Breakfast was hurriedly eaten, the dogs harnessed, and a start made. Travel had to be very slow now, and it was necessary for the adventurers to walk beside the sleds, as the dogs could not pull the passengers and the heavy loads up the steep, snow-covered mountain.
They reached a shoulder of the incline, and stopped to rest. Here Mr. Baxter consulted the map again.
"I think we had better bear off more to the left," he said. "It looks as if there was a stream there, but it's frozen over."
Holfax agreed with him. It was now quite certain they were at least on part of the very ground mapped out by Stults. But whether they were near the hidden treasure was another question.
They followed the course of the stream as nearly as they could with the sleds, and, after a toilsome climb found themselves on a sort of level place.
"Doesn't look as though we were going to find a waterfall around here," remarked Mr. Baxter.
"It certainly does not," added Jerry.
Fred felt his heart sinking. They had come far enough, according to the map, to be at the fall, but there was no sign of It. Was the story all a myth? Was there no waterfall, no cave, no gold?
Fred went a little way ahead. As he turned a place where a big ledge of rock jutted out, hiding what was behind from view, he uttered a cry.
"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Baxter, hurrying up, thinking the lad had been hurt.