by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER XX
ON THE ICE FLOE
If ever Tom Raymond had need of skill and care it was then, for whatmight be an ordinary mishap ashore must be a fatal accident under theconditions by which they were faced.
But almost as lightly as a snowflake touches the ground he brought thewheels under the big bomber in contact with the ice. Indeed, Jack couldnot tell for a certainty when the actual contact occurred; thoughimmediately afterwards he found himself being shaken more or less as theheavy plane bumped along over the ice.
One peril still menaced them, which was that their momentum, unlesshalted, might carry them to the terminus of the floe, and plunge themover. But Tom had taken all precautions, and allowed for everything, evenan unusual slide on account of the smooth surface under the wheels.
Slower grew their progress, though the bumping continued unabated. Andfinally they had come to a full stop, with still some little stretch ofthe ice field ahead.
Then Jack tried to yell, cowboy fashion; but, to his surprise anddisgust, he could hardly make a sound above a whisper, his voice havingfailed him through sheer nervous excitement.
He jumped from his seat, and immediately sat down with a rude jar on theice; but, nothing daunted, he quickly scrambled to his feet and began todance like a wild Indian might when the war tocsin sounds through thevillage, and all his primeval instincts are aroused by the thought offighting and plunder.
Tom and Lieutenant Beverly also hastened to leave their seats. They toofound that their legs were cramped and almost useless, through havingmaintained a sitting position during so many weary hours.
Jack's exuberant spirits caused him to fairly hug his chum.
"Didn't I know you could do it, Tom?" he cried. "See how the old luckkeeps hanging over us, will you? It's always been this way, Colin; and tohave Tom along means success every time."
"That may be," the lieutenant replied, giving Tom a fond look; "but if Iwere you I'd call it something more than just luck. It takes brains tothink up such schemes as this one, brains and a lively imagination inthe bargain; and Tom's rich in both of those requirements."
"Let's get busy, and see about fixing that feedpipe," broke out themodest object of all this praise. "We have only a short time of daylightto work in, and after that must depend on our little searchlight torch."
All were willing to start work. Jack found himself shivering slightly,although they had not been on the ice-floe many minutes.
"Gee, but it's certainly cold, for a fact!" he exclaimed. "I'd hate to bemarooned here any length of time, let me tell you, even if we did havegrub enough to last over a week. Why, we'd freeze to death; not tomention what would become of us when the old berg crashed over andscattered all this floe ice!"
"Let's hope that our stay will be of short duration then," said Beverly,with a quick and apprehensive glance in the direction of the toweringiceberg, upon the peak of which the last rays of the sinking sun glinteduntil it seemed to be frosted with a million diamonds.
Tom was already busily engaged, after the bomber had been wheeled partlyaround, in order that he might have the benefit of what light remainedwith the departure of day.
Beverly and Jack hovered over him, ready to give advice, or lend ahelping hand. Of course none of them had ever had to do with thisparticular type of a plane; but then all engines have many similaritiesin their construction, and Tom, as well as the other two, had provedthemselves to be capable mechanics, as well as able pilots.
Finally, as it was impossible for the three of them to work at therepairs, Jack walked around and examined the singular formationconstituting the berg and attendant ice-floe.
"Why," he told himself in glee, "it floated across our path when weneeded a landing-place the worst kind, as if we'd ordered it to be heldin waiting. It might be the next time there'll be a convenient islandhandy, though I hope there'll come no next time."
He even found a way to climb on to the berg itself, though in most placesthe field ice was chopped into small bits by some action on the part ofthe vast bulk, perhaps during a high wind and a heavy sea.
"All I want to be able to say is that I've been on a regular iceberg,"Jack announced, after he had once more returned to his mates; "butit's frigid, let me tell you. Why, there's enough ice in that mountainto freeze all the cream made around New York in a whole season, andthen some."
He found that Tom was still busily engaged, with Beverly bending down infrequent consultation.
"Say, is it going to be anything serious, fellows? Worse than we atfirst thought?"
Beverly looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. He was now holdingthe little hand-torch and directing its ray so that Tom could get thefull benefit.
"No reason to believe so, Jack," he remarked quietly. "Tom's still of theopinion that we ought to have it all fixed up for keeps before an hourgoes by, if things keep on working as we expect."
"Fine! You make me happy when you say that, Colin!" Jack returned. "Ifonly the berg doesn't roll over before we get out of this, I'll considerthat we have much to be thankful for," he added slowly.
"Could you feel any motion when you stood on that lower shelf of theberg?" asked Beverly, showing that he had watched what Jack was doing.
"I should say I could," the other assured him. "It nearly made mesea-sick. I'd hate to have to stay here very much longer. If you watch acloud passing you can see just how the peak dips, and swings back andforth. It's getting ready to tumble, and before long!"
Tom worked on.
He too realized that the longer they were compelled to stay on the icefield the greater their danger must become. If that towering berg everdid turn over bottom-up it would smash the floe into fragments and churnup the adjacent waters in a way that would leave no avenue of escape forthe trio of adventurous air pilots who had alighted there by reason ofcircumstances beyond their control.
His hands felt cold, and he was compelled at times to get up and thrashboth arms about to induce circulation in his extremities. Beverly andJack both offered to take his place, but Tom, having started the job,thought he had better finish it if possible.
"Everything seems to be working along as good as pie," Beverly reported,in order to add to Jack's peace of mind, for he knew the other must begrowing a bit anxious again. Delay meant so much to Jack in this endeavorto beat the steamship across the Atlantic.
"If you've no objections, I'll rustle after that grub bag, and indulge insomething to help get rid of this empty feeling I've got. We'll all feelbetter for something to eat," said Jack. "I think Tom could work fasterif he would take time now for a sandwich."
"You're right, perhaps, Jack," returned Colin. "Although we had betterwait for a full meal till we get in the air."
"Here's luck, boys!" cried Jack a minute afterwards.
"What have you found now?" asked Tom, without looking up.
"Why, the coffee's still hot. And let me tell you, it feels good to myhands. There never was a finer thing for poor air pilots than thesebottles that allow them to have a warm drink when two miles up, and infreezing temperature. This will put fresh life in our bodies."
"That isn't half bad," answered Tom; "so hand it over, and I'll take adrink or two."
Tom swallowed his coffee and hastily ate a sandwich, but the others,without Tom's reason for haste, ate hungrily.
Never, they confessed, had they felt such voracious appetites as on thisflight. Perhaps the invigorating sea air had something to do with it; butJack, at least, was not the one to bother himself about the cause, solong as the provisions held out.
Some time passed in this way. Tom at work, Beverly holding the flashlightin one hand and taking in the other such food as Jack handed to him.
Tom had just remarked he believed he had effected a radical cure, andthat the feed-pipe was not likely to become obstructed again; at the sametime Jack could see he was starting to put things together once more.
It began to look as though they might be ready to make a fresh start ina very short
time, not more than ten minutes, Jack figured. It thrilledhim to realize this fact. He even glanced toward the towering berg asif to say:
"Now be good, and just hold off your gymnastics till we get started, oldchap! Afterwards you can cut up as much as you please, and little we'llcare. But I've got too much at stake right now in getting to land to haveany silly ice mountain turn over on me. So forget your troubles foranother half hour, if you please!"
Just then Jack saw something move close by. A scuffling sound, followedby a strange sniffling, could be plainly heard. Jack bent down andclutched Beverly by the arm, saying shrilly:
"Listen, both of you! That Polar bear is coming for us, and I think hemeans business, too!"