"Hello!" he ejaculated half aloud. "It's from Abe Abercrombie, that
miner I met when we were after the diamond-makers! He says he is on
his way east to get ready to start on the quest for the Alaskan
valley of gold, in the caves of ice. I had almost forgotten that I
promised to make the attempt in the big airship. How did this letter
come, Mrs. Baggert?" he asked.

"By special delivery. The messenger brought it a few minutes ago."

"Then we may see Abe any day now. Guess I'd better be looking over
the RED CLOUD to see if it's in shape for a trip to the Arctic
regions."

Tom's attention for the moment was taken off his little monoplane,
and his memory went back to the strange scenes in which he and his
friends had recently played a part, in searching for the cave of the
diamond-makers on Phantom Mountain. He recalled the promise he had
made to the old miner.

"I wonder if he expects us to start for Alaska with winter coming
on?" thought Tom.

His musings were suddenly interrupted by the entrance into the yard,
surrounding the aeroplane shed, of a lad about his own age.

"Hello, Ned Newton!" called Tom, heartily.

"Hello, yourself," responded Ned. "I've got a day off from the bank,
and I thought I'd come over and see you. Say, have you heard the