" asked Fred after an early supper. "Do you think they will attack us to-night?"
"I hope not, for I want to put into execution a scheme I have thought of."
"What is it, dad?" asked Jerry.
"I think we will bury the treasure and make a dash to escape."
"Bury the treasure? Where?"
"Right here. We can cut a deep hole down under the ice and snow, put the bags of gold in, cover them up, and then be in readiness to make a dash through their lines."
"Suppose they pursue us?"
"That is probably what they will do. But I think we can escape, as our dogs are much swifter than are theirs. Then we will proceed toward the river, get help, and return for the gold. Or, better than that, Holfax and his friends may come to our relief. They ought to be here soon."
"If he doesn't fail us," suggested Fred.
"I do not believe he will. Holfax is faithful."
Mr. Baxter's plan was soon put into operation.A great hole was dug in the ice, the enemy being unable to observe the operation because of the rampart. Then the gold, in bags, was put in, and the blocks of frozen crystal placed back again. To better cover up the place, Mr. Baxter melted some snow into water in a kettle over a fire and poured the water over the filled-up hole. It froze almost instantly, and no one would ever have suspected that beneath that ice there was a fortune in gold.
"When are you going to try to escape?" asked Fred.
"To-night, about midnight. I think they will be sleeping soundly then, and if the dogs keep quiet we can slip through their lines."
"Can't we muzzle the dogs?"
"I'm afraid not. They would probably be so frightened that they would make more fuss than ever. We can only trust to luck."
Meanwhile Johnson or one of the adventurers kept a close watch from the hummock. Though only occasional glimpses of the Indians could be seen, the number of fires that were built showed that the enemy was in a circle about the place.
"They have us fairly hemmed in," said Fred. "They evidently mean to get that gold."
"I should think you'd be afraid to leave it buried here, dad, and go off," said Jerry. "Won't they dig and find it?"
"I depend on our chance of fooling them," replied his father. "I don't believe they will suspect we would go off and leave the treasure. They will think we have it with us and will give chase."
"Then our only chance depends on keeping out of their clutches?"
"That's it."
Preparations for the escape were quietly made, so that if by chance any spying Indian looked into the little camp he would not understand what was going on. The sleds were securely loaded, rifles and ammunition placed where they could be quickly reached, and the tent struck shortly before midnight. The Northern Lights were not as brilliant as usual, for which they were thankful, as it favored their chances of not being discovered.
At last all was in readiness. For a wonder the dogs were quiet, and allowed themselves to be harnessed with little or no fuss. With a final look around the fort, which held the treasure they had braved so much for, the small party set out, each one taking his place on a sled.
Mr. Baxter called softly to the leading dogs, and swung the long whip over their furry backs. The animals straightened out, and set off at a rapid run. Mr. Baxter guided them toward the left, which seemed the more open place in the circle the enemy had drawn around the camp.
They had made a good start, but could they get far enough through the line of the Indians to make good their escape? That was the question in the hearts of the four.
As the dogs drew the sleds down the little elevation on which the gold was buried, and where the fort was built, the treasure finders caught a glimpse of their enemies.
The Indians had established four camps, about equal distances apart, depending on members from each one to guard the spaces between. Four fires glowed on the snow, and little dark heaps here and there showed where either dogs or the Indians were huddled up in slumber.
Mr. Baxter directed the leading dog team as nearly as possible between two fires. He hoped none of the natives would awake, and certainly there seemed to be no danger of disturbing any guards, for there were none to be seen, at least none patroling the open spaces.
But his hopes were doomed to disappointment. One of the Indian dogs set up a sudden howl. Perhaps it was a challenge in the Alaskan dog language. At any rate, it was answered from severalthroats of the beasts pulling the sleds of our friends.
"That will bring them out!" exclaimed Mr. Baxter in dismay. "No need for silence now!"
He shouted to the dogs, calling loudly, and cracked the long whip. Barking and snarling, bidding defiance to their fellows in the camp of the enemy, the animals rushed on.
But the barking had roused the Indians and likewise their white leader. Callack's voice could be heard urging on his men. One or two rifles were fired, probably at random.
