CHAPTER XVI
TELEGRAPH ORDERS
There was confusion aboard the airship. Tom, hearing Ned's cry, left his camera, to rush to the engine room, but not before he had set the picture apparatus to working automatically. Mr. Damon, Mr. Nestor and Koku, alarmed by Ned's cries, ran back from the forward part of the craft, where they had been watching the mighty mass of ice and earth as it rushed down the side of the mountain.
"What's wrong, Ned?" cried Tom excitedly.
"I don't know! The propellers have stopped! We were running as an aeroplane you know. Now we're going down!"
"Bless my suspenders!" shouted Mr. Damon. "If we land in the midst of that conglomeration of ice it will be the end of us."
"But we're not going to land there!" cried Tom.
"How are you going to stop it?" demanded Mr. Nestor.
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