“An’ now for th’ gold!” cried Abe, “for it’s here that th’ nuggets are—enough for all of us! Come on an’ have a hunt for ’em!”
CHAPTER XXI
THE FOGERS ARRIVE
In Spite of the fact that he tried to remain calm, Tom Swift felt a wild exultation as he thought of what lay before him and his friends. To be in a place where gold could be picked up! where they might all become fabulously wealthy! where the ground might be seen covered with the precious yellow metal! this was enough to set the nerves of any one a-tingle!
Tom could hardly realize it at first. After many hardships, no little danger, and after an attempt on the part of their enemies to defeat them, they had at last reached their goal. Now, as Abe had said, they could hunt for the gold.
But if they expected to see the precious yellow nuggets lying about ready to be picked up like so many kernels of corn, they were disappointed. A quick look all about showed them only a vast extent of 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 they stopped, but the caverns were larger.
“Gold—I don’t see any gold,” remarked Ned Newton, with a disappointed 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 when there’s been a slight thaw that some of th’ pebble nuggets kin be seen. 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 caves seems 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’s more 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, as he turned back into the airship, and came out again with a pick and shovel, a supply of which implements had been brought along. The others followed his example, and soon the ice chips were flying about in a shower, while the sun shining on them gave the appearance of a rainbow.
“Look at those Indians watching us,” remarked Ned to Tom, as he paused in his chipping of the frozen surface. The young inventor glanced up toward the distant plateau where a fringe of dark figures stood. 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’t come snoopin’ down here,” and Abe fell to at his digging again.
Mr. Damon was also vigorously wielding a pick, but Mr. Parker like the true scientist he was, had renewed his observations. Evidently the gold had no attractions for him, or, if it did, he preferred to wait until he had finished his calculations.
Vigorously the adventurers wielded their implements, making the ice fly, but for an hour or more no gold was discovered. Mr. Damon, after picking lightly at a certain place, would get discouraged, and move on to another. So did Ned, and Tom, after going down quite a way, 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 in this ice cave for a shelter,” replied Tom. “There may come up a hail storm at any time, and damage it. The caves would be just the place for 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 the cave roof, noting its formation, and looking at the frozen floor.
“I see no reason why this cave should collapse,” he finally announced. “The only danger is the movement of the whole valley of ice, and that is too gradual to cause any immediate harm. Yes, I think the airship could be housed in the ice cave.”
“Then I’ll run her in, and she’ll be safer,” decided Tom. “I guess we three can do it, Ned, and leave Mr. Damon and Abe to keep on digging for gold.” The airship was so buoyant that it could easily be moved about on the bicycle wheels on which it rested, and soon, after the lower edge of the opening into the ice cave had been smoothed down, the Red Cloud was placed in the novel shelter.
“Now to continue the search for the yellow nuggets!” cried Ned, and Tom went with him, even Mr. Parker condescending to take a pick, now. Abe was the only one who dug steadily in one place. The others tried spot after spot.
“You’ve got t’ stick t’ one lead until you find somethin’, or until it peters out,” explained the miner. “You must git down to th’ dirt before you’ll find any gold, though you may strike a few grains that have worked up into th’ ice.”
After this advice they all kept to one hole until they had worked down 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 miner went to another location.
All the rest of that day they dug, but with no result. Not even a few grains of yellow dust rewarded their efforts.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” asked Mr. Damon, somewhat fretfully, 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 will take some prospectin’ t’ find it. Maybe th’ deposits have been shifted 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 cold the only result was a few little yellow pebbles that Tom found imbedded in the ice. But they were gold, and the finding of them gave the seekers hope as they wearily began their task the following day. The weather seemed even colder, and there was the indication of a big storm.
They were scattered in different places on the ice, not far away from the big cave, each one picking away vigorously. Suddenly Abe, who had laboriously worked his way down to the dirt, gave an exultant yell.
“I’ve struck it! Struck it rich!” he shouted, leaping about as he threw down his pick, “Look here, everybody!” He stooped down over the hole. They all ran to his side, and saw him lifting from a little 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 their hearts. Then, off toward the farther end of the valley there sounded a curious noise. It was a shouting and yelling, mingled with the snapping 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 were several Eskimo sledges, drawn by dog teams, and the native drivers were 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 his gloved 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 young inventor, slowly.
“Bless my cartridge-belt! Why not?” demanded the eccentric man.
“Because those are the Fogers,” replied Tom. “They have followed us—Andy and his father! Andy Foger here!” gasped Ned.
Tom nodded grimly. A few minutes later the sleds had come to a halt not far from our friends, and Andy, followed by his father, leaped off his conveyance. The two were clad in heavy fur garments.
