"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 handshaking 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 waiting, and I'm sure you must be hungry."
"Hungry doesn't describe it," said Tom. "I could eat sole leather. Phew! what an appetite riding in this mountain air does give a fellow!"
"Can you ever remember the time when you wasn't without an appetite, Tom?" asked Nellie Laning, with a laugh.
"Never go so far into ancient history," he returned solemnly, and a general laugh followed.
Soon their outfit was safely housed in the barn, and then they entered the house, where the long supper table, filled with good things, awaited them. All three of the girls insisted upon waiting on the boys, and it proved as jolly a meal as they had ever eaten. They lingered for an hour at the table, talking and cracking nuts, and during that time the Rover boys became thoroughly acquainted with the Barrow family.
"Oh, I've heard lots about you!" said Addie Barrow. "Nellie has told me great, long stories about Tom's bravery, and Grace has told me aill about Sam's doings, and both of them have told about you, Dick —— "
"Now, do be still, Addie!" put in Nellie Laning. "I declare, I never said a word!"
"Oh! A word! Why, you kept me awake one night for over an hour telling about how Tom —— "
"Let's have a song," broke in Sam. "I see an organ in the next room and some music. You must play," he added, to Addie.
"She plays beautifully," put in Grace, thankful for the change of subject. "Addie, give them that new song, 'I'm Sorry, Oh, So Sorry!'"
"All right," answered the young lady of the house, and sitting down at the organ she ran her hands over the keys and started the song. She could sing and play well, and all joined in the chorus. The music was kept up for over an hour, and then the Rover boys retired, highly pleased over their reception.
CHAPTER XIV
THE START UP THE RIVER
"If it wasn't for finding that treasure box I'd just as lief stay here for a few days," remarked Tom, on getting up the following morning.
"Ditto myself," came from Sam. "We could have a boss good time, eh?"
"How about it if Nellie and Grace weren't here?" came from Dick, and then dodged a shoe thrown at him by Tom and a pillow sent forth by Sam. "No, boys, it won't do — we must leave for the hunt to-day. Why, there may be a million in it."
"That's right, Dick; when you fly, fly high," said Tom. "That Frenchman never had a million. If he had a couple of thousand he'd be lucky."
"And of course, a couple of thousand is of no importance to us," put in Sam grandiloquently.
"All right; I'll go on the hunt alone."
"No, Dick, of course we'll go," said Tom hastily. "When do you want to start?"
"As soon as Mr. Barrow can get off."
But, in spite of Dick's anxiety to get off, the start was delayed for a whole day, much to Tom and Sam's secret joy. John Barrow had to go to Timber Run for things needed in the house by his wife and daughter.
When he returned there was a broad grin on his face.
"I've got news for you," he said to Dick, who had followed him down to the barn. "There's another party arrived at Timber Run on the hunt fer that treasure of old Goupert's."
"Another party. Who is it?"
"Didn't hear their names. There are two men and a young fellow o' nineteen or twenty. They have hired Bill Harney fer a guide, and are goin' to strike out fer the Pond to-morrow."
"Two men and a young fellow," mused Dick. "I'd like to know who they are."
"One o' the men looked like a preacher or schoolmaster. He called the young feller Thacher, or something like that."
"It wasn't Baxter?" queried Dick, struck by a sudden idea.
"That's the name — now I remember."
"And the man, did they call him Grinder — Jasper Grinder?" went on Dick excitedly.
"If it wasn't Grinder, it was something like it. The party came east from Ithaca."
"It's Dan Baxter and Jasper Grinder sure!" burst out Dick. "Well, this beats the nation."
"Then you know the crowd?"
"I do — to my sorrow, Mr. Barrow. That Dan Baxter is the good-for-nothing young fellow I told you of this morning, and Jasper Grinder was a teacher at the Hall. We had a big row with him and he was kicked out in a hurry by Captain Putnam. They are our enemies."
"Humph! That promises to make it interesting for you. But it's queer they should come up at the same time you're here," went on the lumber man thoughtfully.
"I might as well let you into a secret, Mr. Barrow. Will you promise to keep it entirely to yourself?"
"Certainly, lad, if it's an honest secret."
"It is honest," answered Dick, and thereupon told of the adventure on Needle Point Island and of the map on the table, and how it had disappeared, and of the finding of the second map in the brass-lined money casket later on.
"I am sure Dan Baxter has that other map," he concluded. "He wants that treasure as badly as we do."
"Then I allow as how it will be a nip-an'-tuck race between you," returned John Barrow. "The fust to get there will be the best man. O' course, with that map it ought to be plain enough sailin'."
"I thought it would be, but it will mix us up, now you say that Bear Pond empties into Perch River in several places. We'll have to try one place after another."
"Do your directions start from that p'int?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll have to find the right emptyin' place, that's all. My advice is to start fer the spot to-morrow early."
So it was arranged, and Dick called Tom and Sam down to the barn to talk it over. It was late in the afternoon, and all worked until after the supper hour in preparing for the start.
"It's a good twenty miles' tramp from here," said John Barrow, "and we'll have to climb two pretty steep mountains to get to the spot."
"Why can't we follow the stream up?" asked Tom. "That would be easier than tramping up the mountains."
"By