The result was that the party was soon scrambling1 down the mountain side and rapidly approaching the Scorcher, for the firing every moment grew more distinct.
Suddenly a dull glow was seen through the mist. Frank gave a cry of joy.
“That is the searchlight,” he cried. “We shall soon be there!”
And his prediction was verified. After a hard scramble2 the Scorcher was reached.
All were glad of this.
The expedition around the range had been a failure. The fate of Captain Ward3 and his men remained unsolved.
But it was safe to assume that they had perished in the waters of the inland sea. All were agreed upon this point.
Frank examined the barometer4 with some alarm.
“I’m afraid,” he said, “that if we do not make a move very quickly to return to the Pearl that we will never get there.”
“That’s correct, mate,” declared Wendel. “I agree with ye. The winter storms will block the fiord. If the ship stands the nipping the spring thaw5 will carry her into the northward6 current and we shall never see her again.”
“Enough!” cried Randall. “Why do we delay here, then?”
“I fear to start out in this deadly mist,” replied Frank.
“We must risk it!”
A long and earnest consultation7 was held.
Of course, there was no telling how long the mist would last. It might disappear in a few hours: it might not do so for a week.
However, it was finally decided8 to make the attempt.
The searchlight was trimmed to its fullest power, and the Scorcher began to feel its way down the mountain side.
Mains and the three sailors rode on the deck, for there was not room for all in the cabin comfortably.
For hours the Scorcher made its uncertain way down the mountain to the plain, and the pass which would take them into the fiord.
It was not an easy matter to thus fumble9 along in the darkness. There were innumerable perils11.
But Frank kept the machine on its course as well as he could, and exercised all due caution.
At length the pass was reached.
Here the mist lessened12 and it was easier to see the way. The machine threaded its way through the defile13 with greater ease.
And when its end was reached the plain and river extending to the ice-belt lay clear of mist or cloud.
The storm was peculiar14 to the volcanic15 region alone. Frank was even enabled to dispense16 with the searchlight.
A chill wind blew from the north, and the voyagers were obliged to wrap themselves up warmly. The machine ran along the banks of the river.
The spirits of all began to rise. Even the seamen17 on the Scorcher’s deck were much lighter18 of spirit.
“If we only find the ship unharmed,” cried Frank, “we will be able to find our way home yet.”
Home!
The word seemed to have a magic charm to each one in the party. It was true that it had been a long time since they had seen it.
Indeed, it had seemed at times as if they were doomed19 to spend their lives in this place. That it was to become their tomb.
But there was a chance of liberation, and all looked forward hopefully.
Camp was made on the river banks. Barney and Pomp improved the opportunity to try fishing.
There were delicious trout21 in the clear waters, and they rose readily to the fly.
They returned with a goodly mess, and it was an agreeable change from the stale food which they had been eating.
Down the river’s course the Scorcher went until patches of ice and snow began to appear.
Soon they crossed the belt and were in the ice region.
It became necessary now to don their fur suits and prepare for the chill winds. Frost formed on the pilot-house windows exceedingly thick.
The four seamen were ensconced in cramped22 quarters in the cabin, for they could not have existed outside. All preparations were made for a rough trip.
And this was what they had, as events will prove.
Soon they were in the heart of the fiord and upon the surface of the river.
Here the first mishap23 befell them.
It happened this way:
Barney was at the wheel and the Scorcher was gliding24 between two huge bergs of ice, when there was a crash and a sullen25 roar and one of them fell.
It struck the forward trucks of the machine. There was a ripping, rending26 sound, and then the machine pitched forward heavily.
Not a man but was thrown upon his face and all realized that the machine had met with a serious mishap.
Luckily no one was injured.
Frank sprung out of the cabin door. He gave a cry of dismay at the sight before him.
There lay a heap of crushed material, the trucks and forward running gear of the machine. They were fearfully mixed up with the ice.
Here was a catastrophe27 of no mild sort. Pallid28 and nerveless he was joined by the others.
“Gee whiz!” exclaimed Randall, in dismay, “we’re done for, Frank!”
“Begorra, the masheen is spoilt, intoirely!” wailed29 Barney.
For a moment Frank seemed utterly30 unable to act.
Then he walked slowly about the Scorcher. He examined the broken gear long and slowly.
Then he said:
“Barney and Pomp, bring out tools and help me clear away this debris31.”
The two jokers hastily obeyed.
Frank proceeded to disentangle the wreck32. All went silently to work to help him.
The forward part of the Scorcher was set upon a support, while Frank endeavored to repair the wheels. But presently he said:
“My friends, I’m afraid we are badly stuck. These wheels can never do service again.”
It was an ominous33 statement.
A groan34 went up simultaneously35.
“Confound the luck!” cried Randall. “The fiends are after us! What is the next best thing we can do, Frank?”
“There is, fortunately a way out of the difficulty,” said the young inventor.
At this the faces of all brightened.
“As we are upon snow,” continued Frank, “wheels are not a prime necessity. I think we can rig up a temporary sledge36 to go under the forward part of the machine and yet go ahead.”