/> “Ha, Tom Swift! You didn’t get here much ahead of us!” exulted the bully. “I told you I’d get even with you! Come on, now, dad, we’ll get right to work digging for gold!”
Tom and his companions did not know what to say.
CHAPTER XXII
JUMPING THE CLAIM
There was a sneering look on Andy’s face, and Mr. Foger, too, seemed delighted at having reached the valley of gold almost as soon as had our friends. Tom and the others looked at the means by which the bully had arrived. There were four sleds, each one drawn by seven dogs, and in charge of a dark-skinned native. On the two foremost sleds Andy and his father had ridden, while the other two evidently contained their supplies.
For a moment Andy surveyed Tom’s party and then, turning to one of the native drivers, he said:
“We’ll camp here. You fellows get to work and make an ice house, and some of you cook a meal—I’m hungry.”
“No need build ice house,” replied the native, who spoke English brokenly.
“Why not?” demanded Andy.
“Live in ice cave-plenty much ob’em—plenty much room,” went on the Eskimo, indicating several of the large caverns.
“Ha! That’s a good idea,” agreed Mr. Foger, “Andy, my son, we have houses already made for us, and very comfortable they seem, too. We’ll take up our quarters in one, and then hunt for the gold.”
Mr. Foger seemed to ignore Tom and his friends. Abe Abercrombie strode forward.
“Look here, you Fogers!” he exclaimed without ceremony, “was you calculatin’ on stakin’ any claims here?”
“If you mean are we going to dig for gold, we certainly are,” replied Andy insolently, “and you can’t stop us.”
“I don’t know about that,” went on Abe, grimly. “I ain’t goin’ t’ say nothin’ now, about th’ way you stole th’ map from me, an’ made a copy, but I am goin t’ say this, an’ that is it won’t be healthy fer any of you t’ git in my way, or t’ try t’ dig on our claims!”
“We’ll dig where we please!” cried Andy. “You don’t own this valley!”
“We own as much of it as we care to stake out, by right of prior discovery!” declared Tom, firmly.
“And I say we’ll dig where we please!” insisted Andy. “Hand me a pick,” he went on to another of the natives.
“Wait jest a minute,” spoke Abe calmly, as he put his little store of nuggets in the pocket of his fur coat, and drew out a big revolver. “It ain’t healthy t’ talk that way, Andy Foger, an’ th’ sooner you find that out th’ better. You ain’t in Shopton now, an’ th’ only law here is what we make for ourselves. Tom, maybe you’d better get out th’ rifles, an’ your electric gun, after all. It seems like we might have trouble,” and Abe cooly looked to see if his weapon was loaded.
“Oh, of course we didn’t mean to usurp any of your rights, my dear friend!” exclaimed Mr. Foger quickly, and he seemed nervous at the sight of the big revolver, while Andy hastily moved until he was behind the biggest of the sledge drivers. “We don’t want to violate any of your rights,” went on Mr. Foger. “But this valley is large, and do I understand that you claim all of it?”
“We could if we wanted to,” declared Abe stoutly; “but we’ll be content with three-quarter of it, seein’ we was here fust. If you folks want t’ dig fer gold, go over there,” and he pointed to a spot some distance away.
“We’ll dig where we please!” cried Andy.
“Oh, will you?” and there was an angry light in Abe’s eyes. “I guess, Tom, you’d better git—”
“No! No! My son is wrong—he is too hasty,” interposed Mr. Foger. “We will go away—certainly we will. The valley is large enough for both of us—just as you say. Come, Andy!”
The bully seemed about to refuse, but a look at Abe’s angry face and a sight of Mr. Damon coming from the cave where the airship was, with a rifle, for the eccentric man had hastened to get his weapon—this sight calmed Andy down. Without further words he and his father got back on their sleds, and were soon being driven off to where a large ice cave loomed up, about a mile away.
“Good riddance,” muttered the miner, “now we kin go on diggin’ without bein’ bothered by that little scamp.”
“I don’t know about that,” spoke Tom, shaking his head dubiously. “There’s always trouble when Andy Foger’s within a mile. I’m afraid we haven’t seen the last of him.”
“He’d better not come around here ag’in,” declared Abe. “Queer, how he should turn up, jest when I made a big strike.”
“They must have come on all the way from where their airship was wrecked, by means of dog sleds,” observed Ned, and the others agreed with him. Later they learned that this was so; that after the accident to the Anthony, the crew had refused to proceed farther north, and had gone back. But Mr. Foger had hired the natives with the dog teams, and, by means of the copy of the map and with what knowledge his Eskimos had, had reached the valley of gold.
