Roy J. Snell

“ Hour by hour, the stacks of dark brown cubes of frozen pay dirt grew at the sides of the mine. Hour by hour, the yellow glistened more brightly in the cubes. Yet he did not come to the mother-lode. He slept but little, taking short snatches now and then. Sometimes he fell asleep at his task. One thing began to worry him; the gasoline was running short. With no gasoline to run his motor, there could be no electric current, no power.
Now and again he fancied that men were prowling about the snow-blocked entrance. ”

“ When Johnny started out at four o’clock the next morning, he set his dogs zig-zagging back and forth to the land side of their cabin. He was hunting the invisible trail of the Reindeer Chukche who had come from the interior the day before. When once the dog-leader had come 71 upon the scent of it, the team bounded straight away over the tundra.
The cabin soon faded from view. First came the frozen bed of the river, then a chain of low-lying hills, then broad stretches of tundra again, with, here and there, a narrow willow-lined stream twisting in and out between snow-banks. ”

“ For fully ten minutes the mine was silent as a grave. Only the faint drip, drip, drip of water from the warm spring and the almost inaudible tremble-mumble of the throbbing earth disturbed the deathlike stillness.
At last the doctor straightened up with a sigh.
“Not a scratch on his body,” he announced, “not a sign of anything.”
“Heart disease?” suggested Johnny.
“Impossible. I was particularly careful to see that every man of the expedition had a good strong heart. Low temperatures are hard on bad hearts. Langlois was exceptionally well equipped in this matter. ”

“ He stood and stared at Dave; Dave stared back at him.
As Johnny Thompson prepared for the dash out of the cave, where he and Pant were to have been trapped, he realized that it was a desperate move. Pant had seen only lances and harpoons. There were doubtless rifles in the natives’ hands as well. He knew very well their intentions: they feared him as a leader and, hoping to trap him here, had planned to end his life. One by one, they would pick off his men. At last there would be a rush and the remaining few would be killed. ”

“ But my country, my poor Russia, my brave Russia! She will yet see her error and build up a government like your own, a free government of the people, a government not without its faults, but ever striving toward perfection. ”

“ As he waited, his heart thumped so loudly that it seemed the Russians must hear and charge down upon him.
They came on cautiously, peering this way then that. He caught the gleam of a knife, the dull-black shine of an automatic. ”

“ As Dave gripped the cord attached to the gas valve on the balloon and in his imagination heard the hiss of escaping gas and felt the drop of the balloon, his thoughts sobered. After all, what did they know about these strange people? What sort of treatment would they receive from them? If they landed they might, in less than an hour, be dead. Might it not be better to allow the balloon to rise and to attempt a journey back to some Russian town? But instantly he realized 168 that this gale which was coming would carry them to the heart of Bolsheviki Russia. ”

“ As he sped forward, through his mind there ran all manner of stories told round northern camp fires. The stories had to do with these same Russian wolf-hounds. A man had once picketed his dogs near him in a blizzard and, creeping into his sleeping bag, had slept so soundly throughout the night that he did not realize the drifting snow was burying him. He had awakened to struggle against the weight of 80 snow but could not free himself. ”

“ By the time all this had happened, Dave and Jarvis, with their men, had come out from the mine and had joined Johnny, who, still prancing about in his ridiculous costume, was rejoicing with Pant over the sudden enriching of their treasure-hoard.
“Get a windlass,” said Dave. “We’ll bring that giant bird to earth. There may be more treasure aboard her.”
In due time the balloon-cabin touched the snow and the men swarmed upon it. ”

“ Dave stared dizzily upward to where the giant sausage drifted silently on. It was a sheer fifty feet. To reach this there was but one means, a slender ladder of rope. Could he do it? Could he climb to the balloon and slit it before they reached the ocean?
It was their only chance. If the City of Gold was not a complete illusion; if human beings lived there at all, they might hope for food and shelter. There were chemicals in the cabin for 141 re-inflating the balloon. A fair wind, or the discovery of the method of operating that Oriental engine, might insure them a safe voyage home. ”

