Chapter 2

"Of course I can," replied Mrs. Noah, bursting into laughter. "But I'm afraid they won't match."

In due course of time Marjorie's circus dress was finished and the giant's trousers lengthened, the upper part being blue and the lower part gray, but perfectly satisfactory to the wearer.

Every one was now waiting impatiently for Capt. Noah when, suddenly, his head appeared at one of the port holes. "Mother," he called, "where are my white dress ties? I can't find them anywhere."

So Mrs. Noah laid down her work basket and went into the Ark to find them. And in a few minutes Capt. Noah appeared in full dress, his silk hat upon his head and a long whip in his hand.

As he came down the plank, Japheth led out the big white horse, and after helping Marjorie to mount, led him into the center ring.

Shem then opened the big door in the Ark and all the animals solemnly marched out and arranged themselves about the rings.

Next came Ham, leading his two wrestling monkeys and after him came Shem with his elephant.

Mr. Jonah, towering above the heads of the tallest animals, including the giraffe, announced that the circus would commence.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "allow me to introduce to you the most wonderful child rider in the world, Marjorie Hall, on her beautiful white horse, Marshmallow. Marjorie, without doubt, is the most daring bareback rider in the universe."

There was a great clapping of hands, hoofs and paws at this announcement, for she had become a great favorite with the Noah's Ark people.

"Ladies and gentlemen," went on Mr. Noah, "you see before you in Ring No. 2 the most famous wrestlers of the world, Jocko and Monko. In Ring No. 3 is the largest elephant in existence."

While all this was going on the Noah boys had run into the Ark.

Presently they returned, dressed up as clowns, and then the fun commenced.

Ham held up a hoop, which he had carefully covered with tissue paper, and to Mrs. Noah's amazement Marjorie leaped through it as if she had been a circus bareback rider all her life.

The boys performed marvelous feats of tumbling and jumping, and were so funny that half of the animals nearly split their sides with laughing.

The laughing hyena had to be carried into the Ark and put to bed for fear she would laugh herself to death.

"Well, well," exclaimed Mrs. Noah, when it was all over, "I certainly never enjoyed the circus so much in all my life, not even when I was a little girl."

And that night every one slept like a top, let me tell you, for each one was tired out with the day's work. Even the weathercock, I think, tucked his head under his gilt wings and snored!

THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW

"Wake up! Wake up! We're off again, Over hill and over plain! The Arkmobile on sea or land Can sail away at our command."

Again the Weathercock awoke little Marjorie, on board the Noah's Ark, where we left her in the last chapter, you remember.

It was the morning after the circus, and she probably would have slept much later had not the faithful bird, as usual, sung his bit of verse.

You see this wonderful Weathercock was just like an alarm clock.

"Where's the ocean?" asked Marjorie, looking out of the window. "Why, we're traveling on land!"

"Of course we are," answered the Weathercock. "Didn't you see the wheels on the bottom of the Ark yesterday?"

"So I did," admitted Marjorie. "I'd forgotten all about them."

"Well, how did you like my poetry? You see, I make up a new verse every morning, so as to be sure to wake you up."

"I think you are a great poet," answered the little girl.

The Weathercock got very red in the gills. I guess that's the only way he could blush.

So let the rain or sunshine come, Across the land, we'll swiftly hum, We are prepared for rain or shine, For dusty road or foamy brine.

"Hurrah!" shouted the Elephant from down below. "Bravo, Sir Chanticleer!"

"You'll have to excuse me now," said Marjorie to the Weathercock, "for I must pull on my shoes and stockings and brush my hair. You don't have to bother about such things, you know. That's one advantage of being a weathercock."

After breakfast, as they all sat in the cabin, Capt. Noah remarked: "I'm getting a trifle worried. You see, I can't tell by the barometer whether the Ark is floating or wheeling. Now, that is rather important. If we keep on in this way I shall have to get a speedometer. It wouldn't be very nice to be arrested for breaking the speed laws and be locked up in jail."

Mrs. Noah turned pale and the Weathercock shifted about uneasily on the top of the flagpole. "No, indeed," he said, "I don't want to be a jailbird."

