“Something wrong, chum?” Bud asked.
DISASTER STRIKES 165
“Plenty! According to our previous soundings, we were based on solid rock.
Now we’re getting a double echo-which means we’re over water.”
“Impossible!” Bud insisted.
Quickly Tom checked several other points about the camp. The government scientists and several of the crewmen gathered around to watch. In every case, the test showed the same results!
“I don’t get it,” said Bud with a puzzled look. “If your first soundings showed rock, how could it change to water?”
“Very simple, I’m afraid,” Tom replied. “The ice on which our camp is resting must have shifted during the last few days.”
“You’re right, Tom,” Dr. Faber agreed. “That means we’re now on a floating ice shelf which could break apart at any moment!”
Disheartened, the members of the expedition looked at each other until Bud spoke again.
“What’s our next move?” he asked.
“Looks as if we’ll have to move southward, nearer the Pole, perhaps along the foot of the Queen Maud Mountains. Then we can be sure of drilling into solid rock.”
Voorhees’ lip curled in a sneer.
“Don’t you think it’s about time you started facing the facts?” he inquired with a nasty edge to his voice.
Tom eyed him coolly. “Such as?”
166 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ATOMIC BLASTER
“Such as the fact that you’ve bungled this expedition from the word go!”
Bud shoved his way forward to stand face to face with Voorhees. “Maybe you’d like to back up that statement, Hal,” he suggested, knowing the nickname would irritate Voorhees. “Tell us exactly how Tom has bungled this expedition.”