Tad's face flushed a vivid red, and he uttered a sharp exclamation.

"What is it?" demanded Stacy.

"Nothing much. Maybe I've made a discovery. Don't let's idle here. Let's go on and see if we can't get our bear. This seems to be our lucky day,"

said the boy, pocketing the stone and once more shouldering his rifle.

"Come, mush, as Anvik would say."

CHAPTER XXI

CONCLUSION

Professor Zepplin had been closeted in his tent for an hour when he beckoned Tad Butler to enter.

"Boy, this rusty stone that you picked up is a gold nugget, worth, I should say, all of five hundred dollars!" cried the Professor excitedly.

"Are there more of them, Tad?"

"I can't say. I found this one on a bar where it was probably washed down. The place was once a stream, but it changed its course and is now some distance to the west. I've an idea that there's gold in that sand-bar."

"Then we'd better go after it. It probably belongs to no one."

"I'm not sure of that. Others may have a juster claim than we have, Professor."

"You suspect something, Tad, without knowing fully. We'll look at the place and decide what to do later."

The others were in bed, but still awake when Tad left the Professor's tent, but to their questions he gave evasive answers.

It seemed to Tad that he had been asleep but a few minutes when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He sat up, instantly wide awake. Anvik was bending over him.

"Somebody come," muttered the guide. "One, two, three, four, maybe more."

Day was just breaking. Tad awakened his companions, giving each instructions as to what he was to do. Then he hurried to the Professor's tent to give Anvik's news.

"Look out!" yelled Stacy shrilly.

A series of quick, sharp reports punctured the stillness of the morning.

Tad and Professor Zepplin dashed out, and so did Walter Perkins. Ned Rector and Stacy Brown were nowhere to be seen. Anvik stood against a rock, his blanket drawn about him, the muzzle of a rifle protruding from the lower end of it.

Four men appeared in the open, each holding a rifle. The rifles were aimed at the members of the Pony Rider outfit.

"It's Darwood!" gasped the Professor. It was Darwood, accompanied by Sam Dawson, Dill Bruce and Curley Tinker. "What's the meaning of this outrage, gentlemen?" he demanded.

"I gave you warning to mush back to where you came from," answered Darwood.

"And I told you we'd do nothing of the sort!"

"You're going now, and in a hurry!"

"What will you do if we refuse again?"

"You'll find out what we'll do. We're north of fifty-three now. You know what that means. Put down those guns, and do it quick."

"Suppose you set the example," said Tad quietly. He had not spoken up to this point.

"Keep still!" commanded Darwood. "Put down those guns."

"Don't be in a hurry," advised Tad. "Before you do anything that you'll regret, let me say that every man of you is covered. The slightest hostile motion on your part is your death warrant."

"The Indian's got away!" cried Dawson.

Darwood for the first time realized that all the Pony Rider outfit was not in sight.

"Either your friends will put down their guns and come out or we'll shoot," snarled Darwood, fixing his gaze on Tad Butler.

"Are you so anxious to die, Curtis Darwood?" asked the lad calmly.

Darwood flushed, but the four men lowered their rifles to the ground.

"Mr. Darwood, I have something to tell you. Sit down," went on the boy.

"I reckon we'll do nothing of the sort."

"Sit down, I say!"

The men obeyed reluctantly.

"Keep them covered until they come to their senses, boys," directed Tad.

Then he went on to the men: "We don't blame you for feeling that every man's hand is against you; but I'm going to prove to you that ours are not. See this?" and Tad tossed to Darwood the rusty stone that he had found in the sand-bar.

"Gold! A nugget of pure gold," breathed Darwood. "Where did you get it?"

"Perhaps we found the Taku Pa.s.s."

"And we've lost it," groaned Dawson.

"We'll fight for it, then!" shouted Darwood.

"You might wait until there's need for fighting, Mr. Darwood," said Tad contemptuously. He then went on to describe the totem pole, while his listeners became more and more excited. They got out an old map, and after studying it Tad said:

"It is the Taku Pa.s.s that Stacy and I discovered. As it is undoubtedly yours, we relinquish all claim to the land."

"How much do you want for the relinquishment?" asked Dawson.

"Nothing. Sit down and have breakfast with us and then we will lead you to the place."

"I can't say much," said Darwood falteringly. "We've been a bunch of driveling idiots."