The Weathercock called out that he could see the little red Ant on the life-preserver.The Weathercock called out that he could see the little red Ant on the life-preserver.
MAN OVERBOARD
Wake up! Wake up! and sing your songAs we roll merrily along.Above the meadow sings the lark,So let us sing aboard the Ark.
"There goes the Weathercock," cooed the Dove, flying over to the porthole and looking out over the bright blue ocean.
"Tell him I'll get up in a minute," yawned Marjorie.
So the Dove, who slept in Marjorie's cabin in a pretty gilt cage, spoke to the Weathercock, after which she commenced to sing:
There's a robin in the woodland,There's a robin in the sea,But they are just as differentAs different can be.The one that's in the forestHas feathers and a tail;The one that's in the oceanHas a scaly coat of mail.The robin in the forestCould never take a swim;The robin of the oceanCould never fly or skimAcross a grassy meadow,Nor fly up in a tree.But he can do all kinds of stuntsWithin the deep blue sea.
"Where did you learn all that?" asked Marjorie, pulling on her stockings.
"Listen; there's another verse and maybe two or three," cooed the Dove, and then she began to sing again:
The robin of the woodlandHas a pretty crimson vest;He sings a merry, blithesome songAnd builds a cozy nest.The robin of the oceanHas fins that look like wings.He doesn't build a nest at all,He grunts, but never sings.Yet both of them are robins,As some of us have heard—Although the ocean one's a fish,The woodland one's a bird.
"Cock-a-doodle-do!" crowed the Weathercock, as the Dove finished her song.
"Hurrah for you! You are the poet of the Ark."
"Oh, no!" replied the modest little Dove. "That is not my own. My mother taught me that song when I was a Dovelet."
"Is that so?" said the Weathercock, and he gave a sigh of relief, for I guess he wanted to be the only poet on board the Ark and sing his little songs every morning just as he had always done.
By this time Marjorie was dressed and, taking the Dove on her shoulder, went down to the diningroom. As usual, the Noah boys were on hand with great and glorious appetites.
"How are the animals this morning?" inquired Capt. Noah, helping himself to a big saucer of oatmeal.
"Pretty well," answered Japheth.
"Some of the insects are getting restless," said Ham.
"I should say so," exclaimed Mrs. Noah. "Here's that big red Ant in the sugar bowl."
"Catch him," cried Shem, "we ought to put him back where he belongs."'
But the Ant all of a sudden crawled out of the sugar bowl and ran down the leg of the table and out on deck.
"There he goes!" shouted Marjorie.
"Quick, or he'll get away!" cried Capt. Noah. "I can't afford to lose a single passenger!" Instantly the boys darted after the fleeing insect, but just as they were about to snatch him up from the deck a wave washed him overboard.
"Man overboard!" shouted the Weathercock.
And, my goodness! What a commotion there was after that! All the animals rushed up on deck to see who had fallen into the ocean.
"Throw him a life-preserver!" yelledMr. Jonah, and in a second Ham unfastened a large "horsecollar" life-preserver and tossed it into the ocean.
"Suppose he can't reach it," said the elephant. "I guess I'd better jump in and save him," and overboard went the big animal with a loud splash.
"Where is he?" asked the Elephant, after looking around in vain for the Ant. "I can't see him!"
And no wonder, for the sea was rough, and it was no easy matter to find so small a passenger.
"Get my telescope!" yelled Capt. Noah.
"I think it's in my workbasket," said Mrs. Noah to Ham, who started at once to obey his father's command. "If it isn't it may be in your toolchest. I think you had it the other day when you were going to make an anti-aircraft gun out of it for your toy army."
"That's where I found it," said Ham,a minute later, appearing breathless with the telescope.
"Where abouts?" screamed the Elephant, who was now some distance from the Ark.
"Wait a minute, can't you?" yelled Capt. Noah. "I've got to adjust the thing. These boys have been meddling with it!"
When this was finally done, Capt. Noah swept the sea with his glass, but in vain; the form of the poor Ant was nowhere to be seen.
"Shiver my timbers!" said Capt. Noah, under his breath. "What will happen to me if I lose a passenger?"