“ It seemed evident that the pick had lain on the floor of the mine, that Langlois had taken it up and driven it into the earth which had been softened by the water. Then death must have come, for he lay not three feet from the handle of the pick.
“Dead,” Johnny whispered to himself as he turned away, “but how?” 17
Half way to the entrance, Johnny paused, put his hand on his companion’s arm, then stood in the attitude of listening. He seemed to feel rather than hear an almost undetectable shudder that set the air about them and the rock beneath their feet to vibrating. ”

“ By the time he had turned back toward the entrance, Pant recognized him as a white man’s dog.
“Well, howdy, old sport,” he exclaimed, as the dog leaped upon him, ready to pull him to pieces out of pure joy.
“Down, down, sir!”
The dog dropped at his feet. In another minute the snow-door was in its place again. 139
“Well, old chap,” said Pant, peering at the dog through his goggles. “You came to share fortunes with me, did you? The little yellow men had a tiger; I’ve got a dog. That’s better. A tiger’d leave you; a dog never. ”

“ Dave, remembering to have viewed such a sight in other days, and in what must have been something of the same location, stared in silence for a full minute before he spoke: 131
“If it is,” he said slowly, “there’s only one salvation for us. We’ve got to get down out of the clouds. The last time I saw that riot of color it was on the shore of the ocean, or very near it, and to drift over the Arctic Ocean in this crazy craft is to invite death.”
He sprang for the door which led to the narrow plank-way about the cabin and to the rigging where the valve-cord must hang suspended. ”

“ Johnny could not resist the temptation to barter for the tusk. He yielded. The man carried his flour away in triumph.
After that, not a day passed but a half score or more of the natives came sneaking about the cabin, the storeroom, and the mine, begging for food.
As the days wore on, as famine came poking his skeleton form into the igloos of the improvident natives, the condition became truly serious. ”

“ Realizing that he was trapped, the instant that forms blocked the door of the machine sheds at the Seven Mines, Pant tackled the problem of escape. If these were natives or yellow 124 men, they would treat him rough. If they were Bolsheviki, he could hope for no better fate. His only hope lay in escape. The place had no other door and no open windows. He must gain his freedom by strategy. Evidently, he must play the cat-and-mouse act about the piles of supplies and machinery. ”

“ What wonder that their hearts beat wildly as they caught its gleam and realized that in a very few moments they would be landing within a quarter of a mile of that mysterious city, which, according to the natives whom they had met long ago, did really exist as a place of many people and much gold. ”

“ Cio-Cio-San sighed as if relieved at feeling the mask removed.
“I came to Russia to find a very dear relative who had lived with my family in the interior of Russia before this revolution came upon us. I met Mazie; your so good friend. She pressed me into her service. Who could refuse? I was glad to be of help.
“Then, because there was no Japanese man who could speak for you to the Mongols, she asked me to go. And, because it is unsafe for a woman to go on such a journey, undisguised, I dressed as a man. So, there you have it all. I am glad you know, you are a man of great honor. ”

“ The hard-packed snow would not crumble in easily. So he cut away at it until there was a hollow space at the mine’s entrance twenty feet long and half as wide.
Meanwhile, he was panning the pay dirt and putting it away in carefully sewed, split walrus-skin sacks. At times, he paused to rub his hands together like Midas, as he stowed away another sack on the top of a small sled which was hidden in a corner. On this sled were a sleeping-bag and a little food. ”

“ A hound which has found the lair of its prey does not whine. He bays his message, telling out to all the world that he has cornered his prey.
The more the boy thought of it, the more certain he became that this was not one of the Russian hounds. But if not, then what dog was it? Perhaps one of Johnny Thompson’s which had escaped. If it were, he would be a friend.
Of one thing Pant became more and more positive: there were no men with the dog. ”

