ht!

CHAPTER XX

ON THE ICE FLOE

If ever Tom Raymond had need of skill and care it was then, for what
might be an ordinary mishap ashore must be a fatal accident under the
conditions by which they were faced.

But almost as lightly as a snowflake touches the ground he brought the
wheels under the big bomber in contact with the ice. Indeed, Jack could
not tell for a certainty when the actual contact occurred; though
immediately afterwards he found himself being shaken more or less as the
heavy plane bumped along over the ice.

One peril still menaced them, which was that their momentum, unless
halted, might carry them to the terminus of the floe, and plunge them
over. But Tom had taken all precautions, and allowed for everything, even
an unusual slide on account of the smooth surface under the wheels.

Slower grew their progress, though the bumping continued unabated. And
finally they had come to a full stop, with still some little stretch of
the ice field ahead.

Then Jack tried to yell, cowboy fashion; but, to his surprise and
disgust, he could hardly make a sound above a whisper, his voice having
failed him through sheer nervous excitement.

He jumped from his seat, and immediately sat down with a rude jar on the
ice; but, nothing daunted, he quickly scrambled to his feet and began to
dance like a wild Indian might when the war tocsin sounds through the
village, and all his primeval instincts are aroused by the thought of
fighting and plunder.

Tom and Lieutenant Beverly also hastened to leave their seats. They too
found that their legs were cramped and almost useless, through having
maintained a sitting position during so many weary hours.

Jack's exuberant spirits caused him to fairly hug his chum.

"Didn't I know you could do it, Tom?" he cried. "See how the old luck
keeps hanging over us, will you? It's always been this way, Colin; and to
have Tom along means success every time."

"That may be," the lieutenant replied, giving Tom a fond look; "but if I
were you I'd call it something more than just luck. It takes brains to
think up such schemes as this one, brains and a lively imagination in
the bargain; and Tom's rich in both of those requirements."

"Let's get busy, and see about fixing that feedpipe," broke out the
modest object of all this praise. "We have only a short time of daylight
to work in, and after that must depend on our little searchlight torch."

All were willing to start w