And they sat on a coil of rope but could see nothing except the greatwide sea and the beautiful blue sky.
And they fell asleep.
But the vessel began to rock and, waking, they saw that a storm hadrisen.
"Quick," said the Villain, "we must get down out of danger, for if wesit 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 inthe world without looking for more of it. Come, let us go."
And the storm grew worse and worse, and the vessel was rolling and itwas with great difficulty that they could stand.
And now something very sad was about to happen, something I would likenot to tell you, but it really happened, so I must.
As Sweetclover stood up to move she slipped and fell upon the deck andwould have rolled overboard if the Villain hadn't caught her, butalas! his generous action brought about his own misfortune for thevessel lurched at that moment and he was carried down to the side andbefore he could regain his balance he was swept overboard.
There was no time to stand there, for nothing could be done and sadlyKernel Cob lifted Sweetclover and carried her below.
Let us not dwell upon the sadness of our poor little friends, but letus feel sure that no matter how long they live and no matter wherethey go, they will always remember this good, true, unselfish friendwho was willing to lose his own life to save another's.
* * * * *
And at length the vessel stuck in the ice and that was as far as theycould 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 ofice, greenish white and it was bitter cold. But Sweetclover had foundsome strips of woolen cloth on the ship which Jackie Tar had torn andtied about them to keep them warm, for sailors, you know, are veryhandy because they have no women about to help them to sew theirclothes and cannot be running to the stores to buy things.
VILLAINS
A Villain must be very horrid To wear a frown upon his forehead And lead a wicked pirate crew To do the awful things they do.
It's quite as easy to be good And kind to all, as children should, For grown-ups never give you toys If you are naughty girls and boys.
Besides, if you do what is right Your mother kisses you at night, And who could sleep in peaceful bliss Without a mother's good-night kiss?
CHAPTER XX
And Jackie Tar had found a little compass on the ship, and this he hadput 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 hiscompass to see which way to go, they set out to walk to the NorthPole.
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 hishand 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 toget 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.
"Would you like to be called after a make-believe bear if you were areal one?" asked the Cub.
"No, I guess not," said Kernel Cob.
"Well then," said the Cub.
"Excuse me," said Kernel Cob, for he liked to see anybody who hadspunk.
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 hadvery nice manners for a bear who lived so far away from nice peopleand things.
"You haven't told me what you are doing way up here."
"We're looking for Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," answered KernelCob, "and we believe they are up here near the North Pole. Are we faraway from it?"
"About a hundred miles or so," said Wak Wak, for that was the cub'sname.
"Goodness," said Sweetclover, "how are we ever going to walk so far inthis dreadful cold."
"If you'll come to my cubby hole," said Wak Wak, "we can sit down andtalk it over. It's not far." So they came to his cubby hole, they wentinside 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 tosleep.
But, in the middle of the night, they were awakened by loud yelping,and running to the doorway of the hole they saw thousands andthousands 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.
"Stand back inside of the hole," said Kernel Cob, and he drew hissword and stepped outside.
On came the wolves, yelping and growling and showing their greatyellow teeth.
And one by one as they came up to devour our little friends, KernelCob's sword flashed, and with each stroke down came a wolf.
And when the last one had been slain Kernel Cob wiped his sword uponhis coat and went inside.
"Well," said Wak Wak, "I'm glad I'm not a wolf. That's the greatestfight I have ever seen."
But Kernel Cob put his sword away and lay down to finish his sleep asif nothing had happened.
In the morning when they got up they went outside and counted thewolves and they numbered two thousand, three hundred and twenty-one.
But Kernel Cob turned his head away, for brave people are alwaysmodest and cannot bear to hear themselves praised.
Later in the day Wak Wak took them to a friend of his, a pack-dog thathe 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 verygladly."
"Why can't we sit on your back?" asked Jackie Tar.
"I can't bear to have anything on my back," answered Speed, for thatwas his name.
"I guess I can take care of the sled," said Jackie Tar, "if I can findsome scraps of wood."
"There are some staves of an old barrel not far from here," saidSpeed, "and if you will come with me, you can see for yourselves ifthey will do."
So they went with him, and Jackie Tar found them very good indeed, andin a short while had tied them together.
So they hopped on, sitting one behind the other, Sweetclover in themiddle, and waving good-bye to Wak Wak, they soon were gliding overthe ice at a great clip.
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," saidSweetclover.
"He goes as swiftly as the Condor did, do you remember?"
Kernel Cob did remember, but he didn't want Sweetclover to think anymore about the past for, thought he: "If she remembers the Condor shewill remember the Villain, and the first thing you know we will beswimming in her tears and I can't stand crying. It makes me veryangry."
So he drew her attention to the scenery, although there was preciouslittle of that, only ice.
"I wonder where we are," said Jackie Tar, and he looked at hiscompass. "Whoa," he cried excitedly, and Speed came to a stop and satdown 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 tillthe tears ran down his cheeks and fell off in little icicles. "Youdidn't suppose there really was a pole, did you?"
"Of course," said Kernel Cob.
"I thought everyone knew that there wasn't a real pole here," answeredJackie.
"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'sjust 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 compasstells me that this is the top of the world."
"Well," said Kernel Cob, "that's the silliest thing I ever heard, forI 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 ofthem in the snow, digging for gold. So we thought if we got to theNorth 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 poleat all, and after we get here there isn't any gold mine. I wouldn't besurprised to hear that I wasn't alive."
"The nearest gold mine that I ever heard of in these parts," saidSpeed, "is in the Yukon."
"Where's that?" asked Kernel Cob.
"In Alaska," answered Speed.
