y, for the sake of
th' parts of their damaged airship, th' Eskimos would take th' whole
party back t' Sitka and feed 'em well on th' trip. Oh, they're all
right."

"Very well, if you say so," assented Mr. Damon. He looked back to
watch the ANTHONY slowly settling to earth. It came gently down,
proving that Tom knew whereof he spoke, when he had said they could
vol-plane down. Before the RED CLOUD was out of sight Tom and his
companions saw Andy and his father leave their wrecked craft and
venture out on the snow-covered ground. The Fogers gazed enviously
after the airship of our hero as they saw him still forging toward
the goal.

"I guess Andy's stolen map won't be of much use to him," mused Tom.
"Now we can put on all the speed we like," and with that he shifted
the gears and levers until the airship was making exceedingly good
time toward the valley of gold.

The remainder of that day saw our adventurers pursuing their way
eagerly. At times they were flying high, and again, when Abe
suggested that they go down to observe the character of the country
over which they were passing, they skimmed along, just above the big
mountains, which seemed almost like icebergs, so covered were they
with frost and snow.

They were indeed in a wild and desolate country. Below them
stretched a seemingly endless waste of snow and ice--great forests
interspersed with treeless patches, while now and then they sailed
over a frozen lake.

Once in a while they had glimpses of bands of Indians, dressed in
furs, hunting. At such times the natives would look up, on hearing
the noise made by the motor of the airship, and catching a glimpse
of what must have seemed to them like some supernatural object, they
would fall down prostrate in amazement and fear.

"Airships are pretty much of a novelty up here," remarked Abe with a
grim smile.

The weather was now very cold, and the gold-seekers had to get out
their heavy fur garments, of which they had brought along a goodly
supply. True, it was warm in the cabin of the airship, but at times,
they wanted to venture out on the deck to get fresh air, or to make
some adjustments to the wing planes, and, on such occasions the
keen, frosty air, as it was driven past them by the motion of the
craft, made even the thickest garments seem none too warm. Then,
too, it was colder at the elevation at which they flew than down on
the ground.

Another day found them in a still wilder and more desolate p