arms in dis," he said, "and trow avay dose gloves you got
on."

"What!" cried the Dodo, "take off my gloves? Never!"

And he wouldn't either; but put his wings (such as he had) into the
coat sleeves with the gloves still on the end of them.

[Illustration: "'What' cried the Dodo, 'take off my gloves? Never!'"]

"Now you musdt haf some stores," said the Walrus, going to the cupboard,
and bringing out some tins of sardines, some jam, and other things,
which he carefully tied on to the sled.

"Now ve are ready to stardt," he said, when these preparations were
completed; and after harnessing the little dog to the sled the party
made a move.

"I haven't the least idea where we are going to," said Dick, as they
walked along; "have you?"

"Not the slightest," said the Dodo. "I don't suppose it matters much,
though, as long as we get somewhere or another."

The old Walrus was trudging along in front, leading Fidge (who seemed to
have taken a violent fancy to him) by the hand; presently he stopped in
front of a big round hole, and waited for the others to catch up to him.

"Here ve are," he said, pointing to the enormous hole, which looked like
the crater of an extinct volcano lined with ice.

"Whatever is that?" asked Marjorie, peering over the edge curiously.

"Der North Bole," said the Walrus. "Id vas German, too," he added,
emphatically.

"The North Pole!" exclaimed the children. "Why, there isn't any pole at
all!"

"No," said the Walrus, "das is so, id vas meldted all avay."

[Illustration: "'Well, good-bye,' said Dick."]

"Good gracious!" cried Dick.

"Yah! id vas mit der lightning struck, und meldted all avay, und made a
big hole in der ground all der vay trough der earth to der Equador. Id
vas made in Germany, dat pole," he added.

The children gazed with wondering eyes into the deep, dark hole, and
Marjorie clung to Dick's arm nervously. "How wonderful!" she exclaimed;
"but I'm glad we've seen where it was, aren't you, Dick?"

But Dick was thinking deeply.

"Are you sure it went right through to the Equator?" he asked of the
Walrus.

"Yah!" said that worthy, "for sure."

"Then if we slid through, we should come out at the other end?" said
Dick.

"Yah! das is so," said the Walrus, nodding violently.

"Well, then, I think we'll do it," said Dick, boldly.

"Oh, Dick!" cried Marjorie, in alarm.

"Well, why not?" said Dick, for, really, so many strange things had
happened that nothing seemed