CHAPTER XIII.
THE HEART OF THE ADIRONDACK.
Three days later found the Rover boys in the heart of the AdirondackMountains of New York State. They had left home, after a hasty butthorough preparation, two days before, and taken the train from Oak Runto the mountain village of Medwell. At Medwell they had taken the stageto Barton's Corners, and at this point had hired a private conveyance tocarry them and their outfit to Timber Run.
At the time of which I write Timber Run was nothing more than acollection of a dozen houses, strung along a branch of the Perch River,where that stream turned the southern slope of a high hill known as BaldTop. There was a general store here and also an office belonging to theTimber Run Lumber Company. But business with the company was slow, andthe village, consequently, was almost destitute of life, two of thehouses being without tenants.
"Well, this doesn't look much like a place," remarked Sam, as they gotout of the heavy lumber wagon which had brought them and their outfitover.
"Phew! but aint it cold!" exclaimed Tom, dancing around and slapping hisarms over his chest. "I wonder how Nellie and Grace Laning like this?"
"I'll wager you've been thinking of Nellie all the way up," said Dickslyly, remembering how his brother had tormented him about DoraStanhope.
"Couldn't think of anything but how cold it was," growled Tom, but hisface took on a sudden redness. "Where do you go next?" he demanded, tochange the subject.
"Let's go over to the store and ask for Mr. John Barrow," suggestedDick.
The store was at a fork in the roads, and thither they hurried, to getinside, for the ride from Barton's Corners had certainly been a chillingone. In the store they found a big pot stove throwing out a generousamount of heat, and around this stove were gathered half a dozen men,smoking and telling stories.
"So you are the young men who are looking for John Barrow," said thestorekeeper, after listening to what Dick had to say. "He was herewaiting for you, and he'll be back in a bit. Rather a cold ride, eh?Draw up to the fire and warm up."
A place was made for the lads, and while they were "thawing out," asSam put it, John Barrow came in. He proved to be a tall, powerful builtlumberman, with a well-tanned face and sharp, but kindly, eyes.
"How do you do," he said, as he shook hands. "Real glad to know you.Yes, I got a letter from John Laning, my brother-in-law, tellin' me allabout you. He says as how you want a guide fer these parts. Well, Idon't want to brag, but I reckon I know the lay o' the land 'round hereabout as good as any o' 'em, and a heap sight better nor lots."
"We'd like you first-rate for a guide," said Tom, who was pleased withJohn Barrow's looks, as were also his brothers. "But can you spare thetime?"
"Reckon I can, just now. You see, the lumber company has got in somesort of a tangle with the owner of the timber on this tract, andconsequently work is at a standstill. That's why you see so many menhangin' around here."
"Then you work for the company?" asked Dick.
"I do in the winter time, but not in the summer. I've got a tidy farmdown the river a bit, and I let out my hosses to the company to haultimber. It's cash money, you see, when the haulin' is goin' on."
"I believe the Laning girls are stopping with you," put in Sam.
"Yes, Nellie and Grace came up some time ago. You see, our girl, Addie,gits tired being on the farm with only her mother, so we invited hercousins to come up for a spell. They've had some pretty good timestogether, so far, skatin' and sleighin', and the like. They are allanxious to see you."
John Barrow had brought with him his wagon, and into this their outfitwas dumped, and a minute later they were off, down the winding and roughroad running along the bank of the river, which was now frozen to athickness of a foot or more and covered with several inches of snow.
"You say you know this locality," observed Dick, as they bumped alongover the frozen ground. "Do you know the spot where Bear Pond emptiesinto Perch River?"
"I know several such spots, my lad."
"Several!" came from all of the Rover boys.
"Yes, several. You see the ground around the pond is marshy, and theheavy rains cut all sorts of gullies here and there, so the pond emptiesinto the river, now, at five or six p'ints."
"Are these points very far apart?" asked Sam, in dismay. "You see, I'mvery anxious we should know the exact particulars."
"Indeed!" John Barrow looked at them curiously. "Say, I reckon I knowwhat you are after!" he burst out suddenly.
"What?" came from the three.
"You're on a hunt for old Goupert's treasure."
"Why, what do you know about that?" demanded Dick. He remembered thatthe writing on the map said, "Beware of Goupert's ghost."
"Oh, that's an old yarn about here, and at different times we've hadmore'n a hundred folks a-hunting around for that old Frenchman's moneybox, but nobody ever got so much as a smell o' it."
"Who was Goupert?" asked Tom.
"Goupert was a thoroughly bad man, who lived sixty or seventy years ago.The story goes that he used to be a smuggler and that he came here whenthe 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 cabinon Bear Pond, and lived there all alone for two years. Then some lakemen came down here, and one night there was a big row and the lake mendisappeared. Goupert couldn't be found at first, but about a month latersome hunters discovered his dead body tied to a tree in the woods, notfar 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 totell where he had hidden his money box, and that old Goupert was toomuch o' a miser to let the secret out. So folks begun to hunt for thatmoney 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 thataccount?"
"We came up on that account, and also to have a good time in themountains," said Dick, before Sam or Tom could speak. "But, Mr. Barrow,I wish you wouldn't mention this to the other folks around here. Theymight 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 inTom.
"Every penny on it, lad. But don't raise any high hopes, or you may besorely disapp'inted."
"Oh, I came for a good time," replied Tom, in an off-handed a manner aspossible.
Presently John Barrow had to get out of the wagon to fix something onthe harness. While he was doing this Dick leaned over to his twobrothers.
"Don't say anything about the map to anybody," he whispered. "We'llkeep that a secret for the present." And Tom and Sam nodded, to showthat they understood.
The ride to John Barrow's house soon came to an end, and as the boysalighted at the horseblock the door opened and Nellie and Grace Laningappeared.
"How do you do, Tom!" cried Nellie, as she ran and caught him by thehand, 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 daughterAddie, who was Nellie's age, and full of fun.
"Come right in, boys," said Mrs. Barrow. "Supper is waiting, and I'msure 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 ageneral laugh followed.
Soon their outfit was safely housed in the barn, and then they enteredthe house, where the long supper table, filled with good things, awaitedthem. All three of the girls insisted upon waiting on
the boys, and itproved as jolly a meal as they had ever eaten. They lingered for an hourat the table, talking and cracking nuts, and during that time the Roverboys became thoroughly acquainted with the Barrow family.
"Oh, I've heard lots about you!" said Addie Barrow. "Nellie has told megreat, long stories about Tom's bravery, and Grace has told me all aboutSam's doings, and both of them have told about you, Dick----"
"Now, do be still, Addie!" put in Nellie Laning. "I declare, I neversaid a word!"
"Oh! A word! Why, you kept me awake one night for over an hour tellingabout how Tom----"
"Let's have a song," broke in Sam. "I see an organ in the next room andsome music. You must play," he added, to Addie.
"She plays beautifully," put in Grace, thankful for the change ofsubject. "Addie, give them that new song, 'I'm Sorry, Oh, So Sorry!'"
"All right," answered the young lady of the house, and sitting down atthe organ she ran her hands over the keys and started the song. Shecould sing and play well, and all joined in the chorus. The music waskept up for over an hour, and then the Rover boys retired, highlypleased over their reception.
The Rover Boys In The Mountains; Or, A Hunt for Fun and Fortune Page 14