Part 22 (2/2)

”We can't do anything to-night,” observed Ned.

”Only eat,” put in Mr. Damon, ”and we'll have to take our coffee cups half full, for everything is so tilted that it's like topsy-turvey land. It makes me fairly dizzy!”

But he forgot this in the work of getting a meal, and, though it was prepared under considerable difficulties, at last it was ready.

Bright and early the next morning Tom was up making another inspection of his s.h.i.+p. He found that even if the forward deck was not repaired they could go on, as soon as the motor was in shape, but, as they had some spare wood aboard, it was decided to temporarily repair the smashed platform.

It was cold work, even wearing their thick garments; but, after laboring until their fingers were stiff from the frost, Ned hit on the idea of building a big fire of some evergreen trees near where the s.h.i.+p lay.

”Say, that's all right!” declared Tom, as the warmth of the blaze made itself felt. ”We can work better, now!”

The RED CLOUD was tilted on some rough and uneven ground, in among some little hills. On either side arose big peaks, the one in particular that they had hit towering nearly fifteen thousand feet.

Everything was covered with snow and ice, and, in fact, the ice was so thick on the top of the mountains that the crags resembled icebergs rather than stony peaks. The crash of the airs.h.i.+p had brought down a great section of this solid rock-ice.

”Do you think we are anywhere near the valley of gold?” asked Mr.

Damon that afternoon, when the work was nearly finished.

”It's somewhere in this vicinity.” declared Abe. ”Me an' my partner pa.s.sed through jest such a place as this on our way there. I wouldn't wonder but what it wasn't more than a few hundred miles away, now.”

”Then we'll soon be there,” said Tom. ”I'll start in the morning. I could go to-night, but there are a few adjustments I want to make to the motor, and, besides, I think it will be safer, now that we are among these peaks, to navigate in daylight, or at least with the searchlight going. I should have thought of that before.”

”Then, if you're not going to start away at once,” spoke Mr. Parker, ”I think I will walk around a bit, and make some observations. I think we are now in the region where we may expect a movement of the ice. I want to test it, and see if it is traveling in a southerly direction. If it is not now, it will soon be doing that, and the coating of ice may reach even as far as New York.”

”Pleasant prospect,” murmured Tom. Then he said aloud: ”Well if you are going, Mr. Parker, we'll be with you. I'll be glad of the chance to stretch my legs, and what more remains to be done, can be finished in the morning.”

Mr. Damon declared that he did not relish a tramp over the ice and snow, and would stay in the warm cabin, but Tom and Ned, with Abe and Mr. Parker started off. The scientist pointed out what he claimed were evidences of the impending movement of the ice, while Abe explained to the lads how the Alaskan Indians of that neighborhood hunted and fished, and how they made huts of blocks of ice.

”We are nearing th' Arctic circle,” the old miner said, ”and we'll soon be among th' most savage of the Eskimo tribes.”

”Is there any hunting around here?” asked Ned.

”Yes, plenty of musk ox,” answered Abe.

”I wish I'd brought my gun along and could see one of the big beasts now,” went on Ned. He looked anxiously around, but no game was in sight. After a little farther tramp over the icy expanse they all declared that they had seen enough of the dreary landscape, and voted to return to the s.h.i.+p.

As they neared their craft Tom saw several large, s.h.a.ggy black objects standing in a line on the path the adventurers had come over a little while before. The objects were between the gold-seekers and the RED CLOUD.

”What in the world are those?” asked the young inventor.

”Look to me like black stones,” spoke Ned.

”Stones?” cried Abe. ”Look out, boys, those are musk oxen; and big ones, too! There's a lot of 'em! Make for the s.h.i.+p! If they attack us we're goners!”

The boys and Mr. Parker needed no second warning. Turning so as to rush past the s.h.a.ggy creatures, the four headed toward the s.h.i.+p.

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