"Let go!" yelled the youth, and struggled in vain to release himself. But he could not break that awful hold, and so he dragged the tar with him, and both rolled over and over in the snow. Andy tried to kick out the fire around his legs, and in the meanwhile Loggermore got a grip on his windpipe as if to strangle him. The boy tried to fight the man off, but could not, and presently all grew dark around him, and then he knew no more. CHAPTER XXIII "NORTH POLE OR BUST!" Down in the cabin of the _Ice King_, close to a roaring fire, Captain Williamson and Barwell Dawson were playing a game of checkers--the captain's favorite amusement. Chet had been watching with interest, but had now gone on deck for a few minutes, to get the fresh air and to see what had become of his chum. Suddenly through the stillness of the Arctic night Chet heard Andy's cry for aid. He strained his eyes and saw the flicker of a light, as Loggermore struck one of the matches. "Something is wrong," cried Chet to himself, and then tumbled down the companionway in a hurry. "What's the matter?" exclaimed Captain Williamson, startled by the youth's abrupt entrance. "Something is wrong with Andy--he is calling for help!" answered Chet. Both the captain and the explorer leaped up, scattering the checkers in all directions. Each ran for his fur coat and mitts, and each caught up a gun, and Chet did the same. Then they scrambled up on deck in double-quick haste, and leaped over the side of the steamer on to the uneven ice below. "Where is he?" asked Barwell Dawson. "Up at the storehouse. He yelled----Look, the place is on fire!" Both men gazed in the direction, and then Captain Williamson let out a yell that could be heard throughout the entire ship: "All hands turn out to fight fire!" Chet started on a run, with Barwell Dawson at his heels, the captain remaining behind to rouse the hands to action, for in a twinkling he realized what it would mean were the stores burned. When Chet reached his chum, Andy lay flat on his back in the snow, motionless. Pep Loggermore was dancing before the ever-increasing flames, shouting gleefully. "Light at last! I told you I'd have light!" shrieked the crazed sailor. "Andy, what is it?" asked Chet, and bent over his chum. Then he saw some sparks on Andy's clothing, and saw that part of his lower garments had been burnt off. Loggermore had had sense enough to extinguish the blaze on his own clothing. Soon half a dozen of the sailors and Esquimaux were on the scene, and they began to put out the flames by throwing snow and cakes of ice on the storehouse. In the meantime Chet pulled Andy to a safe distance. As he did this the latter opened his eyes and started up. "Le--let go, Loggermore!" he gasped. "It's all right, Andy." "Oh, is that you, Chet! Whe--where is Loggermore?" "Dancing around like a maniac." "He is crazy. He--he tried to burn me and strangle me!" panted Andy. "What in the world made him crazy?"