Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover

"It looks like the kind of house Jackie used to make with cards," said Kernel Cob, and so intent were they, that they did not hear the approach of a little girl until she stood beside them, and lifted Sweetclover in her arms.

Of course they did not understand what she said, but it must have been something very beautiful, for her face was all smiles.

And the little Japanese girl lifted up Kernel Cob, and the Villain, too, and carried them off down the road and into the little house.

A very wonderful house it was, and full of toys, mostly Japanese dolls with short, straight hair and beautiful dresses, and talking all at once, in a curious language.

"Oh, dear," sighed Sweetclover, "shall we never understand anybody in this strange country?"

"Aye, aye sir," came a voice at her feet, and looking down, much to her surprise she saw an American Sailor doll.

"Bless my heart, mates," said the sailor, "I'm glad to see you aboard. I've been in this port these four months, and I haven't heard the sound of the American language in all that time. Shiver my timbers if I'm not glad to set eyes on you."

And they talked it all over, where they'd been and everything, all about the Condor and the savages and the Moon.

"Well, mates," said Jackie Tar, for that was his name, "you've seen a lot but you'll never do any more travelling, for you're in a pretty tight hole this time," and he went on to tell them about the Japanese who lived in the house and owned the store.

"He's a Toy-maker, he is, and the first thing he'll do is to rip you up to see how you're laid together, so he can make more like you."

"Mercy!" said Sweetclover, and she began to sob.

"Maybe I can help you to escape from here," said Jackie Tar, "and maybe I can't, but I can try. I've had a plan in my mind for a long time but I've had no one to help me but these Japs, and they're not worth the paint on their faces. Are you brave enough to risk it with me?"

Kernel Cob swelled out his chest and showed his medals, and told Jackie Tar how he had fought the savages single handed.

"You'll do," laughed the sailor, and he told them his plan. "Do you see that red box over there in the corner?

"Well, that's a Japanese kite. It goes up into the air very quickly. What I say to do is to climb into the kite, and go up with it. It's a big one and will carry us all."

"Where'll we go to?" asked the Villain.

"What care we, as long as we get out of here," and he hitched his trousers as real sailors do.

"Will you do it?"

"You bet," said Kernel Cob.

So it was agreed that they would go up in the kite, and they moved over to it and tugged at it till they had it in the center of the room. Then a great clatter of talk arose from all the Japanese dolls, which sounded like a lot of chickens calling for their dinner; but Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar and the Villain and Sweetclover paid no heed to them, but only tugged the harder till they had the kite out into the middle of the road.

"There are just four of us," said Jackie Tar. "Each man tar to a corner. Quick! All aboard," and it was all they could do to hold down the kite.

"Stand by to get the ship under way. Up anchor. Heave ho, lads. Heave ho."

CHAPTER XIII

The little Japanese girl returned, pulling her father down the road.

The little old man was waving his arms about fiercely and shouting, "Zaca sakasaka," and before the kite had risen from the ground he had reached it, and the next moment Kernel Cob, Sweetclover, the Villain and Jackie Tar were being carried into the toy-shop.

"Did you ever see such luck in all your life?" grumbled Kernel Cob.

"I might have known it was Friday," said Jackie Tar, for sailors are very superstitious.

"Never mind," said the Villain, "we'll get away another day."

"Oh, let us hope so," said Sweetclover, "for I don't want to be ripped apart by that bad Japanese."

"Well, that's what the toy-maker will do if you don't escape him," said Jackie Tar, and his eyes would have bulged if they had been real ones instead of just painted.

"Why doesn't he rip you apart?" asked Kernel Cob.

"Because I'm made of wood. I haven't got any stuffings," said Jackie Tar.

But at that moment the Fairies must have heard Sweetclover's prayer, for I am sure she must have uttered one when her beloved Kernel Cob was so near to being cut apart.

The door opened, and in walked a man, a woman, and a little girl. And they were Americans, too, for the first thing Sweetclover heard was the little girl saying:

"Mother dear, I do so want a dollie."

"Dorothy wants a doll, John," said the little girl's mother.

"Very well," said John, and turning to the Toy-maker said:

"You sell doll?"

"Me sell him very plenty doll," answered the Toy-maker.

"How much for this one?" asked the man, picking up a little Japanese doll.

But the little girl had seen Kernel Cob in the Toy-maker's hand, and clapping her hands joyfully said:

"Oh, Dad, may I have this one? I think he's so cunning."

