"The Japanese one, you mean?"
"That's it. It must have been the light of it that I saw during the winter. I suppose they were experimenting with it then."
"Experimenting—what for?"
"For the work they are using it on to-night."
"And that is?"
"To forestall us in the discovery of the Viking ship and the South
Pole."
CHAPTER XXIV.
SWALLOWED BY A CREVASSE.
The early morning following the discovery of the night trip of the dirigible saw the Golden Eagle rising into the chill air and winging her way to the camp. The boys, as soon as they descended, hastened to Captain Hazzard's hut and detailed their adventures. As may be supposed, while both the leader of the expedition and the captain of the Southern Cross were deeply interested in the account of the flaming mountain and the prehistoric seal-like creatures, they were more deeply concerned over the boys' sighting of the airship.
"It means we have earnest rivals to deal with," was Captain Hazzard's comment, "we must set about finding the Viking ship at once. The search will not take long, for if she is not somewhere near where I have calculated she ought to be it would be waste of time to seek her at all."