ler and that he came here when
the authorities chased him off the Great Lakes. He had lots o' money,
but he was a miser, and a queer stick to boot. He built himself a cabin
on Bear Pond, and lived there all alone for two years. Then some lake
men came down here, and one night there was a big row and the lake men
disappeared. Goupert couldn't be found at first, but about a month later
some hunters discovered his dead body tied to a tree in the woods, not
far from the spot you asked about. He had been left to starve to death.
The story was that the lake men had starved him in order to get him to
tell where he had hidden his money box, and that old Goupert was too
much o' a miser to let the secret out. So folks begun to hunt for that
money box high an' low, but never got a smell o' it, as I said."

"Did you ever hunt for the money?" questioned Dick.

"No, I never had no time to waste. So you really came up on that
account?"

"We came up on that account, and also to have a good time in the
mountains," said Dick, before Sam or Tom could speak. "But, Mr. Barrow,
I wish you wouldn't mention this to the other folks around here. They
might laugh at us for coming on what they think is a wild-goose chase."

"Oh, I won't say a word on it--if you want it that way."

"Did this Goupert leave any relatives?" asked Sam.

"No, lad, not a soul."

"Then if we should find that treasure it would belong to us," put in
Tom.

"Every penny on it, lad. But don't raise any high hopes, or you may be
sorely disapp'inted."

"Oh, I came for a good time," replied Tom, in an off-handed a manner as
possible.

Presently John Barrow had to get out of the wagon to fix something on
the harness. While he was doing this Dick leaned over to his two
brothers.

"Don't say anything about the map to anybody," he whispered. "We'll
keep that a secret for the present." And Tom and Sam nodded, to show
that they understood.

The ride to John Barrow's house soon came to an end, and as the boys
alighted at the horseblock the door opened and Nellie and Grace Laning
appeared.

"How do you do, Tom!" cried Nellie, as she ran and caught him by the
hand, while Grace did the same to Sam. "We're awfully glad to see you,
and to see Dick and Sam, too," and a hand-shaking all around followed.
Then Mrs. Barrow, a motherly woman, was introduced and also her daughter
Addie, who was Nellie's age, and full of fun.

"Come right in, boys," said Mrs. Barrow. "Supper is wa