"How much?" asked Dorothy's father.

"Him cost two yen."

"Let's see, that's one dollar."

"All right," and he took Kernel Cob, and gave the money to the Toy-maker.

Now you may be sure that Sweetclover's heart fell, when she heard this, and thought of being separated from Kernel Cob, and I am quite sure that she prayed very hard to the Fairies; for at that moment the little Japanese girl dropped her, and this caused Dorothy to see what had fallen, and, when she saw Sweetclover, she ran and picked her up.

"Oh!" she cried with pleasure. "Isn't she lovely. May I have her too?"

"Him allee same cost like soldier doll," explained the Toy-maker.

"Very well," said Dorothy's father, "we'll take him too," and he gave the Toy-maker the money.

Sweetclover's heart was beating high with happiness; but suddenly there came into her mind the thought of leaving the Villain; her good, thoughtful friend, who had so often consoled her in her troubles, and her heart fell again. Oh, if she could only talk to little Dorothy and beg her to take the Villain and Jackie Tar; but this she could not do so she prayed to the Fairies instead and at once her prayer was heard; for the Toy-maker, who had a very good business head on his shoulders, ran to the door as Dorothy and her parents were going out and called to them:

"Little girl want nice Pirate and Sailor feller? Allee same price like other doll."

And Dorothy's father, being a very kind father indeed, and just the right kind of father for every little girl to have, bought them and Dorothy went down the road with the four dolls under her arms.

And you may be sure that Sweetclover was happy, for they had not only escaped being ripped apart, but were all together, safe and sound.

And Dorothy and her parents went to their hotel in the city, and Dorothy played with her new dolls till her mother came to her and said:

"Dorothy, dear, we must pack our things for we are going to China this afternoon."

CHAPTER XIV

"Well," said Jackie Tar, "Here we are in China." "I don't see any cups and saucers," said Kernel Cob, looking about the streets. "All I can see is a lot of women with hair hanging down their backs."

"Those are men—Chinamen," explained Jackie Tar, for sailors travel all about and know pretty nearly everything about the people of the world.

"Well, if they are men," said Kernel Cob, "they ought to have their hair cut, and look like men. And if Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather look like these Chinamen, I don't want to find them at all, for I think a child is better off without parents than having two mothers."

"I wish we had never come here at all," said Sweetclover.

"Never mind," said the Villain, "we will find a way to get out of here."

"Leave it to me," said Jackie Tar. "I've been about this old world enough to know how to manage things."

But much as he had been about, he didn't count on the things that happen when you least expect them, for just at that moment, and without any warning, they were picked up by a little Chinese boy who carried them home.

But it wasn't the thirteenth as you will presently see, for it was a very lucky day indeed for our little friends.

And they were played with by the little Chinese boy, and, when it came time to go to bed, he took the little dolls with him and for once they were fed a very enjoyable supper of rice and milk, a food which Jackie Tar and the Villain liked, but Kernel Cob said it needed raisins and more sugar, so it might be a rice pudding, and after that they were properly put to bed under nice warm covers, but they did not sleep, you may be sure, but lay awake waiting for the little boy to fall asleep so that they might make their escape.

At last the moment arrived, and silently and cautiously they crept from under the covers, and once the Villain stumbled in climbing over the side of the crib, which wakened the little boy, but he must have been very tired for he went to sleep at once without thinking of his dolls.

They hurried away in the direction of the water, which Jackie Tar said he knew, for, said he, "A sailor can always smell the salt sea air, no matter how far away he may be."

And sure enough, in a few moments they arrived at the water's edge.

"Now that we are here," said Kernel Cob, "what's to be done?"

"All in good time, Kernel," said Jackie Tar, "Each man to his trade," and he began to look about.

"Gather all the sticks you see and bring them to me," said he, and they brought him pieces of wood, large and small, and he chose the largest, and having torn the lining of his jacket into strips, he spliced them into a rope and with this he tied the wood together until he had made a very good raft indeed.

"All aboard," he sang out and they got upon the raft and sat "forward," as he told them, and grasping the tail of his coat in one hand, and the rudder with the other, for he had tied a flat board at the stern of the raft, they set sail.

"Where away?" he asked.

"I don't care," said Kernel Cob, "as long as we get away from this China place, for I don't like any place that isn't what it says it is."

"Aye, aye, sir," said Jackie Tar. "If you take my advice, we'll steer for India."

"Why?" asked the Villain.

