"What we had better do," said d.i.c.k, "is to push on till we come to land somewhere, or a ship, and inquire the way back."

This was thought to be the best plan to pursue, and the children hurried along till Marjorie noticed that both the air and the water were growing fresher every moment, and she was just beginning to wonder what they were going to do if it grew much colder, when d.i.c.k cried out, in quite a nautical style--

"Land on the larboard side!"

"Hooroy!" shouted the others, "now we shall find out where we are," and they headed the Dolphins to where they could see a rough kind of landing-stage.

The country looked very bleak and bare, but a little hut was visible a short distance from the sh.o.r.e, and the children, having fastened up the Dolphins to one of the wooden piles, a.s.sisted the Dodo to alight, and made their way towards it.

At the entrance they saw a large Walrus with a pipe in his mouth, and on the ground beside him an Esquimaux dog, also smoking.

d.i.c.k and the others hurried forward, and bowed politely.

"_Wie geths?_" said the Walrus, taking the pipe from his mouth, and immediately putting it back again, while the little dog glanced at them inquisitively out of the corners of his eyes.

CHAPTER IX.

AT THE NORTH POLE.

"What does he mean?" asked Marjorie, staring blankly at her brother.

"I don't know," confessed d.i.c.k. "I beg your pardon," he went on, addressing the Walrus, "but I didn't quite hear what you said."

"_Sprechen sie Deutsch?_" inquired the Walrus, with an encouraging smile.

"I can't tell what the chap is talking about," said d.i.c.k, turning to the others in dismay.

"Dond't you undershtandt German, eh?" said the Walrus. "Ach! dat vos verry bad," and he shook his head reproachfully.

"I don't know," argued d.i.c.k. "I can't see that it matters much. We are not likely to go there, you know."

"Not?" said the Walrus, lifting his eyebrows. "Vell, dere vos some funny peoples in der vorld. Perhaps you dond't _vant_ to go dere?"

"Not much," admitted d.i.c.k.

The Walrus shrugged his shoulders, and looked commiseratingly at the dog, who gave a sniff, and shrugged his shoulders too.

"What we want to know," said d.i.c.k, in a businesslike way, "is, Where are we now, and how are we to get back to England?"

"Vell, you vas in Germany now," said the Walrus.

"Germany!" exclaimed the children, in surprise. "Why, we're quite near to England, then."

"No," said the Walrus, shaking his head.

"But we must be," persisted d.i.c.k.

"No," repeated the Walrus. "Dis is not der Germany you mean, but id is Germany all der same--most of der vorld is Germany."

"What nonsense!" laughed d.i.c.k. "I'm sure it isn't. Why, there's heaps of places besides Germany. There's--er--Africa, for instance----"

"Thadt's Germany!" said the Walrus, nodding violently.

"Africa is?" cried d.i.c.k.

"Yah! das is so," said the Walrus. "Africa, und China, und alle der blaces--dey is all Germany."

"The chap is evidently a little wrong in the head," explained d.i.c.k to the others in a whisper. "Never mind; don't take any notice. Well, to come to the point, _can_ you direct us home again, that is the question?" he asked, aloud.

"No," said the Walrus, shaking his head.

"Or to the Equator?" suggested the Dodo, smoothing out his gloves.

The Walrus stared for a moment, and then, pointing to the Dodo with the stem of his pipe, inquired, "Vat is dat ting?"

The Dodo drew himself up to his full height, and gave him a withering look. "How dare you?" he cried.

"Vell, vat _is_ id, anyhow?" chuckled the Walrus. "I never saw somethings like id before, never!"

"Of course not," said the Dodo, with dignity, "Our family have been extinct for some time."

[Ill.u.s.tration: When the children got into the clumsy fur garments, they found them exceedingly comfortable.--Page 95. _d.i.c.k, Marjorie and Fidge._]

"Vell, und vy didn't you keep so?" asked the Walrus. "It vas der best ting vat you could do. Dere is no goot for such tings like you to be aboudt."

"Come along," said the Dodo, turning to the others; "let's go. I was never so insulted in all my life."

"Ach! don't ged in a demper," said the Walrus, complacently. "Dat is no goot also. Come, I show you der vay to der Equador--dat is Germany, too," he added, in parenthesis. "Bud you must haf some glothes first to vare," he cried, looking at the children's scanty garments. "Id is so gold dere."

"Cold at the Equator?" laughed Marjorie. "Why, I always thought that it was very hot."

"Ach! dat is so," said the Walrus. "But id is der gedding dere dat is so gold. Come, I gif you some oudtfids," and he led the way into the little hut, which was hung all around with clumsy-looking fur garments, which, however, when they had got into them, the children found to be exceedingly comfortable.

Besides the clothes, there were all kinds of stores piled up around the inside of the hut, and a quant.i.ty of snowshoes of various shapes, and little sleds, like those which d.i.c.k remembered having seen in pictures of Polar expeditions.

When the children had been accommodated with some garments, the Walrus turned to the Dodo, and said, "Veil, now, I egspecdt dat you vant some glothes, too, dond't id?"

"No, thank you," said the Dodo, proudly, settling his necktie and folding his wings primly. "I have my gloves; they are quite sufficient."

"Bud you haven't any ting on your body," said the Walrus. "You bedder haf some glothes, eh?" and he kindly brought forth some very large leather breeches, which the Dodo, after some hesitation, consented to put on.

Next the Walrus took down a rough, hairy coat, with mittens attached to the sleeves.

"Gom, put your arms in dis," he said, "and trow avay dose gloves you got on."