Freddy Goes to the North Pole (18 page)

“Get rid of them?” said Jinx, who was sometimes rather slow. “How?”

“Why, we'll make a map of one of those islands off the coast of Florida, and we'll mark on it ‘Gold here' or ‘Treasure buried here' or something like that. You know the mice say that buried treasure is the one thing they're always interested in. If they find such a map, ten to one they'll go off to find the treasure.”

As soon as Jinx got the idea, he became very enthusiastic. He went down and got the copy of
Treasure Island
he had been reading, and he and Freddy carefully drew a map something like the one in the book. They put a red cross in the middle of the island, and under it they wrote: “Dig here.” They decorated the map with pictures of ships and sea serpents, and at the bottom they wrote: “This is my private map of the island where my treasure is buried. There are 400 lbs. gold, 2 qts. pigeon-blood rubies, 1 pt. diamonds, 1½ gals. emeralds, 3 bushels mixed jewels. Packed in neat canvas containers, convenient for handling. (Signed) Capt. Kidd.”

“That ought to fix 'em,” said Jinx, and he and Freddy sneaked up to Hooker's room and put the map where they were sure he would find it, between the leaves of the copy of
Alice in Wonderland
that was on his bedside table. He had a mark in at page six, and they put the map in at page eight, because although Mr. Hooker was a very slow reader, they felt sure he would at least turn the page that night.

They said nothing about their plan to the other animals, so that if it didn't come off as they expected it to, nobody but themselves would be disappointed. But they told the mice, so that if the map dropped out of the book without being noticed, they could draw the captain's attention to it.

At a quarter of twelve that night Quik came rushing down to Freddy's room. He called frantically to the gently snoring pig and even tried to shake him, but it was rather as if a man should attempt to shake the Woolworth Building. Freddy just snored on. But the mouse was desperate, so he climbed up on the bed and bit his friend sharply in the ear.

The snore ended in a squeal and a kick and a flop that brought the terrified pig out into the middle of the floor, all wrapped up in the bed-clothes. Quik was thrown into the waste-basket, and he stayed there until Freddy had stopped fighting with the bed-clothes and shouting: “Help! Murder! Somebody's stabbed me!” Then he crawled out and turned on the light and apologized for having been so brutal.

“But I had to wake you, Freddy,” he said. “The captain's going away.”

“Going away?” said Freddy. “That's what we wanted him to do. But couldn't you tell me in the morning instead of—”

“He's going away alone, secretly,” said Quik.” After he put us to bed, we followed him back to his room. He got into bed and opened the book to read, and the map fell out. He picked it up and looked at it carefully and said ‘Oho!' several times, and then he got up and started towards the speaking-tube that goes to Mr. Pomeroy's room. He was evidently going to tell Mr. Pomeroy about the map, but then he changed his mind and began dressing. He went to the speaking-tube several times, but each time he shook his head and went back to his dressing. Then he buckled on his pistols and cutlass and put the map and his toothbrush and shaving things and flute and bottle of hair-dye and a couple of fairy-tale books in a little suit-case and took his boots in his hand and tiptoed downstairs.”

“Good heavens!” said Freddy. “I never thought he'd go alone! He's going to try to sneak off and get the treasure all for himself! That isn't what we want at all! Go find which way he's gone, Quik, and I'll wake the others. We'll meet in the Present Room.”

It took some time to wake the other animals and explain to them what had happened, and by the time they were dressed and had gathered in the Present Room, it was nearly one o'clock, and Quik had come back and reported that Mr. Hooker had harnessed up four of the reindeer to Santa Claus's sleigh and had driven off.

Ferdinand looked very grave when he heard this. “We can't possibly catch him,” he said. “Those are Santa Claus's special reindeer—the ones he uses Christmas Eve to deliver presents. They're specially trained and they're faster than anything on earth, even a fast automobile or an airplane. I'm sure I don't know what Santa Claus will say, and Christmas is only two days off.”

“How could we stop him even if we did catch him?” asked Hank. “He's got his pistols. He wouldn't stop for a few animals.”

“Oh, we could tell the reindeer that Santa Claus wanted them to come back,” said Freddy. “They'd turn round and come back then whether Mr. Hooker wanted them to or not.”

“Won't they know enough to come back anyway before Christmas Eve?” asked Robert. “They know Santa Claus can't deliver his presents without them.”

“I doubt it,” said Ferdinand. “Reindeer aren't over-bright, and if they think about it at all, they'll just decide that if Santa Claus hadn't wanted them to go, he wouldn't have let Mr. Hooker take them.”

“Well,” said Jinx at last, after they had all argued for some time without coming to any conclusion, “maybe we haven't any chance of catching up with him. I'm going to do
something.
”

“So am I,” said Freddy. “Go get into your furs, Jinx. Meet you in the yard.”

The two animals bundled up warmly and hurried out to the stable where the rest of the reindeer were kept. With some difficulty they managed to hitch up one of the reindeer to a small sleigh that was sometimes used for racing, and started out.

They had explained to the reindeer what had happened, and had promised him an extra slab of moss—which is what reindeer eat—for his dinner, and he galloped along at a good speed, although they knew that far ahead of them Mr. Hooker must be going three times as far with every stride. The tracks of his sleigh disappeared in the darkness ahead of them, lying as straight on the smooth snow as if drawn with a ruler, and the only sound was the light thudding of the reindeer's feet and the hiss of the runners gliding over the frozen surface.

“There's one chance I count on,” said Jinx. “From what the mice said, the captain didn't take any food with him. He was probably afraid of waking somebody up and having to explain if he went down to the pantry. But if I know Mr. Hooker, he won't go far without stopping for food. Never saw such a man for food. He'll stop at the first igloo he comes to.”

“Igloo?” said Freddy sleepily.

