"The Bird of Freedom will have to get back to the summit of the glacier," Guy reminded him.
"Undoubtedly. She's tackled worse obstacles than that," replied Ranworth. "Besides, you must run alongside the Polarity to get the accumulators recharged. You must have forgotten that."
"Dash it all, sir, I did!" admitted the lad.
"Very well, carry on. Remember our promise to return to Observation Camp with the least possible delay."
"How do you propose to make the leap, sir?" asked Leslie. "Let her go full pelt under the action of the aerial propellers and alight on a fairly even keel; or let her go slowly and make a nose-ended dive?"
[Illustration: With a terrific crash the Bird of Freedom toppled completely over.
To face page 151.]
"Slowly," decided Ranworth. "Before her centre of gravity is over the brink of the ice her bows will be almost water-borne."
"Very good, sir!" said Leslie. And, a warning being given for all hands to Be Prepared for a slight shock, the Bird of Freedom's motors were set in motion.