"Hurry up!" gasped the Elephant, now thoroughly worn out by the buffeting of the waves. "Hurry up, I'm most in."
"Well, we'll have to get you out, then," answered Capt. Noah.
"Swim around to the port side," said Ham; "we'll hoist you up by the davits."
"I hate to give up looking for the Ant," said the Elephant, as he slipped the ropes under his big body.
And then, after much tugging and hauling away on the ropes he was lifted up even with the deck. But beyond this it was impossible to do anything. The davits refused to swing in, being hindered by the immense size of the animal.
"Put your trunk on the deck," suggested Mr. Jonah. "That will make you weigh less, and perhaps we can roll you over the edge."
"Yes, that's a good idea," said Shem. "Put your baggage aboard first."
"This is no time for joking——We have lost one passenger and are in danger of losing another. It will look very strange to lose the largest and the smallest on the same day," said poor Capt. Noah, despairingly.
MR. ELEPHANT HAS TROUBLE GETTING ABOARDMR. ELEPHANT HAS TROUBLE GETTING ABOARD
Well, just then, Mrs. Elephant came up from the hold. She had overslept herself, and had only now heard the commotion on deck. On seeing her mate swinging from the davits she set up a loud trumpeting.
"Goodness, gracious, Ella!" said the Elephant. "Don't carry on like that. Screaming won't get me out. Get hold of me and help pull."
This was good advice, and pretty soon Mr. Elephant was landed safely on board the Ark.
Just then the Weathercock called out that he could see the little red Ant on the life-preserver.
"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, and the Ark was turned in the direction pointed out by the faithful lookout. Then Mr. Jonah leaned over and pulled in the life-preserver as the Ark slowly came alongside, and just in the nick of time, for the poor Ant was nearly dead.
"Give him to me," said Mrs. Noah. "Alittle Jamaica ginger and a warm blanket will bring him 'round, I guess."
"Well, well!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, as the motherly form of Mrs. Noah disappeared down the companionway. "This has been an exciting forenoon," and then he wiped his forehead with his red bordered handkerchief and looked about him. "All you animals go below deck!" he commanded, "or else we'll have somebody else overboard."
So Mrs. Elephant led Mr. Elephant, who was wet to the skin and shivering with the cold, down to the hold, where she put him to bed with a hot water bag at his feet and a woolen night cap on his head.
"Are you going to put this down in your log book?" asked Marjorie. "I think it will make a very interesting story and I've heard from old sailors that they always put down everything that happens in the log book."
"Of course I will," answered Capt. Noah. "Bring me the log book, Japheth. You haven't done anything this morning. Suppose you jot it down. I declare, I'm all tuckered out with excitement and worry."
"You'd better lie down and rest, father," said Mrs. Noah, coming up on deck. "I have the Ant very comfortable now, and I feel sure he will recover in a short time."
So Capt. Noah went below to rest, and the little Dove perched herself on Marjorie's shoulder and watched Capt. Noah's son write in the log book. And what do you suppose he wrote? Well, it was something like this, for the little Dove told me afterwards:
The little red Ant fell into the sea,But, oh, dear you, and oh, dear me!And then the Elephant with a shoutJumped in and tried to pull him out.But he wasn't saved by the Elephant;It was Mr. Jonah who saved the Ant.
And in the next chapter I'll tell you more about Marjorie on board the Ark.
The Whale put out the fire, but he nearly sank the Ark.The Whale put out the fire, but he nearly sank the Ark.
FIRE! FIRE!
"Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Marjorie awoke with a start. The Weathercock was again sounding the warning, "Fire! Fire! Fire!"
"Where?" cried Marjorie, looking out of the porthole at the excited Weathercock and then down to the deck, where at that moment Capt. Noah and his sons appeared, each armed with a pail.
The fire evidently was at the forward end of the Ark, for Noah and his crew ran in that direction.
It took Marjorie but a few minutes todress, and just as she reached the deck, Mr. Jonah appeared.
"This is a poor way to put out a fire," he said, as he tossed the water from his pail down the hatchway, from which was rising a thick cloud of smoke. "We need a hose and a pump."
"Hurry up, Jonah!" commanded Capt. Noah. "This fire is getting too much headway to suit me. I'm afraid the animals will be roasted if we don't put it out pretty soon!"
