It grew colder and colder. Maida cried out to the Man with the Growly
Voice and begged him to use one of the little tablets of condensed
climate. But he called back and told her the tablets were all gone--and
that if he turned on the tropical climate from the can the ice-cake
would all melt and they would sink to the bottom of the sea. So, of
course, there was nothing to do but hang on and cuddle up to the Bear.
Which she did.
At last they could see a long range of hills straight ahead, and they
knew they were nearly across the frozen seas. At lightning speed their
ice-boat dashed toward the cliffs and presently there was a great
crashing and splintering of ice. The ice-cake beat itself to pieces
on the rocks and the whole party found themselves scrambling about on
a most inhospitable shore. But they were all there, and all safe. The
Candy Kid chortled with glee. If you don’t know what chortle means get
out your dictionary. It isn’t an Eskimo word, though it sounds like
one--but it means exactly what the Candy Kid did.
“Well, at any rate,” he said, “we’ve left old Jack Frost behind.”
A mocking laugh answered him, and there stood Jack Frost as fierce, as
cold, as dangerous as ever. Fast as they had flown, he had travelled
faster, and was waiting for them. So, of course, they were all in the
depths of despair. Jack Frost blew a shrill blast on a silver whistle
and in a moment they were surrounded by a legion of his Ice-Guards, so
escape was out of the question.
Maida looked to the Man with the Growly Voice as if to beg him for
protection. To her surprise he did not seem to be in the least afraid;
he actually winked at her, as he unslung his can of climate and
commenced to fiddle with the little keys and dials on it. And her heart
leaped with joy, for she felt that in some way he would get them all
out of the trouble.
Well, to begin with, they all came in for a good lecture. Jack Frost
just gave it to Billy and Santa Claus for not staying at home where
they belonged and making toys. Then he scolded the White Lady severely.
It seemed that once upon a time he had asked her to leave the service
of Aurora Borealis and come and be Queen of the North Wind, which she
refused (and I don’t blame her--do you?), so when he saw her with the
Disconsolate Lover, he was very, very angry. After he got through with
those two he turned his attention to Kankakee and the Eskimos, lectured
them for guiding strangers into the Forbidden Land, and to make it
worse he lectured them in Eskimo talk, so I can’t begin to tell you
what he said--but it sounded dreadful--even the dogs howled mournfully.
Then it was Maida’s turn; and as his eye lighted on her, she felt that
shivery feeling in her hair dreadfully. When she was at home Maida had
been scolded by mama and Aunt Mary, and once in a while by the cook
when she ventured into the kitchen. At school she had been reprimanded
once or twice by the Teacher--and the big Policeman on the corner--(his
name was Murphy, and oh, how she wished he was by her side for he
wasn’t afraid of anything)--well, Murphy had talked to her severely
when she slipped across the street in front of the trolley car instead
of waiting for him to lead her over. But never, oh, never, had anybody
given her such a scolding as she got from Jack Frost. I can’t begin
to tell you all he said, so I won’t tell you any of it--but when he
finished poor Maida was sure she was the most foolish and wicked little
girl who ever tried to find the North Pole. And all the time the Man
with the Growly Voice was tinkering with the Can of Climate and turning
little handles and pressing little levers. Maida was on pins and
needles, for something seemed to have gone wrong.
[Illustration: In the Cake of Ice]
Her attention was attracted by four of the Ice-Guards, who dragged
up a huge black box. Looking closer Maida saw it was a tank filled
with water, while the front was made of glass, just like the aquarium
where they keep the fish. Instinctively she clung to Fido, for she
felt something was going to happen--and it did. Two of the Ice-Guards
seized her, and drew her to the side of the tank. Oh, it was just
like a nightmare. It seemed that nobody could move, or speak, or do
anything to help her--something dreadful was going on, and she couldn’t
cry and she couldn’t call out. She was not left long in suspense.
Jack Frost picked her up, just as you would pick up a kitten, held
her over the tank, and dropped her in the water. Down, down, down
she sank to the very bottom. She looked through the glass and saw
all her friends outside, and she stretched out her arms to them for
help. Then Jack Frost waved the white sword. All the water in the
tank instantly froze, the sides of the tank fell away, and there she
was--not drowned but frozen in a solid cake of ice. Oh, it was deathly
cold, and she couldn’t move--and she could not get her breath. And
then--_ssssssshhhh_, the Man with the Growly Voice opened the
can of climate. Well, you never saw anything like it. The Ice-Guards
disappeared in a cloud of steam--the falling snow turned to rose
leaves, then to a rain of lovely flowers. The ice and snow disappeared
like magic, the ice block that imprisoned Maida simply vanished, and
she found herself free. The air was full of Spring. Jack Frost gave a
horrible yell and flew away. Fido clasped Maida in his paws and danced
for joy. Everybody danced and sang, for palm trees and banana plants
and lovely creepers and runners were growing all about--produced by the
tropical climate. The Candy Kid smiled at Jack-in-the-Box.
[Illustration: The Explorer Turns on the Tropical Climate]
“Spring has come,” he said.