Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice
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Victor Appleton >> Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice
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Tom did catch a glimpse of Andy and his father in the cabin of the
ANTHONY, and he also saw a couple of men working frantically over
the machinery.
"They're going to try to catch us!" called Tom to Ned.
This was evident a moment later, for, after the RED CLOUD had forged
ahead, her rival made a clumsy attempt to follow. The ANTHONY did
show a burst of speed, and, for a moment Tom was apprehensive lest
he had underrated his rival's prowess.
Suddenly Ned, who was looking from a projecting side window of the
pilothouse, back toward Andy's ship, cried out in alarm.
"What's the matter?" shouted Tom.
"The airship--Andy's--two of the main wings have collapsed!"
Tom looked. It was but too true. The strain under which the ANTHONY
had been put when the machinists increased the speed, had been too
much for the frame. Two wings broke, and now hung uselessly down,
one on either side. The ANTHONY shot toward the snow-covered earth!
"They're falling!" cried Mr. Parker.
"Yes," added Tom, grimly, "the race is over as far as they are
concerned."
"Bless my soul! Won't they be killed?" cried Mr. Damon.
"There's not much danger," replied the young inventor. "They can
vol-plane back to earth. That's what they're doing," he added a
moment later, as he witnessed the maneuver of the crippled craft.
"They're in no danger, but I don't believe they'll get to the valley
of gold this trip!"
Tom was soon to learn how easily he could be mistaken.
CHAPTER XVII
HITTING THE ICE MOUNTAIN
Onward sped the RED CLOUD. For a moment after the accident to Andy's
ship, Tom had slowed up his craft, but he soon went on again, after
he had satisfied himself that his enemies were in no danger.
"Don't you think--that is to say--I know they can't expect anything
from us," spoke Mr. Damon, "but for humanity's sake, hadn't we
better stop and help them, Tom?"
"I hardly think so," replied the young inventor. "In the first place
they would hardly thank us for doing so, and, in the second, I don't
believe they need help. They are almost safely down now."
"I don't just mean that," went on the odd man. "But they may starve
to death. This is a very desolate country over which we are
sailing."
"They must have a supply of food in their ship," declared Tom, "and
they have brought their plight on themselves."
"They're in no great danger," put in Abe.
"There are plenty of natives around here, an' if the Fogers need
food or aid they can git it by payin' for it. Why, for the sake of
th' parts of their damaged airship, th' Eskimos would take th' whole
party back t' Sitka and feed 'em well on th' trip. Oh, they're all
right."
"Very well, if you say so," assented Mr. Damon. He looked back to
watch the ANTHONY slowly settling to earth. It came gently down,
proving that Tom knew whereof he spoke, when he had said they could
vol-plane down. Before the RED CLOUD was out of sight Tom and his
companions saw Andy and his father leave their wrecked craft and
venture out on the snow-covered ground. The Fogers gazed enviously
after the airship of our hero as they saw him still forging toward
the goal.
"I guess Andy's stolen map won't be of much use to him," mused Tom.
"Now we can put on all the speed we like, "and with that he shifted
the gears and levers until the airship was making exceedingly good
time toward the valley of gold.
The remainder of that day saw our adventurers pursuing their way
eagerly. At times they were flying high, and again, when Abe
suggested that they go down to observe the character of the country
over which they were passing, they skimmed along, just above the big
mountains, which seemed almost like icebergs, so covered were they
with frost and snow.
They were indeed in a wild and desolate country. Below them
stretched a seemingly endless waste of snow and ice--great forests
interspersed with treeless patches, while now and then they sailed
over a frozen lake.
Once in a while they had glimpses of bands of Indians, dressed in
furs, hunting. At such times the natives would look up, on hearing
the noise made by the motor of the airship, and catching a glimpse
of what must have seemed to them like some supernatural object, they
would fall down prostrate in amazement and fear.
"Airships are pretty much of a novelty up here," remarked Abe with a
grim smile.
The weather was new very cold, and the gold-seekers had to get out
their heavy fur garments, of which they had brought along a goodly
supply. True, it was warm in the cabin of the airship, but at times,
they wanted to venture out on the deck to get fresh air, or to make
some adjustments to the wing planes, and, on such occasions the
keen, frosty air, as it was driven past them by the motion of the
craft, made even the thickest garments seem none too warm. Then,
too, it was colder at the elevation at which they flew than down on
the ground.
Another day found them in a still wilder and more desolate part of
Alaska. There were scarcely any signs of habitation now, and the
snow and ice seemed so thick that even a long summer of sunshine
could hardly have melted it. The hours of daylight, too, were
growing less and less the farther north they went.
"Do you think you can pilot us right to the Snow Mountains, Abe?"
asked Tom, on the third day after the accident to Andy's airship.
"Let's get out the map, and have another look at it. We must be
getting near the place now. We'll look at the map."
