The Boy Aviators' Polar Dash; or, Facing Death in the Antarctic

surface beneath which the heavy deck structure of the dirigible had vanished. Through the glasses it could be see

were hastily cast over the side. But even as one of the men grasped a

then there was a whitish gleam as the monster shark turned on its

him," cried Ca

rimson circle on the water to mark where the terrible, man-killing shark had vanished with his prey. Attracted, no doubt, by the mysterio

hauled to the vessel's side and several of the crew were preparing to hoist him on board when two of the monsters made a simultaneous rush at him, Frank's revol

mished condition and with the great beard that he wore there was something very fa

bs," he e

exclaimed the man over whom a dozen s

ank, regardless of gr

panied the boys in Africa and the Everglades and shared

ou boys doing here," he gasped, for Harry and Billy h

t: what are you doing

y finish like my poor

cabin and have something to eat while he t

castaway was escorted to the cabin table on which

ng dispatched, "I 'spose you want to know how I com

it," cri

dead,-and me was trying out his new air-craft when we got blown out ter sea. We'd been goin' fer two days when you picked up the wireless

s inventions and as I had a pocketful I couldn't exactly figure how to use, I agreed to back him in his wireless dirigible. We tried her out several times ashore and then shipped her to Floridy, meaning to try

eath," put in Professor Sandbur

anaged to tinker up the engine after working all night and part of yesterday on it and as we had plenty to

r a mighty good reason-one of the blades of the propeller had snapped off and there we were,-practically just where we'd bee

I didn't feel near so confident, still I chirped up a

ns we took showed that we had not drifted very much further from land in the night on account of there being no wind. This looked good for it meant that we were, or should be, in the p

d up just to see if there wasn't a cloud in the sky that might mean a storm, and perhaps a change of wind that maybe would blow us back over land again

ville and he went up in

,' he explains, 'it's

et some gas o

e'll drop into

the evening comes and the gas condenses, with what we've lost, if we

I've been speaking to by wireless comes in sight. Then we'll take a chan

ed as if the bag was going to bust in a second's time and we tried to open the valve-we couldn't. The ha

t the pressure gauge. Th

thing she'll bust in

saying a word to him I kicked off my boo

going to do?'

at valve

ould not imagine what you

etched as smooth and tight as a drum. The network around it gave me a foothold though, and once I

felt everything cave in around me like something had been pulled from

gible had

I thought I'd never come up again. My ear-drums felt like they'd bust and my head seemed to have been hit with an axe. But come up I did eventu

ve. The rugged sailor's face grew soft and he winked back a tear. The o

uch a strange way, I presume you woul

too much I would," rejoi

nd for the

flicked

ir," was a

'n, will you sign on? If you do not care to we will put you ashore at the fi

or looked po

nity to see the South Pol

't any," pu

en Stubbs ain't the man to hold back on a venture like this. Sign me on as bos'n, a

kind of a bug is that? If you know where to find t

grin

s is like South Pol

my dear sea-

, blotting his big, scrawling

as one of the soft tropical nights peculiar to those regions, were all grouped forward trying to keep cool and keeping a sharp lookout for the real Sout

h their feet they could see the bright phosphorous gleam as the ship ploughed onward. They were rather silent. In fact, except for desultory

atch, when there came a terrific shock that caused the vessel to quiver and creak as if she had run bow on int

out on deck in his night clothes. The sky had become overcast and it was terribly black. It was

happened? Did we hit

ton, appearing

truck he could not make out. Captain Barrington knew there were no rocks so far out at sea and he also knew that he could not be near land. The only e

s and Ben Stubbs, they ha

ute his order but he was soon

tubbs aren't there," he exc

repeated Ca

hem. Beggin' your pardon,

y commanded his superior. "Ha

with a tug at his forelock, h

k and cranny of the ship

ys nor Ben wer

as some of the more superstitious men seemed inclined