“We have certainly struck it rich,” went on Abe, as he went back to where he had dug the hole. “Now we’d better all begin prospectin’ here, for it looks like a big deposit. We’ll stake out a large enough claim to take it all in. I guess Mr. Parker can do that, seein’ as how he knows about such things.”
The scientist agreed to do this part of the work, it being understood that all the gold discovered would be shared equally after the expenses of the trip had been paid.
Feverishly Abe and the others began to dig. They did not come upon such a rich deposit as the miner had found, but there were enough nuggets picked up to prove that the expedition would be very successful.
No more attention was paid to the Fogers, but through the telescope Tom could see that the bully and his father had made a camp in one of the ice caves, and that both were eagerly digging in the frozen surface of the valley.
Before night several thousand dollars’ worth of gold had been taken out by our friends. It was stored in the airship, and then, after suppers the craft’s searchlight was taken off, and placed in such a position in front of the cave of ice so that the beams would illuminate the claim staked out by Tom and the others.
“We’ll stand watch an’ watch,” suggested Abe, “but I don’t think them Fogers will come around here ag’in.”
They did not, and the night passed peacefully. The next day our friends were again at work digging for gold. So were the Fogers, as could be observed through the glass, but it was impossible to see whether they got any nuggets.
The gold seemed to be in “pockets,” and that day the ones in the vicinity of the strike first made by Abe were cleaned out.
“We’ll have to locate some new ‘pockets,’” said the miner, and the adventurers scattered over the frozen plain to look for other deposits of the precious metal.
Tom and Ned were digging together not far from one another. Suddenly Ned let out a joyful cry.
“Strike anything?” asked Tom.
“Something rich,” answered the bank clerk. He lifted from a hole in the ground a handful of the golden pebbles.
“It’s as good as Abe’s was!” exclaimed Tom. “We must stake it out at once, or the Fogers may jump it. Come on, we’ll go back and tell Abe, and get Mr. Parker and Mr. Damon over here.”
The three men were some distance away, and there was no sign of the Fogers. Tom and Ned hurried back to where their friends were, leaving their picks and shovels on the frozen ground.
The good news was soon told, and, with some stakes hastily made from some extra wood carried on the airship, the little party hastened back to where Tom and Ned had made their strike.
As they emerged from behind a big hummock of ice they saw, standing over the holes which the lads had dug, Andy Foger and his father! Each one had a rifle, and there was a smile of triumph on Andy’s face!
“What are you doing here?” cried Tom, the hot blood mounting to his cheeks.
“We’ve just staked out a claim here,” answered the bully.
�
�And you deserted it,” put in Mr. Foger smoothly. “I think your mining friend will tell you that we have a right to take up an abandoned claim.”
“But we didn’t abandon it!” declared Tom. “We only went away to get the stakes.”
“The claim was abandoned, and we have ‘jumped’ it,” went on Mr. Foger, and he cocked his rifle. “I need hardly tell you that possession is nine points of the law, and that we intend to remain. Andy, is your gun loaded?”
“Yes, pa.”
“I—I guess they’ve got us—fer th’ time bein’,” murmured Abe, as he motioned to Tom and the others to come away. “Besides they’ve got guns, an’ we haven’t—but wait,” added the miner, mysteriously. “I haven’t played all my tricks yet.”
CHAPTER XXIII
ATTACKED BY NATIVES
To state that Tom and his friends were angry at the trick the Fogers had played on them would be putting it mildly. There was righteous indignation in their hearts, and, as for the young inventor he felt that much blame was attached to him for his neglect in not remaining on guard at the place of the lucky strike while Ned went to call the others.
“I guess Andy must have been spying on us,” spoke Ned, “or he would never have known when to rush up just as he did; as soon as we left.”
“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,” said the miner. “I guess they’ve got us for th’ time bein’.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Tom, detecting a gleam of hope in Abe’s tone.
“Well, I mean that I think we kin git ahead of ’em. Come on back to th’ ship, an’ we’ll talk it over.”
They walked away, leaving Andy and his father in possession of the rich deposits of gold, and that it was much richer even then than the hole Abe had first discovered was very evident. The two Fogers were soon at work, digging out the yellow metal with the pick and shovels Tom and Ned had so thoughtlessly dropped.
“What little law there is out here they’ve got on their side,” went on Abe, “an’ they’ve got possession, too, which is more. Of course we could go at ’em in a pitched battle, but I take it you don’t want any bloodshed?” and he looked at Tom.
The Tom Swift Megapack Page 100