“ Many would die without it. Soup means meat. We must have it. The nearest cattle are a hundred miles away. The Mongols have them. They are the border traders between China and Russia, you know. They have cattle—hundreds of them. They can be bought for gold.”
“For gold,” smiled Johnny, patting his chest which still bulged suspiciously. “I’ll be off for the cattle in the morning. I’ll leave Doc here to do what he can, and to look after you.”
“Good!” exclaimed Mazie, clapping her hands again. “The Red Cross will supply you a band of trustworthy Russians to help drive the 123 cattle here. ”

“ He was thinking only of Mazie. He had decided to make his way to a corner of the city occupied by Japanese people of doubtful character. To do this he must leave the street he was in and, after turning to his right, go straight ahead for ten blocks.
He was not long in discovering that the carrying out of his plans would put him in the greatest danger. The cross-street was jammed with Russians who fled from the raking fire of machine guns set somewhere at the head of that street. Johnny could still hear their rat-tat and 209 the sing of bullets. Men, women and children ran through the street. ”

“ As he moved forward, his thoughts were again of that strange fellow who had made the record on the disk.
“Couldn’t be a native” he murmured. “No native has a voice like that. If it’s a strange white man, why doesn’t he join us? Perhaps—” He stopped short in his tracks. “Perhaps it’s 37 one of our own number. Perhaps it’s Pant. He’s queer enough to do or be anything.”
His mind hung on that last word—anything. Yes, he might not be a man at all. Might be a girl. Why always that hood drawn tight? Why the goggles? And, being a girl, she might be more than an adventuress. ”

“ He was out again in a moment, bearing 154 on his shoulder a coil of steel cable, and dragging a heavy land anchor after him.
“We may be able to save the old boat yet,” he yelled excitedly. “Jarvis, bring out the rope ladder.”
Jarvis hastened inside and reappeared almost immediately with the ladder.
“It’s an island,” said Dave, “and, as far as I can judge, we’re only two or three hundred feet from its surface when we get above it. We’ll throw over the anchor and if it catches somewhere, we’ll go down the ladder. In time the balloon will lose gas enough to bring her to earth.” ”

“ I cannot tell how it is, but I know it to be a truth now; honest competition is not only the life of trade, it is the life of man and without it man will die of inactivity which comes when interest dies. ”

“ Two cowering wretches were found in one corner of the cabin.
“I’m for ’aving an end to ’em at once and immediately,” stormed Jarvis.
“No! No!” smiled Dave. “They’re just the boys we want. They are going to tell us why the engine won’t go for us.”
“And if they do?”
“If they do, we’ll leave them the greenhouse, coal mine, heating plant and all in exchange for that bit of information.”
Jarvis seemed quite content with any arrangement which promised to put a few thousand miles between him and the “bloody, bloomin’ ’eathen.” ”

“ Before him, also reposing in this sea of softness, was a Mongol of unusual size, whose face was long and solemn. He puffed incessantly at a long-stemmed Russian pipe.
Forming the third corner of the triangle, was the little interpreter.
The two members of the yellow race conversed in low tones for some time. At last the interpreter turned to Johnny:
“I have told him that you want to buy cattle, much cattle. He say, how much you want 146 to pay? How you want to pay? How much you want to buy?”
“You tell him that I saw six of his cattle out here just now. They are very poor. ”

“ Then, turning an inquiring look on Dave, he murmured, “American?”
In another second he was lost in a sleeping stupor.
Dave twisted himself about and gazed down 116 at the panorama of purple shadows that flitted along beneath them.
“Patient doing well,” he murmured at last. “Going due north by west. Forty miles an hour, I’d say. Beautiful prospects for all of us, Mr. Jarvis. Going right on into a land that does not belong to anybody and where nobody lives. Upon which hundred thousand square miles would you prefer to land?” ”