AT THE NORTH POLE?
For an instant the utmost confusion reigned. The adventurers fell in a
heap on the ceiling that, for the time being, became the floor. Then, as
the ship righted herself, they fell back again to the floor. The cords
that bound Andy to his bunk broke, and he toppled with the rest.
"Repel the enemy!" yelled the old hunter, thinking in his delirium that
the ship was again attacked.
"We are lost!" cried the professor, as he felt the _Monarch_ plunging
down.
For a hundred feet or more the ship shot earthward bow first, so that
the adventurers all slid down to that end. It was well that everything,
including the gasolene tanks, had been lashed fast, or there would have
been a great jumble inside the craft.
Then, almost as suddenly as the ship had started to fall, it ceased, and
rode on an even keel, righting and floating easily in the air. The wind
no longer blew with the circular motion, the whirling having come to an
end. But the blinding snow continued.
Jack staggered from the conning tower, where he had gone to look at the
deflecting compass.
"What has happened?" he cried.
"No one knows," answered Professor Henderson. "We are in dire straits.
Did you look at the needle, Jack?"
"I did."
"What did it show?"
"The needle was straight up and down!"
"I knew it!" cried the old inventor. "I said we would reach the pole,
and we have!"
"It ain't goin' to do us a heab sight ob good," said Washington. "I'd
rather hab a good barber pole any day! No north poles fo' me!"
"Hush, Washington!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "This is no time to joke.
You are sure you made no mistake, Jack?"
"I am sure, sir."
"I thought we were at the pole when I saw that the gas engine had
stopped," went on the professor. "The attraction of the earth-magnets at
the pole exerted such a strong influence on the iron and steel that the
gas machine could not work. At last I have reached the goal of my
ambitions!"
The ship remained stationary for several minutes. Those aboard began to
have hopes. The snow storm was still as fierce as ever, but that was all
the manifestation of the elements.
"I want to take a look at the needle," said the professor. "I feel all
right now; I was only a little faint from my fall. How are you, Andy?"
"I feel much better," replied the hunter, whose delirium had somewhat
left him. "My arm is sore, that's all. But why have you all got your
furs on?"
"We had to turn off the stoves," explained Amos Henderson. "You had
better put your's on, too, Andy. You'll need them. We could only cover
you over when you were in the bunk."
The hunter soon began to realize that it was chilly in the ship, and he
donned his heavy garments. The professor started for the conning tower.
He gave one glance at the needle of the deflecting compass, and a look
of disappointment came over his face.
"It is not pointing down," he said to Jack, who had followed him.
"But I am sure it did when I noticed it," replied the boy.
"Then we have come past the pole," was Amos Henderson's opinion. "There
is only a small spot that is exactly north, and we have passed over it
during the storm. We must return. I want to descend exactly there and
make some experiments. Tell Washington to start the engines. We will
turn the ship around and go back!"
"We may run into the whirlwind again," objected Jack.
"That is so, I did not think of that. However, tell Washington to get
everything in readiness."
It was no small task to get the engine room into shape after the
upsetting it had been subjected to, but with the help of the boys and
the two men Washington succeeded. In about an hour the _Monarch_ was
ready to be sent up or down, forward or back. Since she had ceased
falling she had remain at a stationary height, about half a mile above
the earth.
Meanwhile Professor Henderson was trying to make up his mind what to do.
He wanted very much to get to the exact north pole, or the spot where
the imaginary pole was supposed to be. But he hesitated about taking the
airship back over the course, and run the chance of again encountering
the whirlwind.
"The more I think of it," he said to Jack and Mark, who had joined him,
"the more I think that the whirlwind is always there. It did not come
to us, we ran into it. It may be caused by the magnetic currents at the
pole eternally revolving. I am afraid to go back within their influence,
for it might mean death."
"I have a plan," said Jack modestly.
"Let us hear it," came from the professor. "I am at a loss what to do."
"Supposing we let the ship down now," Jack continued, "and walk back
until we come to the north pole, since it must be near here. We can take
along the deflecting needle to tell when we reach it, and the whirlwind
will not do much harm if we are on the ground and afoot."
"Good idea!" exclaimed the professor. "We'll do it. Washington, let the
gas out and we'll descend!"
In a few minutes a hissing told that the gas was being let out of the
silk bag. Soon the ship began to sink gently toward the earth, through
the clouds of snow.
"Let us go outside," suggested Jack. "The wind doesn't blow now, and the
snow will not hurt us. We will be warm enough in our furs."
Mark voted the suggestion a good one, and the two boys went out on the
deck. Washington was busy in the engine room, and the professor was in
the conning tower, so they did not go, but Tom and Bill said they would
like to get a little fresh air, even if the temperature was far below
zero, and they joined the lads.
The four stood and gazed in wonder at the strange scene. At first the
terrible cold cut them as if it was a keen knife. But they soon grew
used to it, and enjoyed what little of it reached them through the
opening in their fur caps. The snowflakes covered everything and the
airship looked more like a craft bedecked from stem to stern with cotton
batting than anything else. Jack and Mark walked around to the stern.
Suddenly Mark stumbled over something.
"What's this?" he cried.
Jack hurried to his side. As he did so the bundle gave a heave, and,
breaking through the snow blanket, there was displayed the calm features
of Dirola.
"Me sleep!" she announced with a smile.
And that was what she had been doing while the airship was being whirled
around by the strange force! She had braced herself in a corner, pulled
her furs about her face, and slumbered, even when the ship turned over.
So well braced was she that she did not tumble off.
"Well! She's a cool one!" exclaimed Mark.
"I guess you'd be too, if you slept out of doors with the temperature
about seventy below zero," remarked Jack. "But let's go in and tell the
professor Dirola is here. He may be worried about her."
The boys started for the cabin. They had not taken five steps before,
with a sudden lurch, the airship dived like a kite without its tail.
Then the craft turned completely over!
Jack and Mark with the two helpers and Dirola were thrown from the deck,
head first, toward the earth! Down and down they fell, uttering
despairing cries!