As we know, it was Baxter himself who attacked Sam, while big Bill Harney threw Tom to the ground. Jasper Grinder went to Baxter's assistance, while Lemuel Husty ran to aid Harney. "Let go of him!" cried Sam, and managed to hit Baxter a glancing blow on the cheek. "I'll not let go yet," answered Baxter, and bore the youngest Rover to the earth. Over and over they rolled in the snow, until Grinder caught Sam by the legs and held him still. "That's right, Grinder, hold him!" panted Dan Baxter. "Don't let him get up!" But Sam was not yet subdued, and getting one foot clear at last, he kicked Jasper Grinder in the ear. "Oh! oh! my ear!" screamed the former teacher. "He has kicked my ear off. You scamp, take that!" And letting out with his foot, he gave Sam a vigorous kick on the side. At the same time Baxter struck the boy in the head with a stick he had been carrying, and then Sam suddenly lost consciousness. In the meantime Tom was having a similar struggle with Harney and Husty. But the boy, though strong, was no match for the two men, and they soon pinned him to the ground and held him there as in a vise, while he was nearly choked by the big guide, who had clutched him by the throat. "Let--let go--my--throat!" Tom managed to gasp. "Will you keep quiet?" demanded Harney. "Yes--yes." "All right, mind you do." And then the guide released his hold, but continued to sit as he was, astride of poor Tom's chest. "Have you got him?" came from Dan Baxter. "Yes," returned the big guide. "All right; then hold him." "I will." Leaving Sam to be watched by Jasper Grinder, Baxter ran over to one of the sleds and procured a long rope. "Now then, Tom Rover, get up," he said sourly. Tom was glad to arise. "What are you going to do with me?" he questioned. "You'll see fast enough." "Going to try your old tricks of making me a prisoner, I suppose." "You're a prisoner already." "Thank you, for nothing," returned Tom, as coolly as he could. "Don't you get impudent, Tom Rover. If you try it on, you'll get more than you bargain for, let me tell you that." "You always were a first-class bully, Baxter. You like to tackle little boys, or else somebody who is helpless." "Shut up! I won't listen to you, now!" roared Baxter, and grabbing Tom's hands he forced them back and bound them together. Then the ropes was passed around Tom's waist, so that he could not move his hands to the front. By the time this work was accomplished Sam was regaining consciousness. He gave a moan of pain, and then sat up in bewilderment. "Who--what's happened?" he stammered. Then he looked around. "Oh! I remember now!" He was very unsteady when he got on his feet, and it was Tom who made the first move toward him. "Too bad, Sam. They are a set of brutes." "Don't call me a brute Rover," growled Jasper Grinder. "Neither you nor your brother have all you deserve."