"Well, what's the best thing to do?" asked Mrs. Noah.

"Count the telegraph poles as we go along," suggested Ham. "I think there are about thirty to a mile, and see how long it takes to pass them."

"That's a good idea," said Mr. Jonah, but when they looked out of the portholes they couldn't find any telegraph poles.

And just then, all of a sudden, a pistol shot rang out clear and loud.

The Arkmobile came to a sudden stop, and a voice outside was heard to exclaim:

"Where's the chauffeur?"

Capt. Noah rushed up on deck, followed by his family, Mr. Jonah and Marjorie.

"What's the matter?" asked Capt. Noah, looking about to find the owner of the voice.

"Oh, that's what they all say!" came the reply. "You know jolly well what's the matter!"

"Who are you, and where are you?" asked Capt. Noah, vainly trying to find this remarkable person, who seemed to be nothing but a voice.

"Who am I? You'll find out pretty quick. Where am I? You'd better find that out even quicker!"

Looking up to the Weathercock, Capt. Noah shouted: "Ahoy, there, Lookout! Who's delaying us?"

"The Majesty of the Law," came the answering voice again--this time so distinctly that every one turned in the direction from which it came, and then a huge megaphone on the top of a post repeated: "The Majesty of the Law!"

"Well, I'll be blowed!" exclaimed Capt. Noah.

"You have exceeded the speed limit," said the Megaphone, "and you are fined $15!"

"Oh!" interposed Mrs. Noah. "I'm sure you must be mistaken. I'm sure we were not exceeding it $15 worth."

"So am I!" added Mr. Jonah. "In fact, I didn't think we were exceeding anything. We were just rolling along, don't you know, quite comfortably."

"Well, suppose I haven't the money with me?" asked Capt. Noah.

"Fifteen days in jail," answered the Megaphone.

"Mercy!" cried Mrs. Noah.

"Don't worry," whispered Capt. Noah. "I'll borrow the money from Mr. Jonah."

Mr. Jonah was very obliging and lent the money, saying he had had no chance to spend a cent while he was aboard the whale.

"Now, where shall I put the money?" asked Capt. Noah.

"In the little box back of me," replied the Megaphone. And as soon as the money was dropped in the Megaphone shouted: "The prisoner is discharged!"

"Prisoner!" shouted Capt. Noah, as mad as a hornet. "How dare you call me a prisoner!"

But before he had time to say another word the Arkmobile started off and the Megaphone was left behind.

"Jehosaphat!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, wiping the perspiration from his forehead with his red bordered handkerchief. "Bad enough to be robbed of $15, but to be called a 'prisoner'--well, that does make me angry."

"Never mind, my dear," said Mrs. Noah, soothingly. "All's well that ends well. Just think, if we hadn't been able to borrow that $15, we'd have spent fifteen days in jail!"

And then, all of a sudden the Weathercock shouted: "Everybody in the cabin! Water dead ahead!"

My goodness me! you should have seen the animals pull their heads in through the portholes. Poor Mrs. Giraffe didn't get hers inside in time and her bonnet got soaking wet, for as soon as the Ark struck the water the spray flew here and there and everywhere and the deck was flooded ankle deep.

But the Ark was a sturdy craft, and as soon as it once more felt the ocean beneath it, rode the waves as gracefully as a swan.

"I guess we won't be fined for speeding now," laughed Marjorie, and in the next chapter you shall hear what further adventures she had aboard this wonderful Noah's Ark.

MAN OVERBOARD

Wake up! Wake up! and sing your song As 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 different As different can be.

The one that's in the forest Has feathers and a tail; The one that's in the ocean Has a scaly coat of mail.

The robin in the forest Could never take a swim; The robin of the ocean Could never fly or skim

Across a grassy meadow, Nor fly up in a tree. But he can do all kinds of stunts Within 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 woodland Has a pretty crimson vest; He sings a merry, blithesome song And builds a cozy nest.

The robin of the ocean Has 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!" yelled Mr. 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.

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. "A little 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 shout Jumped 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.

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 to dress, 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 be the 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 you came 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.

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 guiding hand, 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," said Capt. 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.