Tom and the others could not see five feet beyond
the cave.
"This will delay the attack," murmured Ned, "They can't see to come
at us."
Mr. Parker came running up from the interior of the cave. On his
face there was a look of alarm.
"We must leave here at once!" he cried.
"Leave here?" repeated Tom. "Why must we? The enemy are out there!
We'd run right into them!"
"It must be done!" insisted the scientist. "We must leave the cave
at once!"
"What for?" cried Mr. Damon.
"Because the movement of the ice that I predicted, has begun. It is
much more rapid than I supposed it would be. In a short time this
cave and all the others will be crushed flat!"
"Crushed flat!" gasped Tom.
"Yes, the caves of ice are being destroyed! Hark! You can hear them
snapping!"
They all listened. Above the roar of the storm could be made out the
noise of crushing, grinding ice-sounds like cannon being fired, as
the great masses of frozen crystal snapped like frail planks.
"The ice caves are being destroyed by an upheaval of nature!" went
on Mr. Parker. "This one will soon go! The walls are bulging now! We
must get out!"
"But the natives! They will kill us!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my
soul! what a trying position to be in."
"I guess the natives are as bad off as we are," suggested Ned.
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