Part 25 (1/2)

The four stood and gazed in wonder at the strange scene. At first the terrible cold cut them as if it was a keen knife. But they soon grew used to it, and enjoyed what little of it reached them through the opening in their fur caps. The snowflakes covered everything and the airs.h.i.+p looked more like a craft bedecked from stem to stern with cotton batting than anything else. Jack and Mark walked around to the stern.

Suddenly Mark stumbled over something.

”What's this?” he cried.

Jack hurried to his side. As he did so the bundle gave a heave, and, breaking through the snow blanket, there was displayed the calm features of Dirola.

”Me sleep!” she announced with a smile.

And that was what she had been doing while the airs.h.i.+p was being whirled around by the strange force! She had braced herself in a corner, pulled her furs about her face, and slumbered, even when the s.h.i.+p turned over.

So well braced was she that she did not tumble off.

”Well! She's a cool one!” exclaimed Mark.

”I guess you'd be too, if you slept out of doors with the temperature about seventy below zero,” remarked Jack. ”But let's go in and tell the professor Dirola is here. He may be worried about her.”

The boys started for the cabin. They had not taken five steps before, with a sudden lurch, the airs.h.i.+p dived like a kite without its tail.

Then the craft turned completely over!

Jack and Mark with the two helpers and Dirola were thrown from the deck, head first, toward the earth! Down and down they fell, uttering despairing cries!

CHAPTER XXI

LOST IN THE SNOW

Once more the wind blew with hurricane force. On board the _Monarch_ Was.h.i.+ngton and Professor Henderson were tossed to the ceiling again.

Then the s.h.i.+p righted herself.

”De boys! De boys!” cried Was.h.i.+ngton, suddenly thinking of them. ”Dey hab falled off!”

”Great Scott! So they have!” exclaimed the inventor. ”That is, unless they grabbed something as we went over!”

”An de Sesquitomexico woman, too!” cried the colored man, meaning Dirola.

”I guess she went with the others,” said the professor. ”We must take a look as soon as it is safe.”

Then came a strong gust of wind that hurled the s.h.i.+p forward. When it had subsided Was.h.i.+ngton and the old inventor ventured outside. The boys were nowhere to be seen.

”They are lost!” cried Andy, who had crawled to the bow of the s.h.i.+p after the captain and Was.h.i.+ngton.

For a little while longer the airs.h.i.+p sailed along easily, the wind no more rus.h.i.+ng with such force. Then, all at once the craft settled down until, with a jerk, it came to rest on a big snow bank.

”We's landed!” exclaimed Was.h.i.+ngton. ”We's. .h.i.t de ole north pole at last. Now I'll see what sort ob a stick it is!”

”We've landed sure enough,” remarked the professor, ”but I'm afraid we are not at the north pole. However, in view of all that has happened, I suppose we had better stop here for a while. Some of the machinery is wrecked by the overturning of the s.h.i.+p, but I guess we can fix it. I only wish I knew where the boys and the two men were.”

”Don't forget Dirola,” spoke up Andy. ”We owe a good deal to her.”