CHAPTER XXI
THE FOGERS ARRIVE
In spite of the fact that he tried to remain calm, Tom Swift felt awild exultation as he thought of what lay before him and hisfriends. To be in a place where gold could be picked up! where theymight all become fabulously wealthy! where the ground might be seencovered with the precious yellow metal! this was enough to set thenerves of any one a-tingle!
Tom could hardly realize it at first. After many hardships, nolittle danger, and after an attempt on the part of their enemies todefeat them, they had at last reached their goal. Now, as Abe hadsaid, they could hunt for the gold.
But if they expected to see the precious yellow nuggets lying aboutready to be picked up like so many kernels of corn, they weredisappointed. A quick look all about showed them only a vast extentof ice and snow, broken here and there by the big caves of ice.There were not so many of the latter as at the first place theystopped, but the caverns were larger.
"Gold--I don't see any gold," remarked Ned Newton, with adisappointed air. "Where is it?"
"Bless my pocketbook, yes! Where is it?" demanded Mr. Damon.
"Oh, we've got to dig for it," explained Abe. "It's only whenthere's been a slight thaw that some of th' pebble nuggets kin beseen. They're under th' ice, an' we've got t' dig for 'em."
"Does it ever thaw up here?" asked Mr. Parker. "The ice of the cavesseems thick enough to last forever."
"It does thaw an' melt some," went on the miner. "But some of th'caves last all through what they call 'summer' up here, though it'smore like winter. We're above th' Arctic circle now, friends."
"Maybe we can keep on to the Pole," suggested Ned.
"Not this trip," spoke Tom, grimly. "We'll try for the gold, first."
"Yes, an' I'm goin' t' begin diggin' right away!" exclaimed Abe, ashe turned back into the airship, and came out again with a pick andshovel, a supply of which implements had been brought along. Theothers followed his example, and soon the ice chips were flyingabout in a shower, while the sun shining on them gave the appearanceof a rainbow.
"Look at those Indians watching us," remarked Ned to Tom, as hepaused in his chipping of the frozen surface. The young inventorglanced up toward the distant plateau where a fringe of dark figuresstood. The natives were evidently intently watching the gold-seekers.
"Do you think there's any danger from them. Abe?" asked Tom.
"Not much," was the reply. "They made trouble for me an' my partner,but I guess th' airship has scared 'em sufficient, so they won'tcome snoopin' down here," and Abe fell to at his digging again.
Mr. Damon was also vigorously wielding a pick, but Mr. Parker likethe true scientist he was, had renewed his observations. Evidentlythe gold had no attractions for him, or, if it did, he preferred towait until he had finished his calculations.
Vigorously the adventurers wielded their implements, making the icefly, but for an hour or more no gold was discovered. Mr. Damon,after picking lightly at a certain place, would get discouraged, andmove on to another. So did Ned, and Tom, after going down quite away, left off work, and walked over to one of the big ice caves.
"What's up?" asked Ned, resting from his labors.
"I was thinking whether it would be safe to put the RED CLOUD inthis ice cave for a shelter," replied Tom. "There may come up a hailstorm at any time, and damage it. The caves would be just the placefor it, only I'm afraid the roof might collapse."
"It looks strong," said Ned. "Let's ask Mr. Parker his opinion."
"Good idea," agreed Tom.
The scientist was soon taking measurements of the thickness of thecave roof, noting its formation, and looking at the frozen floor.
"I see no reason why this cave should collapse," he finallyannounced. "The only danger is the movement of the whole valley ofice, and that is too gradual to cause any immediate harm. Yes, Ithink the airship could be housed in the ice cave."
"Then I'll run her in, and she'll be safer," decided Tom. "I guesswe three can do it, Ned, and leave Mr. Damon and Abe to keep ondigging for gold." The airship was so buoyant that it could easilybe moved about on the bicycle wheels on which it rested, and soon,after the lower edge of the opening into the ice cave had beensmoothed down, the RED CLOUD was placed in the novel shelter.
"Now to continue the search for the yellow nuggets!" cried Ned, andTom went with him, even Mr. Parker condescending to take a pick,now. Abe was the only one who dug steadily in one place. The otherstried spot after spot.
"You've got t' stick t' one lead until you find somethin', or untilit peters out," explained the miner. "You must git down to th' dirtbefore you'll find any gold, though you may strike a few grains thathave worked up into th' ice."
After this advice they all kept to one hole until they had workeddown through the ice to the dirt surface below. But even then, Abe,who was the first to achieve this, found no gold, and the old minerwent to another location.
All the rest of that day they dug, but with no result. Not even afew grains of yellow dust rewarded their efforts.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Mr. Damon, somewhatfretfully, of Abe, as they ate supper that night in the airship,sheltered as it was in the ice cave.
"I'm positive of it," was the reply. "There's gold here, but it willtake some prospectin' t' find it. Maybe th' deposits have beenshifted by th' ice movement, as Mr. Parker says. But it's here, an'we'll git it. We'll try ag'in t'-morrow."
They did try, but with small success. Laboring all day in the coldthe only result was a few little yellow pebbles that Tom foundimbedded in the ice. But they were gold, and the finding of themgave the seekers hope as they wearily began their task the followingday. The weather seemed even colder, and there was the indication ofa big storm.
They were scattered in different places on the ice, not far awayfrom the big cave, each one picking away vigorously. Suddenly Abe,who had laboriously worked his way down to the dirt, gave anexultant yell.
"I've struck it! Struck it rich!" he shouted, leaping about as hethrew down his pick, "Look here, everybody!" He stooped down overthe hole. They all ran to his side, and saw him lifting from alittle pocket in the dirt, several large, yellow pebbles.
"Gold! Gold!" cried Abe. "We've struck it at last!"
For a moment no one spoke, though there was a wild beating of theirhearts. Then, off toward the farther end of the valley there soundeda curious noise. It was a shouting and yelling, mingled with thesnapping of whips and the howls and barkings of dogs.
"Bless my handkerchief!" cried Mr. Damon. "What's that?"
They all saw a moment later. Approaching over the frozen snow wereseveral Eskimo sledges, drawn by dog teams, and the native driverswere shouting and cracking their whips of walrus hide.
"The natives are coming to attack us!" cried Ned.
Tom said nothing. He was steadily observing the approaching sleds.They came on rapidly. Abe was holding the golden nuggets in hisgloved hands.
"Get the guns! Where's your electric rifle, Tom?" cried Mr. Damon.
"I don't believe we'll need the guns--just yet," answered the younginventor, slowly.
"Bless my cartridge-belt! Why not?" demanded the eccentric man.
"Because those are the Fogers," replied Tom. "They have followedus--Andy and his father! Andy Foger here!" gasped Ned.
Tom nodded grimly. A few minutes later the sleds had come to a haltnot far from our friends, and Andy, followed by his father, leapedoff his conveyance. The two were clad in heavy fur garments.
"Ha, Tom Swift! You didn't get here much ahead of us!" exulted thebully. "I told you I'd get even with you! Come on, now, dad, we'llget right to work digging for gold!"
Tom and his companions did not know what to say.
Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice, or, the Wreck of the Airship Page 21