Even the splash of
waves against the further side of the big ice-floe seemed like the
pounding of a monster hammer, at least to Jack's excited imagination.
They were now drawing perilously near the brink. Was Tom ever going to
elevate the plane and attempt the rise from the flat surface of the ice?
Just when it seemed to Jack that hope must yield to despair he realized
that the jumpy motion of the plane ceased suddenly. He knew what this
meant, and that Tom had finally shown his hand, for they no longer bumped
along but began to move through space!
Then Jack fell back, breathing freely again. Success had rewarded their
efforts, and once more the big bomber was speeding through its own
element on the wings of the wind.
But it had indeed been a narrow escape for the adventurous trio; for
hardly had they started to swing upward into space when from behind them
arose a series of horrible crashings, gurglings, and the mad splashing of
water, telling that in truth the giant berg had carried out its threat
and rolled completely over, playing havoc with the entire floe.
No one spoke immediately. In fact, none of them could have uttered a
word, no matter how hard he had tried. In each young heart a feeling of
intense gratitude reigned, as well as a sensation of horror, for only too
well did they know what their immediate fate must have been had they
remained prisoners on the ice but another two minutes.
Tom pointed the nose of the plane directly into the southwest.
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