<h2 id="c26"><span class="small">CHAPTER XXVI</span> <br/>THE SPARKLE OF DIAMONDS</h2>
<p>Just as Joe and Jennings had finished their
breakfast of polar bear meat and were preparing
to go forward, the broad cake of ice on
which they had camped gave a sudden lurch,
then rose to such an angle as threatened to pitch
them all into a yawning gap of black water.</p>
<p>Joe sprang forward. The dogs howled dismally.
Only Jennings kept his head.</p>
<p>“Wonder if that’s the beginning of a
break-up?” he said, wrinkling his brow. “If
it is, every man-buck of that exploring party’s
lost and we’ll be doin’ fine if we escape ourselves.
It’s a tremendous affair when this ice
gets to pilin’. Big cakes, wide as a city lot
and thick as a one-story house, climb on top of
each other like kittens playin’ with a yarn ball.
What’s a man’s chance in a mess like that?”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[207]</div>
<p>There was, however, no thought of turning
back. As long as there was a chance of saving
Munson’s party their duty lay straight
ahead. Only one part of their plans was
changed. It was decided that they would pack
their dogs as burros are packed on mountain
trails and that until the return trip their sled
should be abandoned.</p>
<p>It was a strange procession that started out
over the roughly piled ice. Jennings, with a
bulky sleeping-bag strapped to his back, led the
way. He was followed by a long line of dogs.
On each dog’s back was securely fastened a
long strip of meat. Joe brought up the rear with
the other sleeping-bag.</p>
<p>Had an airplane passed over them as they
moved forward, its pilot might have seen what
seemed some huge brown worm wriggling its
way in and out among the ice piles.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[208]</div>
<p>To their great relief the ocean staged no
more demonstrations. The ice remained motionless.
All day, guided by a compass, they
made their way forward. Far into the night
they traveled. Two hours after midnight they
ate and rested, then again pushed forward.</p>
<p>Just as the tardy sun was rising, they heard
a shot in the distance and, to their great joy,
found themselves a few moments later being
cheered lustily by the worn-out and starving
explorers.</p>
<p>Soon, over a fire of bear fat, caribou meat
was roasting.</p>
<p>When, an hour later, they started back over
the trail it was with high hopes of reaching
shore in safety. Yet many a mile of treacherous
ice lay between them and that coveted goal.</p>
<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
<p>The sight which met Curlie Carson’s gaze as
he finally mustered up courage to creep up to
the corner of the food depot building and peer
around it, made his blood boil hot with anger.</p>
<p>Before him, crouching over and placing the
last contributions to a huge bonfire of excelsior,
paper and packing-boxes piled against the building,
was the outlaw.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[209]</div>
<p>“Guessed right,” Curlie told himself, “and
just in time. A moment more and the thing
would have been done, the house all aflame. He
means to burn it, but he won’t.”</p>
<p>A second glance showed him the outlaw’s sled
piled high and his dog team grouped about it.</p>
<p>“All ready to race away,” he breathed as he
tightened his muscles for a spring.</p>
<p>It was a desperate chance. Three paces from
the man a rifle leaned against the cabin. The
man was between Curlie and the rifle. There
was not a moment to lose.</p>
<p>With a snarl like a tiger Curlie sprang for
the other’s back. They went crashing to the
snow in a heap.</p>
<p>The struggle was brief and terrific. When
they broke their hold Curlie was bruised and
bleeding but he had gained a point—an all
important point. He was now between the man
and his rifle.</p>
<p>Quicker than a cat, he sprang for it and the
next instant aimed it square at the other’s
breast.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[210]</div>
<p>With a wild cry of terror the man turned and
fled toward the shore where ice was piled in
jagged heaps.</p>
<p>Still panting from his recent struggle, Curlie
followed him slowly. He was examining the
rifle. It was of a new design, totally unknown
to him.</p>
<p>“Good thing he didn’t know I couldn’t fire
it,” he breathed. “They say what you don’t
know don’t hurt you. Well, that’s one time it
did.”</p>
<p>After a moment’s struggle he discovered the
rifle’s secret. He smiled as he walked out upon
the ocean’s ice.</p>
<p>“Thinks he can hide from me. Guess he
failed to notice that in this still, cold air one’s
breath rises far above him. He’ll have to
stop breathing if he wishes to escape.”</p>
<p>He walked straight toward a high ice-pile and
a moment later had the pleasure of seeing a
dark object dart away from it.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[211]</div>
<p>“I could shoot him,” he told himself. “Deserves
it too. Trying to burn those supplies and
leave thirty men to freeze and starve! Wonder
why he did it? I’ll find out. I’ll tire him out,
then capture him. After that I’ll ask him.”</p>
<p>But he never did.</p>
<p>The game of hide-and-go-seek had lasted for
two hours, when the man pursued started
straight across a broad expanse of ice which
was smooth as a floor.</p>
<p>“That looks dangerous—looks like new ice,”
gasped Curlie as he threw himself flat down
upon it.</p>
<p>With his sheath knife he hacked at it until
a stream of water came bubbling up and he
heard the wild rush of the current that raced
on beneath it.</p>
<p>“Not more than half an inch thick!” he
breathed to himself.</p>
<p>The next instant he was on his feet, backing
off the ice and shouting: “Hey! Hey, there!
Danger! Danger! Thin ice! Dan—”</p>
<p>He did not complete the last word, for just
at that minute there came a wild shout of
despair.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[212]</div>
<p>Splitting from end to end, the ice caved in
at the middle. For a moment the man clung to
the edge, then the current seized him.</p>
<p>Just before he disappeared his right hand
went up and a shower of “sparks,” which glimmered
and glistened like stars, went shimmering
away across the dark water to light upon a
broad stretch of ice which had not broken.</p>
<p>“Diamonds!” breathed Curlie. “Diamonds
and rubies from Russia! He was the smuggler
chief. Wonder why he threw them that way?”</p>
<p>The question had no answer. Yet, there they
lay, thousands of dollars worth of jewels.</p>
<p>“Out of a fellow’s reach for the present,”
Curlie told himself, “but I guess if the ice
doesn’t break up any more for a day or two it
will be easy to come out and pick them out of
the ice.</p>
<p>“And now,” he told himself, “I must get in
some quick work in behalf of our friends, the
explorers. With a whole reindeer herd at my
disposal I ought to be able to do something.”</p>
<p>He walked away for a hundred yards, then
paused to look back.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[213]</div>
<p>“It’s tough,” he told himself, “tough to be
blinked out like that. No question he deserved
it, but there’s so much bad in the best of us that
we can well afford to feel a lot of pity for the
worst of us.”</p>
<p>With this he turned and hurried away toward
the shore.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[214]</div>
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