"Whip your dogs, boys," called Mr. Baxter, and Fred and Jerry let the long lashes fly.
The Indians were leaping to their feet and shouting. Several hurried to their sleds and began harnessing the animals.
Even then the fugitives might have escaped had it not been for their own dogs. A series of loud howls came from the beasts of the Indians. This was too much for the others. With wild yelps, utterly disregarding the voices and whips of Mr. Baxter, the boys and Johnson, who tried to urge them on, the brutes turned and made straight back for the camp of the Alaskans, probably intent on fighting with those who had challenged them.
"They're taking us right into the midst of the enemy!" cried Fred. "Let's jump off and run!"
He tried to do so, but he was so encumbered with robes and fur coats that he could not.
Mr. Baxter was trying his best to guide the leading team to one side, but it was useless. Lash them as he did the dogs kept on, straight for the Indian camp, beyond which they had almost passed.
"We've got 'em!" yelled Callack. Then he cried some commands in the Alaskan tongue.
"Shall we fire?" cried Fred.
"No, don't!" replied Mr. Baxter. "You can't tell where you are aiming. You might kill one of us. I guess it's all up. But I'm glad I buried the gold," he added to himself.
A moment later the adventurers were fairly in the hostile camp, and Jacob Callack and his men had surrounded them.
"Surrender! We've got you!" yelled the rascally white man.
"Yes, you've got us," admitted Mr. Baxter coolly, "but you wouldn't have if our dogs hadn't turned back."
"They're fine dogs," answered Callack with a sneer. "I think I'll take 'em for myself. Now then, get off your sleds and we'll talk business. After I have the gold I may consent to let you have your dogs back, though you don't deserve it, for you've made me a lot of trouble."
He spoke as though he had a right to steal the treasure from those who had found it, and as ifthey had no right to resist. Callack called something to his men, and a moment later they were pulling the treasure finders from the sleds and binding them with thongs of deer skin, having first taken their guns away.
Mr. Baxter and the two boys submitted with what grace they could to these indignities. But Johnson, the big colored man, fought with all his strength against the Indians. And, as he was very strong, and they were not very muscular, he tumbled several of them in a heap.
"There ain't no ugly ole Indian gwine t' tie up George Johnson without a fight, that's what they ain't!" he exclaimed.
"Rush at him all together!" called Callack to his men in the Alaskan tongue. Four or five of them did rush, but even they were no match for Johnson, who caught them in his long, powerful arms and tossed them over his shoulder, one by one, into a deep snow bank.
"I'll fix you!" yelled Callack, springing toward the fighting colored man, whose gun had been taken away.
The leader of the ugly Indians raised his rifle by the barrel and brought the stock down with terrific force on the head of Johnson.
Even protected as his skull was by a thick fur cap, the blow felled the negro like an ox. With a groan he sank down on the snow.
"There," said Callack, addressing Mr. Baxter. "That's the way I serve them as don't do what I say."
"You're a coward, to strike a defenseless man," said Mr. Baxter contemptuously.
"What's that! You dare call me a coward!" and the infuriated man strode over to Jerry's father with upraised rifle. But Mr. Baxter did not flinch. Looking Callack straight in the face, he never moved away from under the poised weapon. The man's bravery was too much for the coward. Muttering something below his breath Callack moved away, calling to the Indians to bring along the captives and the sleds.
"Are you going to let Johnson lie there and freeze to death?" asked Mr. Baxter.
"Let him freeze! What do I care?" was the cruel answer.
"If you do I shall charge you with deliberate murder when I reach a settlement," threatened Mr. Baxter.
"Maybe you'll never reach one."
But the threat evidently had some effect, for, at a muttered word from Callack, some of the Indians carried the unconscious colored man to one of the tents of the enemy's camp.
It was quite light, for the Aurora Borealis was streaming across the sky, giving a radiance likethat of a full moon, only more beautiful. The captives could see that they were in the hands of quite a large band of Indians. More of the Alaskans had evidently arrived since the first skirmish. Among them was Zank, on whose evil face was an ugly grin at his success in betraying those who had trusted him.
