“Got to find that out, I guess,” admitted the young inventor. “First of all the boys will have to fix that pontoon. It’s a mess. And without it in position the flying boat will be lopsided when I try to raise her.” “Great!” groaned Ned. “So we are marooned down here at the bottom of this hole in the ice?” Tom went aft to confer with his mechanicians. Ned and Kingston got into their outer furs, lent an extra coat to Captain Karofsen, and the trio opened the door and by the aid of a light steel ladder got down upon the ice. The gorge was not more than four hundred feet wide at this point, and the walls of ice towered above their heads at least a thousand feet. If they found it necessary to scale those heights afoot, it would be a difficult and perilous venture. Tom and the mechanicians came piling out after a bit, and a close inspection was made of the airtight boat pendant from the right wing. It could be repaired, of course; but it necessarily would take considerable time. “Go ahead,” said Tom. “We have food and heat in plenty. Do your best, Brannigan. Meanwhile the rest of us will take a look through this cañon. I wonder if firing our rifles would attract the attention of Mr. Nestor and the others if they are near here.” “I tell you what it might do,” said the wireless operator, Kingston. “What’s that?” “It might bring down an avalanche of ice on our heads. You know a cracking stick has been known to start an avalanche.” “Gee!” exclaimed Ned. “I wish you didn’t know so much. Why tell us that? I’ll get a crick in my neck now, I know, watching out for the ice to fall.” But it was no joking matter. Kingston was right, as Tom well knew. Yet the young inventor felt that they should try as quickly as possible to find Mr. Damon and Mary’s father. If the two were still on the giant iceberg it would be well if they were discovered soon. Tom had no desire to remain marooned at the bottom of this gorge for long. Captain Karofsen was still cheerfully optimistic about finding his seamen and passengers from the wrecked _Kalrye_. There were thousands of places in the iceberg where they might conceal themselves. And unless by chance they had seen the seaplane flying over the berg, the castaways would never know that a searching party had come to look for them. The schooner captain, however, agreed that it would be unsafe to fire the guns. At least, it must not be done down here in the maw of the iceberg. “We bane look for them—yes? If they haf been here they must leave somet’ing behind. We see where they camp—yes?” “Come on!” Tom sang out. “We would better keep together. No knowing what there may be on this berg besides castaways.” “Bears, for instance!” rejoined Ned Newton. “Come on, Koku. Maybe that big spear of yours may be of some use yet.” The giant grinned and marched ahead with the spear poised for quick use. The party took up their march along the bottom of the gorge, leaving Brannigan and his helpers to repair the flying boat.