Victor Appleton

“ Then, going to the door of the shed he called out: "Here we are, Mr. Damon. Glad to see you, Mr. Parker." This last wasn't exactly true, but Tom wanted to be polite.
"Bless my collar button, Tom! But what has become of the airship?" asked Mr. Damon, as he looked about the shed, and saw only a number of boxes and crates.
"Taken apart, and packed up, ready for the trip to the valley of gold and the caves of ice," replied the young inventor, and then he briefly told of their plans.
"Well, that's a good idea," declared the eccentric man. "Mr. Parker and I are ready to go whenever you are, Tom." ”

“ Tom took his place in the steering-tower, or pilothouse, which was forward of the main cabin. Ned was in the engine-room, ready to give any assistance if needed. Mr. Damon, Mr. Parker and Abe Abercrombie were in the main cabin, looking out of the windows at the rapidly increasing throng.
"Here we go!" cried the young inventor, as he pulled the lever starting the motor. There was a buzz and a hum. The powerful propellers whirred around like blurs of light. Forward shot the great airship over the ground, gathering speed at every revolution of the blades. ”

“ We must get out!"
"But the natives! They will kill us!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my soul! what a trying position to be in."
"I guess the natives are as bad off as we are," suggested Ned. "They're not firing, and I can hear cries of alarm. I think they're running away."
There was a lull in the snow flurry, and the white curtain seemed to lift for a moment. The gold-seekers had a glimpse of the natives in full retreat, with the Fogers—father and son—racing panic-stricken after them. Tom could also see a big cave, just beyond the gold hole, collapse and crumble to pieces like a house of cards. ”

“ Suddenly, just as Tom was trying to get a bit more speed out of the motor, the machine stopped. The cessation of the racket was almost as startling as a loud explosion would have been.
"Just my luck!" cried Tom.
"What's de matter?" asked Eradicate, anxiously.
"Motor's stalled," replied the young inventor.
"An', by golly, we's falling!" yelled the colored man.
Naturally, with the stopping of the propeller, there was no further straight, forward motion to the monoplane, and, following the law of nature, it began to drop toward the earth on a slant.
"We's fallin'! We'll be killed!" ”

“ Those on the Anthony 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. ”

“ Parker raised a great din at the ice cave where the Foger natives were. The sound carried to the hole where Andy and his father were digging out the gold. Mr. Foger at once ran toward the cave, while Andy, catching up his gun, remained on the alert.
Then came the chance of Tom and Ned. The latter coming from his hiding-place, advanced boldly toward the bully, while Tom making a detour, worked his way up behind.
"Here! You keep away!" cried Andy, catching sight of Ned. "I see what the game is, now! It's a trick!"
"You're a nice one to talk about tricks!" declared Ned, advancing slowly. ”

“ The man entered. He gave one look at the slumbering watchman, listened to his heavy breathing, and then went softly toward the airship, which looked to be immense in the comparatively small shed—taking up nearly all the space.
The intruder peered in through the cabin windows where Ned and Tom were asleep. Once more there was in the atmosphere a sickish odor. The man again worked the instrument which was like a small air pump, taking care not to get his own face too near it. Presently he stopped and listened.
"They're doped," he murmured. ”

“ I'll show you what a real airship is, Tom Swift! Monoplanes and biplanes are out of date. The only thing that's any good is a triplane. If mine works well—and I'm sure it will—I may build a quadruplane!"
"I wish you luck," spoke Tom, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Well, you won't have any luck if you come around here any more," went on Pete Bailey. "We'll he on the watch for you fellows, now, and we'll cover this window, so you can't see in."
"That's what we will," agreed Andy, and Sam Snedecker shook his head vigorously to indicate that he, too, approved of this. ”

“ We needn't fear the natives, now!"
The young inventor hurried to the Red Cloud, calling to Ned and the others. They hastened to his side. It was an easy matter to move the airship along on the wheels. It neared the opening of the cave. The rumbling, roaring, grinding sound of the ice increased.
"Why—why!" cried Tom in surprise and alarm, as the craft neared the mouth of the ice cavern, "we can't get it out—the opening is too small! Yet it came in easily enough!"
"The cave is collapsing—growing smaller every moment!" cried Mr. Parker. "We have only time to save our lives! Run out!" ”

“ 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. ”

“ The Butterfly shot forward on a gradual slant. Repeating this maneuver several times, the young inventor finally brought his machine to within a short distance of the earth, and, also, considerably nearer his own home.
"I wonder if we can make it?" he murmured, measuring the distance with his eye. "I think so. I'll shoot her up a bit and then let her down on a long slant. Then, with another upward tilt, I ought to fetch it."
The monoplane tilted upward. Eradicate gave a cry of terror. It was stilled at a look from Tom. Once more the air machine glided forward. ”

