Chapter 3

"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 called out 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 of the 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 he whispered 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 sailor And sail the ocean blue, And hear the Captain shout 'Ahoy!' And order 'round the crew.

"And when the waves are rolling high The wind is blowing strong, I sing my cock-a-doodle-do Just 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.

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 upon the 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 muffler around 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 to winter 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't suppose 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. We can 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. Noah to 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 Ark Should 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!"

A THRILLING RESCUE

We're off! we're off! we're off again To 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 his wings 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 a white 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 two less 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 kept the 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 rope ladder, 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.

A LEAK

"Look out! Look out! A boat in sight; Turn quickly to the left or right; You'll have a smash-up, sure as fate-- Alas! my warning came too late!"

sang the Weathercock.

And, oh, dear me! He was right! Crash! Bang! The Noah's Ark shivered from bow to stern, and all the animals were thrown off their feet.

Little Marjorie awoke with a start. It was just daylight, and far off in the east the rising sun was tinging the sky pink and gold.

She hurriedly put on her clothes and ran out on deck, where she met Capt. Noah and his sons.

"Whales and porpoises!" exclaimed Capt. Noah. "Mr. Jonah has been asleep at the switch again, I'll bet!"

And then he ran forward and looked over the bow of the Ark.

Only a few yards off was the charred hull of a vessel, riding low in the water.

Quickly examining his own ship, Capt. Noah discovered a hole on the starboard side.

And then, all of a sudden, the animals came rushing up on deck.

"The Ark is filling with water," cried Mrs. Elephant, "and my slippers are all soaking wet. If I had remained below another minute they would have been ruined!"

She had hardly finished when all the rats and mice scrambled up the companionway.

"A bad sign!" said Capt. Noah. "It shows the Ark is sinking!"

Mrs. Noah gave a scream. She had hastily thrown a kimono over her nightdress at the first warning and had hurried on deck.

"Don't worry," said little Marjorie bravely. "Capt. Noah will stop the leak."

"I hope so," he said. Then, turning to the passengers, he asked: "Who will volunteer to go with me below deck?"

"I will!" shouted Ham.

"And so will I!" said the Elephant.

"Come along, then," said Capt. Noah.

"Throw me down the tarpaulin and some planks," he called up a few minutes later.

But, oh dear me! The water had gained such headway that the tarpaulin was of no use at all, and I don't know what would have happened if the Elephant hadn't sat down squarely on the hole, blocking it up so that not a single drop of water leaked in.

"Bully for you!" cried Capt. Noah. "That's the best stunt I've seen yet!"

"It's not very comfortable," said the Elephant, with a shiver. "My, but the water's chilly!"

"Start the pumps!" commanded Capt. Noah, rushing to the foot of the companionway. "Set some of the animals to work!"

Well, after a while the Ark was pumped dry, and everybody heaved a sigh of relief.

"How long do you expect me to be a water plug?" asked the Elephant. "You don't expect me to sit here for the rest of the voyage?"

"I don't know what we'll do if you get up," answered Capt. Noah.

"Neither do I," said the Elephant.

"Let's call Mr. Jonah," said Capt. Noah.

"What's the use?" said the Elephant. "What good will he do? If he hadn't been asleep at the tiller we never would have had the accident."

"We might punish him for neglect of duty," said Capt. Noah. "We'll plug the hole up with him. He can sit on the opening for a punishment."

"Great idea!" chuckled the Elephant. "Bring him down."

So Capt. Noah hastened on deck to look for poor Mr. Jonah. And pretty soon he came back with Mr. Jonah, who of course didn't know what they were going to do with him.

"What do you want me for?" he asked. "It's pretty damp down here."

"Hello!" said the Elephant. "Excuse my not rising!"

"Certainly," said Mr. Jonah, "but you don't look very comfortable."

And then, quick as a wink, the Elephant reached out his trunk and grabbed poor Mr. Jonah.