As he finished speaking the Elephant rushed on deck and, leaning over the side of the Ark, filled his trunk with water, which he immediately squirted over himself. And then Mrs. Elephant did the same.
"I was never so warm before," she remarked; "not even in India. If I had stayed another minute below deck I would have been scarred for life!"
By this time the deck was crowded. Some of the animals were nearly frightened to death; some were choking with the smoke, while others were filling the air with noises of all kinds. It was as if pandemonium were let loose.
Those animals which could climb were soon scrambling to the roof of the Ark, where they sat on or clung desperately to the ridgepole.
The deck grew hotter and hotter, and it was necessary for every one to dance about in order to keep his feet from blistering.
"Holy sufferin' mackerel!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, now realizing the seriousness of the situation. "Are we to be burned at sea?"
"Get the Elephants to squirt water down the hold," suggested Ham.
"Get busy," said Capt. Noah to the Elephants. "Your trunks are nearly as good as hose. Why don't you help us?"
"What do you say, Ella?" said the Elephant. "If we don't we may have to swim later."
Without answering, she went forward and commenced drawing up the salt water in her trunk and then sending it in a swift stream down into the hold. The fire, however, was gaining fast, and in spite of the efforts of the Elephants and the crew the danger increased to an alarming extent, and at last the flames leaped forth and crawled over the deck.
The animals howled and rushed to the stern of the Ark, which raised the bow high in the air, and thus added to the danger.
"If it would only rain!" said Mrs. Noah, who sat on a coil of rope, her sealskin coat on her arm and her jewel box in her hand.
"If it would only rain! This can't bethe forty-first day, can it? Time does go so fast."
Well, I guess something terrible would have happened if just then all of a sudden the Weathercock hadn't seen the Whale, who had landed Mr. Jonah aboard, some two or three chapters ago.
"There's the Whale!" shouted the Weathercock. "See him spout!"
"Run up a signal of distress!" commanded Capt. Noah. "He might save Mr. Jonah for old times' sake!"
"If he'd only get up close and spout water over the Ark, he'd put out the fire pretty quick," said Ham.
"Good idea," said Capt. Noah. "Ship ahoy!" yelled Mr. Jonah, waving his red bandanna handkerchief in the air. "Ahoy! Ahoy!"
Then the Whale stopped spouting and made for the Ark.
"He's coming! He's coming!" shouted the Weathercock.
"Don't stop squirting water," said Capt. Noah to the Elephants.
"On with the pail brigade!" screamed Ham. And then the monkeys slid down from the roof and grabbed hold of the pails and threw water down the hold. But still the cruel flames crept nearer and nearer.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Mrs. Noah. "I'm afraid my sealskin coat will get singed, and after all the trouble I've had putting it up in camphor."
And then, all of a sudden, a tremendous stream of water fell upon the Ark, soaking every one to the skin. And soon the deck was a river, and the steam that came out of the hold almost suffocated everybody.
"Goodness me!" screamed Mrs. Noah. "We'll be swamped!"
"Hold on, there," shouted Capt. Noah, leaning over the side of the Ark, where the Whale lay like a fire patrol boat in action. "Hold on! Turn off the hose, or you'll drown us!"
So the good-natured Whale shut off the water, while Capt. Noah added: "A Turkish bath has nothing on this!"
"It was awfully kind of you to come to our rescue," said Mrs. Noah, smiling sweetly at the Whale as she leaned over the railing.
"Well, if you hadn't come just when you did," said Capt. Noah, "I guess we'd all have gone down to Davey Jones' locker."
"Don't mention it," said the Whale. "Glad to have been able to do you a little favor. You see," he added in a low voice, "Mr. Jonah was never satisfied when he was my guest. He was always complaining about the dampness. So when youcame along and I had a chance to put him aboard the Ark I was tickled to death. In fact, I was so glad to get rid of my passenger that I made up this little poem," and then the Whale began to spout:
"It's not so very pleasant, when sailing on the sea,To have a passenger aboard who's sulky as can be;And that's the reason, after dark,I landed him aboard the Ark."