"It would have been better if you'd given up the gold at first," said Callack with a sneer. "Then I'd have let you go down to the river with your sleds and dogs. Now I don't know what I'll do with you. But first I'll get the gold."
"Will you?" thought Fred, as he recalled the cunning way in which they had buried it.
Callack gave some more orders, and the Indians began taking the things off the sleds of the captives. The dogs were removed and tied at a distance from the other animals, so the different teams would not fight.
So eager was the rascally white man to get possession of the treasure that he began to aid his allies in searching for the precious metal. The robes, tools, provisions and supplies of Mr. Baxter and the boys were rudely cast to one side in the hunt for the bags of yellow nuggets.
But the search was without avail. When at last the sleds had been stripped bare and no gold was found, Callack started up in a rage.
"Where's that gold?" he cried. "You had it, I know you did!"
"Yes, we had it," admitted Mr. Baxter calmly. "One of your spies saw it."
"Then where is it now? You've got to give it up! I see! You have it concealed about you."
He strode over to Mr. Baxter and began to feel about his clothing. The impossibility of any one hiding a lot of bulky sacks about him without having them show did not occur to Callack until he had convinced himself that Mr. Baxter had no gold under his fur suit. Neither had the boys nor Johnson.
Callack was plainly puzzled. He had confidently expected to get the gold when he captured the fugitives. Now that it was neither among their baggage nor on their persons, he did not know what to do. But he was determined to have the bags of nuggets.
Approaching close to Mr. Baxter, and shaking his fist in the face of the bound man, he asked:
"Are you going to tell me where that treasure is?"
"No, I am not," was the bold reply.
"Then you'll suffer for it!"
He turned aside, called to some of the Indians, and the three captives were led into one of the tents, while a guard of several of the Alaskans was stationed outside.
"Well, they've got us," said Fred softly when they were left alone.
"Yes," admitted Mr. Baxter, "but they haven't got the gold."
The situation of the captives was desperate. They were in the power of a white man as savage, or more so, as any of the Indians. To add to this, he was enraged at his failure to discover the gold, to obtain which he had risked so much. What he might do to compel them to reveal the hiding place they could only guess.
For a while after being thrust into the tent there was silence among the three. They had been roughly handled, the exertion to escape had been hard, and they were utterly discouraged. It looked as though they had failed almost in the moment of success.
"Do you think Holfax will bring any aid?" asked Fred after a long pause.
"I think he will try," replied Mr. Baxter. "Whether he can bring enough of his friends to drive away this band of rascals is another matter. He ought to come along pretty soon, if he hadgood luck in reaching a camp and can persuade enough to come back with him."
"I wish I could loosen some of these knots," remarked Jerry. "I'm tied so tightly that I can't move, and I'm getting cold."
It was very cold, even in the shelter of the tent, and wrapped as they were in thick fur garments, for they were tied so tightly that their blood could not circulate freely.
"Let's see if we can't loosen some of our bonds," suggested Fred. "The exertion will make us warmer even if we can't. And if we get loose we may be able to escape."
"No, don't try that part of it," advised Mr. Baxter.
"Why not?"
"Because, angry as he now is over not finding the gold, Callack would probably order us shot at once. If we wish to save our lives we will have to go slow. Try to loosen the thongs, by all means. That, as Fred says, will warm us up. But even if we get loose it will be advisable to stay in the tent. For, if we should manage to get out, we could not go far without dogs and sleds, and it would be impossible to harness the animals unobserved. No, boys, we'll have to stay here awhile and take our chances."
The Indians had been in such a hurry to tie their captives so that a search might be made forthe gold that the knots were not very secure. It did not take a great deal of exertion to undo them, and the three were able to stand up and stamp about, thereby warming themselves.
"I feel better," announced Fred. "Now if they'd bring us in something to eat we wouldn't be so badly off."
"I wonder how it goes with poor Johnson," said Mr. Baxter. "That was a cruel blow he received. Callack shall pay for that some day."
"He's a brute!" exclaimed Fred. "I wish I was big enough to fight him."
"I fancy if Johnson ever got at him in a fair fight Callack would wish he had never tried any of his tricks," observed Jerry.
