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Updated: June 21, 2025
"We couldn't have fallen so very far after all," said Mark. "It seemed like a mighty long ways when I was a-comin'," came from Bill. "We went fast, an' we stopped pretty suddint!" was Tom's opinion. "Lucky we had a sort of feather bed under us. I'd hate to fall right on the ice." "Come down soon!" exclaimed Dirola with a laugh, in which all joined, in spite of their sorry plight.
At a sign from Dirola the seven prisoners stepped out briskly. It seemed queer to see the sun shining after having been in the dark cave, where it looked like night, and to get used to the appearance of Old Sol shining steadily all night long, was something the adventurers had not quite accomplished. They walked perhaps a mile before they came to where the dog teams were, behind a hill of ice.
"I am satisfied I have reached and passed the north pole. I would be glad to go back home again." "Me take care you," spoke Dirola. "Wait few days. See! You come, me hide you." She looked carefully around. There was no one in sight save the party from the Monarch. Then, proceeding with caution, Dirola led the way up to and behind the big altar of ice.
To his astonishment he saw similar struggles going on in several places in the snow. First Mark stuck his head out of the drift. Then Bill's face appeared, to be followed by Tom's, and next Dirola bobbed up, smiling as though it was the biggest joke in the world, and as if falling from an airship was an every-day occurrence with her. "Well, we're alive," remarked Jack, after getting his breath.
Dirola ate with them, dipping her fingers in with the others. "It's the first time I ever ate with a queen," said Jack with a smile. "Me sure queen," said the woman with a laugh. "Me tell you 'bout it." Whereupon she related how she was of the royal house, and had, on the death of her father, ascended to the throne.
They piled on the sledges, the professor, Andy and Washington on one and the two boys and the two helpers on the other. Dirola took her seat in front of Professor Henderson. "Who's going to drive our dogs?" asked Jack. "No drive. They follow me," said the woman, and then Jack saw that the foremost animal of his team was tied by a long thong to the rear of the first sleigh.
There were two big sleds, with room enough for all, and ten dogs to each vehicle. The animals, which were securely tied to pinnacles of ice, were snapping and snarling among themselves. "Quick, git on!" commanded Dirola. "Maybe they chase us!" The captives needed no second bidding.
"How does that strike you?" went on Andy, to Mark and Jack, who had joined him. "The luckiest thing we ever did was to pick up Dirola." "To think we should land right among her own people, too!" spoke up Jack. "It's just like a fairy story." "But where in the world did you come from?" asked Andy. "We thought you were all killed by falling from the ship."
Me save!" exclaimed Dirola, springing in front of Andy. "You trust me!" On came the crowd, plainly visible because of the magnetic fire. It came to a halt a short distance in front of the adventurers, while from the ranks of the white-robed ones stepped forth a native. He spoke rapidly to Dirola, who answered him in fierce tones. For several minutes the conversation was kept up.
Left to themselves, the captives were in no easy frame of mind. They did not know what would happen next, whether they could depend on Dirola or whether the mob would come after them to offer all of them up as sacrifices to the Goddess of Ice. "What puzzles me," said Andy, "is how we both happened to fetch up in the same cave.
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