Polar Meltdown Read Online Free PDF

further on.
    A look of grim determination on her face, Zoe copied him. She glanced back at the two landing marks in the snow and grinned. Her jump was longer.
    â€œYou only got the silver medal,” she called. “I got the gold!”
    She put on a burst of speed and zoomed after her brother. Ben slowed a little, then, checking she was close behind, stamped down with his heel on the back of his RAT. The end dug into the snow and a powdery white spray flew up behind it – all over Zoe.
    Ben burst out laughing and zoomed away, Zoe on his tail. But suddenly he brought his RAT to a halt. Zoe just managed to avoid colliding with him.
    â€œA joke’s a joke,” she said crossly, “but I nearly ran into you then.”
    â€œSorry,” said Ben. “But check out that sky ahead.”
    Zoe stared at the horizon. Grey clouds were swirling round in the distance. They were getting closer and the wind was whipping the snow around their feet.
    â€œThat’s bad,” Zoe said simply. “Looks like a snowstorm. Remember the old man at the centre said there was one coming. That’s going to delay us getting to the cubs.”
    The low sun was now completely blotted out by the dark, ominous clouds. Flakes of snow were falling fast. They were being driven straight into their faces by the wind. Ben and Zoe couldn’t keep their balance on the RATs and had to walk instead.
    â€œI can’t see a thing,” yelled Zoe, as they trudged along. “And it’s getting much colder. I’m not sure how much further I can go.”

    â€œThis is hopeless,” said Ben. “Let’s get the tent up. We’d be better sitting out the storm than getting lost – or worse.”
    He reached into his backpack and pulled out the compactly folded tent. Together they tried to open it up, but the buffeting wind kept pulling at it, threatening to pull it from their grasp. The thin material was slipping through their gloved hands like a wet fish.
    â€œDon’t let go!” yelled Ben.
    But it was too late. There was a vicious blast of wind and the tent was torn out of their hands. It whipped away until it was a tiny dot on the horizon.

CHAPTER
SEVEN
    â€œNow what are we going to do?” asked Ben desperately. “We’ll never survive out here in a snowstorm.”
    â€œWe have to take shelter,” said Zoe. “Remember what Amaguq said about snow holes? We need to make one – now!”
    â€œThe ground looks raised over there.” Ben pointed into the distance. “There might be enough snow to dig into.”
    â€œIt’s hard to see anything!” shouted Zoe, struggling to walk against the rising strength of the wind, which howled around them and tugged at their clothes.
    At last they reached the banked-up snow and dropped to their knees, the wind blasting into their faces.
    â€œPerfect!” yelled Ben. “It’s facing away from the wind!”
    â€œI wish we were!” Zoe yelled back.
    They clawed blindly at the snow.
    â€œIt’s falling too fast to clear!” called Ben.
    â€œUse your RAT as a spade!” The children were soon scooping great shovelfuls of snow away with the front end of the boards.
    At last they’d scooped out a space just big enough to crawl into. They took off their goggles and lay huddled together in their sleeping bags, listening to the wind roaring outside. Zoe pulled a torch out of her backpack. She shone its beam at the entrance to their shelter. It lit the snowflakes that were driving past the entrance. The storm was at its height.
    â€œIt’s unbelievable,” said Ben. “We’ve seen snowstorms like this on television, but I never realised how bad it would be to land up in the middle of one.”
    â€œIt’s going to delay our search,” said Zoe. “Those poor cubs.”
    â€œIt could go on for hours.” Ben sighed. “We’ll have to make the best of it. How