"Impossible! And, look! There"s something rising from the center of it!
It can"t be--yes--it is! It"s the submarine!"
Barney tumbled from the ice ridge and went sprinting away over the ice.
His boyhood pal, Dave Tower, was on that submarine.
With greater deliberation, Bruce attracted the attention of the Major.
Together they hurried after their companion.
The sight that met their eyes as they reached the edge of the water-channel filled them with consternation. The Eskimo boy and Barney were hurriedly carrying limp, motionless forms from the submarine into the outer air.
Their worst fears were groundless, however, for after two hours of faithful work they restored the last one of the crew to consciousness.
The last to recover was the Doctor.
"Which goes to prove," smiled Dave, "that when you most need a doctor, that"s the time he"s most likely to be sick."
There was a moment of joyful reunion between the two pals, Barney and Dave. As for the explorers, after the danger had pa.s.sed, they seemed to take little notice of one another.
The Doctor soon was able to rise unsteadily, and, supported by two of his men, he dragged himself back and forth across the ice. When, at last, he had full possession of his faculties, he suddenly darted into the submarine, reappearing a moment later with instruments.
At sight of these, the Major"s attention once more turned to the task he had left. With backs turned, not twenty yards apart, the two great rivals began taking observations. Carefully they spread lines of mercury for an artificial horizon, and painstakingly adjusting their instruments, began to take readings. Then, turning to their nautical almanacs, they figured.
For some time an awed silence fell on the little group. Presently the two men rose, facing one another. Smiles played about their lips. For a second they stood thus, then starting toward each other, they extended hands for a clasp--the grip of a mutual admiration.
"Gentlemen," said the Major, the huskiness in his voice betraying his emotion, "we are now within five miles of the Pole, and that is as close an observation as any man can hope to make."
"Might as well call it the Pole," smiled the Doctor. "I make it three miles."
For a time silence again reigned, then it was Dave who spoke.
"So this is the Pole!" he exclaimed. "Well, then, it"s time for a bit of jazz. Bring on your instruments of torture."
Jazz always was imperfect music, and here, with untutored musicians and rude instruments, it was imperfection itself; but it is doubtful if any music ever soothed unstrung nerves as did this bit of jazz that rent the midnight silence at the top of the world.
The applause which followed awakened echoes among the ice-piles, and sent a lone doveky away into the shadows.
"Well," said the Doctor, as the echoes of the last burst of jazz died away, "Major, I suppose we are to have the pleasure of your company on our return journey. Am I right?"
"I am afraid so," the Major smiled a bit wanly. "Guess our plane is at last beyond repair."
"But I say," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Barney, "you can stow the remains of our plane somewhere below, can"t you?"
"Why--er--yes," smiled the Doctor. "We"ve considerable s.p.a.ce now, since using the fuel and food. But why freight the junk? What"s the grand idea?"
"I think we can get a bunch of sled-timber and canvas from the whalers at Point Barrow and rig her up again."
"Why? You"ll be welcome to come with us all the way."
"Bruce here, and I," began Barney, and Bruce grinned at the mention of his name, "have a very special mission that takes us cross-country rather than by water. Much as we should like to accept your kind invitation, our mission makes the other route imperative, if it is at all possible to take it."
He told them the story of La Vaune, of Timmie and the ancient pay-roll.
"That being the case," agreed the Doctor, "I shall be glad to a.s.sist you by freighting your plane to Point Barrow, and I now release my entire crew to help you in demounting it and bringing it to the submarine."
As the gobs joined the two young aviators in a wild race across the ice-floes, with Jarvis straining after them, the Major turned a smiling face toward the Doctor, as he remarked:
"As fine a bunch as I ever saw."
"You"re right," said the Doctor, "and deserving of a rich reward."
"Speaking of rewards," said the Major quickly, "how about that ten thousand which comes to some of us? I had promised it to my boys, had I won."
"And I the same," smiled the Doctor.
"The puzzle is, who"s won!"
"Suppose we split, fifty-fifty, and, following our original plan, each give his share to his boys."
"Splendid! Just the right thing!" exclaimed the Major.
"It"s a go!" The Doctor grasped the Major"s hand.
And this was the glad news that awaited the men as they returned, some dragging poles, some carrying rolls of canvas, while others urged, pushed and pulled at the dog-team drawing a sled on which was loaded the Liberty motor. To the aviators was to go five thousand dollars; to the jackies, five thousand.
"Nothing of the kind!" exclaimed Bruce indignantly.
"I should say nix!" echoed Barney.
"Why, what could be fairer?" said the Doctor, a puzzled look on his face.
"Why," Barney declared, feeling sure he was also speaking for his partner; "we each get two thousand five hundred, and your men who have worked as hard and risked as much, each get a fraction of that sum. I say, nothing doing. Share and share alike, man for man, them"s my sentiments. Get out your pencil and see how many times ten goes in ten thousand. A thousand times? A thousand apiece, that"s something like!
Enough to have a whale of a good time on, or buy a farm. Pay your money and take your choice. Step up, gents, and try your luck!"
When the gobs realized that this wild harangue meant that the aviators wished to split the whole reward with them, they were at first urgent in protest, and, when this availed them nothing, they went wild with cheers for the true sports of the aviation department.
Of course this all called for another burst of jazz, after which came the work of packing away the parts of the airplane, in which task the gobs showed an enthusiasm which told better than shouts what they thought of the young aviators.
After the stars and stripes had been planted on a high ice-pinnacle, a rather solemn supper was eaten in the lee of a giant ice-cake. Then, with the jazz band playing "Star Spangled Banner," the submarine sank and the homeward journey was begun.
A fortunate voyage brought them to Point Barrow in sixty-eight hours.
There the aviators found the supplies they needed, and began at once preparing for the overland trip. The Doctor and the Major decided to proceed down the coast by dog-team to Cape Prince of Wales, where they would catch the first boat in the Spring. The submarine crew were put "on their own" and instructed to follow down the coast in a safe and leisurely fashion, to report their arrival at the naval station in Seattle.
Bruce and Barney succeeded in rigging out the plane in a very satisfactory manner, and one day in early Spring they again alighted in Timmie"s stubble, much to the joy of the entire family. And a few days later they made a landing in the old athletic field of Brandon college, where a very happy girl, who had been watching the plane with a wistful eye, came rushing out to meet them.
When Bruce pressed into her hand a package, and told her of its contents, tears came to her eyes--tears of joy that her struggles were over, but also tears of thankfulness for the safe return of those who had done so much for her.
The submarine crew arrived in Seattle in due time. There, before they separated for a long leave, which was sure to be followed by honorable discharge, five of them agreed to pool their share of the prize money to charter a craft, preferably a submarine, and go in search of the treasure city of Siberia. There was talk, too, of an attempt to induce Bruce and Barney to join them on the expedition, as an airplane, which could be stowed in the submarine when not in use, would be of inestimable service to them.
Bruce and Barney in due time collected the reward offered for the destruction of the outlaw wireless station.
As for the Major and the Doctor, there is still much speculation in many quarters as to their ident.i.ty. And, as for myself, I am not able to add any information on the subject.