"Because," said Jackie Tar, "from India there is always a ship bound for England and, once in England, we can easily get a ship for America."

"Goodie!" said Sweetclover.

And so Jackie Tar steered the raft in the direction of India, and they sailed with a good wind.

"I thought you said it was the thirteenth of the month?" said the Villain.

"I must have made a mistake," said Jackie Tar, "for I never had a better ship in all the years I've sailed the seas."

SAILORS

CHAPTER XV

And under the skillful command of Jackie Tar, they reached India.

"We'd better land at night," said Jackie Tar, "so we won't be bothered with a lot of people watching us."

So they waited until it was dark.

"I've been thinking," said Jackie Tar. "Once when I was here before, I saw some magicians who did wonderful tricks. They are called Hindus. A Hindu is an Indian."

"Oh, I know," said Kernel Cob, "he's got red skin and wears feathers in his hair."

"No!" said Jackie Tar. "That's an American Indian; but these Hindus are born in India where we are now."

"Tell us about the tricks," said Sweetclover.

"Well," said Jackie Tar, "there isn't a trick which they can't do. Once I saw them make a little boy run up a long pole and when he came to the top he disappeared."

"You mean to say they can do that?" asked the Villain.

"They sure can," answered Jackie Tar. "And my idea is this: If they can do that, maybe they can show you where Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather are."

"I don't know," said he, "I guess I was just born that way."

"Well, let's go ashore and ask one of them to help us," said Kernel Cob.

"Aye, aye, mates," said Jackie Tar.

So they went ashore, and walked along the streets until they came to a little house that Jackie Tar said he remembered as being the house where a magician lived.

And they knocked upon the door and it opened. And they went inside and all was quiet and black as night. And they groped their way till they heard a low mumbling sound, and, pulling aside a curtain, they saw an old man with a long white beard, sitting in a room with black furniture and curtains.

And he said something to them in a very strange language which they couldn't understand.

And Jackie Tar stepped forward and said:

"Please, kind magician, we have come to find the motheranfather of Jackie and Peggs. Will you be good enough to help us?" And even as he was speaking a great cloud spread through the room and floated toward the ceiling. In a minute the cloud became thinner, so you could see through it, and at once trees and a house were seen.

"It's Jackie and Peggs' garden," said Sweetclover in a breathless whisper. "Look!"

And sure enough there was the garden just as they left it, and Jackie and Peggs were playing with Kernel Cob and Sweetclover just as they did on that day they were blown away by the storm.

"It's us! It's us!" cried Sweetclover, and as she spoke Peggs came and put the parasol over them and the storm arose that carried them away toward the sky. Then the cloud disappeared, and the vision was gone.

And the Magician led them into another room through a black curtain, and this new room was blacker than the first one, and they held hands so they wouldn't become separated.

In the middle of the room was a great crystal globe which stood upon a low table, and the Magician went to it, and, waving his hand above it, said something which sounded like "Alla ballaboo." And at once the globe began to glow as though there were a fire inside of it.

Then the light began to fade until the globe looked like a ball of milk.

Again the Magician waved his hand above it and a picture began to show itself upon its surface, like when you develop a photograph plate in a dark room.

First the trees, and then a little hut and snow, lots and lots of snow, and then a man with a shovel and a pick on his shoulder, and then a woman and they were roughly dressed.

And the man in the picture began to pick the ground, and the woman took the shovel, and they worked and worked. Presently, the man stooped down and picked up what seemed to be a stone, and he showed it eagerly to the woman and she trembled with excitement and the stone glowed.

"It must be gold," said Jackie Tar.

"They're gold miners."

"But who are they?"

"I've got it!" cried Kernel Cob. "They're Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," and he danced with joy.

But in his excitement he made a great mistake, for in hopping about he bumped into the crystal ball, and knocked it from the little table on which it stood.

The Magician rushed to save the globe from falling, but he was too late.

It came to the floor and crashed into a thousand pieces.

Out into the street ran Kernel Cob, followed by Sweetclover, the Villain and Jackie Tar, the Magician in hot pursuit, and only that he was a very old man he would have caught them.

But he didn't, thank goodness! and at last they arrived at the raft.

"Well," said Jackie Tar, when they were safely seated, "one thing we know, anyway, and that is that Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather are living somewhere in the snow, and if it hadn't been for Kernel Cob...."

But he didn't finish what he was going to say, for, looking at Kernel Cob, he discovered him doing something that he had never done before—CRYING!