And after that he swam away, and the Ark began once more to skim over the dark blue sea. And by and by, after a while, Capt. Noah said:
"We'll have to make new bunks and berths for the animals, I guess, for the fire has burned up everything."
And, oh, dear me! When he went below he saw that everything was burned to a cinder.
"We'll have to land somewhere and make repairs," said Mr. Jonah.
"I guess we will," said Capt. Noah, and all the animals began to howl and make dreadful noises, for they didn't want to go down in the smoky hold, you see.
And just then all of a sudden the Weathercock called out:
"Land to starboard!"
And, sure enough, looming up in the dim distance was a mountainous shore line.
The Squirrel came aboard with a bag of nuts.The Squirrel came aboard with a bag of nuts.
REPAIRS
Ahoy, ahoy, Mount Ararat,Now we know where we are at.Run the Ark up high and dry,Close against the bright blue sky.
"Not a bit of it!" shouted Capt. Noah, looking up at the Weathercock, "I don't propose to take any chances running up that mountain side. Suppose our motor gave out? We'd be in a nice fix. We'll run up on the shore and heave to."
The Ark, obeying Capt. Noah's guidinghand, swept up on the beach and came to a standstill some 200 feet from the water.
"We can cut all the timber we need for repairs now," said Japheth, looking over toward a big forest that lay back from the beach. "The animals, too, can have a nice frolic on the sand. It will do them good after being cooped up on board ship for so long."
And in a short time the Ark was empty and all the animals were having a fine time making castles in the sand and picking up pretty sea shells.
And after a while Capt. Noah got out his axe and saw, and calling to Mr. Jonah, and his three boys, started off for the forest, and as soon as he cut down a tree, Mr. Jonah and the three boys sawed it up into logs.
"I guess we have enough now," saidCapt. Noah. "Guess we'd better start and split them into planks."
This was not such easy work, but after a while, they had quite a pile of lumber on hand.
"If we only had a wagon to haul the logs to the Ark," said Capt. Noah, wiping his forehead with his red bordered handkerchief.
And just then Marjorie came riding down the gang-plank in the little toy automobile.
"I'll take them back to the Ark," she said, and after a while, not so very long, they were all aboard.
Well, by this time it was pretty dark, and Capt. Noah felt uneasy about the animals, so he stood up on the bow of the big boat and called out:
"All aboard for the night!"
"All aboard for the night!" he calledout again, and then he turned to little Marjorie and said, "I'd never forgive myself if anything should happen to any one of my passengers."
But, oh dear me! When Capt. Noah, who had stood by the gang-plank and checked off each animal as he came aboard, found that the little red squirrel was missing, he was dreadfully worried.
"Goodness me!" he exclaimed, "if that squirrel has gone off into the woods, how will we ever find him?"
"Well, there's no use in worrying," said Mrs. Noah, who just then came up from below deck. "Come down and get a nice hot cup of tea. After you've eaten something you'll know better what to do."
Well, after supper, everybody felt better, so Capt. Noah and his crew came up on deck to look for the lost squirrel.
The moon was just coming up out ofthe east, making a silver path across the water right up to the Ark.
As Capt. Noah looked over the railing to the sand below he saw a little figure walking directly in the silver moon path. It seemed to be carrying something heavy; for it paused every now and then to rest.
"It's the little red squirrel," shouted Marjorie.
"So it is," said Capt. Noah.
"Helloa, there!" he shouted, "wait and I'll let down the gang-plank!"
"Whew, but I'm tired!" panted the red squirrel, as he crawled up on deck. "This bag of nuts is as heavy as lead!"
And then he let the well-filled bag slip from his shoulders to the deck.
"Don't you ever stay out as late as this again, sir," said Capt. Noah, pulling in the gang-plank and making it fast for the night. "If you do, you won't get shore leave for a long time."
"I'm glad you're back," whispered Marjorie, "for we were all dreadfully worried about you," and this so pleased the little red squirrel that he gave her a handful of chestnuts.
"Come along with me," said Capt. Noah, "I'm going below to see what the boys are doing."
So Marjorie and the little squirrel followed the captain without a word, for they saw that he was somewhat vexed.
Below deck all was in confusion, for the animals, after finishing their supper, were trying to find places to sleep.
