CHAPTER XVIII
It was a most exciting race, for they were pretty evenly matched in strength and speed, but one of them did win the race, and you will be very glad to know that it was the one on which Sweetclover was riding.
"Hurrah!" shouted the Villain, for he was better pleased that she had won than if he had won himself.
And they flew all day over Italy and, looking down, they saw people working in the fields and the vineyards, growing rice and grapes and all the fruits that come from Italy, and always they heard the people singing beautiful songs of gladness.
"I wonder what makes them so happy?" said the Villain.
"It's because it's such a beautiful country, I guess," said Sweetclover.
And they flew over the lakes which lie between Italy and Switzerland, and on all sides were mountains, the tops of which are always covered with snow.
Soon they came to Switzerland, which is away up in the mountains and very beautiful.
People travel from all parts of the world to climb these mountains and to see the wonderful scenery.
"Maybe it's here we are to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," said the Villain, "and not at the North Pole at all."
"Oh, I hope so," said Sweetclover.
It was getting very cold now, for you know that the higher you go up in the air, the colder it gets. That's why there's snow on the mountain tops. And it began to storm; at first tiny flakes of snow fell, and then faster and thicker till it was snowing very hard, and the pigeons could scarcely see where they were flying.
"It seems to me," said the Villain, "that every time I get upon a boat or a bird or anything, it begins to storm."
By this time it was really a blizzard and one by one the poor pigeons' wings became so covered with snow they could not fly and fell to the ground and lay on the snow.
Of course they fell in different places, and Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar and Sweetclover and the Villain were separated.
Each one looked about for the others as best he could and, after much searching about, the Villain found Sweetclover huddled in the snow and very cold indeed. So he pulled off his coat and wrapped it about her shoulders, although she tried her best to prevent him from making such a sacrifice, but he said:
"I will certainly suffer more seeing you shiver, than I would from the cold itself."
You see he was a kind-hearted Villain, and it was too bad that he was painted to look like one at all.
So he dug a hole in a snowbank and they crawled into it, and in that way they were shielded from the wind.
Night came on and Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar searched about, but it was so dark that they could not tell where they were going, but only went round and round in circles.
In the morning the snow stopped falling, and if it hadn't been so cold it would have been a very beautiful sight. Snow lay all about them as far as the eye could reach.
You must know that in the Alps mountains, where they were, there are dogs, and very wonderful dogs they are, who live in the snowy mountains and are trained to go about to find lost travellers and to help them.
And one of these dogs came sniffing along and the first thing he did was to find the Villain, and you can imagine his and Sweetclover's delight when they saw him.
Around his neck was a little knapsack, and this he told them to untie and they would find food and a roll of fine warm wool inside.
And putting the wool about them they were soon warm as toast.
"Let us try to find Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar before they die of the cold," said the Villain.
"Very well," said Saint Bernard, for that was the name of the dog, "Come with me and we'll soon find them."
So he asked them to climb upon his back and he trotted off, and pretty soon they came to a spot where Jackie Tar's head was sticking up out of the snow. In a jiffy they had him out and sitting on the Dog's back.
"Hurrah!" shouted the Villain, "now for Kernel Cob."
In less than a minute they came to a little mound of snow.
So the Dog trotted up to it, and round on the other side they discovered an opening like a door, and inside lay Kernel Cob asleep, snoring away like anything.
So they wakened him and he was glad to see them, you may be sure.
And he climbed upon the Dog's back and all four rode off.
"Where are you going?" he asked them.
"We were on our way to the North Pole when our pigeons died," explained Jackie Tar.
"I'd like to take you there, if I could," said the Dog, "but I can't leave my work here. But I'll take you to the foot of the mountains, and there I'll have you meet a friend of mine who will take you to a ship going to the North Pole."
"Thank you very much," said Sweetclover. "We shall never be able to pay you for your kindness."
"Thank you, Miss," said the Dog. "I'm sure it will make me very happy to know that I helped you."
And when they arrived at the foot of the mountain he introduced them to his friend, a French poodle named Pierre, and when it was come time to say good-bye, he gave them each his paw and the last they saw of him was his bushy tail wagging behind him, as he trotted up the snowy mountain where he did so much good.
I love dogs best of all God's creatures,
They have such noble, honest features,
You never really have to scold 'em
Because they do just what you've told 'em.
And even dogs that have no beauty
Are always quick to do their duty,
For they are faithful friends, and true,
And gladly give their lives for you.
