wonderful idea.

"Let's ask the pigeons if they will help us."

"Goodie!" said Sweetclover.

So they went up to a group of pigeons which were strutting along the
ground, picking grain which the people throw to them in the day time.

"Hello! hello!" said Jackie Tar, and in a minute about a hundred
pigeons gathered about them. And he said he wanted some of them to
help him get to the South Pole.

"I'll do it," said one of them, and he stepped up to Jackie Tar.

"Good for you, matey," said Jackie Tar.

"I've always wanted to travel," said the pigeon, "for I'm tired flying
around here and I'd like to see the world."

"So would I," said another.

"And I."

[Illustration]

"And I." "And I," cried three or four more.

You see pigeons are like people, for, lots of times, people want to do
things but they wait and wait and wait till some one starts it.

"Four are all we need," said Jackie Tar, "one for each of us." So the
pigeons crowded about and begged and begged to be taken, and Kernel
Cob and Sweetclover and the Villain and Jackie Tar chose the biggest
and strongest, and the ones that they liked the color of the best.

But one of the pigeons didn't want to go to the South Pole, for, said
she, "You don't hear as much of the South Pole as you do of the North
Pole, and unless you go to the North Pole, I won't go."

So it was decided to go to the North Pole, "For," said Kernel Cob, "I
don't think it makes any difference after all. The Magician didn't say
which pole it was, so maybe it's just as well."

"I say let's go to the North Pole," said Jackie Tar, "and, if we don't
find them there, we can very easily try the South Pole next."

"Yes," said Kernel Cob, "let's go to all the Poles there are until we
find the right one."

So they got upon the pigeons' backs, just as a little boy or girl gets
on a pony, and one of the pigeons, the one that Sweetclover was on,
said to the others:

"Let's make a race of it for the first mile."

"Good!" squeaked the others, and off they flew at their top speed.

[Illustration]

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 s