Although Mr. Jonah and the boys had made the place as clean as possible since the fire, they had not, of course, been able in so short a time to replace the bunks and pens in which the animals had slept.
Everybody was in everybody else's way.
The smaller animals were squeezed into corners by the larger ones, and the Elephant complained that the red Ant kept treading on his toes.
"Order! Order!" shouted Capt. Noah.
"What are you doing, Jonah, and where are you, boys?" he called out, peering into the darkness, for of course all the electric lights were out and the hold was in total darkness.
"Here we are," answered Mr. Jonah. "We're doing the best we can," and he came out of the darkness and rested his pitchfork on the floor while he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.
"I was spreading out the straw for bedding. Ham is giving the pigs a drink before they go to bed."
And just then the other two boys appeared. "What are you doing here?" Japheth asked the muley cow, which stood by quietly chewing her cud.
But the muley cow only said, "Moo-o-oo!"
"Well, you come along with me. All the cows are at the other end of the Ark."
"Don't be impatient," said Capt. Noah, for the muley cow was a very gentle creature and never tried to butt any one with her horns, because she didn't have any, you know.
While all this was going on Marjorie and the little squirrel stood in the doorway.
"Glad you weren't lost," said Shem, patting the squirrel on the back as if he were a little pet dog. "The other squirrels said they wouldn't go to bed until you were found."
"Where are they?" asked the little red squirrel. "I'm pretty sleepy and would like to cuddle up for the night," and then he swung his bag of nuts over his shoulder and followed Shem, but before he went hewhispered to Marjorie that he'd give her some hickory nuts in the morning.
After a while everything was made snug and tight for the night. Mr. Jonah put away his pitchfork and the boys hung up the water pails. Then a lighted lantern was hung at each end of the cabin, and the evening chores were done, just the same as if they had been on a farm, you know.
And after that Marjorie went up on deck, where the weathercock was sitting on the flagpole in the moonlight.
"Oh, I love to be a sailorAnd sail the ocean blue,And hear the Captain shout 'Ahoy!'And order 'round the crew."And when the waves are rolling highThe wind is blowing strong,I sing my cock-a-doodle-doJust like a sailor song."Oh, I'm a sailor rooster,And my name is Shanghai Joe,And I'll sail the sea from A to Z,I'm a sailor bird, Heave ho!"
"Well, I'm glad you're so happy," said little Marjorie, and maybe she felt just a little bit homesick, for she was far away from home. And just then Mrs. Noah came on deck and said, "Come, Madge, it's time for bed," and then she picked her up and carried her into her cabin and tucked her in for the night as comfortable as you please. And in the next chapter I'll tell you what happened in the morning.
Mr. Jonah and the Animals huddled around the stove to get warm.Mr. Jonah and the Animals huddled around the stove to get warm.
THE ICEBERG
Jingle bells! Jingle bells!It's getting cold as ice,Put your furs and mittens on,Wrap up warm and nice.
Marjorie awoke with a start. My, how cold it was! The porthole glass was covered with a network of frosty lace, and the little Dove, who slept in Marjorie's cabin, pulled her head out from under her wing and shivered.
"What has happened?" asked Marjorie, sitting up in bed and looking about her.
Perhaps she expected to see Jack Frost sitting in the rocking chair!
Quickly pulling on her slippers she ran to the porthole to ask her good friend the Weathercock the reason for this sudden drop in the temperature.
She found him, as usual, perched on the flagpole. His comb was very red, as if Jack Frost had given it a nip, and now and then he raised one leg to his breast to warm his toes in the fluffy feathers.
"Good morning," said Marjorie. "Isn't it freezing?"
"Do you wonder?" answered the Weathercock, pointing to a large iceberg close at hand.
She turned to look and, sure enough, just a few feet away was a great mountain of ice.
"We're aground on an iceberg," went on the Weathercock. "We ran into an ice floe last night and the Ark slipped uponthe ledge of the iceberg and grounded."
"Goodness gracious!" cried Marjorie. "What are we ever going to do?"
"I'm sure I don't know," answered the Weathercock. "I'll have to get some woolen socks and a pair of felt shoes or my toes will be frostbitten!"
