THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE
OR
The Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch
BY ROY ROCKWOOD
AUTHOR OF "THE RIVAL OCEAN DIVERS," "A SCHOOLBOY'S PLUCK," ETC.
1906
CONTENTS
CHAP.
I. DRIVEN FROM TOWN
II. THE RUNAWAY TRAIN
III. A STRANGE RESCUER
IV. THE AIRSHIP
V. A PLAN TO SEEK THE NORTH POLE
VI. AWAY IN THE AIRSHIP
VII. HELD BY ELECTRICITY
VIII. SURROUNDED BY EAGLES
IX. THE FROZEN NORTH REACHED
X. LOST IN AN ICE CAVE
XI. ATTACKED BY SEA LIONS
XII. A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE
XIII. FORWARD ONCE MORE
XIV. TOSSED BY A TORNADO
XV. PRISONERS OF THE ESQUIMAUX
XVI. THE STRANGE WOMAN AIDS
XVII. FIGHTING FOR THE SHIP
XVIII. NORTHWARD ONCE MORE
XIX. A BLINDING SNOWSTORM
XX. AT THE NORTH POLE?
XXI. LOST IN THE SNOW
XXII. MAGNETIC FIRE WORSHIPPERS
XXIII. A STRANGE SACRIFICE
XXIV. SAVED BY DIROLA
XXV. ADRIFT ON THE ICE
XXVI. FIGHTING WILD DOGS
XXVII. BACK TO THE SHIP
XXVIII. ATTACKED BY THE NATIVES
XXIX. THE ESCAPE
XXX. HOMEWARD BOUND
THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE.
CHAPTER I
DRIVEN FROM TOWN
"Come now, you boys git out of here! No tramps allowed in Freeport while
Ezra Jenkins is constable! Move along, now, or I'll arrest ye! Here's my
badge of authority!" And a crabbed old man, wearing a faded blue suit,
with a big shining star of metal on his coat, tapped the emblem with his
club.
Two boys, who had just joined each other, after having called at houses
on the main street of the little New York village, where Constable
Jenkins held sway as the entire police force, started at the sound of
the harsh voice.
"Come; are ye goin' to move?" snapped the constable.
"I suppose we'll have to," answered the larger and stouter of the two
lads, "but we haven't done anything."
"Ye're tramps, ain't ye?" inquired the constable. "Course ye are! Been
beggin', ain't ye? Course ye have! I kin see the victuals stickin' out
of yer pockets now! Move on an' git out of Freeport! We don't want any
tramps here!"
"Come on, Mark," said the heavier of the two boys; "if our room is
better than our company, they can have the room. I hope you'll get
richer boarders than we are," the youth went on, turning to the
constable. "We are going to shake the dust of Freeport from our feet.
I think they ought to call this town Closedport instead of Freeport!"
"None of yer sass, now!" warned the constable, tapping his badge again.
"Jest you move on out of town!"
"I think we had better go," murmured the other boy, who was thin and
small. "Don't make any trouble, Jack."
"All right," assented the other. "Ta-ta, Mr. Chief of Police! See you
later!"
"Here, you young rascals!" cried the constable. "Come back here an' I'll
lock ye up!"
But the boys started to run, and, as Mr. Jenkins was no longer young,
and as his legs were rather stiff, he went only a little way before he
had to stop. He shook his fist after the two lads.
"Do you suppose he would have locked us up?" asked the small boy, whom
his companion addressed as Mark. His full name was Mark Sampson, but he
was very unlike his strong ancestor who pulled over the pillars of the
temple.
"He acted mean enough to do anything," replied Jack Darrow, who was
quite a contrast in point of size and fleshiness to his companion.
"What shall we do now?" asked Mark.
"Keep on moving, I guess," was the reply, "At least until we get outside
of Freeport."
"Well, I'm glad I've got company now. It was lonesome before I met you."
"Same here. We'll travel a way together, eh?"
