In this design it met with some success, but it finally passed on, leaving a broad trail of devastation behind, and sending enormous blocks of ice thundering down from the cliff tops.
Once it had passed ahead, Frank and his companions broke the ice away from around the bowsprit with axes, and released her.
She was then turned around.
Going aboard, they ran her back for the entrance to the ravine to get out on the icy plain again.
But when they reached the place where the opening had been, they found it blocked up by tons of the ice that had fallen down from the cliff tops.
The ice ship could not get out.
Every one was alarmed by this, for the ice blocks were so high and thick that they saw no possible means of getting the ship over it, for the top of the gorge was too contracted to allow her to fly up and thus pass the barrier.
CHAPTER X.
PLUNGED IN A LAKE.
A conference was held by the four adventurers to devise a means of overcoming the icy barrier choking up the exit of the ravine, and finally Frank said:
“The only way I can see out of the difficulty is to melt it.”