hide."

Then he, Tom, and John Barrow set out to return to where the treasure
had been left. They were still some distance away when they discovered
Dan Baxter, Bill Harney, and Lemuel Husty making their way along the
snow-covered trail. In a few minutes they came up to the party.

"Baxter, where are you bound?" demanded Dick, striding up.

"You know well enough."

"We are after thet treasure," came from Harney, and it was plain to see
that he and Husty had been drinking heavily.

"The treasure is ours, Baxter, and you can't touch it."

"It will belong to whoever finds it," growled the bully.

"That's right," came from Husty. "Whoever gits it, owns it. Eh, Harney?"

"Plain truth, that is," hiccoughed the big guide.

"In that case, it is ours for sure," grinned Dick. "We have it already."

At this announcement Dan Baxter staggered back.

"It--it aint true; you're joking," he faltered.

"It is true, Baxter. Come, I will show you where the treasure was
hidden--if that will do you any good. Here is the description." And Dick
brought it forth and let the bully read it.

"Where's the tree?" demanded Baxter.

"There is the tree, and over yonder is the rock. We turned it over and
found the treasure, just as we anticipated. It's ours, and I am simply
telling you this to save you the trouble of looking further for it. Dan
Baxter, you have played this game to a finish with your companions, and
you have lost."

If ever there was a disappointed and angry individual, it was Dan
Baxter. He raved and said all sorts of uncomplimentary things, and Husty
and Harney joined in, until John Barrow told all of them to shut up or
he would have the law on them.

"You had no right to make prisoners of Tom and Sam," he said. "But if
you'll behave yourselves, and not bother us in the future, we'll let
that pass."

To this Husty, who was a thorough sneak, consented at once, and then
Bill Harney did the same. Baxter remained silent.

"You've defeated me this time," he said, at last. "But, remember, I am
not done with you."

A little later Baxter moved off, and Bill Harney and Lemuel Husty went
with him. It was the last that the Rovers saw of their enemies for a
long while to come.

A few words more and we will bring to a close this story of the Rover
boys' adventures in the mountains.

Our friends found it no easy matter to get the heavy treasure box safely
to camp. In order to move it, they had to construct a drag of a tre