Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice, or, the Wreck of the Airship

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER XXIV

  THE WRECK OF THE AIRSHIP

  Almost before our friends could retreat into the cave which nowsheltered the RED CLOUD, the attacking natives opened fire.Fortunately they only had old-fashioned, muzzle-loading muskets,and, as their aim was none of the best, there was comparativelylittle danger. The bullets, however, did sing through thefast-gathering darkness with a vicious sound, and struck the heavysides and sloping front of the ice cave with a disconcerting "ping!"

  "I don't hear Andy or his father firing!" called Tom, as he and theothers returned the fire of the savage Indians. "I could tell theirguns by the sharper reports. The Fogers carry repeating rifles, andthey're fine ones, if they're anything like the one we took fromAndy, Ned."

  "That's right," agreed Tom's chum, "I don't believe Andy or hisfather dare fire. They're afraid to, and they're putting the poorignorant natives up to it. Probably they hired them to try to driveus away."

  This, as they afterward learned, was exactly the case.

  The battle, if such it could be called, was kept up. There was abouta hundred natives, all of whom had guns, and, though they were slowto load, there were enough weapons to keep up a constant fusilade.On their part, Tom and the others fired at first over the heads ofthe natives, for they did not want to kill any of the deluded men.Later, though, when they saw the rush keeping up, they fired attheir legs, and disabled several of the Eskimos, the electric gunproving very effective.

  It was now quite dark, and the firing slackened. From their positionin the cave, Tom and the others could command the hole where thegold was, and, as they saw several natives sneaking up to it theyoung inventor and Ned, both of whom were good shots, aimed to havethe bullets strike the ice close to where the Indians were.

  This sort of shooting was enough, and the natives scurried away.Then Tom hit on the plan of playing the searchlight on the spot, andthis effectually prevented an unseen attack. It seemed to discouragethe enemy, too for they did not venture into that powerful glow oflight.

  "They won't do anything more until morning," declared Abe. "Thenwe'll have it hot an' heavy, though, I'm afeered. Well, we'll havet' make th' best of it!"

  They took turns standing guard that night, but no attack was made.The fact of the Fogers coming back with the band of Indians toldTom, more plainly than words, how desperately his enemies would dobattle with them. Anxiously they waited for the morning.

  Several times in the night Mr. Parker was seen roaming aboutuneasily, though it was not his turn to be on guard. Finally Tomasked him what was the matter, and if he could not sleep.

  "It isn't that," answered the scientist, "but I am worried about theice. I can detect a slight but peculiar movement by means of some ofmy scientific instruments. I am alarmed about it. I fear somethingis going to happen."

  But Tom was too worried about the outcome of the fight he knew wouldbe renewed on the next day, to think much about the ice movement. Hethought it would only be some scientific phenomena that would amountto little.

  With the first streak of the late dawn, the gold-seekers were up,and partook of a hot breakfast, with strong coffee which Mr. Damonbrewed. Tom took an observation from the mouth of the cave. Thesearchlight was still dimly glowing, and it did not discloseanything. Tom turned it off. He thought he saw a movement among theranks of the enemy, who had camped just beyond the gold hole.

  "I guess they're coming!" cried the lad. "Get ready for them!"

  The adventurers caught up their guns, and hurried to the entrance ofthe cave. Mr. Parker lingered behind, and was observed to benarrowly scanning the walls of the cavern.

  "Come on, Parker, my dear man!" begged Mr. Damon. "We are in gravedanger, and we need your help. Bless my life insurance policy! but Inever was in such a state as this."

  "We may soon be in a worse one," was the answer of the gloomyscientist.

  "What do you mean?" asked Mr. Damon, but he hurried on withoutwaiting for a reply.

  Suddenly, from without the cave came a series of fierce yells. Itwas the battle-cry of the Indians. At the same moment there soundeda fusillade of guns.

  "The battle is beginning!" cried Tom Swift, grimly. He held hiselectric gun, though he had not used it very much in the previousattack, preferring to save it for a time of more need.

  As the defenders of the cave reached the entrance they saw the bodyof natives rushing forward. They were almost at the gold hole, withAndy Foger and his father discreetly behind the first row ofEskimos, when, with a suddenness that was startling, there soundedthroughout the whole valley a weird sound!

