Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice
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Victor Appleton >> Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice
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"Oh, my dear Parker! please be a little more cheerful," begged Mr.
Damon.
The adventurers followed Tom from the airship, and all but the young
inventor gazed curiously at the interior of the cave. His first
thought was for his airship. He glanced up at the gas-bag, and noted
several bad rents in it.
"I hope we can fix them," Tom thought dubiously.
But the attention of all was suddenly arrested by something that
occurred just then. From the dark recess of the cavern there sounded
a fearful yell or scream. It was echoed back a thousand-fold by the
rocky walls of the cave, Then there dashed past the little group of
gold-seekers a dark figure.
"Look out! It's a bear!" shouted Mr. Damon. "A bear! It's an Eskimo
Indian!" yelled Abe Abercrombie, "an' he's skeered nigh t' death!
Look at him run!"
As they gazed toward the lighted entrance of the cave they saw
leaping and running from it an Indian who quickly scudded out into
the hail storm.
"An Indian," exclaimed Tom. "An Indian in the cave! If there's one,
there may be more. I guess we'd better look to our guns. They may
attack us!" and he hurried back into the airship, followed by Ned
and the others.
CHAPTER XIV
THE RIVAL AIRSHIP
Well armed, the adventurers again ventured out into the cave. But
they need not have been alarmed so soon, for there were no signs of
any more Indians.
"I guess that one was a stray Eskimo who took shelter in here from
the storm," said Abe Abercrombie.
"Are we in the neighborhood of the Alaskan Indians and Eskimos?"
inquired Ned.
"Yes, there are lots of Indians in this region," answered the old
miner, "but not so many Eskimos. A few come down from th' north, but
we'll see more of them, an' fewer of th' pure-blooded Indians as we
get nearer th' valley of gold. Though t' my mind th' Indians an'
Eskimos are pretty much alike,"
"Well, if we don't have to defend ourselves from an attack of
Indians, suppose we look over the airship," proposed Tom.
"It's too dark to see very much," objected Ned. But this was
overcome when Tom started up a dynamo, and brought out a portable
search-light which was played upon the superstructure of the RED
CLOUD. The gas-bag was the only part of the craft they feared for,
as the hailstones could not damage the iron or wooden structure and
the planes were made in sections, and in such a manner that rents in
them could easily be repaired. So, in fact, could the gas-bag be
mended, but it was harder work.
"Well, she's got some bad tears in her," announced Tom as the light
flashed over the big bag. "Luckily I have plenty of the material,
and some cement, so I think we can mend the rents, though it will
take some days. Nothing could have been better for us than this
cave. We'll stay here until we're ready to go on."
"Unless the Indians drive us out," said Abe, in a low tone.
"Why, do you think there is any danger of that?" inquired Tom.
"Well, th' brown-skinned beggars aren't any too friendly," responded
the old miner. "Th' one that was in here will be sure to tell th'
others of some big spirit that flew into th' cave, an' they'll be
crowdin' around here when th' storm's over. It may be we can fight
'em off, though."
"Maybe they won't attack us," suggested Ned, hopefully. "Perhaps we
can make them believe we are spirits, and that it will be unlucky to
interfere with us."
"Perhaps," admitted Abe, "though my experience has been that these
Indians are a bad lot. They haven't much respect for spirits of any
kind, an' they'll soon find out we're human. But then, we'll wait
an' see what happens."
"And, in the meantime, have something to eat," put in Mr. Damon.
"Bless my knife and fork! but the hail storm gave me an appetite."
In fact, there were few things which did not give Mr. Damon an
appetite, Tom thought with a smile. But the meal idea was considered
very timely, and soon the amateur cook was busy in the galley of the
airship, whence speedily came savory odors. The electric lights were
switched on, and the adventurers were quickly made comfortable in
the cave, which so well sheltered the RED CLOUD. Tom completed his
inspection of the craft, and was relieved to find that while there
were a number of small rents, none was very large, and all could be
mended in time.
Abe Abercrombie took a look outside the cave after the meal had been
served. The old miner declared that they had made a good advance on
their northern journey for, though he could not tell their exact
location, he knew by the character of the landscape that they had
passed the boundaries of Alaska.
"A few more days' traveling at the rate we came will bring us to the
Snow Mountains and the valley of gold," he said.
"Well, we won't average such speed as we did during the hail storm,"
said Tom. "The wind of that carried us along at a terrific pace. But
we will get there in plenty of time, I think,"
"Why; is there any particular rush?" asked Ned.
"There's no telling when the Fogers may appear," answered the young
inventor in a low voice. "But now we must get to work to repair
damage."