“ Parker with an air as if he almost wished such a thing to happen, that he might be vindicated.
"Oh, we'll take good care that the Red Cloud isn't nipped between two bergs," Tom declared.
But he little knew of the dire fate that was to overtake the Red Cloud, and how close a call they were to have for their very lives.
"No matter what care you exercise, you cannot overcome the awful power of the grinding ice," declared the gloomy scientist. "I predict that we will see most wonderful and terrifying sights." ”

“ I have a theory that the caves are on top of a strata of ice that is slowly moving down, and will eventually bury the whole of the North American continent. Let me once get down there, and I can prove what I say."
"I'd a good deal rather you wouldn't prove it, if it's going to be anything like it was on Earthquake Island, or out among the diamond makers," said Tom Swift. "But we will go down there, to see what they are like. Perhaps there is a trail from among the ice caves to the valley of gold." ”

“ The wind had further increased in violence, and while the storm of hailstones seemed to be about the same, the missles had nearly doubled in size.
"Better go down," advised Ned. "We may fall if you don't."
"Guess I will," assented Tom. "There's no use going higher. I doubt if I could, anyhow, with all this wind pressure, and with the gas-bag leaking. Down she is!" ”

“ TOM GETS THE MAP
For a few seconds Tom was so surprised at the sudden action of the bully that he could neither move nor speak. Then crying out a command to halt, the young inventor took after his enemy.
"The scamp!" he cried. "The nerve he has! To deceive Abe Abercrombie in that fashion! Wait until I get hold of him!"
"What's it all about?" asked the old miner, who, being a slow thinker had not understood all that had happened. "What's up, Tom Swift?"
"Haven't time to tell you now," flung back the running lad over his shoulder. "I've got to catch Andy! Then I'll explain. ”

“ Through the night the great airship plowed her way. At times Tom arose to look at some of the recording instruments. It was growing colder, and this further reduced the volume of the gas, but as the speed of the ship was sufficient to send her along, sustained by the planes and wings alone, if necessary, the young inventor did not worry much. ”

“ Every one of the principal planes of the airship, each of the rudders, and some of the auxiliary wings had been cut by a sharp knife—some in several places. The canvas hung in shreds and patches, and the trim Red Cloud looked like some old tramp airship now. Tom could scarcely repress a groan. ”

“ ANDY FOGER'S TRIPLANE
"Going to look for a valley of gold, eh?" remarked Ned Newton as he and Tom took seats in a little room, fitted up like a den, where the young inventor frequently worked out the details of the problems that confronted him. "Where is this valley, Tom? Anywhere so I could have a chance at it?"
"It's up in Alaska. Just where I don't know, but Abe Abercrombie, the old miner whom we met when out in Colorado this summer, says he can find it if we circle around in the airship. So I'm going to take a chance. I'll tell you all about it." ”

“ There was something familiar about the two leading figures, and it could now be seen that in the rear were a number of dog sleds.
"There's Andy Foger and his father!" cried Ned. "They've gone and got a lot of Eskimos to help them drive us away."
"That's right!" admitted Tom. "I guess we're in for it now!"
With a rush the natives, led by the Fogers, came on. They were yelling now. An instant later they began firing their guns.
"It's a fierce attack!" cried Tom. "Into the ice cave for shelter! We can cover the gold mine from there. I'll get my electric gun!" ”

“ 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. ”

“ Vigorously the adventurers wielded their implements, making the ice fly, but for an hour or more no gold was discovered. Mr. Damon, after picking lightly at a certain place, would get discouraged, and move on to another. So did Ned, and Tom, after going down quite a way, left off work, and walked over to one of the big ice caves.
"What's up?" asked Ned, resting from labors.
"I was thinking whether it would be safe put the Red Cloud in this ice cave for a shelter," replied Tom. "There may come up a hail storm at any time, and damage it. ”

“ The young inventor was on his guard instantly. He jumped back to avoid a moving shadow, but was too late. Something struck him on the back of his head, and he felt his senses leaving him. He struggled against the feeling, and he realized, even in that exciting moment, that the thick collar of his heavy overcoat, which he had turned up because of a cold wind, had, perhaps, saved him from a broken skull. ”

“ 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!" ”

“ Tom lost no time in getting to work. He had the different parts of his airship carted to the big shed which he hired. This building was on one edge of the fair grounds, and there was a large, level space which was admirably adapted for trying the big craft, when once more it was put together.
The gold-seekers worked hard, and to such good purpose that in three days most of the ship was together once more, and the Red Cloud looked like herself again. Tom hired a couple of machinists to aid him in assembling the motor, and some of the gas appliances and other apparatus. ”

“ In some respects the airship was not unlike Tom's, and the young inventor could see that Andy had copied some of his ideas. But Tom cared little about this.
"Do you think it will go up?" asked Ned.
"It looks to me to be too heavy, and his propellers seem too small," answered Tom. "He's got to have a very powerful motor to make all that bulk fly."
The people were crowding in closer around the airship, for the news that Andy was to attempt a flight had spread about town.
"Now keep back—all of you!" ordered the bully, with a show of anger. ”

“ 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. ”