"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.

The wind raged and their tiny raft was blown clear out of the water.

"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.

The first they knew of their danger, the piece of wood that Sweetclover had been sitting on broke loose from the rest of the raft and began to float away and Kernel Cob jumped into the water to save her.

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 sh.o.r.e, 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 sh.o.r.e."

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 ash.o.r.e, he simply knocked his heels together and danced a hornpipe and sang:

"A sailor's life's the life for me."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XVII

And they sat upon the sh.o.r.e 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.

"My friends and I," said Kernel Cob, "are looking for the South Pole, where we hope to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather, and I thought maybe you could help us."

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."