The young inventor went to his stateroom where he kept the important
document in a small desk, and the others heard him rummaging around.
He muttered impatiently, and Ned heard his chum say: "I thought sure
I put it in here." Then ensued a further search, and presently Tom
came out, his face wearing rather a puzzled and worried look, and he
asked: "Say, Abe, I didn't give that map back to you; did I?"
"Nope," answered the miner. "I ain't seen it since just before th'
hail storm. We was lookin' at it then."
"That's when I remember it," went on Tom, "and I thought I put it in
my desk. I didn't, by any possible chance give it to you; did I,
Ned?"
"Me? No, I haven't seen it."
"That's funny," went on Tom. "I'll look once more. Maybe it got
under some papers."
They heard him rummaging again in his desk.
"Bless my bank-book!" cried Mr. Damon. "I hope nothing has happened
to that map. We can't find the valley of gold without it."
Tom came back again.
"I can't find it." he said, hopelessly.
Then ensued a frantic search. Every possible place in the airship
was looked into, but the precious map did not turn up.
"Perhaps the Fogers took it," suggested Mr. Parker, who had helped
in the hunt, in a dreamy sort of fashion.
"That's not possible," said Tom. "They haven't been near enough to
us since I saw the map last. No, the last time I had it was just
before the hail storm, and, in the excitement of repairing the ship,
I have mislaid it."
"Maybe it's back there in the big cave," suggested Ned.
"It's possible," admitted the young inventor. "Pshaw! It's very
careless of me!"
"If you think it's in the cave, we'd better go back there and have a
hunt for it," suggested Mr. Damon. "Otherwise we are on a wild-goose
chase."
"Don't go back!" exclaimed old Abe. "I think we can find th' valley
of gold without th' map, now that we have come this far. I sort of
remember th' marks on that parchment, an' we are in the right
neighborhood now, for I kin see some of th' landmarks my partner and
I saw. I say, let's keep on! We can cruise around a bit until we
strike th' right place. That won't take us so long as it would to go
back to the cave. Besides, if we go back, the Fogers may get ahead
of us!"
"With their broken airship?" asked Ned
"Can't they repair it?" demanded Abe.
"Hardly--up in this wild country," was Tom's opinion. "But perhaps
it WILL be just as well to keep on. I have a hazy remembrance of the
distances and directions on the map, and, though it will take longer
to hunt out the valley this way, I think we can do it. I can't
forgive myself for my carelessness! I should have kept a copy of the
map, or given one of you folks one."
But they would not hear of him blaming himself, and said it might
have happened to any one. It was decided that the map must be lost
in the big cave, and if it was there it was not likely to be found
by their enemies.
"We'll jest have t' prospect about a bit," declared Abe, "only we'll
do it in th' air instead of on th' ground."
It was dusk when the fruitless search for the map was over, and they
sat in the cabin discussing matters. The lights had not yet been
switched on, and the RED CLOUD was skimming along under the
influence of the automatic rudders and the propellers.
"Well, suppose we have supper," proposed Mr. Damon, who seemed to
think eating a remedy for many ills, mental and bodily. "Bless my
desert-spoon, but I'm hungry!"
He started toward the galley, while Tom went forward to the
pilothouse. Hardly had he reached it than there came a terrific
crash, and the airship seemed tossed back by some giant hand. Every
one was thrown off his feet, and the lights which had been turned on
suddenly went out.
"What's the matter?" cried Ned.
"Have we hit anything?" demanded Mr. Damon.
"Hit anything! I should say we had!" yelled Tom. "We've knocked a
piece off a big mountain of ice!"
As he spoke the airship began slowly settling toward the earth, for
her machinery had been stopped by the terrific impact.
CHAPTER XVIII
A FIGHT WITH MUSK OXEN
"Can I help you, Tom? What's to be done?" demanded Ned Newton, as he
rushed to where his chum was yanking on various levers and gear
wheels.
"Wait a minute!" gasped the young inventor. "I want to throw on the
storage battery, and that will give us some light. Then we can see
what We are doing." An instant later the whole ship was illuminated,
and those aboard her felt calmer. Still the RED CLOUD continued to
sink.
"Can't we do something?" yelled Ned. "Start the propellers, Tom!"
"No, I'll use the gas. I can't see where we're heading for, as the
searchlight is out of business. We may be in the midst of a lot of
bergs. We were flying too low. Just start the gas generating
machine."
Ned hurried to obey this order. He saw Tom's object. With the big
bag full of gas the airship would settle gently to earth as easily
as though under the command of the propellers and wing planes.
In a few minutes the hissing of the machine told that the vapor was
being forced into the bag and a little later the downward motion of
the ship was checked. She moved more and more slowly toward the
earth, until, with a little jar, she settled down, and came to rest.