"Is that far?" asked Sweetclover.
"Yes, it's a great distance from here, but if you like I'll take youthere."
"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, theygot 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 seemto go down, but only round and round."
"That's because we are so high on the earth," said Speed. "Some nightsare 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 veryexciting.
They were crossing on one of these once, and Kernel Cob andSweetclover had gone across with Speed, when the cake of ice on whichthey were waiting for Jackie Tar, split suddenly, and Jackie Tar wasleft behind on a small piece.
In vain they tried to catch him and slowly but surely he began todrift away from them farther and farther, and all they could do was towatch 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 upby a vessel, if he ever floats down south far enough."
"Oh, I hope so," cried Sweetclover, "for he is such a brave sailor andwas so good to us."
And after Kernel Cob and Sweetclover had said a prayer to the fairiesto take good care of Jackie Tar, they drove away in their sled and atlength came to the Yukon.
A PRAYER FOR JACKIE TAR
Do not think it very nice To travel on a cake of ice Except in Summer when it's hot; But in the Winter, when it's not And icy winds blow in my face I like an open fireplace Where I can watch the glowing flames Or play upon the floor with games. So let us say a fervent prayer That Jackie Tar may land somewhere Beyond the sweep of wind and storm Where he may find it safe and warm.
CHAPTER XXII
When they reached the Yukon, they told Speed not to go near the cityor wait where he was, for they had been captured so often by peoplethey wanted to stay away from them. So Speed took them up into thehills where they made their camp.
But they hadn't been there a day when Speed was caught by a number ofmen, and again Kernel Cob and Sweetclover were left alone to workthings out the best way they could.
Sweetclover was very much discouraged, for said she: "Now that we arehere and have lost all our friends, and with no one to help us, Idon't see how we are ever to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather."
But that only made Kernel Cob the more determined.
"I've told you a thousand times that I'll find them, and find them Iwill."
"Well," said Sweetclover, "I certainly hope so, but I'm sure I cannotsee how it is going to be done."
"You'll see if I am not right," said Kernel Cob.
But nothing happened to raise their hopes.
So they went up into the hills in search of a scene that looked likethe one that the Magician had shown them on the crystal ball inIndia, and they walked about all day until, tired and worn out, theycrept into a hollow stump to rest.
They slept all night and in the morning they walked on.
They were pretty high up in the mountains now, and Sweetclover, whowas very tired, began to cry.
"Oh dear, oh dear," said she, "will nothing ever happen to help us?"
And just then something did happen; something that looked as if itwere going to do them a great deal of harm, but which really did thema great deal of good and it was this:
High over their heads, so small that you could scarcely see it, was aneagle. He was flying about in circles that brought him nearer andnearer to where Kernel Cob and Sweetclover were sitting.
Closer and closer he flew, and still they didn't see him until it wastoo late.
With a cry of alarm, Sweetclover jumped to her feet but the eaglecaught her up in a powerful claw.
Kernel Cob had been slow to see the danger, and by the time he haddrawn his sword and was ready for the attack, he, too, had been caughtand was struggling in the eagle's grasp.
You know, of course, that eagles carry things off to their nests, andI suppose this one thought that Kernel Cob and Sweetclover werebabies, and would be nice for Mrs. Eagle to play with. So, with thetwo dolls in his claws, he rose up from the ground with a great swoop.
CRACK!
The sound of a rifle and a bullet ripped through Kernel Cob's hat andstruck the eagle full in the breast. His wings fluttered for a minute,and then with a plunge like a ball of lead he fell to the earth.
"Well, well, well!" said Kernel Cob, as they lay under the eagle,"that was a pretty close shave."
"I wonder who did it," said Sweetclover.
"I don't know," said Kernel Cob, "but whoever it was did us a verygood turn, for if he hadn't killed the Eagle we'd have been pulled topieces in his nest, just to see what was inside of us. But come, wemust get out of here before the hunter comes to take us, for surely hewill want to keep the Eagle."
"I don't see how we are to get out of here," said Sweetclover, "forthis Eagle weighs about a thousand pounds. I can't move, can you?"
And when Kernel Cob attempted to pull himself from under the Eagle hefound he couldn't do it without pulling off his legs, and he was toosensible to think he could get far without them.
By this time the hunter who had shot the Eagle came running up,followed by another.
"It was a mighty foolish thing to do, John. I'll bet you've killed thechildren," said the second one.
And they came and lifted the Eagle.
r /> "I thought so," said the same voice. "Both of 'em dead."
But the hunter, called John, had stooped and picked up Kernel Cob, andwas examining him with a curious smile.
"Why, Margaret," he said, "they're dolls."
And you should have seen Kernel Cob's face as he turned to Sweetcloverand said:
"I don't see any woman, do you?"
But Sweetclover only smiled.
"Do you see the one that isn't John?" she said.
"Of course," said Kernel Cob, "I'm not blind."
"Well," said Sweetclover, "she's a woman."
"But she's got a man's suit on," said Kernel Cob.
"Well, that doesn't make her a man." said Sweetclover.
"What'll women be doing next," said Kernel Cob.
And John and Margaret took Kernel Cob and walked to the edge of thelake where there was a sled which they started to pull to the oppositeshore over the ice, for the lake was frozen over.
And on the sledge were a great number of bags of gold.
"Be careful," said Margaret, "If we were to go through the ice everybag of gold would be lost and all our five years' work would go fornothing."
And just then, as is often the case, the very thing happened.
They were crossing a bit of new ice when a cracking sound warned them,but it was too late to avoid the disaster, and the sledge, weigheddown by the gold, went through the ice and was no more to be seen.