Anxious hours passed. The captives, looking from the tent, saw Callack and several Indians grouped about the supplies they had taken from the sleds of the prisoners. They were appropriating to their own use such of the articles as they fancied, while Callack, unwilling to believe the gold was not there, was minutely examining every robe and garment, hoping to find part of the treasure concealed in the folds, or sewed up in them.
It was getting lighter with the approach of morning, though the days were successively getting shorter and shorter as the winter season advanced.
At last Callack became convinced that there was no trace of the gold to be found in the baggage ofhis prisoners. He gave up the search, and, calling to some of the Indians, ordered them to replenish the campfires, which had died down in the excitement over the attempted escape.
"I hope he thinks to send us some breakfast," remarked Fred, as from the tent the captives saw the Indians preparing a repast.
"He's not very likely to, unless he thinks that by getting us in good humor we will tell him where the gold is," said Mr. Baxter.
"Will you tell him?"
"Never! And I hope you boys will remain firm, no matter what he does."
"I'll not," declared Fred. The search for the gold had been too hard, and the possession of it meant too much to him to make him willing, even under stress of dire threats, to tell where it was hidden.
"He'll have to threaten me good and hard before I'll tell him where it is," said Jerry.
"Perhaps he may find it himself," suggested Fred.
"I don't think so," observed Mr. Baxter. "We hid it very carefully, and it will take some digging, even if he thinks to try that method, before he'll come upon it. By that time Holfax and his men may arrive."
That it was not Callack's plan to starve his captives was shown a little later, when a couple ofIndians came in with some hot tea and some meat. There was also some cold tallow, an article of diet much esteemed by the Alaskans in the winter, and the treasure finders had learned to eat it. For fats are very heating, and some such food as that is much needed in the Arctic region.
"He's up to some move," said Fred, as, looking from the tent-flap, he saw a lot of the Indians beginning to break camp.
"Maybe they're going to leave us here and go back to the cave where we found the gold, thinking that we left it hidden there," suggested Jerry.
"No, they know we brought the gold away," said his father. "Their spy was there for that purpose."
"They certainly are moving the camp," went on Fred.
Moving it they were, but for no great distance. The tents and supplies, including those of the prisoners, their sleds and dogs, were taken toward the place where the ice fort had been built around the base of the great hummock.
"He's going back to our old camp!" exclaimed Fred.
"I thought he would," added Mr. Baxter. "He's going to have a try for the gold there. Well, I hope he doesn't find it."
A little later Callack approached the tent where the three captives were.
"We're going to shift a bit," he said gruffly. "Going to where you had your camp. I'll dig up the gold there, and then I'll see what I'll do with you."
If he hoped to provoke a response by this he was disappointed, for neither Mr. Baxter nor the boys answered. Callack did not appear surprised to see that his prisoners were no longer bound. Perhaps he thought the Indians who had brought them the breakfast had loosed the thongs.
Closely guarded on all sides by the dusky Alaskans, Mr. Baxter and the two boys were made to march back to where the ice fort was. The tent was struck, and the old camp abandoned. Johnson, who had somewhat recovered from the cruel blow, staggered along, with an Indian on either side of him.
Callack lost no time in seeking the gold once he had reached the place where the first skirmish had taken place. He ordered his men to erect the tents, and then, taking several of the Indians, including Zank, with him, each one with a pick and shovel, he began to dig around the big hummock of ice.
"He'll hunt a good while before he finds anything there," remarked Fred.
As soon as the tents were up more Indians were set at digging. They demolished the fort, but this hindered rather than helped them, for the floorinside beneath which the treasure was buried was covered deeper than ever with a layer of ice. Callack excavated a little there, but the place seemed frozen so solidly because of the water Mr. Baxter had poured over it that it did not look as if it had been disturbed in a hundred years. So he did not go deep enough.
All day long the Indians, urged on by the white man, dug and searched for the treasure, but without success. As night came on Callack seemed to give it up.
Throwing down his pick, he walked over to where Mr. Baxter and the boys were kept under guard in a tent.
"Come on out here!" he called to them. "I've got something to say to you."
