For several minutes the conversation was kept up.  At length Dirola appeared to gain her point, for the crowd withdrew and once more the captives were alone with their Esquimaux friend.

“What did they want?” asked Andy.

“Some people no believe me queen,” explained the newly-discovered ruler.  “They come in an’ be mad.  Then some no satisfy.  They want have sacrifice.  I tell ’um no sacrifice of ’um white men what save my life.  I save ’um for they bring me back.  People no like, but must do.  Me queen!” and she drew herself up proudly.  “Them must do what Dirola say!”

“They may this time,” muttered Andy, “but the next time they may not.  I think this isn’t a very healthy place for us, Professor.”

“I would only be too glad to get away, and back to my ship,” said the inventor.  “I am satisfied I have reached and passed the north pole.  I would be glad to go back home again.”

“Me take care you,” spoke Dirola.  “Wait few days.  See!  You come, me hide you.”

She looked carefully around.  There was no one in sight save the party from the Monarch.  Then, proceeding with caution, Dirola led the way up to and behind the big altar of ice.  The mysterious fires behind it had died out somewhat, and once in the rear of the steps the captives could see a long icy shaft, leading down deep into the earth.  There was also an opening in the roof of the cavern, down which the sunlight and magnetic currents came.

“Go easy so no fall,” cautioned Dirola.  “If fall down hole never git up!”

The prisoners needed no bidding to warn them to be wary of the cruel looking shaft, and they gave it a wide berth.  Dirola led the way past it to a small chamber or room, hewn out of the ice to the left and rear of the altar.

“You stay here,” she said.  “They no find you here.  This great place—­what you call holy place.  Here all white robes stay,” and she showed where were piled many of the garments of white fur.  The place was evidently a storehouse for the ceremonial robes.

“Me go now an’ come back,” spoke Dirola.  “Me try find ship.  You keep quiet!”

She glided away, almost like a ghost in the semi-darkness, through which her white furs showed plainly.  Left to themselves, the captives were in no easy frame of mind.  They did not know what would happen next, whether they could depend on Dirola or whether the mob would come after them to offer all of them up as sacrifices to the Goddess of Ice.

“What puzzles me,” said Andy, “is how we both happened to fetch up in the same cave.  You boys, with Bill, Tom and Dirola, land in one place on the ice and fall into this cave.  We in the ship continue on for some distance, are brought a good ways on sleds and yet here we are with you.”

“The ship might have been blown backward instead of forward after the boys fell off,” suggested the professor.  “That would explain it.  The Esquimaux were traveling to this cave with us, and simply brought us from where the ship had been blown, up to where the boys landed.”