Doc Savage: The Ice Genius (The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage Book 12) by Kenneth Robeson, Lester Dent, Will Murray
Tags: action and adventure
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grasslands. Here and there, small lakes stood out like dull mirrors, reflecting the gray skies overhead. It was one of the reasons they had taken the flying boat, the other being that the Fortress of Solitude was accessible only by amphibious aircraft.
Doc flew in a wide, sweeping circle, golden eyes alert.
“Johnny spoke of an ice cave that he had uncovered. We are looking for such a feature, which will have a lot of dirt stirred up and around its location.”
Long Tom, scanning the terrain below through strong binocular lenses, remarked, “One thing is for sure. We won’t have much trouble landing out here. I can’t remember the last time I saw such a flat wasteland.”
A line of forms moving majestically along drew their attention. But when Ham studied the procession, he reported, “Just camels.”
Monk asked, “One hump, or two?”
“What difference does it make?” snapped Ham, turning.
Monk eyed the ceiling innocently. “Two humps means twice as ornery.”
“You are making that up!”
“Knock it off!” yelled Renny and Long Tom in unison.
Doc piloted the big leviathan about, seeking the exposed ice cave of Johnny’s radio report.
From time to time as they had traversed Mongolia, they had attempted to raise the missing archaeologist on the radio. But either Johnny’s set was out of commission, or he was unable to reach it. All entreaties had failed to elicit a response.
This worried them all, for the silence portended poorly as to Johnny’s fate. The extraordinarily long flight caused them to grow impatient, as well. But nothing could be done about the situation, except to fly as quickly as was prudent to do so.
Suddenly, Monzingo Baldwin piped up, saying, “I think I see it!” He sounded very excited.
The little man was pointing to port. Doc Savage’s gaze lanced in that direction.
There was a ridge, and one face of it, pointing south, had collapsed into a rubble of rock and dirt.
The exposed hole was very dark and impenetrable to sight.
It took only seconds for the bronze man to scrutinize the landmark and come to a decision.
“We will land here,” Doc announced.
Chapter VI
THE THING IN THE ICE
THE landing went very smoothly, except for the rock.
Doc Savage had dragged the long flat section of steppe twice before he felt confident about setting down the air giant. The others assisted in this process, scanning the ground with their binoculars.
Trees were sparse out here in the Gobi, so their main concern was rocks and boulders and similar obstructions. The area was hilly and rugged, but there were great flat stretches, too, as well as depressed bowls many miles wide.
One by one, Doc’s men called from their positions to report that the rough landing strip was clear of obstructions.
“Looks good,” Renny rumbled.
“I don’t spot anything that spells trouble,” added Long Tom.
Ham agreed.
The last to report was Monzingo Baldwin, the former Cadwiller Olden.
“I don’t see anything rocky,” he reported, smiling broadly.
At the control yoke, Doc Savage had spotted nothing dangerous in his planned landing path. Bringing the great four-motored aircraft around one more time, the bronze man dropped the wheels electrically, and started his approach.
It was a very bumpy landing. They expected as much. The steppe was tufted with dying grass, and was cracked and corrugated by rough weather.
So they were not greatly surprised after the wheels touched down, and the big plane began vibrating alarmingly, jarring its way toward touchdown.
Doc Savage spotted the rock. He flung the control wheel to starboard, and managed to avoid it. This sent the aircraft careening toward the second rock. The second stone, like the first, had been covered in the dust and dirt of the season, and did not stand out by shape or hue.
Still, it was rather large and should have cast a warning shadow.
The port wheel glanced off it, and the big plane gave an abrupt jump like a bucking bronco.
No one
Doc flew in a wide, sweeping circle, golden eyes alert.
“Johnny spoke of an ice cave that he had uncovered. We are looking for such a feature, which will have a lot of dirt stirred up and around its location.”
Long Tom, scanning the terrain below through strong binocular lenses, remarked, “One thing is for sure. We won’t have much trouble landing out here. I can’t remember the last time I saw such a flat wasteland.”
A line of forms moving majestically along drew their attention. But when Ham studied the procession, he reported, “Just camels.”
Monk asked, “One hump, or two?”
“What difference does it make?” snapped Ham, turning.
Monk eyed the ceiling innocently. “Two humps means twice as ornery.”
“You are making that up!”
“Knock it off!” yelled Renny and Long Tom in unison.
Doc piloted the big leviathan about, seeking the exposed ice cave of Johnny’s radio report.
From time to time as they had traversed Mongolia, they had attempted to raise the missing archaeologist on the radio. But either Johnny’s set was out of commission, or he was unable to reach it. All entreaties had failed to elicit a response.
This worried them all, for the silence portended poorly as to Johnny’s fate. The extraordinarily long flight caused them to grow impatient, as well. But nothing could be done about the situation, except to fly as quickly as was prudent to do so.
Suddenly, Monzingo Baldwin piped up, saying, “I think I see it!” He sounded very excited.
The little man was pointing to port. Doc Savage’s gaze lanced in that direction.
There was a ridge, and one face of it, pointing south, had collapsed into a rubble of rock and dirt.
The exposed hole was very dark and impenetrable to sight.
It took only seconds for the bronze man to scrutinize the landmark and come to a decision.
“We will land here,” Doc announced.
Chapter VI
THE THING IN THE ICE
THE landing went very smoothly, except for the rock.
Doc Savage had dragged the long flat section of steppe twice before he felt confident about setting down the air giant. The others assisted in this process, scanning the ground with their binoculars.
Trees were sparse out here in the Gobi, so their main concern was rocks and boulders and similar obstructions. The area was hilly and rugged, but there were great flat stretches, too, as well as depressed bowls many miles wide.
One by one, Doc’s men called from their positions to report that the rough landing strip was clear of obstructions.
“Looks good,” Renny rumbled.
“I don’t spot anything that spells trouble,” added Long Tom.
Ham agreed.
The last to report was Monzingo Baldwin, the former Cadwiller Olden.
“I don’t see anything rocky,” he reported, smiling broadly.
At the control yoke, Doc Savage had spotted nothing dangerous in his planned landing path. Bringing the great four-motored aircraft around one more time, the bronze man dropped the wheels electrically, and started his approach.
It was a very bumpy landing. They expected as much. The steppe was tufted with dying grass, and was cracked and corrugated by rough weather.
So they were not greatly surprised after the wheels touched down, and the big plane began vibrating alarmingly, jarring its way toward touchdown.
Doc Savage spotted the rock. He flung the control wheel to starboard, and managed to avoid it. This sent the aircraft careening toward the second rock. The second stone, like the first, had been covered in the dust and dirt of the season, and did not stand out by shape or hue.
Still, it was rather large and should have cast a warning shadow.
The port wheel glanced off it, and the big plane gave an abrupt jump like a bucking bronco.
No one
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