n,
wouldn't leave his side, but trotted along with him, chatting merrily.

"Ah!" said the Dodo, as they went up the steps leading into the great
hall, "there's my old friend the Missionary; perhaps he will be able to
help us out of our difficulty." And going up to the gentleman, he gave
him a playful pat on the shoulder, and exclaimed, pleasantly--

"Here we are again, you see!"

The Missionary started nervously, and peered at the Dodo through his
glasses.

"Oh--er--how do you do?" he cried, hurriedly, giving a rather startled
glance all round him. "Are your other friends with you?"

[Illustration:"'You're very good,' said the Dodo."]

"Oh, you mean the Eteraedarium, and the Palaeotherium. No--they--er,
they've met with a rather nasty accident. They've been turned into
stone."

"Bless me!" exclaimed the Missionary, looking greatly concerned. "You
don't say so! What an extraordinary thing to happen. I had no idea that
there were any petrifying waters hereabouts."

"Well, they're turned to stone, anyhow," said the Dodo, "down by the
lake there. It's rather awkward for us, you see, because we can't stop
here forever by ourselves, and we haven't any money to get home with."

"My dear Sir," said the Missionary, generously taking out his purse,
"can I be of any assistance to you?"

"It's very kind of you," said the Dodo.

"Not at all," cried the Missionary, heartily, pressing some money into
the Dodo's glove, which, of course, immediately fell off and
disconcerted the Missionary very much, while the Dodo scrambled about
and picked up the scattered coins.

The children thought it very kind of the Missionary to lend them the
money, and Dick and Marjorie went up to him and thanked him very
politely; and then, having done this, the whole party hurried off to the
train.

CHAPTER XXIV.

FIRST CLASS TO LONDON.

The railway station at the Crystal Palace was soon reached, and the Dodo
went boldly up to the booking-office and demanded some tickets for
London.

The Ticket-clerk, who could only see the top of the Dodo's head, very
naturally mistook him for an old gentleman without his hat, and
inquired, politely, "What class, Sir?"

This was a puzzler, and the Dodo went back to Dick and told him that the
gentleman in the office wanted to know what class they were in.

"What does he mean?" asked Dick.

"What class you're in at school, I suppose," said the Dodo, doubtfully.

"Why, I'm in the fourth form,"