Through the Air to the North Pole Part 12

"You may want to know how to run her some day in an emergency," said Amos Henderson. "No telling what will happen."

"We hope nothing will," spoke Jack.

"There's no telling," prophesied the inventor.

For several days the ship moved ahead at moderate speed. The machinery, excepting for some minor accidents, worked smoothly. The gas bag did not leak, which was the accident most dreaded, and it was not necessary to run the gas generator, which proved a saving of the valuable chemical from which the lifting-vapor was produced.

Now and then, when in need of water, the craft was lowered to the earth in a secluded spot near a stream or lake, and the tanks were filled for drinking and washing purposes. But so far, from the time of the hasty flight, no one on the earth had spoken to the voyagers. Nor, so far as was known, had their presence been noted, though the black speck in the sky might have furnished plenty of talk all over the country for those who observed it. The weather was pleasant, but it was noticed that it was constantly growing colder.

One morning Jack, who was the first up, stuck his head out of the cabin door before he had finished dressing. He quickly popped back again.

"Whew!" he exclaimed. "Colder than Greenland!"

"What's that about Greenland?" asked the professor, who had just awakened.

"It's awful cold outside," said Jack, shivering from the remembrance.

Without a word the professor, wrapping a dressing-gown about him, hurried to the engine room, where several thermometers were kept. One was outside, and could be read through a gla.s.s side.

"No wonder you felt cold," he said to Jack, when he returned. "It's ten degrees below zero!"

The boys hurried to complete their dressing. The professor did likewise, as he was anxious to take some observations.

"Get out the fur garments," he said. "We must take no more chances now.

It will become colder rapidly, and ordinary clothes will be of no protection."

The boys and the professor donned heavy fur coats, with immense gloves and caps that covered all of their faces but the eyes. Then they went outside. Jack was the first to look over the side of the ship. As he did so he uttered a cry of astonishment.

Down below, about three-quarters of a mile, was a great white, snowy waste. Giant mountains of ice were heaped on every side. It was a cold, frosty silent world that the _Monarch_ was flying over. They had reached the frozen north! They were at the beginning of the entrance to the land of the Pole!

CHAPTER X

LOST IN AN ICE CAVE

"I'm not surprised that the thermometer is down below zero," remarked Jack. "There's enough ice under us to supply the whole United States."

"It is getting colder!" exclaimed the inventor as he glanced at an instrument near him. "It is fifteen below zero now!"

In truth the _Monarch_ was far to the north. She had gone faster than the inventor calculated. A glance downward showed that all traces of civilization had been left behind.

There was nothing to be seen but snow and ice, ice and snow, piled in fantastic heaps,--mountains, ridges, hills and valleys.

The professor hastily made a few calculations.

"I believe we are somewhere over Greenland or Baffin Bay, but whether we are over the land or sea I cannot tell. At any rate we are still going north," and he glanced at the compa.s.s.

They were about to retrace their steps to the dining cabin, when there was a sudden settling of the _Monarch_. It seemed to be plunging downward.

"What's the matter?" cried Jack.

The inventor hurried to the engine room. A glance at the registering needle of the instrument for telling the height attained, showed that the ship was sinking fifty feet a minute.

"Some conglomerous contraption has disproportionated herself," cried Washington. "What shall I do, Perfessor?"

"Start the gas generator at full speed!" cried the inventor. "Heat the vapor before it goes to the bag! The cold has contracted the gas in the holder above so that it will no longer support us! Work quick, Washington!"

Washington sprang to set the gas machine in operation. He seemed to be having trouble with it.

"She won't work!" he called. "She's busted!"

Faster and faster the airship continued to sink. The inventor hurried to Washington's help, but it seemed that nothing could be done. On board the _Monarch_ there was deadly fear in every heart.

"I can't keep her afloat!" the professor groaned.

Down and down went the craft. The inventor and Washington were working furiously. The boys, old Andy and Tom and Bill hurried to the engine room.

Then came a sudden jolt. The airship had struck the ice!

"Shut off the engines!" cried the professor. "Stop everything or we'll go to smash! We must set to work to repair the gas machine and raise the ship."

The _Monarch_ had settled down on a vast ice plane. So gently had the ship sunk through the air that she had suffered no injury. She rested on an even keel and there was still enough lifting power in the gas contained in the bag to keep that afloat, so that the vapor holder tugged gently at the confining meshes of the net.

"Ma goodness sakes alive!" cried Washington as soon as he had poked his head out of the warm engine room. "De atmospheric conditions am such dat dey is conducive to de utmost congestion of mah circulatory systemation!"

"I suppose you mean it is too cold for your blood," spoke the inventor, with a smile.

"Yo' has conducted mah meanin' to de utmost circ.u.mspection, Perfessor,"

was the answer.

"You'd better get out a suit of furs," suggested the captain, for Washington had not yet donned these garments. The colored man ran back into the cabin, got out the heaviest set he could find, and put it on.

The professor and the boys, together with the two helpers, were clothed to withstand the rigors of the arctic regions. In a little while Washington was warmly dressed. Then the professor led the way over the rail and down on the ice.

"Are we on land or sea?" asked Jack.

"It's hard to say, but I think we are on land," replied Amos Henderson.

"However, it doesn't make much difference. We are pretty far north. The thing to do is to get the airship in shape as quickly as possible."

"Can we help?" asked Mark.

"I hardly think so," answered the old inventor. "Washington and I understand every piece of machinery. If we need any help we will call on you. In the meanwhile you may take a look around if you wish."

"I'd like to stretch my legs a bit," spoke up old Andy. "I ain't used to stayin' cramped up in a ship like I have been. I'd like to see some of that big game you talked about, Professor."