When Hanson’s ship was ready, he signaled Tom. The Sky Queen took off first, to lead the way, followed by the cargo jet. Once they were air-borne, Chow made his way up to the pilot’s compartment, where Blake and Dr. Faber had joined Tom.
“Got tired slingin’ pans down in the galley,” he told his young boss, “so I figgered I’d come up here an’ see what you hombres was up to.”
“We’re trying to figure out a riddle,” Blake said, giving Tom a wink. “Chow, there’s one place on earth where you’d face north, no matter what direction you turned. Do you know where that is?”
The likable cook scratched his head as Tom grinned. “I’d say deep in the heart o’ Texas!”
Everyone laughed heartily and Blake said, “No. Right here at the South Pole!”
“You mean every direction is up? That’s more’n I kin take, podners! I’m going back to my pots an’ pans.”
Not long afterward, the two planes landed at the spot which Tom had chosen for the campsite. Geo-150 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ATOMIC BLASTER
phones were immediately set up for a depth sounding. While an electric detonator was being hooked up to set off a charge of dynamite planted beneath the snow, Chow strolled over to watch the proceedings.
“What in thunderation you doin’ now, son?” he asked Tom.
“I want to find out what’s under all this ice and snow,” the young inventor explained. “If the ice is resting on solid rock, we’ll get only one echo from the dynamite blast. But if we’re over water, we’ll get two.”
“Oh, I get it,” Chow said importantly. “One if by land an’ two if by sea!”