Sweetclover ran to him.

"Oh, Kernel Cob!" she cried, "what is it. Are you hurt?"

"Oh," he sobbed, "if it weren't for me, maybe we would have found out all about Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather, and maybe the Magician would have showed us how to get there," and he cried as if his heart would break.

CHAPTER XVI

And they sat upon the raft and talked it all over, what was to be done, and how they were to do it.

"Well," said Jackie Tar, "the nearest gold mines to us are in Africa."

"Have they got snow around them?" asked Sweetclover.

"Why, no, that's so," said Jackie Tar.

"Where else?" asked the Villain.

"We can go down to the South Pole," said Jackie Tar. At which Kernel Cob began to laugh.

"You don't expect to find any snow at the South Pole, do you?" he asked.

"Why not?" said Jackie Tar.

"It'll be too hot," answered Kernel Cob.

And it took about half an hour to explain to him how it got colder the farther south you went, after you crossed the equator.

So they set sail for the South Pole.

And after they had sailed for a couple of days and nights, there suddenly arose a great hurricane.

"I hope I may never have to go to sea again," said the Villain. "And I wouldn't much care, if I fell into the water and were drowned."

But he clung to the mast just the same, for everybody loves to live no matter how miserable they may be, because they always hope that things will be better.

Soon a bit of land was seen, and you may be sure that when they saw that there was a great shout of joy, especially from the Villain.

Toward this they steered and in a little while Jackie Tar, who had been watching very closely, cried out that it was Venice.

And they sailed toward Venice, which, as you know, is a city in Italy, and is built on a number of little islands and the streets are nearly all of water.

"I think it is silly to go on," said Sweetclover, "for we know that Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather are not here, but somewhere in the mines."

"That's so," said Kernel Cob, "Let's turn 'round and sail for the South Pole again."

"Please don't," said the Villain, "I couldn't stand it. Isn't there some way that we can get to the South Pole by walking?"

"Not that I know of," said Jackie Tar, "unless you were a crab and crawled along the bottom of the ocean."

"Very well," said the Villain. "I'll try not to complain."

"Cheer up," said Kernel Cob, "all our troubles are over," and so he thought, for the sea wasn't any rougher than the water in a bath tub.

But often when you think there isn't anything going to happen, that's just the time when it does.

You see the raft had been blown about a great deal, so it wasn't very strange that the pieces of wood had come apart here and there.

He caught the piece of wood with so much strength that he toppled Sweetclover over into the water, and then he lost his head, I mean not really his head, you know, but only that he got excited and let go of the stick.

The Villain, who couldn't swim at all, jumped in after them and all he did was to make matters worse.

Jackie Tar tried to tell them what to do, but they were too startled to pay any attention to him. So in he plunged and swam to them, for he was a very good swimmer.

When he reached them they were all floundering about, so he dived down and came up in the midst of them.

"Put your hands gently on my shoulders," he ordered, "and don't weigh down or you will push me under."

And when they had done this he looked about, but the raft was nowhere to be seen except for a few pieces of wood drifting about.

They were about a mile from shore, which is a pretty good swim for one man alone, but here he was with three others who couldn't swim one stroke.

But Jackie Tar was a brave sailor. Besides, he thought, "Here is a chance for me to show Kernel Cob that he is not the only brave person in the world."

"Pull off your coat," he shouted to the Villain, and the Villain pulled it off.

"Now tie one of the sleeves about my foot," he cried, and it was done. "Now each of you catch hold of the jacket and hang on for dear life and I'll see if I can pull you to shore."

So he started swimming, and little by little he neared the land, swimming with a strong stroke until he brought them safely to the beach.

You may think he was tired, but not so, for when they got up on their feet, and walked ashore, he simply knocked his heels together and danced a hornpipe and sang:

CHAPTER XVII

And they sat upon the shore until Jackie Tar had finished his song about the Sailor's Life, and by that time their clothing was pretty well dried out from their swim, so they got up and wandered toward the city and it wasn't an easy thing to do, for they had a lot of bridges to cross and they had no boat.

"I think the best thing to do," said the Villain, "is to find a toy-store, for there some doll can tell us what to do."

So they kept an eye out for a toy-store, and pretty soon they found one.

"I'd better go in alone," said Kernel Cob, "because I'm the bravest and have a sword and can fight if any trouble arises."

"Aye, aye, skipper," said Jackie Tar.