The hail storm had ceased, and, with the passing of the clouds the
cave was made lighter. But Tom did not depend on this, for he set up
powerful searchlights, by the gleams of which he and his companions
began the repairing of the torn gas-bag.
They worked all the remainder of that day, and were at it again
early the next morning, making good progress.
"We can go forward again, in about two days," spoke Tom. "I want to
give the cement on the patches plenty of chance to dry."
"Then I will have time to go out and make some observations, will I
not?" asked Mr. Parker. "I think this cave is a very old one, and I
may be able to find some evidences in it that the sea of ice is
slowly working its way down from the polar regions."
"I hope you don't," whispered Ned to Tom, who shook his head
dubiously as the gloomy scientist left the cave.
The weather was very cold, but, in the cavern it was hardly noticed.
The adventurers were warmly dressed, and when they did get chilly
from working over the airship, they had but to go into the well-
heated and cozy cabin to warm themselves.
It was on the third day of their habitation in the cave, and work on
putting the patches on the gas-bag was almost finished. Mr. Parker
had gone out to make further observations, his previous ones not
having satisfied him. Tom was on an improvised platform, putting a
patch on top of the bag, when he heard a sudden yell, and some one
dashed into the cavern.
"They're coming! They're coming!" cried a voice, and Tom, looking
down, saw Mr. Parker, apparently in a state of great fear.
"What's coming?" demanded the young inventor, "the icebergs?"
"No--the Indians!" yelled the scientist. "A whole tribe of them is
rushing this way!"
"I thought so!" cried Abe Abercrombie. "Where's my gun?" and he
dashed into the airship.
Tom slid down off the platform.
"Get ready for a fight!" he gasped. "Where are you, Ned?"
"Here I am. We'd better get to the mouth of the cave, and drive 'em
back from there."
"Yes. If I'd only thought, we could have blockaded it in some way.
It's as big as a barn now, and they can rush us if they have a mind
to. But we'll do our best!"
The adventurers were now all armed, even to Mr. Parker. The
scientist had recovered from his first fright, when he spied the
Indians coming over the snow, as he was "observing" some natural
phenomenon. Tom, even in his excitement, noticed that the professor
was curiously examining his gun, evidently more with a view to
seeing how it was made, and on which principle it was operated,
rather than to discover how to use it.
"If it comes to a fight, just point it at the Indians, pull the
trigger, and work that lever," explained the young inventor. "It's
an automatic gun."
"I see," answered Mr. Parker. "Very curious. I had no idea they
worked this way."
"Oh, if I only had my electric rifle in shape!" sighed Tom, as he
dashed forward at the side of Ned.
"Your electric rifle?"
"Yes, I've got a new kind of weapon--very effective. I have it
almost finished. It's in the airship, but I can't use it just yet.
However, maybe these repeaters will do the work."
By this time they were at the entrance of the cave, and, looking out
they saw about a hundred Indians, dressed in furs, striding across
the snowy plain that stretched out from the foot of the mountain in
which was the cavern.
"They're certainly comin' on," observed Abe, grimly. "Git ready for
'em, boys!"
The gold-seekers lined up at the mouth of the cave, with guns in
their hands. At the sight of this small, but formidable force, the
Indians halted. They were armed with guns of ancient make, while
some had spears, and others bows and arrows. A few had grabbed up
stones as weapons.
There appeared to be a consultation going on among them, and,
presently, one of the number, evidently a chief or a spokesman, gave
his gun to one of his followers, and, holding his hands above his
head, while he waved a rag that might have once been white, came
forward.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Tom. "It's a flag of truce! He wants to talk
with us I believe!"
"Bless my cartridges!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Can they speak
English?"
"A little," answered Abe Abercrombie. "I can talk some of their
lingo, too. Maybe I'd better see what they want."
"I guess it would be a good plan," suggested Tom, and, accordingly
the old miner stepped forward. The Indian came on, until Abe
motioned for him to halt.
"I reckon that's as far as it'll be healthy for you t' come," spoke
Abe, grimly. "Now what do you fellers want?"
Thereupon there ensued a rapid exchange of jargon between the miner
and the Indian. Abe seemed much relieved as the talk went on, until
there came what seemed like a demand on the part of the dark-hued
native.
"No. you don't! None of that!" muttered Abe. "If you had your way
you'd take everything we have."
"What is it? What does he want?" asked Tom in a low voice.
"Why, the beggar began fair enough," replied the miner. "He said one
of their number had been in the cave when a storm came an' saw a big
spirit fly in, with men on its back. He ran away an' now others have
come to see what it was. They don't guess it's an airship, for
they've never seen one. but they know we're white folks, an' they
always want things white folks have got."
