CHAPTER XXIII
ATTACKED BY NATIVES
To state that Tom and his friends were angry at the trick the Fogershad played on them would be putting it mildly. There was righteousindignation in their hearts, and, as for the young inventor he feltthat much blame was attached to him for his neglect in not remainingon guard at the place of the lucky strike while Ned went to call theothers.
"I guess Andy must have been spying on us," spoke Ned, "or he wouldnever have known when to rush up just as he did; as soon as weleft."
"Probably," admitted Tom, bitterly.
"But, bless my penholder!" cried Mr. Damon. "Can't we do something,Abe? Won't the law--?"
"There ain't any law out here, except what you make yourself," saidthe miner. "I guess they've got us for th' time bein'."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Tom, detecting a gleam of hope inAbe's tone.
"Well, I mean that I think we kin git ahead of 'em. Come on back toth' ship, an' we'll talk it over."
They walked away, leaving Andy and his father in possession of therich deposits of gold, and that it was much richer even then thanthe hole Abe had first discovered was very evident. The two Fogerswere soon at work, digging out the yellow metal with the pick andshovels Tom and Ned had so thoughtlessly dropped.
"What little law there is out here they've got on their side," wenton Abe, "an' they've got possession, too, which is more. Of coursewe could go at 'em in a pitched battle, but I take it you don't wantany bloodshed?" and he looked at Tom.
"Of course not," replied the lad quickly, "but I'd like to meet Andyalone, with nothing but my fists for a little while," and Tom's eyessnapped.
"So would I," added Ned.
"Perhaps we can find another pocket of gold better than that one,"suggested Mr. Damon.
"We might," admitted Abe, "but that one was ours an' we're entitledto it. This valley is rich in gold deposits, but you can't allersput your hand on 'em. We may have t' hunt around for a week until westrike another. An', meanwhile, them Fogers will be takin' our gold!It's not to be borne! I'll find some way of drivin' 'em out. An'we've got t' do it soon, too."
"You mean if we don't that they'll get all the gold?" asked Mr.Damon.
"No, I mean that soon it will be th' long night up here, an' wecan't work. We'll have t' go back, an' I don't want t' go back untilI've made my pile."
"Neither do any of us, I guess," spoke Tom, "but there doesn't seemto be any help for it."
They discussed several plans on reaching the ship, but none seemedfeasible without resorting to force, and this they did not want todo, as they feared there might be bloodshed. When night closed inthey could see the gleam of a campfire, kindled by the Foger party,at the gold-pocket, from bits of the scrubby trees that grew in thatfrigid clime.
"They're going to stay on guard," announced Tom. "We can't get itaway from them to-night."
Though Abe had spoken of some plan to regain the advantage theFogers had of them, the old miner was not quite ready to propose it.All the next day he seemed very thoughtful, while going about withthe others, seeking new deposits of gold. Luck did not seem to bewith them. They found two or three places where there were traces ofthe yellow pebbles, but in no very great quantity.
Meanwhile the Fogers were busy at the pocket Ned had located. Theyseemed to be taking out much of the precious metal.
"And it all ought to be ours," declared Tom, bitterly.
"Yes, and it shall be, too!" suddenly exclaimed. Abe. "I think Ihave a plan that will beat 'em."
"What is it?" asked Tom.
"Let's get back to the ship, and I'll tell you," said Abe. "We can'ttell when one of their natives might be sneakin' in among these icecaves, an' they understand some English. They might give my schemeaway."
In brief Abe's plan, as he unfolded it in the cabin of the RED CLOUDwas this:
They would divide into two parties, one consisting of Ned and Tom,and the other of the three men. The latter, by a circuitous route,would go to the ice caves where the Fogers had established theircamp. It was there that the Indians remained during the day, whileAndy and his father labored at the gold pocket, for, after the firstday when they had had the natives aid them, father and son hadworked alone at the hole, probably fearing to trust the Indians. Atnight, though either Andy or his father remained on guard, with oneor two of the dusky-skinned dog drivers.
"But we'll work this trick before night," said Abe. "We three menwill get around to where the natives are in the ice cave. We'llpretend to attack them, and raise a great row, firing our guns inthe air, and all that sort of thing, an' yellin' t' beat th' band.Th' natives will yell, too, you can depend on that."
"Th' Fogers will imagine we are tryin' t' git away with their sledsan' supplies, an' maybe their gold, if they've got it stored in th'ice cave. Naturally Andy or his father will run here, an' that willleave only one on guard at th' mine. Then Tom an' Ned can sneak up.Th' two of 'em will be a match for even th' old Foger, if he happenst' stay, an' while Tom or Ned comes up in front, t' hold hisattention, th' other can come up in back, an' grab his arms, if hetries t' shoot. Likely Andy will remain at th' gold hole, an' youtwo lads kin handle him, can't you?"
"Well, I guess!" exclaimed Tom and Ned together.
The plan worked like a charm. Abe, Mr. Damon and Mr. Parker raised agreat din at the ice cave where the Foger natives were. The soundcarried to the hole where Andy and his father were digging out thegold. Mr. Foger at once ran toward the cave, while Andy, catching uphis gun, remained on the alert.
Then came the chance of Tom and Ned. The latter coming from hishiding-place, advanced boldly toward the bully, while Tom, making adetour, worked his way up behind.
"Here! You keep away!" cried Andy, catching sight of Ned. "I seewhat the game is, now! It's a trick!"
"You're a nice one to talk about tricks!" declared Ned, advancingslowly.
"Keep away if you don't want to get hurt!" yelled Andy.
"Oh, you wouldn't hurt me; would you?" mocked Ned, who wanted togive Tom time to sneak up behind the bully.
"Yes, I would! Keep back!" Andy was nervously fingering his weapon.The next instant his gun flew from his grasp, and he went overbackward in Tom's strong grip; for the young inventor, in hissealskin shoes had worked up in the rear without a sound. The nextmoment Andy broke away and was running for his life, leaving Tom andNed in possession of the gold hole, and that without a shot beingfired. A little later the three men, who had hurried away from thecave as Mr. Foger rushed up to see what caused the racket, joinedTom and Ned, and formal possession was taken of their lucky strike.
"We'll guard it well, now," decided Tom, and later that day theymoved some supplies near the hole, and for a shelter built an igloo,Eskimo fashion, in which work Abe had had some experience. Then theymoved the airship to another ice cave, nearer their "mine" as theycalled it, and prepared to stand guard.
But there seemed to be no need, for the following day there was notrace of the Fogers. They and their natives had disappeared.
"I guess we were too much for them," spoke Tom. But the sequel wassoon to prove differently.
It was three days after our friends had regained their mine, duringwhich time they had dug out considerable gold, that toward evening,as Tom was taking the last of the output of yellow pebbles into thecave where the airship was, he looked across the valley.
"Looks like something coming this way," observed the young inventor."Natives, I guess."
"It is," agreed Ned, "quite a large party, too!"
"Better tell Abe and the others," went on Tom. "I don't like thelooks of this. Maybe the sudden disappearance of the Fogers hassomething to do with it."
Abe, Mr. Damon and Mr. Parker hurried from the ice cave. They hadcaught up their guns as they ran out.
"They're still coming on," called Tom, "and are headed this way."
"They're Indians, all right!" exclaimed Abe. "Hark! What's that?"
It was the sound of shouting and singing.
"There's Andy Foger and his father!" cried Ned. "They've gone andgot 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 wereyelling 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!"
Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice, or, the Wreck of the Airship Page 23