So Kernel Cob crept very carefully into the shop and very lucky he did so, for the shopkeeper was there although he was asleep.

On a shelf stood a row of soldiers.

And Kernel Cob saluted them and said, "I am Kernel Cob of the United States Army," at which the soldiers gave him three cheers.

But not one of them answered him for they didn't know what he had said.

"I guess tin soldiers are deaf," said he.

"No, they're not," said a voice behind him, "only these are Italians and do not understand English."

And looking behind him, Kernel Cob discovered an English clown doll who turned a somersault and came up on his feet with a merry laugh.

"Good for you," said Kernel Cob, "I wish I could do that."

"Everybody to his trade," said the clown, and stood upon his head.

"Maybe you'd be good enough to stay upon your feet till I find out what I want to know," said Kernel Cob.

And the Clown sprang into the air, turned over three or four times, and landed neatly upon his feet again.

"What is it you want to know?" he asked.

"First I want to know why you don't keep still?" asked Kernel Cob, for the Clown's antics made him nervous.

"I'm a Circus Clown," said he, "and I just turn these hand-springs all day."

So Kernel Cob looked about the store, but could see nobody else that looked as if he could talk English.

"What do you do all day without anybody to talk to?" he asked the Clown at length.

"Oh," said the Clown, "I tell myself funny stories to make me laugh, and then I have my hand-springs to make; that keeps me pretty busy," and he rolled along the shelf, head over heels.

"Well, I always thought a Clown was a silly fellow," said Kernel Cob, "but now I'm sure of it," and he turned upon his heel and walked out of the store.

During the night, they were wakened by the movement of the boat, and looking out they saw that they were in motion. A man in a white suit and a red sash was paddling the gondola with a long oar, and he was singing a very beautiful song, and the moonlight was on the water. And they passed many other gondolas, and all the men who paddled were singing beautiful songs.

"I would like to live here," whispered the Villain, "everybody seems to be so happy."

"So would I," said Sweetclover. "I love to hear beautiful music, but we have to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather."

And being tired, they fell asleep and early in the morning their gondola was resting at the side of some marble steps which led up to a great square called Saint Mark's. So they got out of the gondola and walked across the square, for there wasn't anybody to be seen at so early an hour in the morning.

And a great number of pigeons were flying about. Thousands and thousands of them.

And Jackie Tar had a wonderful idea.

"Let's ask the pigeons if they will help us."

"Goodie!" said Sweetclover.

So they went up to a group of pigeons which were strutting along the ground, picking grain which the people throw to them in the day time.

"Hello! hello!" said Jackie Tar, and in a minute about a hundred pigeons gathered about them. And he said he wanted some of them to help him get to the South Pole.

"I'll do it," said one of them, and he stepped up to Jackie Tar.

"Good for you, matey," said Jackie Tar.

"I've always wanted to travel," said the pigeon, "for I'm tired flying around here and I'd like to see the world."

"So would I," said another.

"And I." "And I," cried three or four more.

You see pigeons are like people, for, lots of times, people want to do things but they wait and wait and wait till some one starts it.

"Four are all we need," said Jackie Tar, "one for each of us." So the pigeons crowded about and begged and begged to be taken, and Kernel Cob and Sweetclover and the Villain and Jackie Tar chose the biggest and strongest, and the ones that they liked the color of the best.

But one of the pigeons didn't want to go to the South Pole, for, said she, "You don't hear as much of the South Pole as you do of the North Pole, and unless you go to the North Pole, I won't go."

So it was decided to go to the North Pole, "For," said Kernel Cob, "I don't think it makes any difference after all. The Magician didn't say which pole it was, so maybe it's just as well."

"I say let's go to the North Pole," said Jackie Tar, "and, if we don't find them there, we can very easily try the South Pole next."

"Yes," said Kernel Cob, "let's go to all the Poles there are until we find the right one."

So they got upon the pigeons' backs, just as a little boy or girl gets on a pony, and one of the pigeons, the one that Sweetclover was on, said to the others:

"Let's make a race of it for the first mile."

CHAPTER XVIII

It was a most exciting race, for they were pretty evenly matched in strength and speed, but one of them did win the race, and you will be very glad to know that it was the one on which Sweetclover was riding.

"Hurrah!" shouted the Villain, for he was better pleased that she had won than if he had won himself.

And they flew all day over Italy and, looking down, they saw people working in the fields and the vineyards, growing rice and grapes and all the fruits that come from Italy, and always they heard the people singing beautiful songs of gladness.