The two boys had met under rather strange circumstances. Early that
morning Jack Darrow, the stout one, had awakened from his sleep in a
pile of hay in a farmer's field. Close to him was another youth, whose
name he had inquired as soon as the owner of it awoke.
Then the two boys discovered that their conditions in life were very
similar. Both were orphans, about the same age, Jack being sixteen and
Mark fifteen years, and neither had a place he could call home.
"My folks have been dead for some years," said Jack, in telling his
story to his companion. "I was hired out to a farmer in the upper part
of New York, but he worked me so hard and treated me so mean that I ran
away. I've been tramping ever since; don't my clothes show it? You see
I was forced to go without taking my many trunks along," and he laughed,
for he was of a jolly disposition.
"My people are dead also," said Mark. "I had a job with a man going
around the country with a traction engine, threshing wheat and oats at
different farms. But he used to beat me, so, one night, I ran away."
"And didn't bring any extra clothes with you, either," put in Jack.
"I never owned any to bring. I only had the one suit I wore."
And after that the boys had told something of their experiences and
become very friendly.
The two boys walked on for a while in silence, kicking up the dust of
the country road. Then Jack came to a halt, clapped his hand on his
pocket, and said:
"I nearly forgot I had something to eat! Just think of it! And I haven't
dined since yesterday! I wonder what the lady gave me. She looked good
natured."
He sat down on a grassy bank along the highway, pulled the package of
food out, and began to eat with every indication of satisfaction.
"Bread, meat, piece of pie and a piece of cake!" he announced, looking
over his lunch. "What did you get, Mark?"
"I got the same as you, except I didn't get any pie or cake."
"I guess your lady hadn't baked this week. Never mind, you can have half
my pie and half my cake."
"I'm sure I'm much obliged," said the thin youth.
"You needn't be," broke in Jack. "That's the law of the road. When
two--well, I suppose I might as well say tramps, for that's what we
are--when two tramps go off together, they whack up. And that's what
we're going to do!"
It did not take long for the boys to finish their simple meal. Jack,
true to his promise, shared his dessert with his companion.
"Well, I feel like going on now, and looking for a job," remarked the
heavier weighted lad. "What do you say, Mark?"
"I guess we might as well get out of this town. They don't seem to care
for us. But I wish I had a drink of water."
"Nothing easier," replied Jack. "There you are," and he pointed a short
distance ahead, where a brook ran along the road. The boys got down on
their faces near a little pool, the bottom of which was covered with
white pebbles, and drank heartily. Then, refreshed by the water, their
hunger appeased, and rested, they started on the tramp again.
"Any particular place you want to go to?" asked Mark.
"No, I'm not particular. East or west, the north pole or the south pole.
I haven't any one to worry about me, no matter which way I go. I'd a
little rather go north, though, as it is mighty warm to-day," and Jack
laughed carelessly.
Little did he guess how soon his wish was to be gratified.
"Then we may as well keep on until we get to the next town," said Mark.
They walked on for some distance, their thoughts busy with their recent
experiences, when they suddenly heard a noise at a distance.
"Sounds like a freight train," said Mark.
"So it is! Come on! Let's get aboard! Riding is easier than walking any
day! Hurry up!"
And then the two boys broke into a run toward a slow moving freight on a
track that crossed the country road a short distance away from them.
"Look out that you don't get under the wheels!" cautioned Jack to his
companion.
"Oh, I'm used to jumping the cars," replied Mark, as he ran quickly up
beside the rails.
The two boys reached the track along which the freight train was bumping
and clicking. It was a long outfit, with many box, flat and gondola
cars.
"Try for a gondola!" suggested Jack, indicating the cars with sides
about five feet high, and open at the top.
The next instant he had swung up on a car, thrusting his foot in the
iron step, and grasping the handle in a firm grip. Jack grabbed the next
car, and landed safely aboard. Then, running forward, and clambering
over to where his companion was, Jack pulled Mark down on the bottom of
the gondola.
"No use letting a brakeman see you if you can help it," he explained.