"Or to the Equator?" suggested the Dodo, smoothing out his gloves.

The Walrus stared for a moment, and then, pointing to the Dodo with the
stem of his pipe, inquired, "Vat is dat ting?"

The Dodo drew himself up to his full height, and gave him a withering
look. "How dare you?" he cried.

"Vell, vat _is_ id, anyhow?" chuckled the Walrus. "I never saw
somethings like id before, never!"

"Of course not," said the Dodo, with dignity, "Our family have been
extinct for some time."

[Illustration: When the children got into the clumsy fur garments, they
found them exceedingly comfortable.--Page 95. _Dick, Marjorie and
Fidge._]

"Vell, und vy didn't you keep so?" asked the Walrus. "It vas der best
ting vat you could do. Dere is no goot for such tings like you to be
aboudt."

"Come along," said the Dodo, turning to the others; "let's go. I was
never so insulted in all my life."

"Ach! don't ged in a demper," said the Walrus, complacently. "Dat is no
goot also. Come, I show you der vay to der Equador--dat is Germany,
too," he added, in parenthesis. "Bud you must haf some glothes first to
vare," he cried, looking at the children's scanty garments. "Id is so
gold dere."

"Cold at the Equator?" laughed Marjorie. "Why, I always thought that it
was very hot."

"Ach! dat is so," said the Walrus. "But id is der gedding dere dat is so
gold. Come, I gif you some oudtfids," and he led the way into the little
hut, which was hung all around with clumsy-looking fur garments, which,
however, when they had got into them, the children found to be
exceedingly comfortable.

Besides the clothes, there were all kinds of stores piled up around the
inside of the hut, and a quantity of snowshoes of various shapes, and
little sleds, like those which Dick remembered having seen in pictures
of Polar expeditions.

When the children had been accommodated with some garments, the Walrus
turned to the Dodo, and said, "Veil, now, I egspecdt dat you vant some
glothes, too, dond't id?"

"No, thank you," said the Dodo, proudly, settling his necktie and
folding his wings primly. "I have my gloves; they are quite
sufficient."

"Bud you haven't any ting on your body," said the Walrus. "You bedder
haf some glothes, eh?" and he kindly brought forth some very large
leather breeches, which the Dodo, after some hesitation, consented to
put on.

Next the Walrus took down a rough, hairy coat, with mittens attached to
the sleeves.

"Gom, put your