"I wonder what makes them so happy?" said the Villain.

"It's because it's such a beautiful country, I guess," said Sweetclover.

And they flew over the lakes which lie between Italy and Switzerland, and on all sides were mountains, the tops of which are always covered with snow.

Soon they came to Switzerland, which is away up in the mountains and very beautiful.

People travel from all parts of the world to climb these mountains and to see the wonderful scenery.

"Oh, I hope so," said Sweetclover.

It was getting very cold now, for you know that the higher you go up in the air, the colder it gets. That's why there's snow on the mountain tops. And it began to storm; at first tiny flakes of snow fell, and then faster and thicker till it was snowing very hard, and the pigeons could scarcely see where they were flying.

"It seems to me," said the Villain, "that every time I get upon a boat or a bird or anything, it begins to storm."

By this time it was really a blizzard and one by one the poor pigeons' wings became so covered with snow they could not fly and fell to the ground and lay on the snow.

Of course they fell in different places, and Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar and Sweetclover and the Villain were separated.

Each one looked about for the others as best he could and, after much searching about, the Villain found Sweetclover huddled in the snow and very cold indeed. So he pulled off his coat and wrapped it about her shoulders, although she tried her best to prevent him from making such a sacrifice, but he said:

"I will certainly suffer more seeing you shiver, than I would from the cold itself."

You see he was a kind-hearted Villain, and it was too bad that he was painted to look like one at all.

So he dug a hole in a snowbank and they crawled into it, and in that way they were shielded from the wind.

Night came on and Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar searched about, but it was so dark that they could not tell where they were going, but only went round and round in circles.

In the morning the snow stopped falling, and if it hadn't been so cold it would have been a very beautiful sight. Snow lay all about them as far as the eye could reach.

And one of these dogs came sniffing along and the first thing he did was to find the Villain, and you can imagine his and Sweetclover's delight when they saw him.

Around his neck was a little knapsack, and this he told them to untie and they would find food and a roll of fine warm wool inside.

And putting the wool about them they were soon warm as toast.

"Let us try to find Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar before they die of the cold," said the Villain.

"Very well," said Saint Bernard, for that was the name of the dog, "Come with me and we'll soon find them."

So he asked them to climb upon his back and he trotted off, and pretty soon they came to a spot where Jackie Tar's head was sticking up out of the snow. In a jiffy they had him out and sitting on the Dog's back.

"Hurrah!" shouted the Villain, "now for Kernel Cob."

In less than a minute they came to a little mound of snow.

So the Dog trotted up to it, and round on the other side they discovered an opening like a door, and inside lay Kernel Cob asleep, snoring away like anything.

So they wakened him and he was glad to see them, you may be sure.

And he climbed upon the Dog's back and all four rode off.

"Where are you going?" he asked them.

"We were on our way to the North Pole when our pigeons died," explained Jackie Tar.

"I'd like to take you there, if I could," said the Dog, "but I can't leave my work here. But I'll take you to the foot of the mountains, and there I'll have you meet a friend of mine who will take you to a ship going to the North Pole."

"Thank you, Miss," said the Dog. "I'm sure it will make me very happy to know that I helped you."

And when they arrived at the foot of the mountain he introduced them to his friend, a French poodle named Pierre, and when it was come time to say good-bye, he gave them each his paw and the last they saw of him was his bushy tail wagging behind him, as he trotted up the snowy mountain where he did so much good.

CHAPTER XIX

"Well," said their new friend Pierre, "That was a bad storm."

"We would have been lost in the snow, if it had not been for your good friend Saint Bernard," said Sweetclover.

And Pierre took them to a seaport and put them on a sailing vessel which is called a whaler.

"I have heard that this ship makes many voyages to the North," said Pierre, "And I'm sure that it will take you where you want to go."

"You are very kind," said Sweetclover, "and we shall always remember how good you have been to us."

"It is a pleasure to be of service to you," said Pierre.

And they said good-bye to him and went aboard the whaler.

The next morning the vessel set sail amid great cheering from a crowd which had gathered on the dock, and for days they sailed and sailed, and it got colder and colder till the vessel came to great fields of ice.

But the dolls were happy, for they thought they were getting close to the North Pole and soon they would find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather.

"I'm sure of it," answered Kernel Cob, "for I remember just the way they looked in the glass ball that the Magician showed us in India."