He gave an order to the guards, and they stood aside. Wondering what the new move of the scoundrel might be, Mr. Baxter, followed by his son and Fred, went out. A bitter cold wind was blowing, and it looked as if there was going to be a big snowstorm.
"Well," remarked Callack as he eyed his captives, "you hid the gold pretty far down, I guess. I haven't been able to find it."
He waited, seemingly for an answer, but Mr. Baxter did not reply, nor did the boys say anything.
"Now," went on the rascally white man, "I'm going to make you tell me where you've buried it, for I know you did bury it."
"Then why don't you find it?" asked Mr. Baxter.
"You were too sharp for me. I don't mind admitting that. You are ahead of me—so far—but I've got several tricks to play yet. But first I want to give you a fair chance."
"Then if you want to do that the best thing you can do is to give us back our sleds, dogs and other possessions and let us go on our way."
"Hu! I'd be very foolish to do that, wouldn't I? As soon as you got there you'd havemounted police after me, or you'd organize a vigilance committee."
"That's what we would," admitted Mr. Baxter. "I'll pay you back for what you have done, if it takes the last dollar I have in the world."
"Well, you'll not use any of the gold," replied Callack with a sneer, "for I'm going to have that myself."
"You'll have to get it first."
"I intend to. That's why I called you out here. I have a proposition to make to you."
"You can save your breath," said Mr. Baxter quickly. "I'll never consent to compromise with you and give you part of the gold."
"And I'm not asking for a compromise. I want it all," cried Callack quickly. "What I mean is this: You can tell me where the gold is buried and help me find it, in which case I'll provide you with safe transportation to the river."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you will be starved to death!"
At this cruel threat even Mr. Baxter, hardened as he was by privation in his early mining days, could not repress a start. For of all the deaths that could be devised, that of starving in the Arctic region is probably the worst. In that terribly cold climate much food is necessary to keep up bodily warmth, and once the temperature of the blood gets too low, the end comes by freezing. So, inreality, Callack was threatening to freeze and starve his captives to death unless they revealed the hiding place of the gold.
But after his first exhibition of emotion Mr. Baxter recovered his composure. He did not believe Callack would dare do as he said he would.
"I thought I'd make you think twice," said the scoundrel, as he noted the slight change that came over Mr. Baxter's face. "Now will you tell me?"
"No!"
The word came as an exclamation.
"Then you'll starve."
"Will we?" asked Mr. Baxter. "You can't scare me, Callack. A man who is cowardly enough to strike an unarmed person isn't brave enough to do as you say you'll do. You'll be afraid to do it, for, though we're a good way from civilization, the law will get you some day. I'm not afraid. These boys are not afraid. You'll never get the gold if we have to tell you where it is, and you can make the most of that. Now don't ask me again, for if you do I'll not answer you. I don't like to talk to such a scoundrel as you are."
These words of defiance stung Jacob Callack to fury. He raged up and down in front of the captives, and at times it seemed as if he would attack them. But the fearless attitude of Mr. Baxter, and the calm bearing of the boys, who tooka lesson from their older companion, was too much for the coward.
"All right!" he exclaimed. "We'll see how you'll talk after you've been twenty-four hours without anything to eat. We'll see how you'll like it to feel the cold making you stiff. You need not think I'll ask you again where the gold is. I'll find it myself, and punish you at the same time. You might better have thought twice, Simon Baxter, before you defied me. You don't know me!"
"Yes, I do. I know you for a coward, and a man who would not stop at the worst of crimes to accomplish his ends. But I'm not afraid of you. Help is on the way to us, and before twenty-four hours have passed you may be begging me for mercy."
Callack laughed. Evidently he placed no faith in what his prisoner said.
"Very well," he sneered. "From now on, unless you change your mind and decide to tell me where the gold is, you shall have not a morsel to eat."
He turned and walked away, while the captives went back into the tent.
"Do you think he'll really do as he threatened?" inquired Fred.
"I have no doubt but that he'll try it," replied Mr. Baxter.
"But can we stand it?" asked Jerry. "Wouldn't it be better to give him part of the gold and have him let us go?"
