The crevasse had been successfully crossed, but the disquieting fact remained that it now lay between them and the Bird of Freedom. If two persons had succeeded in crossing only by the skin of their teeth, how could twelve hope to negotiate that terrible ice-bridge?
On and on the pair trudged in silence, save for an occasional exchange of sentences in French. Presently the Russian unconsciously increased his pace. The wreck of the airship was in sight.
Its gaunt aluminium girders, twisted and bent almost out of recognition, completely dwarfed the large ice hut built a few feet from the wreckage. Above the hut floated the blue St. Andrew's cross on a white ground—the Russian ensign.
Holding his gloved hands to his mouth in order to form a speaking trumpet, Petrovitch hailed.
Almost as soon as the sound reached the hut, men were observed to be pouring out like bees from a hive, and, in spite of the intervening distance, the rarefied atmosphere enabled them to maintain a lively conversation with their rejoicing comrade, while three or four of the stranded Russians hastened to meet their compatriot.
As they approached, Leslie could see that they were all tall, finely-built men, and apparently the picture of health. He could not help contrasting their appearance with that of the exhausted survivors of Claude Ranworth's party and with that of Petrovitch and his companion, Dmitri, when rescued by the Bird of Freedom, According to Petrovitch's account, he had left his comrades on the very verge of starvation.
Petrovitch lost no time in introducing Leslie to the newcomers, and, escorted by the latter, the lad was taken to the hut. Here the mystery of the fit appearance of the castaways was revealed, for roasting over an oil-stove which had been fashioned from material saved from the airship was a huge joint of bear's flesh.
Very soon after the departure of Petrovitch and Dmitri, a polar bear had visited the camp. The Russians had thrown themselves upon it with their knives, and, after a brief struggle, the animal became the spoil of the victors.
After a good but hasty meal, preparations were made to abandon the wrecked airship and make for the Bird of Freedom.
An aluminium sleigh, also knocked together from the frame of the airship, was piled high with the men's personal belongings and a few scientific instruments and records, while at Petrovitch's suggestion two long lengths of rope were also taken.