And one night as they were sailing along, the dolls crept out on the deck to see where they might be, for all the time they were on the ship they were down in the hold to be out of sight.

And they sat on a coil of rope but could see nothing except the great wide sea and the beautiful blue sky.

And they fell asleep.

But the vessel began to rock and, waking, they saw that a storm had risen.

"Quick," said the Villain, "we must get down out of danger, for if we sit here we shall be swept overboard."

But Kernel Cob who loved all sorts of adventures didn't want to go.

"I love to be in danger," said he.

"That's not sensible," said Sweetclover. "There is enough danger in the world without looking for more of it. Come, let us go."

And the storm grew worse and worse, and the vessel was rolling and it was with great difficulty that they could stand.

And now something very sad was about to happen, something I would like not to tell you, but it really happened, so I must.

As Sweetclover stood up to move she slipped and fell upon the deck and would have rolled overboard if the Villain hadn't caught her, but alas! his generous action brought about his own misfortune for the vessel lurched at that moment and he was carried down to the side and before he could regain his balance he was swept overboard.

There was no time to stand there, for nothing could be done and sadly Kernel Cob lifted Sweetclover and carried her below.

And at length the vessel stuck in the ice and that was as far as they could go. Kernel Cob put his head out of the window of the vessel, which is called a port-hole, and saw nothing but ice, great fields of ice, greenish white and it was bitter cold. But Sweetclover had found some strips of woolen cloth on the ship which Jackie Tar had torn and tied about them to keep them warm, for sailors, you know, are very handy because they have no women about to help them to sew their clothes and cannot be running to the stores to buy things.

VILLAINS

CHAPTER XX

And Jackie Tar had found a little compass on the ship, and this he had put in his pocket, for said he:

"You can never tell when you may be lost around the North Pole."

So they went ashore and, after Jackie had taken his bearings with his compass to see which way to go, they set out to walk to the North Pole.

And after they had walked for hours and hours, they saw a little bear, which is called a cub.

"I wonder if he is a tame bear," said Sweetclover.

And Kernel Cob went up to him as brave as you please and put out his hand to the bear and said:

"Hello, Teddy!" but the bear growled and showed his teeth.

"Don't start anything like that," said Kernel Cob, "unless you want to get hurt."

"Well, don't you call me names," said the Cub.

"Who's calling you names?" asked Kernel Cob.

"You are," said the Cub.

"What name did I call you?" asked Kernel Cob.

"No, I guess not," said Kernel Cob.

"Well then," said the Cub.

"Excuse me," said Kernel Cob, for he liked to see anybody who had spunk.

And they shook hands and were friends at once.

"Who are you?" asked the Cub, "and what are you doing up here?"

"I'm Kernel Cob," said he, "and this is Sweetclover and Jackie Tar," and the cub came forward and shook hands with them, and really he had very nice manners for a bear who lived so far away from nice people and things.

"You haven't told me what you are doing way up here."

"We're looking for Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," answered Kernel Cob, "and we believe they are up here near the North Pole. Are we far away from it?"

"About a hundred miles or so," said Wak Wak, for that was the cub's name.

"Goodness," said Sweetclover, "how are we ever going to walk so far in this dreadful cold."

"If you'll come to my cubby hole," said Wak Wak, "we can sit down and talk it over. It's not far." So they came to his cubby hole, they went inside and it was nice and warm and comfortable.

"You must stay the night with me," he said.

So he covered them over with some pieces of fur and they all went to sleep.

But, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by loud yelping, and running to the doorway of the hole they saw thousands and thousands of what looked like little lanterns dancing on the ice.

"What are all these lights for?" said Kernel Cob.

"Those aren't lights," said the Cub, "those are eyes."

"Who's eyes?" asked Sweetclover.

"Wolves' eyes," said the Cub.

On came the wolves, yelping and growling and showing their great yellow teeth.

And one by one as they came up to devour our little friends, Kernel Cob's sword flashed, and with each stroke down came a wolf.

And when the last one had been slain Kernel Cob wiped his sword upon his coat and went inside.

"Well," said Wak Wak, "I'm glad I'm not a wolf. That's the greatest fight I have ever seen."

But Kernel Cob put his sword away and lay down to finish his sleep as if nothing had happened.

In the morning when they got up they went outside and counted the wolves and they numbered two thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.

But Kernel Cob turned his head away, for brave people are always modest and cannot bear to hear themselves praised.