"Perhaps Mrs. Noah will knit you a pair," said Marjorie. "I'm going down to breakfast now and I'll speak to her about it."
"Thank you," replied the Weathercock. "And tell her I wouldn't mind having a worsted muffler, too."
Down below matters were even worse, for the fresh water had frozen during the night, so that it was impossible to give the animals a drink.
Mrs. Noah had been forced to melt a piece of ice in a pan over the fire in order to have water with which to make the coffee.
"Whew!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, coming in from deck and closing the door as quickly as possible. "My hands are almost frozen. This is as bad as a trip to the North Pole. Perhaps worse, for we are totally unprepared for this kind of weather."
Just then Mr. Jonah and the boys came in, rubbing their hands and stamping their feet to keep warm.
"Merry Christmas!" laughed Ham, "the skating's fine out on the ice floe!"
"How jolly!" cried Marjorie. "Let's go skating after breakfast!"
"No, sir-e-e," said Capt. Noah. "The boys must help me float the Ark. One of the rubber-tired wheels is crushed and it will take a lot of hard work to get her off."
"We'd better set about it as soon as possible," said Mr. Jonah, after Capt. Noah had made an inspection. "Some of the animals are nearly perishing with the cold.The monkeys are rolled up so tight you'd think they were fur balls. Only the polar bears seem to enjoy life, and they are just crazy to take a run on the ice."
"Let them wait," said Capt. Noah; "we have more serious things to attend to than pleasure for the moment."
"Well, come and get a good hot breakfast first," said Mrs. Noah, bringing in the steaming coffee pot and a plate of hot corn muffins. "After breakfast you'll all feel differently."
This was, indeed, good advice, and when breakfast was over Capt. Noah said, "Get the crowbar and the wooden rollers, Japheth. We'll see if we can't start the old Ark moving. Maybe she's stuck too deep in the ice, but we'll try, at any rate."
"Here, my little girl," said kind Mrs. Noah to Marjorie, "put on this muffler if you're going out. It's pretty cold."
So Marjorie tied the warm muffleraround her neck and stepped out on deck.
A beautiful sight met her eyes. Towering high above was a mountain of glittering ice, while as far as the eye could reach was a field of ice and snow.
Under the rays of the morning sun parts of the great berg glittered like a rainbow.
It was so cold that Marjorie had to jump up and down to keep her toes from freezing.
Down on the ice, close to the Ark, Capt. Noah and his crew were busily at work. One of the auto wheels had sunk deep into the ice and acted like an anchor. The other wheels also were embedded in the ice so that the Ark was held as if in a vise.
"Guess we'll have to give it up," exclaimed Capt. Noah after an hour's hard work, during which time the Ark had not moved an inch.
"We'd better make up our minds towinter here until the iceberg floats into a warmer climate and either melts or breaks apart."
"That's cheerful," said Mr. Jonah. "I've nothing but summer flannels and a mackintosh with me."
"What about some of the poor animals who are used to the Torrid Zone?" replied Capt. Noah, shouldering the crowbar and climbing up the rope ladder to the deck.
Mr. Jonah did not reply, but turned up his coat collar and stamped upon his feet to warm them.
"The hairless Mexican dog will surely die if we don't do something for him," said Ham. "I think I'll ask mother if she won't let him stay in the kitchen."
But Mrs. Noah did not seem very pleased over the suggestion.
"Gracious me!" she said. "Shem already has two parrots, a marmoset and a little green snake in the kitchen. I don'tsuppose one more animal would make much difference, if it will only keep from under my feet. I nearly stepped on one of the snakes this morning, and the kitchen is none too large, anyway."
"Don't you boys worry your mother any more," said Capt. Noah sternly. "The animals have got to make the best of it. Any one who travels by sea undergoes some risk and I'm sure I'm as careful a captain as a man could be. It's lucky we didn't go down to the bottom of the sea when we struck the berg, instead of running up on it safely."
After dinner Capt. Noah and Mr. Jonah held a consultation as to what was the best thing to do under the circumstances.
"Of course, some of the animals, like the polar bears and the seals, will enjoy a vacation on the ice. The penguins, too, will be glad to have a little change. Wecan let them out and the rest of the Arctic passengers. But how to keep the other animals warm, puzzles me. We haven't coal enough to keep the furnaces going for very long."
