Newton.

"I think I can stop them!" cried Tom, who had leaped toward his
stateroom. He came out a moment later, carrying a peculiar-looking
gun, The adventurers had seen it before, but never in operation, as
Tom had only put some finishing touches on it since undertaking the
voyage to the caves of ice.

"What sort of a weapon is that?" cried Abe, as he helped Mr. Parker
on board.

"It's my new electric rifle," answered the young inventor. "I don't
know how it will work, as it isn't entirely finished, but I'm going
to try it."

Putting it to his shoulder he aimed at the leading musk ox, and
pulled a small lever. There was no report, no puff of smoke and no
fire, yet the big creature, which had been rushing at the ship,
suddenly stopped, swayed for a moment, and then fell over in the
snow, kicking in his death agony.

"One down!" yelled Tom. "My rifle works all right, even if it isn't
finished!"

He aimed at another ox, and that creature was stopped in its tracks.
Mr. Damon had exhausted his cartridges, and had ceased firing, but
Abe Abercrombie was ready with his rifle, and opened up on the
beasts. Tom killed another with his electric gun, and Abe shot two.
This stopped the advance, and only just in time, for the foremost
animals were already close to the ship, and had they rushed at the
frail hull they might have damaged it beyond repair.

"Here goes for the big one!" cried Tom, and, aiming at the largest
ox of the herd, the young inventor pulled the lever. The brute fell
over dead, and the rest, terror stricken, turned and fled.

"Hurrah! That's the stuff!" cried Ned Newton, capering about on
deck. He had hurried to his stateroom and secured his rifle, and,
before the musk oxen were out of sight he had killed one, which gave
him great delight.

"Mighty lucky we drove them away," declared Abe. "They are terrible
savage at times, an' I reckon we struck one of them times. But say,
Tom, what sort of a gun is that you got, anyhow?"

"Oh, it fires electric bullets," explained our hero. "But I haven't
time to tell you about it now. Let's get out and skin one of those
oxen. The fresh meat will come in good, for we've been living on
canned stuff since we left Seattle. We've got time enough before it
gets dark."

They hurried to where the shaggy creatures lay in the snow, and soon
there was enough fresh meat to last a long time, as it would keep
well in the intense cold. Tom put away his electric gun, briefly
ex