"He'd never be content with part of the treasure," was his father's answer. "He wants it all. But what do you say, Fred? You are an equal partner in this enterprise. Do you want to give Callack all the gold?"
Fred thought matters over for a moment. He had endured much to get his share of the treasure, and he was likely to endure more. To return without the gold meant that conditions would be the same at home as they had been. There would be pinching poverty, with his mother toiling over her sewing, and his father trying to get such light tasks as suited his strength. It meant that Mr. Stanley would get well very slowly, if at all.
On the other hand, if he stood out boldly with Mr. Baxter, there was a chance that Holfax and his men might come in time to save them. If he could stand the terrible pangs of hunger and cold for a time, all might yet be well. He made up his mind.
"We'll starve before we give up the secret of the gold," he said boldly.
"That's what I thought you'd say!" exclaimed Mr. Baxter. "I didn't think you'd give in, Fred. Now let them do their worst! We'll show them how brave boys and a strong man can go withouteating. I don't believe he'll dare let us die. And Holfax may come at any time now. Yes, boys, we'll defy that scoundrel!"
At that moment several Indians appeared at the flap of the tent.
"Come," said one who spoke a little English. "You go."
"I wonder what's up now?" said Fred. "Has he found the gold?"
There was no choice but to obey, and the captives went outside. It was snowing furiously.
Callack stood in front of the tent from which the captives were led by the Indians. He was so bundled up in furs that he was scarcely recognizable, and, as Mr. Baxter walked toward him, the man said:
"I'm going to give you one more chance to tell where the gold is. Will you?"
"I will not."
"Be careful! You don't know what you are going to suffer!"
"You have my answer. I'll not tell you where the gold is, and you had better be careful what you do. Friends are on the way to rescue us."
"They will arrive too late."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that unless you reveal the secret you will be left out in the open all night, with only such clothing as you now have on, and not a morsel of food, nor a drop of warm drink shall you have. Now do you still refuse to tell me?"
Mr. Baxter hesitated. The double hardship might be more than the boys could stand. As for himself, he believed he could hold out until help came. But it was terribly cold, and the storm that was now howling about the camp gave promise of being a fierce one. Should he give in?
A moment's reflection decided him. He thought Holfax must be near at hand. Perhaps he would come by morning, and they could stand the cold and exposure until then.
"Well?" asked Callack impatiently.
"You can go ahead with your cruelty," replied Mr. Baxter. "I'll never tell you where the gold is."
With a muttered exclamation Callack turned aside. At an order from him a moment later the Indians led the captives to the top of the ice hummock. A more exposed place in a storm could not well be found. The wind swept over it with great velocity, making it colder than down in the more sheltered places. To be left there without food was almost certain death.
Yet there Callack was going to leave his prisoners. Johnson, who still suffered from the blow on the head so that he was dazed, was led out from a tent, and the four treasure finders were tied with strong thongs, part of the dog harness being used.
Under the direction of Callack three of the Indians were making the final fastenings of thebonds, when there suddenly arose a disturbance among the others, who were grouped about the sleds of the treasure seekers. There were loud voices, and then angry cries.
"Those imps are fighting!" muttered Callack. "I'll soon put a stop to that!"
He caught up a heavy dog whip, and started down the side of the frozen mound. The disturbance among the Indians became more fierce. Blows were struck right and left, and several of the natives grappled with each other, rolling over and over on the frozen snow.
"They're fighting over the possession of our things," said Fred.
"Yes, there won't be much left for us," observed Jerry. "But I don't know as that makes much difference. We'll never get away from here to use our things."
"Oh, maybe we will," remarked Fred, hopefully.
Callack sprang into the midst of the fighting Indians. He raised his heavy whip, and the cruel lash fell left and right, but owing to the heavy clothing of the natives, it produced little effect. The cries of rage grew louder. The Indians were fairly tearing from each other's hands the choice articles of food, and the other supplies belonging to the captives.
The sight of their fellows in possession of whatwas to them unlimited wealth was too much for the three savages who were binding the captives. With one accord they dropped the thongs and leaped down the side of the ice hummock.