A cheer arose at this.
It was fortunate that the power of the Scorcher was connected with the hind37 wheels, where the driving cogs were placed. Therefore, the loss of the forward trucks did not interfere38 with the machinery39 or driving power.
Frank now set to work to rig up a sledge.
This it was not difficult to do with the remnants of the truck. In a few hours the machine was provided with sledge runners.
These worked clumsily and very seriously impeded40 the speed of the Scorcher. But they were better than nothing.
This accident was a bad one for the chances of the voyagers and all felt secretly discouraged.
It seemed almost a certainty that the ship would be nipped before they could get to her. But Frank said:
“Don’t give up yet. We have a good chance and we’ll hang onto it.”
Slowly the Scorcher now made its way down the fiord.
The days passed into weeks before finally the great headlands were seen, and all craned their necks for a sight of the ship.
But an immense barrier of ice had risen just off shore. It was fully20 two hundred feet high.
This showed that beyond a doubt the pack had been at work. There must have been terrific crowding and crushing to have raised this barrier.
What, then, might be the fate of the ship?
Was she lying on her beam ends, a crushed and worthless wreck? Or had she gone to the bottom?
It could hardly be believed that she had altogether escaped mishap. The adventurers were in a fever of anxiety.
It was frightfully cold. Nothing like it had ever been experienced by any one in the party.
No one dared to remain out on deck for long. He would have been converted into an icicle.
The machine was brought to a halt by the great wall of ice. The Scorcher could not surmount41 it, nor did there seem any pass to go through.
What was to be done?
The party was intensely anxious to get a look at the ship. There seemed but one way.
This was to leave the Scorcher and go forward on foot. This plan was discussed.
The cold, by good fortune, now began to moderate. It brought signs of snow, but it enabled the voyagers to go forth42 without the extreme peril10 of freezing to death.
A party was quickly made up to scale the icy heights. These were Randall, Frank Reade, Jr., Barney and Mains. They wrapped up as warmly as possible and set forth.
It was no light undertaking43.
To climb that immense barrier, with its treacherous44 surface, with its hundreds of chasms45 and pitfalls47, was a feat48.
But they armed themselves with steel-tipped poles and set forth. Soon they were clambering over the ice.
It was a rough and dangerous ascent49. Before they had made half it, a startling thing happened.
Mains and Barney were in the lead. Suddenly and without warning they vanished.
There was a slight upheaval50 of the blocks of ice. Then they disappeared from view most effectually.
“Great Scott!” exclaimed Randall, “did you see that, Frank?”
“I did,” replied the young inventor.
“What does it mean?”
“It means that if we don’t go to the aid of those chaps instantly we may never see them again.”
They clambered furiously up to the spot where the two men had been, but not a trace of them could be found.
There were a few marks of the penstocks on the ice, but this was all. There was no visible pitfall46 or cavity.
What did it mean?
Of course, they must have fallen into something of the sort. Their disappearance51 could be explained in no other way.
Frank placed his penstock under a corner of the huge block of ice. He was not able to lift it, but the penstock slipped down into a certain cavity beneath.
“Give me a hand, Randall,” he said.
Together they tried to lift the block of ice, but it would not budge52. Their strength was not adequate.
Frank was in a quandary53.
He knew that his two colleagues were somewhere beneath that immovable block of ice which had fallen into just the position to close the cavity into which they had fallen.
How deep the pitfall was he had no means of guessing. He placed his ear to the crack and listened. No sound came up.
Various horrible possibilities occurred to Frank.
Suppose the cavity was so deep that it extended all the way down to the water, or was really in itself an air-hole? They would certainly go to the bottom of the sea.
In such a case they were beyond earthly aid. But Frank did not believe yet that such was the case.
He hoped to find both alive, though possibly unconscious, at the bottom of the pit. But first of all it must be opened.
So he drew his hatchet54 from his belt and began work. Randall did the same.
Their purpose was, if possible, to split the big cake of ice and thus open up the trap. They worked hard and fast.
With rapid blows Frank quickly cut a deep channel into the ice block. Deeper it grew, and Randall advanced to meet him.
Then one united blow cracked the ice-block. They put their shoulders to it and hurled55 it down the slope.
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收听单词发音
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1
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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7
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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fumble
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| vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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12
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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14
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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15
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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16
dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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17
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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18
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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19
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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20
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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22
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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24
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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25
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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26
rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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27
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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29
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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31
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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32
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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33
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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34
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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35
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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36
sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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37
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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38
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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39
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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40
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
surmount
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| vt.克服；置于…顶上 | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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43
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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44
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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45
chasms
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| 裂缝( chasm的名词复数 )； 裂口； 分歧； 差别 | |
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46
pitfall
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| n.隐患，易犯的错误；陷阱，圈套 | |
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47
pitfalls
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| （捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误 | |
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48
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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49
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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50
upheaval
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| n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱 | |
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51
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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52
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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53
quandary
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| n.困惑，进迟两难之境 | |
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54
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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55
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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