Then Andy grew quiet. In the meanwhile Bill and Tom had started the gasolene and electric stoves, and a meal, made from the capsule food, was soon ready. That it tasted good goes without saying.
On and on rushed the ship, for Washington had speeded up all the engines in order to sooner escape from the natives who had held him and his friends captives.
As soon as the professor could leave Andy in charge of Mark, he went to the engine room. There he found everything in good shape. Next he went to the conning tower, where Jack was steering.
"How is she heading?" asked the old man.
"Straight for the north!" replied the boy.
"Good! Keep her so. Let me see; we are about a mile high now. I guess that will do," and he turned off the gas generator. "Moving about twenty miles an hour," he added. "That is fast enough. I wonder how cold it is?"
He consulted the dial that was connected to a thermometer outside.
"Whew!" he whistled. "Fifty below! I'm glad we are here!"
Jack was too. The old inventor glanced at the direction compass and then at the deflecting one that indicated how near the north pole they were. As he did so he uttered a cry.
"What is it?" cried the boy.