“Yes, one of those huts the Eskimoes make out of snow and live in. You've seen 'em time and time again.”

“Oh yes, of course,” said the pig. The warmth of his robes and the silence had made him sleepy, and as they went along, he murmured drowsily:

“Oh, kindly give a mew

When you see the first igloo.

I'm awfully sleepy, it's true,

But I'll wake up when you do,

And the captain we pursue

We'll take back to his crew,

And as heroes then we two

Will drive up the avenue

And be greeted—”

“Oh, for goodness' sake, shut up!” said Jinx. But Freddy's head had fallen forward on his chest and he was asleep.

They drove on for a long time without seeing anything but snow, and the tracks of the captain's sleigh stretching across it, and at last even Jinx was beginning to nod, when the reindeer said: “Hey! Wake up! I see something ahead.”

Their four eyes opened with a jerk, and, sure enough, ahead of them was a dark mass which they made out to be a sleigh, and as they approached and drew up abreast of it, they saw that one of the reindeer was lying on the snow, and the captain was vainly endeavouring to get him to his feet.

Hooker stood up and stared at them. “Hey,” he said. “What's this—cats and pigs? You animals certainly do beat all, riding around in cutters just like folks! But tatter my tops'ls if you ain't come at just the right minute!” He stepped over to the side of their sleigh. “Out you go,” he shouted, and, seizing Jinx in his right hand and Freddy in his left, he pulled them out, dropped them in a heap on the snow, then tossed in his suit-case, leaped in, and, smacking the reindeer on the back with the flat of his cutlass, drove off in a whirl of snow.

“He'll beat me if I don't go,” called back the reindeer over his shoulder. “But I'll go as slow as I dare.”

“Well,” said Jinx, when they had got to their feet and brushed off the snow, “we aren't much better off than we were, but at least we've got Santa's sleigh back for him.” He went over to the reindeer who was lying on the ground. “What's the matter?” he asked.

“I was lame when we started out,” said the reindeer. “My leg just gave out. Santa was trying to get it cured up by Christmas, but I guess I can't go out with him now. I can't walk on it.”

“H'm,” said Jinx thoughtfully. “We've got to catch the captain if we can. No use trying to unhitch you four and then hitch up three of you. The harness is too complicated for us. Tell you what we can do, though, Freddy. I think I can manage to get the harness off, and then if you're game to ride bareback, we can take two of the reindeer and follow Hooker. We can leave you here for a while, can't we?” he asked the lame reindeer. “We'll come back for you.”

“Oh, sure,” said the other. “I'm perfectly comfortable. Go ahead. Hope you can catch him. We'd never have taken him in the first place if we'd guessed he wasn't going on Santa Claus's business.”

With a good deal of trouble they managed to get the harness off, for Jinx's claws were cold, once he took his gloves off, and Freddy's trotters were of little use. Then the reindeer had to kneel down so they could get on their backs, and off they started.

In the first mile Freddy fell off eight times, and Jinx five. Then Freddy had the idea of getting the reindeer to hold their heads back so their antlers came close to their backs. This gave something to hold on to, and after that they made good speed. It was great fun. The reindeer went like the wind; their hoofs made no noise on the snow; and in a short time Hooker was again in sight ahead of them.

“Better slow up,” said Freddy. “It's no use catching up. We can't do anything yet.”

So the reindeer slowed down to an easy trot, and after another hour or so they saw a little group of conical snow houses in the distance.

“Eskimos,” said Freddy. “Bet you he stops to eat.” And, sure enough, Hooker pulled up at the door of the largest igloo, and soon his sleigh was surrounded by a crowd of fur-clad men, women, and children.

They had hoped that he would get out and go into the igloo, but pretty soon they saw the Eskimos bringing out things for him to eat. “We'd better get up close,” said Jinx. “We've got to do something now, or we'll never stop him.”

Freddy slipped down from his reindeer. “I've got an idea,” he said. “Edge up as close as you can, and if you see that he has caught sight of me, drive right up close to the sleigh and distract his attention.”

The pig, looking in his fur coat for all the world like just another fat, roly poly little Eskimo girl, slipped unnoticed into the crowd and worked his way forward until he was close to the captain, who at that moment was reaching out the other side of the sleigh to take a large frozen fish that one of the men was handing him. Quickly Freddy reached in behind Hooker's legs under the seat and dragged out the small suit-case. If he had had hands to carry it with, he would have got away without attracting attention. But he had to take it in his mouth, and he had only wormed his way to the edge of the crowd when several of the women caught sight of him and set up a high shrill screaming. Of course they had never seen a pig before, much less a pig in a fur coat and cap, walking on his hind legs, so it is no wonder they were frightened.

Freddy ran as fast as he could to where his reindeer was kneeling down so he could get aboard. But Hooker had seen him too and had leaped from the sleigh and was pounding after him. Then Freddy tripped and fell, and the suit-case was flung several yards in front of him. He picked himself up, but it was too late to recover the case—Hooker was bending to take it up. Freddy swung himself up on the reindeer, who got up at once and started off.

But Jinx had been watching. He had moved in closer, and now he leaned forward and whispered something in his reindeer's ear. Just as Hooker bent over and reached out his hand, the reindeer, with Jinx on his back, trotted up and with a swoop of his head snatched up the suit-case on the prong of his horn and galloped triumphantly away. At the same moment, at a shout from Freddy, the reindeer that was hitched to the sleigh also galloped off, and Hooker was left alone in the Eskimo village. As they headed back north at top speed, Jinx looked over his shoulder. The captain, surrounded by a crowd of wondering Eskimos, was dancing up and down in fury, shaking his fists after the vanishing animals. Then, just before the distance got too great for Jinx to see what was going on, Hooker snatched off his hat, flung it on the ground, and jumped on it with both feet.