"Well, now," said the darkey, "if he hadn't taken us so far away from home, it wouldn't have happened. We don't nebber have no earfquakes, nor no volcanoes in Maine. It's against de law, I reckon--like sellin' gin. No, sah I disher awful catastriferous conglomeration ob fortituitous happenings dat's put us where we is right now would nebber hab got at us if we'd minded our own business an' stayed to home. No, sah!" "There may be some truth in what you say--barring your use of the big words, Wash," admitted Jack Darrow. "But we certainly can't blame the old professor for any freaks of Nature that may happen." "No. But I hasn't gotter encourage him in disher foolishness ob runnin' up an' down de world, huntin' fo' new t'ings. I don't like new t'ings," declared Wash. "Looked disher now! Whoeber said Washington White wanted ter transmogrify hissef to a new planet? Nobody, not dat I hears on." "I reckon we none of us had much choice in the matter," returned Jack, with a sigh. "Glory! Dar's dat moon again!" cried Wash, suddenly. "No; it's the earth in sight," returned his youthful companion. "The mist is being dissipated, just as the professor said. Let's go out and look about." "We done wanter be mighty careful walkin' on dis ice," admonished the darkey. "It jest as slippery as it kin be." Which was true enough, as Jack found the moment he stepped down upon the shelf from the flying machine frame. Where the ice had melted and then its surface had congealed again, it was as smooth as a mirror. The reflected light from the huge globe that now began to traverse the small arc of their heaven gave them plenty of light. They could see down into the green depths of the crevasse, but not far along the shelf on which the _Snowbird_ rested, in either the one direction or the other. "Whar you goin', Massa Jack?" demanded Wash, as the boy started away from the flying machine toward the nearest wall of rock that shut in the glacier. "I want to see what lies beyond that turn," replied the youth. "Perhaps we may learn something to our advantage by exploring a bit." Washington White followed him very cautiously. Before he came to the turn himself, Jack had rounded it. The next moment the darkey was startled by a yell from Jack. "Fo' de goodness gracious gollyation sakes!" bawled Wash. "What done gone an' disturbed de continuity ob your sagastuations? Yo' done frighten me inter a conniption fit if yo' hollers dat way." Here he rounded the turn himself and almost bumped into Jack. Even the darkey's volubility was stilled at the sight before them. A great part of the wall of the crevasse--the wall which they had hoped to climb, had broken off and fallen into the gulf. A wide crack, or gully, was opened in this side of the chasm, leading in an easy slope to the surface of the glacier.