"This fellow is a sort of chief, an' he says the white folks?--
that's us, you know?--have taken th' Indians' cave. He says he
doesn't want t' have any trouble, an' that we can stay here as long
as we like, but that we must give him an' his followers a lot of
food. Says they hain't got much. Land! Those beggars would eat us
out of everything we had if we'd let 'em!"
"What are you going to tell them?" inquired Mr. Damon.
"I'm goin' t' tell 'em t' go t' grass, or words t' that effect,"
replied Abe. "They haven't any weapons that amount t' anything, an'
we can stand 'em off. Besides, we'll soon be goin' away from here;
won't we, Tom?"
"Yes, but--"
"Oh, there's no use givin' in to 'em," interrupted Abe. "If you give
'em half a loaf, they want two. Th' only way is t' be firm. I'll
tell 'em we can't accommodate 'em."
Thereupon he began once more to talk to the Indians in their own
tongue. His words were at first received in silence, and then angry
cries came from the natives. The chief made a gesture of protest.
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what you kin do!" declared
Abe. "We've got th' best part of our journey before us, an' we can't
give away our supplies. Go hunt food if you want it, ye lazy
beggars!"
The peaceful demeanor of the Indians now turned to rage. The leader
dropped the rag that had served for a flag of truce, and took back
his gun.
"Look out! There's going to be trouble!" cried Tom.
"Well, we're ready for 'em!" answered Abe, grimly.
There was a moment of hesitation among the natives. Then they seemed
to hold a consultation with the chief. It was over shortly. They
broke into a run, and quickly advanced toward the cave. Tom and the
others held their guns in readiness.
Suddenly the Indians halted. They gazed upward, and pointed to
something in the air above their heads. They gave utterance to cries
of fear.
"What is it; another storm coming?" asked Tom.
"Let's look," suggested Ned. He and Tom stepped to the mouth of the
cave--they went outside. There was little danger from the natives
now, as their attention was fixed on something else.
A moment later Tom and Ned saw what this was.
Floating in the air, almost over the cave, was a great airship--a
large craft, nearly the size of the RED CLOUD. Hardly able to
believe the evidence of their eyes, Tom and Ned watched it. Whence
had it come? Whither was it going?
"It's a triplane!" murmured Ned.
"A triplane!" repeated Tom. "Yes--it is--and it's the airship of
Andy Foger! Our rivals are on our track!"
He continued to gaze upward as the triplane shot forward, the noise
of the motor being plainly heard. Then, with howls of fear, the
Indians turned and fled. The rival airship had vanquished them.
CHAPTER XV
THE RACE
Astonished and terrified as the Indians had been at the sight of the
big-winged craft, high in the air above their heads, Tom and the
others were no less surprised, though, of course, their fear was not
exactly the same as that of the Alaskan natives.
"Do you really think that is Andy Foger?" asked Ned, as they watched
the progress of the triplane.
"I'm almost sure of it," replied Tom. "That craft is built exactly
as his was. but I never expected him to have such good luck sailing
it."
"It isn't going very fast," objected Ned.
"No, but it can navigate pretty well, and that's something. He must
have hustled to get it together and reach this point with it."
"Yes, but he didn't have to travel as far as we did," went on Ned.
"He put his ship together at Sitka, and we came from Seattle."
"Bless my memoranda book!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "The Fogers here!
What's to be done about it?"
"Nothing, I guess," answered Tom. "I'd just as soon they wouldn't
see us. I don't believe they will. Get back into the cave. We must
use strategy now to get ahead of them. There will be a race to the
valley of gold."
"Well, he served us one good turn, anyhow, though he didn't mean
to," put in Abe Abercrombie.
"How?" asked Mr. Parker, who was still examining his gun, as though
trying to understand it.
"He scared away them pesky natives," went on the miner. "Otherwise
we might have had a fight, an' while I reckon we could have beat
'em, it's best not to fight if you kin git out of it."
The gold-seekers had withdrawn inside the mouth of the cave, where
they could watch the progress of the rival airship without being
seen. The Indians had disappeared beyond a snow-covered hill.
The airship of Andy Foger, for such it subsequently proved to be,
floated slowly onward. Its progress was not marked with the speed of
Tom's craft, though whether or not the occupants of the ATHONY (as
Andy had vain-gloriously named his craft after himself) were
speeding up their motor, was a matter of conjecture.
The adventurers held a short consultation, while standing at the
mouth of the cave watching the progress of the ANTHONY. It rose in
the air, and circled about.