Later in the day Wak Wak took them to a friend of his, a pack-dog that he knew. A fine chap he was, and when he had heard our little friends' story, he was very willing to help them.

"If you can rig up a sled I'll take you to the North Pole, and very gladly."

"Why can't we sit on your back?" asked Jackie Tar.

"I can't bear to have anything on my back," answered Speed, for that was his name.

"I guess I can take care of the sled," said Jackie Tar, "if I can find some scraps of wood."

"There are some staves of an old barrel not far from here," said Speed, "and if you will come with me, you can see for yourselves if they will do."

So they went with him, and Jackie Tar found them very good indeed, and in a short while had tied them together.

CHAPTER XXI

Over the ice they went like lightning, drawn by the pack-dog, Speed.

"I don't know of any name that would be better for him," said Sweetclover.

"He goes as swiftly as the Condor did, do you remember?"

Kernel Cob did remember, but he didn't want Sweetclover to think any more about the past for, thought he: "If she remembers the Condor she will remember the Villain, and the first thing you know we will be swimming in her tears and I can't stand crying. It makes me very angry."

So he drew her attention to the scenery, although there was precious little of that, only ice.

"I wonder where we are," said Jackie Tar, and he looked at his compass. "Whoa," he cried excitedly, and Speed came to a stop and sat down on the ice.

"Here we are," said Jackie Tar.

"Here?" asked Kernel Cob. "Where?"

"The North Pole," said Jackie Tar.

"I don't see any pole," said Kernel Cob, and Jackie Tar laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks and fell off in little icicles. "You didn't suppose there really was a pole, did you?"

"I thought everyone knew that there wasn't a real pole here," answered Jackie.

"Then what do you call it a pole for?" asked Kernel Cob.

"I don't know," said Jackie Tar, "only I know there isn't a pole. It's just called that."

"I don't believe you've found it at all," said Kernel Cob.

"Oh yes," said Jackie Tar, "of that you may be sure for my compass tells me that this is the top of the world."

"Well," said Kernel Cob, "that's the silliest thing I ever heard, for I thought we would see a great pole sticking high in the air."

And they got off their sled and walked about.

"Why did you want to come here?" asked Speed.

"You see," explained Kernel Cob, "we are looking for Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather, and once when we were in India a Hoodoo ..."

"A Hindoo you mean," corrected Jackie Tar.

"A Hindoo," said Kernel Cob, "showed us on a crystal ball a picture of them in the snow, digging for gold. So we thought if we got to the North Pole we would find them."

"Nobody comes to the North Pole to dig gold," said Speed.

"Why not?" asked Sweetclover.

"Because there isn't any gold here," said the dog.

"There isn't?" asked Sweetclover.

"No," answered Speed.

"This is a funny world," said Kernel Cob, "the North Pole isn't a pole at all, and after we get here there isn't any gold mine. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that I wasn't alive."

"The nearest gold mine that I ever heard of in these parts," said Speed, "is in the Yukon."

"Where's that?" asked Kernel Cob.

"In Alaska," answered Speed.

"Is that far?" asked Sweetclover.

"You're very kind," said Sweetclover.

"It's a pleasure to do for people who are so good," said Speed.

So after Kernel Cob dug their names in the ice with his sword, they got on their sled and Speed started off again.

"How do you know how to go to Yukon?" asked Sweetclover.

"Oh, I've been over the ice lots and lots of times," said he.

And they travelled all day.

"I never saw such a long day," said Kernel Cob, "the sun doesn't seem to go down, but only round and round."

"That's because we are so high on the earth," said Speed. "Some nights are six months long."

But nothing could induce Kernel Cob to believe this, "For," said he, "I won't believe anything more about the world as long as I live."

And after a few days they came to a place where the ice was broken, and they had to cross by floating on huge cakes of ice, which was very exciting.

They were crossing on one of these once, and Kernel Cob and Sweetclover had gone across with Speed, when the cake of ice on which they were waiting for Jackie Tar, split suddenly, and Jackie Tar was left behind on a small piece.

In vain they tried to catch him and slowly but surely he began to drift away from them farther and farther, and all they could do was to watch him fade out of sight.

"Oh," cried Sweetclover, "we shall never see him again.

"Will he be killed?"

"I don't know," said Speed. "He's got a good chance of being picked up by a vessel, if he ever floats down south far enough."

"Oh, I hope so," cried Sweetclover, "for he is such a brave sailor and was so good to us."

A PRAYER FOR JACKIE TAR