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.
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 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:
"A sailor's life's the life for me."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]