For a moment, left thus comparatively alone and unguarded, the captives did not know what to do. They watched the three Indians leap into the midst of the fighting, yelling throng of their fellows, amid which Callack stood, vainly plying his whip, as he would among a pack of dogs, to restore order.
"Boys!" cried Mr. Baxter suddenly. "Here's our chance. Can you loosen the thongs?"
As he spoke he exerted all his strength, and the partly-tied leather strips about his hands came loose. A moment later Fred's arms were also free. Jerry was more securely tied, but it did not take long for Fred and Mr. Baxter to release him.
"Now help Johnson," said the old miner, turning to where the colored man sat in the snow, just as he had been dropped when brought from the tent.
The thongs were quickly stripped from the negro.
"Stand up," cried Mr. Baxter, shaking the man, who seemed to be in a daze. "Stand up! We're going to escape! It's our only chance, when they're fighting among themselves!"
The Indians were paying no attention to theircaptives. They were in the thick of the fight now, the sound of blows echoing loudly in the still air. Clubs, dog whips, chunks of ice, shovels and picks, the implements being taken from the sleds, were used as weapons. Callack was unable to control his men. In fact he was in considerable danger.
But the colored man never stirred. He looked up at Mr. Baxter, smiled stupidly and mumbled:
"It suah am a warm day. Landy, but dis coon has got t' take off some ob his clothes!"
"His mind is wandering," spoke Mr. Baxter sadly. "Come, Johnson," he said. "We will help you to escape. Get up and walk. You must, or we'll have to leave you. We haven't a minute to spare."
But the unfortunate negro could not understand.
"It's no use," murmured Mr. Baxter. "We'll have to leave him to save ourselves. We can't carry him, he's too heavy."
"But what will Callack do to him, when he finds us gone?" asked Fred, for it seemed that they could easily escape during the excitement, which had not ceased.
"I don't believe Callack will harm him," replied Jerry's father. "He knows Johnson can't tell where the treasure is in his present state, and he'll look after him carefully, in the hope that his mind will come back, so he can point out the hiding place of the gold. So he'll not harm him, and if we make good our escape, we can come back with a strong party, and free him. But we must hurry. Callack seems to be getting his men under some kind of submission."
This was so. Though the Indians were still fighting, Callack's use of the heavy whip and his vigorous commands appeared to be having some effect. The captives waited no longer. Bidding Johnson farewell, though the negro probably did not understand what they said, Mr. Baxter and the boys fled down the side of the hummock, away from the camp.
Over the ice and snow they ran as fast as they could, but they welcomed the exertion, since, as they were not as warmly dressed as usual, the terrible cold was numbing them. The fierce fall of snow, which increased rather than diminished, served in a measure to conceal their movements.
"Come on, boys!" called Mr. Baxter cautiously, as he led the way. "We may escape that villain and his savages! Are you all right?"
"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 occasionalboom, 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, whenthey 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 theother 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 hardships, 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 passed."
Mr. Baxter went to the mouth of the cave andlooked 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, rushing 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 aidedFred. 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 rushing 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 ledaway. 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.
It was not far to the place where they had escaped from, for as the captives learned later, they had wandered about considerably in their flight. They were soon back at the camp, and this time Callack looked carefully to the tying of the thongs.
When the captives had been securely fastened, holes were made in the ice, and in them stakes were thrust. Then loose ice was tamped in around to make the stakes hold. To these stakes, which soon froze in, almost like part of the ice itself, the prisoners were fastened.
"Now," said Callack when the barbarous work was finished, "let's see how you like that. I think you'll soon wish you'd told me the secret."
No one made him an answer. All were too intent on trying to move about as much as the close bonds would permit to get positions where the cruel wind and the stinging particles of snow would not be in their faces. Poor Johnson, scarcely able to move, groaned in pain.
"Boys, can you stand it?" asked Mr. Baxter in a low voice, "or shall I give in to him?"
"I'll stand it," answered Fred decidedly.
"So will I," added Jerry.
They were left alone. The Indians and Callack retired to the tents where, sheltered from the fierceblasts, they ate of the food which they had taken from the sleds of their captives, for Callack's band was not well supplied with rations.