Mr. Jonah stroked his chin reflectively. "We might dig a channel from the Ark to the edge of the berg and then float the Ark," he said, after a pause.
"That's a pretty good scheme," said Capt. Noah. "We'll get to work at once. Here, you boys, get the pickaxes and come with me."
By evening the canal was finished. "Now, when the tide rises," said Capt. Noah, resting on the handle of his pickax, "perhaps the old tub will float."
It was now quite dark, so all hands returned to the Ark.
The animals which had been allowed to play on the ice had all returned except the two polar bears, who begged Capt. Noahto let them stay out all night, as they wished to see the Northern Lights from the top of the iceberg.
It was a very tired family that gathered around the supper table that evening. But after the meal was over the Weathercock began to sing:
"It's time for bed, and all the ArkShould soon be snoring in the dark,The elephant and kangaroo,The lion and the curled horn gnu,Have gone to bed, and so should you,So good night, cock-a-doodle-doo!"
Ham rescues the Polar Bears from the iceberg.Ham rescues the Polar Bears from the iceberg.
A THRILLING RESCUE
We're off! we're off! we're off againTo sail upon the rolling main.The ice no longer holds us fast,We're sailing safe and free at last!
This is what the Weathercock sang loud and clear the next morning.
It woke up Marjorie with a start, and running to the porthole she saw that they were once more upon the ocean blue.
"How did it happen?" she asked, turning to her faithful friend on the flagpole, who was still crowing and flapping hiswings at a great rate. "How did it all happen?"
"While you were asleep, my dear little Madge," answered the Weathercock.
"I didn't ask you when, I asked you how," laughed Marjorie, for she was delighted, you see, to be once more sailing over the great big ocean.
"You'd better not ask me any more questions," said the Weathercock quickly. "You just better hurry up and dress and ask Capt. Noah what he is going to do about the castaways."
"The what?" gasped Marjorie.
"The castaways. The two polar bears who are still on the iceberg."
"Goodness gracious!" she cried. "I'll hurry and get on my boots. I must tell Capt. Noah at once."
In a few minutes she was running down to the lower cabin.
"Capt. Noah! Capt. Noah!" she shouted. "Capt. Noah, the polar bears are left on the iceberg!"
The captain, who had overslept himself, put his head out of his cabin door.
"What is all the excitement about?" he asked sleepily.
"The bears are left on the iceberg!" shouted Marjorie again.
"Well, that's all right. I told them they could stay out all night. They will come aboard for breakfast, no doubt!"
"They can't! They can't!" cried Marjorie in great excitement. "The Ark is afloat again and we are sailing away."
"Blubber and rubber!" exclaimed the captain, now even more excited than the little girl.
"Mother!" he cried, "the Ark's afloat and two of our passengers are still ashore!"
Mrs. Noah opened her eyes.
"What did you say, my dear?" she asked, sleepily.
The captain by this time had pulled on his sailor suit and, closing the cabin door with a bang, rushed out on deck, with Marjorie close at his heels.
In the distance the iceberg could be seen indistinctly through the morning mist.
"Hard-a-port!" shouted Capt. Noah.
Mr. Jonah, who was at the wheel, woke up with a start. He was so tired with cutting the ice the day before that he had fallen sound asleep at his post.
"You landlubber," cried Capt. Noah. "What do you mean by falling asleep?"
"This is my first experience before the mast," apologized poor Jonah. "I've always been a passenger. Please don't get provoked."
"Provoked!" yelled Capt. Noah. "Provoked!I feel like throwing you overboard!"
"Steer for the iceberg!"
"I won't throw you overboard until later!"
Mr. Jonah heaved a sigh of relief, for at first I guess he thought he'd have to go back to the Whale without having the chance of Capt. Noah cooling off.
Marjorie stood close to the rail, straining her eyes for a glimpse of the polar bears.
The three Noah boys now came on deck, and Ham handed the spyglass to his father.
"I see them! I see them!" cried Capt. Noah. "One of them is waving a flag!"
"Let me look," said Marjorie, who was dreadfully worried about them.
