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."
"What makes you so smart, Jackie Tar?" asked the Villain.
"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.
"It's the strangest thing I ever saw," and Kernel Cob rubbed his eyes
and pinched himself, but he had to admit that he had not been asleep
and dreamed it.
[Illustration]
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.
When he saw what was done and who had done it, he turned on Kernel
Cob, and it was with great difficulty that Kernel Cob got out of his
way.
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.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]