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160 "It's rather desolate," he remarked. "I wonder what ever possessed that old Goupert to come here?"

"It's not so desolate in the summer time, Dick. But I reckon Goupert was a mighty odd stick, as it was."

At last they rounded a turn in the stream and came in sight of Bear Pond, a long and wide stretch of water located in the very midst of two tall mountains. The pond was covered with thick ice, and the snow lay upon it in long drifts and ridges. The ice was blackish and almost as hard as flint.

"We may as well go into camp near the mouth of this stream," said Dick. "For from this spot we'll make our first hunt for the treasure."

"I hope with all my heart that you find it, lad. But if you don't, don't be too disappointed."

"I want to find Sam and Tom first. I shan't hunt for the treasure until I know of them."

"That's right. We'll go on a hunt this afternoon, jest as soon as we've had some of these fish broiled for dinner."

If there was one thing which John Barrow could do to perfection, it was to broil fish, and the meal he set before Dick half an hour later was so appetizing the lad could not help enjoy it, in spite of his anxiety over his brothers' prolonged absence. The fish was as sweet as a nut, and both