  It was like the wailing of some giant--the sighing of some mightywind. At the same time the air suddenly became dark, and then therecame a violent snow squall, shutting out instantly the sight of theadvancing natives. Tom and the others could not see five feet beyondthe cave.

  "This will delay the attack," murmured Ned, "They can't see to comeat us."

  Mr. Parker came running up from the interior of the cave. On hisface there was a look of alarm.

  "We must leave here at once!" he cried.

  "Leave here?" repeated Tom. "Why must we? The enemy are out there!We'd run right into them!"

  "It must be done!" insisted the scientist. "We must leave the caveat once!"

  "What for?" cried Mr. Damon.

  "Because the movement of the ice that I predicted, has begun. It ismuch more rapid than I supposed it would be. In a short time thiscave and all the others will be crushed flat!"

  "Crushed flat!" gasped Tom.

  "Yes, the caves of ice are being destroyed! Hark! You can hear themsnapping!"

  They all listened. Above the roar of the storm could be made out thenoise of crushing, grinding ice-sounds like cannon being fired, asthe great masses of frozen crystal snapped like frail planks.

  "The ice caves are being destroyed by an upheaval of nature!" wenton Mr. Parker. "This one will soon go! The walls are bulging now! Wemust get out!"

  "But the natives! They will kill us!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless mysoul! what a trying position to be in."

  "I guess the natives are as bad off as we are," suggested Ned."They're not firing, and I can hear cries of alarm, I think they'rerunning away."

  There was a lull in the snow flurry, and the white curtain seemed tolift for a moment. The gold-seekers had a glimpse of the natives infull retreat, with the Fogers--father and son--racing panic-strickenafter them. Tom could also see a big cave, just beyond the goldhole, collapse and crumble to pieces like a house of cards.

  "We have no time to lose!" Mr. Parker warned them. "The roof of thiscave is slowly coming down. The sides are collapsing! We must getout!"

  "Then wheel out the airship!" cried Tom. "We must save that! Weneedn't fear the natives, now!"

  The young inventor hurried to the RED CLOUD calling to Ned and theothers. They hastened to his side. It was an easy matter to move theairship along on the wheels. It neared the opening of the cave. Therumbling, roaring, grinding sound of the ice increased.

  "Why--why!" cried Tom in surprise and alarm, as the craft neared themouth of the ice cavern, "we can't get it out--the opening is toosmall! Yet it came in easily enough!"

  "The cave is collapsing--growing smaller every moment!" cried Mr.Parker. "We have only time to save our lives! Run out!"

  "And leave the airship? Never!" yelled Tom.

  "You must! You can't save that and your life!"

  "Get axes and make the opening bigger!" suggested Ned, who, like hischum, could not bear to think of the destruction of the beautifulcraft.

  "No time! No time!" shouted Mr. Parker, frantically, "We must getout! Save what you can from the ship--the gold--some supplies--theguns--some food--save what you can!"

  Then ensued a wild effort to get from the doomed craft what theycould--what they would need if they were to save their lives in thatcold and desolate country. Food, some blankets--their guns--as muchof the gold as they could hastily gather together--their weapons andsome ammunition--all this was carried from
the cabin outside thecave. The entrance was rapidly growing smaller. The roof was alreadypressing down on the gas-bag.

  Tom gave one last look at his fine craft. There were tears in hiseyes. He started into the cabin for something he had forgotten. Mr.Parker grabbed him by the arm.

  "Don't go in!" he cried hoarsely. "The cave will collapse in anotherinstant!" He rushed with Tom out of the cavern, and not a moment toosoon. The others were already outside.

  Then with a rush and a roar, with a sound like a great explosion,with a rending, grinding and booming as the great pieces of icecollapsed one against the other, the big ice cave settled in, asdoes some great building when the walls are weakened!

  Down crashed the roof of the ice cave! Down upon the RED CLOUD,burying out of sight, forever, under thousands of tons of ice andsnow, the craft which was the pride of Tom Swift's heart! It was theend of the airship!

  Tom felt a moisture of tears in his eyes as he stood there in themidst of the snowstorm.