There was something so peremptory and abrupt in their leader’s manner that no one thought of asking him a question, though all were filled with surprise and curiosity as to what he meant to do.
“Come here, Leo,” he said, after his orders had been obeyed. “Hold this coil, and pay it out as I walk to the berg with the end in my hand.”
The coil was one of extremely fine copper wire. Leo let it run as the Captain walked off. A minute or two later he was seen to enter the dark blue cavern and disappear.
“My dear dad is reckless,” exclaimed Benjy, in some anxiety, “what if the roof o’ that cave should fall in. There are bits of ice dropping about everywhere. What can he be going to do?”
As he spoke, the Captain issued from the cave, and walked smartly towards them.
“Now then, it’s all right,” he said, “give me the coil, Leo, and come back, all of you. Fetch the machine, Alf.”
In a few minutes the whole party had retired a considerable distance from the huge berg, the Captain uncoiling the wire as he went.
“Surely you’re not going to try to blow it up piecemeal?” said Leo.
“No, lad, I’m not going to do that, or anything so slow,” returned the Captain, stopping and arranging the instrument.
“But if the box contains gunpowder,” persisted Leo, “there’s not enough to—”