But she was on such an uneven keel that the cabin was tilted at an
unpleasant angle.
"Bless my salt-cellar!" cried Mr. Damon. "We are almost standing on
our heads!"
"Better that than not standing at all," replied Tom, grimly. "Now to
see what the damage is."
He scrambled from the forward door of the cabin, no easy task
considering how it was tilted, and the others followed him. It was
too dark to note just how much damage had been inflicted, but Tom
was relieved to see, as nearly as he could judge, that it was
confined to the forward part of the front platform or deck of the
ship. The wooden planking was split, but the extent of the break
could not be ascertained until daylight. The searchlight connections
had been broken by the collision, and it could not be used.
"Now to take a look at the machinery," suggested the young inventor,
when he had walked around his craft. "That is what I am worried
about more than about the outside."
But, to their joy, they found only a small break in the motor. That
was what caused it to stop, and also put the dynamo out of
commission.
"We can easily fix that," Tom declared.
"Bless my coffee-spoon!" cried Mr. Damon, who seemed to be running
to table accessories in his blessings. Perhaps it was because it was
so near supper time. "Bless my coffee-spoon! But how did it happen?"
"We were running too low," declared Tom. "I had forgotten that we
were likely to get among tall mountain peaks at any moment, and I
set the elevation rudder too low. It was my fault. I should have
been on the lookout. We must have struck the mountain of ice a
glancing blow, or the result would have been worse than it is. We'll
come out of it all right, as it is."
"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 ship. 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 ship 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 airship 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
passed 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 ship.
As they neared their craft Tom saw several large, shaggy 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 ship! If they attack
us we're goners!"
The boys and Mr. Parker needed no second warning. Turning so as to
rush past the shaggy creatures, the four headed toward the ship.
But if our friends expected to reach it unmolested they were
disappointed. No sooner had they increased their pace than the oxen,
with snorts of rage, darted forward. The animals may have imagined
they were about to be attacked, and determined to make the first
move.
"Here they come!" yelled Ned.
"Sprint for it!" cried Tom.
"Oh, if I only had my gun!" groaned Abe.
It was hard work running over the ice and snow, hampered as they
were with their heavy fur garments. They soon realized this, and the
pace was telling on them. They were now near to the ship, but the
savage creatures still were between them and the craft.
"Try around the other way!" directed Tom, They changed their
direction, but the oxen also shifted their ground, and with loud
bellows of rage came on, shaking their shaggy heads and big horns,
while the hair, hanging down from their sides and flanks, dragged in
the snow.
"Right at 'em! Run and yell!" advised the young inventor. "Maybe we
can scare 'em!"
They followed his advice. Yelling like Indians the four rushed
straight for the animals. For a moment only the creatures halted.
Then, bellowing louder than ever they rushed straight at Tom and the
others.
The largest of the oxen, with a sudden swerve, made for Mr. Parker,
who was slightly in the lead off to one side. In an instant the
scientist was tossed high in the air, falling in a snow bank.
"Mr. Damon! Mr. Damon!" yelled Tom, frantically. "Get a gun and
shoot these beasts!"
The young inventor and his two companions had come to a halt. The
oxen also stopped momentarily. Suddenly Mr. Damon appeared on the
deck of the airship. He held two rifles. Laying one down he aimed
the other at the ox which was rushing at the prostrate Mr. Parker.
The eccentric man fired. He hit the beast on the flank, and, with a
bellow of rage it turned.
"Now's our time!" yelled Tom. "Head for the ship, I'll get my
electric gun!"
"We can't leave Mr. Parker!" yelled Abe.
But the scientist had arisen, and was running toward the RED CLOUD.
He did not seem to be much hurt. Mr. Damon fired again, hitting
another beast, but not mortally.
Once more the herd of shaggy creatures came on, but the adventurers
were now almost at the ship, on the deck of which stood Mr. Damon,
firing as fast as he could work the lever and pull the trigger.
CHAPTER XIX
THE CAVES OF ICE
"Keep on firing! Hold 'em back a few minutes and I'll soon turn my
electric rifle loose on 'em!" yelled Tom Swift as he sprinted
forward. "Keep on shooting, Mr. Damon!"
"Bless my powder-horn! I will!" cried the excited man. "I'll fire
all the cartridges there are in the rifle!"
Which, at the rate he was discharging the weapon, would not take a
long time. But it had the effect of momentarily checking the advance
of the creatures.
Not for long, however. Our friends had barely reached the airship,
with Mr. Parker stumbling and slipping on the ice and snow, ere the
musk oxen came on again, with loud bellows.
"They're going to charge the ship! They'll ram her!" yelled Ned
Newton.
"I think I can stop them!" cried Tom, who had leaped toward his
stateroom. He came out a moment later, carrying a peculiar-looking
gun, The adventurers had seen it before, but never in operation, as
Tom had only put some finishing touches on it since undertaking the
voyage to the caves of ice.
