e coming to attack us!" cried Ned.

Tom said nothing. He was steadily observing the approaching sleds.
They came on rapidly. Abe was holding the golden nuggets in his
gloved hands.

"Get the guns! Where's your electric rifle, Tom?" cried Mr. Damon.

"I don't believe we'll need the guns--just yet," answered the young
inventor, slowly.

"Bless my cartridge-belt! Why not?" demanded the eccentric man.

"Because those are the Fogers," replied Tom. "They have followed
us--Andy and his father! Andy Foger here!" gasped Ned.

Tom nodded grimly. A few minutes later the sleds had come to a halt
not far from our friends, and Andy, followed by his father, leaped
off his conveyance. The two were clad in heavy fur garments.

"Ha, Tom Swift! You didn't get here much ahead of us!" exulted the
bully. "I told you I'd get even with you! Come on, now, dad, we'll
get right to work digging for gold!"

Tom and his companions did not know what to say.

CHAPTER XXII

JUMPING THE CLAIM

There was a sneering look on Andy's face, and Mr. Foger, too, seemed
delighted at having reached the valley of gold almost as soon as had
our friends. Tom and the others looked at the means by which the
bully had arrived. There were four sleds, each one drawn by seven
dogs, and in charge of a dark-skinned native. On the two foremost
sleds Andy and his father had ridden, while the other two evidently
contained their supplies.

For a moment Andy surveyed Tom's party and then, turning to one of
the native drivers, he said:

"We'll camp here. You fellows get to work and make an ice house, and
some of you cook a meal--I'm hungry."

"No need build ice house," replied the native, who spoke English
brokenly.

"Why not?" demanded Andy.

"Live in ice cave-plenty much ob'em--plenty much room," went on the
Eskimo, indicating several of the large caverns.

"Ha! That's a good idea," agreed Mr. Foger, "Andy, my son, we have
houses already made for us, and very comfortable they seem, too.
We'll take up our quarters in one, and then hunt for the gold."

Mr. Foger seemed to ignore Tom and his friends. Abe Abercrombie
strode forward.

"Look here, you Fogers!" he exclaimed without ceremony, "was you
calculatin' on stakin' any claims here?"

"If you mean are we going to dig for gold, we certainly are,"
replied Andy insolently, "and you can't stop us."

"I don't know about that," went on Abe, grimly. "I ain't goin' t'
say nothin' now, about th' way