"He certainly IS trying to pick us up," declared Ned.
"Well, we'll start out after him to-morrow," decided Tom. "I think
all the patches will hold then."
They resumed work on the RED CLOUD, and that night Tom announced
that they would start in the morning. Meanwhile Andy's craft had
disappeared from sight. There was no further evidence of the
Indians.
"I don't reckon they'll come back," spoke Abe, grimly. "They think
we are sure-enough spirits, now, able to call creatures out of the
air whenever we want 'em. But still we must be on our guard."
As Mr. Parker was not of much service in helping on the airship he
agreed to be a sort of guard and took his place just outside the
cave, where he could make "observations," and, at the same time
watch for the reappearance of Indians. They had little fear of an
attack at night, for Abe said the Alaskans were not fond of
darkness.
The cold seemed to increase, and, even in the sheltered cave the
adventurers felt it. There were several heavy flurries of snow that
afternoon, and winter seemed setting in with a vengeance. The
daylight, too, was not of long duration, for the sun was well south
now, and in the far polar regions it was perpetual night.
After a brief inspection of the ship the next morning, following a
good night's rest, when they were not disturbed by any visits from
the natives, Tom announced that they would set sail. The day was a
clear one, but very cold, and the gold-seekers were glad of the
shelter of the warm cabin.
The RED CLOUD was wheeled from the cave, and set on a level place.
There was not room enough to make a flying start, and ascend by
means of the planes and propellers, so the gas-bag method was used.
The generating machine was put in operation, and soon the big red
bag that hovered over the craft began to fill. Tom was glad to see
that none of the several compartments leaked. The bag had been well
repaired.
Suddenly the RED CLOUD shot up in the air. Up above the towering
snow-covered crags it mounted, and then, with a whizz and a roar,
the propellers were set going.
"Once more northward bound!" cried Tom, as he took his place in the
pilothouse.
"And we'll see if we can beat Andy Foger there," added Ned.
All that morning the RED CLOUD shot ahead at good speed. The craft
had suffered no permanent damage during her fight with the hail
storm, and was as good as ever. They ate dinner high in the air,
while sailing over a great stretch of whiteness, where the snow lay
many feet deep on the level, and where great mountain crags were so
covered with the glistening mantle and a coating of ice as to
resemble the great bergs that float in the polar sea.
"I wouldn't want to be wrecked here," said Ned, with a shudder, as
he looked down. "We'd never get away. Does any one live down there,
Abe?"
"Yes, there are scattered tribes of Indians and Alaskan natives.
They live by hunting and fishing, and travel around by means of dog
sledges. But it's a dreary life. Me an' my partner had all we wanted
of it. An airship for mine!"
"I wonder what's become of Andy?" spoke Tom, that afternoon. "I
haven't sighted him, and I've been using the powerful telescope. I
can't pick him up, though he can't be so very far ahead of us."
"Let me try," suggested Ned. "Put her up a bit, Tom, where I can
look down. Andy won't dare go very high. Maybe I can sight him."
The RED CLOUD shot upward as the young inventor shifted the
elevation rudder, and the bank clerk, with the powerful glass to his
eye, swept the space below him. For half an hour he looked in vain.
Then, with a little start of surprise he handed the glass to his
chum.
"See what you make that out to be," suggested Ned. "It looks like a
big bird, yet I haven't seen any other birds to-day."
Tom looked. He peered earnestly through the telescope for a minute,
and then cried:
"It's Andy's airship! He's ahead of us! We must catch him! Ned, you
and Mr. Damon speed up the motor! The race is on!"
In a few minutes the great airship was hurling herself through
space, and, in less than ten minutes Andy's craft could be made out
plainly with the naked eye. Fifteen minutes more and the RED CLOUD
was almost up to her. Then those aboard the ANTHONY must have caught
sight of their pursuers, for there was a sudden increase in speed on
the part of the unscrupulous Foger crowd, who sought to steal a
march on Tom and his friends.
"The race is on!" repeated the young inventor grimly, as he pulled
the speed lever over another notch.
CHAPTER XVI
THE FALL OF THE ANTHONY
Had it not been for what was at stake, the race between the two big
airships would have been an inspiring one to those aboard Tom's
craft. As it was they were too anxious to overcome the unfair
advantage taken by Andy to look for any of the finer points in the
contest of the air.
"There's no denying that he's got a pretty good craft there,"
conceded Tom, as he watched the progress of his rival. "I never
thought Andy Foger could have done it."