"What sort of a weapon is that?" cried Abe, as he helped Mr. Parker
on board.
"It's my new electric rifle," answered the young inventor. "I don't
know how it will work, as it isn't entirely finished, but I'm going
to try it."
Putting it to his shoulder he aimed at the leading musk ox, and
pulled a small lever. There was no report, no puff of smoke and no
fire, yet the big creature, which had been rushing at the ship,
suddenly stopped, swayed for a moment, and then fell over in the
snow, kicking in his death agony.
"One down!" yelled Tom. "My rifle works all right, even if it isn't
finished!"
He aimed at another ox, and that creature was stopped in its tracks.
Mr. Damon had exhausted his cartridges, and had ceased firing, but
Abe Abercrombie was ready with his rifle, and opened up on the
beasts. Tom killed another with his electric gun, and Abe shot two.
This stopped the advance, and only just in time, for the foremost
animals were already close to the ship, and had they rushed at the
frail hull they might have damaged it beyond repair.
"Here goes for the big one!" cried Tom, and, aiming at the largest
ox of the herd, the young inventor pulled the lever. The brute fell
over dead, and the rest, terror stricken, turned and fled.
"Hurrah! That's the stuff!" cried Ned Newton, capering about on
deck. He had hurried to his stateroom and secured his rifle, and,
before the musk oxen were out of sight he had killed one, which gave
him great delight.
"Mighty lucky we drove them away," declared Abe. "They are terrible
savage at times, an' I reckon we struck one of them times. But say,
Tom, what sort of a gun is that you got, anyhow?"
"Oh, it fires electric bullets," explained our hero. "But I haven't
time to tell you about it now. Let's get out and skin one of those
oxen. The fresh meat will come in good, for we've been living on
canned stuff since we left Seattle. We've got time enough before it
gets dark."
They hurried to where the shaggy creatures lay in the snow, and soon
there was enough fresh meat to last a long time, as it would keep
well in the intense cold. Tom put away his electric gun, briefly
explaining the system of it to his companions. The time was to come,
and that not very far off, when that same electric rifle was to save
his life in a remarkable manner, in the wilds of Africa where he
went to hunt elephants.
In the cozy cabin that night they sat and talked of the day's
adventures. The airship had been slightly lifted up by means of the
gas bag, and now rested on a level keel, so it was more comfortable
for the gold hunters.
"I did not complete my observations about the great snow slide,"
remarked Professor Parker, "I trust I will have time to go over the
ground again to-morrow."
"We leave early in the morning," objected Tom.
"Besides, I don't believe it would be safe to go over that ground
again," put in Mr. Damon.
"Bless my gunpowder! But when I saw those savage creatures rushing
at you, I thought it was all up with us. Are you hurt, Parker, my
dear fellow? I forgot to ask before."
"Not hurt in the least," answered the scientist. "My heavy and thick
fur garments saved me from the beasts' horns, and I fell in some
soft snow. I was quite startled for a moment. I thought it might be
the beginning of the snow movement."
"It was an ox movement," said Ned, in a low voice to Tom.
Morning saw the travelers again under way, with the Red Cloud now
floating high enough to avoid the lofty peaks. The weather was clear
but very cold, and Tom, who was in the pilot-house, could see a long
distance ahead, and note many towering crags, which, had the airship
been flying low enough, would have interfered with her progress.
"We'll have to keep the searchlight going all night, to avoid a
collision," he decided.
"Are we anywhere near the place?" asked Mr. Damon.
"We're in th' right region," declared the old miner. "I think we're
on th' right track. I recognize a few more landmarks."
"There wouldn't have been any trouble if I hadn't lost the map."
complained Tom, bitterly.
"Never mind about that," insisted Abe. "We'll find th' place anyhow.
But look ahead there; is that another hail storm headin' this way,
Tom?"
The young inventor glanced to where Abe pointed. There was a mist in
the air, and, for a time great apprehension was felt, but, in a few
minutes there was a violent flurry of snow and they all breathed
easier. For, though the flakes were so numerous as to completely
shut off the view, there was no danger to the airship from them. Tom
steered by the compass.
The storm lasted several hours, and when it was over the adventurers
found themselves several miles nearer their destination--at least
they hoped they were nearer it, for they were going it blind.
Abe declared they were now in the region of the gold valley. They
cruised about for two days, making vain observations by means of
powerful telescopes, but they saw no signs of any depression which
corresponded with the place whence Abe had seen the gold taken from.
At times they passed over Indian villages, and had glimpses of the
skin-clad inhabitants rushing out to point to the strange sight of
the airship overhead. Tom was beginning to reproach himself again
for his carelessness in losing the map, and it did begin to took as
if they were making a fruitless search.
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