Yes, there they were. On the top of the berg she could dimly see two figures and awhite object waving back and forth. The sea was getting rough and the Ark rolled about in a most uncomfortable manner.
The Weathercock clung tightly to his post, however, and flapped his wings now and then.
"Look out!" he cautioned as the Ark neared the berg. "Be careful or you'll stave a hole in the Ark!"
"Hurry up!" shouted the polar bears. "We're nearly starved. We want our breakfast."
"Want your breakfast!" muttered Capt. Noah under his breath. "You'll be wanting something more than breakfast if we don't find a way to get you aboard!"
"Let them swim!" suggested Ham.
"Run up close and let them jump!" advised Shem.
"Let them fly!" chuckled Japheth, unsympathetically, who was somewhat tired of feeding the animals and felt that twoless would not be such an awful thing after all.
"Nothing of the sort," cried Capt. Noah. "I am responsible for the safety of every passenger. I will take no such chances."
"What are we going to do, then?" asked Mr. Jonah, looking over the side of the Ark to make sure that it was not getting too close to the dangerous berg, which jutted out in ragged points beneath the water.
"Launch the life-boat!" commanded Capt. Noah. "Who will volunteer?"
"I will!" cried Ham, and in less time than I can take to tell it, Ham and his trained monkeys lowered the boat and jumped in.
"Shove off!" commanded Cockswain Ham, and with a strong pull and a loud "Yo-ho!" the little boat shot away.
Ham held firmly to the tiller and keptthe bow pointed toward the big rollers, while the monkeys handled the oars.
"Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore," sang the Weathercock.
The bears, who had slid down the iceberg close to the water's edge, stood anxiously waiting.
"Careful, now!" cried Ham. "Pull on your starboard oar!"
The boat grazed the iceberg. "Jump!" shouted Ham. "Quick!"
And then one of the bears gave a spring and landed in the boat. His mate, however, slipped, and a big wave at that moment whirled the boat away from the ice, and with a big splash he landed in the water.
"Throw him a life-preserver!" shouted Capt. Noah.
"Throw him a life line!" yelled Shem.
"Throw him the anchor!" growled Japheth,who never had liked the Polar Bears, I guess.
But Cockswain Ham was not the least bit rattled. He steered the boat toward the frightened bear and told him to catch hold.
"Now pull for all you're worth!" shouted Ham to the monkeys, "and we'll tow Brother Bear."
But, oh, dear me! The great waves kept washing over the little boat, and the two monkeys had a hard time rowing with that great heavy bear dragging on the stern.
"They'll be swamped!" screamed Mrs. Noah, as a tremendous great wave dashed over the little life-boat.
"Bail, bail, you lubber!" shouted Ham. "We'll all be in Davy Jones's locker if you don't!"
Well, pretty soon they came alongside the Ark, and Capt. Noah let down a ropeladder, up which the two bears managed to scramble after a hard struggle.
And after that Cockswain Ham and his gallant crew came aboard, and the life-boat was hoisted up on deck.
Motherly Mrs. Noah at once put the two bears to bed after a hot mustard bath and a drink of Jamaica ginger.
"Well, this beats the old days all holler!" exclaimed Capt. Noah. "We never had such accidents on my first voyage. It just rained and rained for forty days and forty nights."
"That's the truth, my dear," agreed Mrs. Noah. "I remember it very well. Ham was just a baby, and the other two boys were little fellows. It was hard work finding something new for them to do each day. Rainy days on board ship—well, I never want to go through with it again."
"I should think your boys would think you're just lovely," said little Marjorie.
"Well, I guess we do," said Ham, kissing his mother. "You know we do, mother dear."
"Of course I do," she replied, giving him a hug.
"Go and kiss your mother," said Capt. Noah to Shem and Japheth, "or she won't give you any breakfast."
And then they both ran over to her and kissed her, glad of an excuse to show their real feelings.
"Now, come and get something nice and hot for breakfast," said Mrs. Noah, "for if we don't eat breakfast pretty soon, we'll have to call it lunch."
And in the next chapter you shall hear of a dreadful collision, but don't worry, for I shan't let anything happen to little Marjorie and the kind Noah family.