“And fire in an iceberg is not a common thing. Over there is the crevasse where we lost your poor brother and his boy. Bless my icepick! but there is something strange about this.” “We will go see,” declared the captain. He hurried for a coil of rope and a rifle. Unnoticed by the others, the giant seaman and his employer climbed the slope of the ice mountain. Tom and his helpers were overhauling the airtight pontoon that swung from the left wing of the flying boat. This was the part injured by the latest collision. “It must be that I am not so well able to judge distances as I was,” the young inventor grumbled. “To smash a wing twice, hand running, as you might say!” “It was a puff of wind did this for you,” declared Ned. “I would not blame my eyesight.” To work in the open on the ice with a living gale blowing down from the Pole was by no means a comfortable situation. The mechanicians had to take turns in working on the broken wing and pontoon. A man might easily freeze his hands while working without gloves. Two gasoline stoves were brought out of the flying boat and set up on the ice right where the repair gang worked. The cook served hot coffee by the gallon. The passengers did all they could to help, but that was little. Suddenly Mr. Nestor noticed the absence of Mr. Damon and the schooner captain. He asked: “Have they gone hunting? Why did they climb that hill, do you suppose, Tom?” “Didn’t we see some smoke up there?” queried Tom, only mildly interested. “Why, yes! Mr. Damon was talking about smoke from the ice peak, and that got me interested—interested enough to scale the old plane across the shoulder of that hill,” and the young inventor laughed rather ruefully. “There’s something going on up there, Mr. Swift!” exclaimed Kingston suddenly. “See there?” He pointed up the heights. Several hundred feet above the plain the big seaman was standing and waving his arms wildly to attract attention. Now his voice came booming down from the eminence: “Mis-der Swift! Mis-der Swift!” he singsonged. “Send up a couple of my bullies undt a pread pag. Hurry oop!” “Wonder what’s going on up there,” remarked Ned, as Tom waved to a couple of the seamen to obey their skipper’s demand. “Let’s have a look ourselves,” Kingston said, and started up the ascent. Tom could not go; but there was nothing to keep Ned back, so he fell in behind the wireless operator. Besides, one could keep warm on the ice only while in motion. The two young fellows swarmed up the hill as fast as they could travel, while the sailors came on in their rear with the bag. Ned and his companion found Captain Karofsen on a little shelf of the hill. He was much excited and his face was again a smile. “It is wonderful! Wonderful!” he declared. “Come with me, young gentlemen. It is wonderful.” “I bet it is,” commented Ned. “But just what is it?”