"No time! No time!" shouted Mr. Parker, frantically, "We must get
out! Save what you can from the ship--the gold--some supplies--the
guns--some food--save what you can!"
Then ensued a wild effort to get from the doomed craft what they
could--what they would need if they were to save their lives in that
cold and desolate country. Food, some blankets--their guns--as much
of the gold as they could hastily gather together--their weapons and
some ammunition--all this was carried from the cabin outside the
cave. The entrance was rapidly growing smaller. The roof was already
pressing down on the gas-bag.
Tom gave one last look at his fine craft. There were tears in his
eyes. He started into the cabin for something he had forgotten. Mr.
Parker grabbed him by the arm.
"Don't go in!" he cried hoarsely. "The cave will collapse in another
instant!" He rushed with Tom out of the cavern, and not a moment too
soon. The others were already outside.
Then with a rush and a roar, with a sound like a great explosion,
with a rending, grinding and booming as the great pieces of ice
collapsed one against the other, the big ice cave settled in, as
does some great building when the walls are weakened!
Down crashed the roof of the ice cave! Down upon the RED CLOUD,
burying out of sight, forever, under thousands of tons of ice and
snow, the craft which was the pride of Tom Swift's heart! It was the
end of the airship!
Tom felt a moisture of tears in his eyes as he stood there in the
midst of the snowstorm.
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