"He didn't do very much of it," declared Ned. "He hired the best
part of that made. Andy hasn't any inventive ideas. He probably said
he wanted an airship, and his dad put up the money and hired men to
build it for him. Andy, Sam and Pete only tinkered around on it."
Later Tom and his chum learned that this was so--that Mr. Foger had
engaged the services of an expert to make the airship. This man had
been taken to Sitka with the Fogers, and had materially aided them
in re-assembling the craft.
"Do you think he can beat us?" asked Ned, anxiously.
"No!" exclaimed Tom, confidently. "There's only one craft that can
beat my RED CLOUD and that's my monoplane the BUTTERFLY. But I have
in mind plans for a speedier machine than even the monoplane.
However I haven't any fear that Andy can keep up to us in this
craft. I haven't begun to fly yet, and I'm pretty sure, from the way
his is going, that he has used his limit of speed."
"Then why don't you get ahead of him?" asked Mr. Damon. "Bless my
tape-measure! the way to win a race is to beat."
"Not this kind of a race," and the young inventor spoke seriously.
"If I got ahead of Andy now, he'd simply trail along and follow us.
That's his game. He wants me to be the path-finder, for, since I
cast a doubt on the correctness of the map, a copy of which he
stole, he isn't sure where he's going. He'd ask nothing better than
to follow us."
"Then what are you going to do if you don't get ahead of him?" asked
Ned.
"I'm going to press him close until night," answered Tom, "and when
it's dark, I'm going to shoot ahead, and, by morning we'll be so far
away that he can't catch up to us."
"Good idea! That's th' stuff!" cried Abe with enthusiasm.
"He's a sneak!" burst out Mr. Damon. "I'd like to see him left
behind."
Tom carried out his plan. The remainder of the day he hung just on
Andy's flank, sometimes shooting high up, almost out of sight, and
again coming down, just to show what the RED CLOUD could do when
pressed.
As for those aboard the ANTHONY, they seemed to be trying to
increase their speed, but, if that was their object they did not
have much success, for the big, clumsy triplane only labored along.
"I wonder who he's got with him?" said Ned, as darkness was closing
down. "I can't make out any one by this glass. They stick pretty
closely to the cabin."
"Oh, probably Andy's father is there," said "and, perhaps, some of
Mr. Foger's acquaintances. I guess Mr. Foger is as anxious to get
this gold as Andy is."
"He certainly needs money," admitted Ned. "Jove! but I hope we beat
him!"
But alas for Tom's hopes! His plan of waiting until night and then
putting on such speed as would leave Andy behind could not be
carried out. It was tried, but something went wrong with the main
motor, and only half power could be developed. Tom and Ned labored
over it nearly ail night, to no effect, and through the hours of
darkness they could see the lights from the cabin of the ANTHONY
gleaming just ahead of them. Evidently the bully's airship could not
make enough speed to run away from the RED CLOUD, or else it was the
plan of the Foger crowd to keep in Tom's vicinity.
The direction held by Andy's craft was a general northwestern one,
and Tom knew, in time, and that very soon, it would bring the
ANTHONY over the valley of gold. Evidently Andy was placing some
faith in his copy of the stolen map.
"Once I get this motor in shape I'll soon pull away from him,"
announced Tom, about four o'clock that morning, while he and Ned,
aided by Mr. Damon, were still laboring over the refractory machine.
"What are you going to do?" asked Ned.
"It's too late to carry out my original plan," went on Tom. "We're
getting so near the place now that I want to be there ahead of every
one else. So as soon as we can, I'm going to push the RED CLOUD for
all she's worth, and get to the valley of gold first. If possession
is nine points of the law, I want those nine points."
"That's the way to talk!" cried Abe. "Once we git on th' ground we
kin hold our own!"
It was breakfast time before Tom had the motor repaired, and he
decided to have a good meal before starting to speed up his craft.
He felt better after some hot coffee, for he and the others were
weary from their night of labor.
"Now for the test!" he cried, as he went back to the engine-room.
"Here's where we give Andy the go-by, and I don't think he can catch
us!"
There was an increasing hum to the powerful motor, the great
propellers whirled around at twice their former number of
revolutions, and the airship suddenly shot ahead.
Those on the ANTHOMY must have been watching for some such move as
that, for, no sooner had Tom's craft begun to creep up on his rival
than the forward craft also shot ahead.
But the airship was not built that could compete with Tom's. Like a
racer overhauling a cart-horse, the RED CLOUD whizzed through the
air. In a spirit of fun the young inventor sent his machine within a
few feet of Andy's. He had a double purpose in this, for he wanted
to show the bully that he did not fear him, and he wanted to see if
he could discover who was aboard.
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