Dick, Marjorie and Fidge Part 25

"Rubbish!" exclaimed the Dodo, "you are only making matters worse by your lame excuses. I always had my suspicions that you were a greedy lot, like all the rest of the human creatures."

"Ahem!" coughed the Doctor, looking pained.

"Oh, you're prehistoric--that doesn't count," said the Dodo, and the Doctor brightened up again.

Fortunately, at this moment, something occurred to prevent the argument from continuing, or goodness knows where it might have led to, for the children were naturally indignant at being so greatly misjudged. d.i.c.k was particularly wroth. Their attention was diverted, however, by the train dashing into a station, and coming to a somewhat abrupt stop, causing the pa.s.sengers to pitch forward, while a porter called in a loud voice, "Crystal Palace! Crystal Palace! All change here!"

"Oh! here we are, at last," cried the children, hurrying on to the platform where the animals were all turning out.

The porter had given one horrified glance at the strange creatures, and then, with a howl of fear, had fled up the steps at the end of the platform. The children could see that he was explaining something or other to the ticket collector, for that worthy came to the barrier and peeped over.

"Oh--o--o--a--aah!" the children heard him cry, and then he fled, as his companion had done, leaving the barrier free.

"Come," laughed d.i.c.k, "that simplifies matters considerably, for we shall not have to bother about our tickets now." And the children hurried up the stairs, while the Dodo remained behind to adjust his gloves, complaining loudly that notice ought to have been given that they were nearing the station, so that he might have made himself presentable before alighting.

On turning back, while on the steps, the children could see that, besides their own party, the train had contained a number of other strange animals, some of whom, the Archaeopteryx whispered, impressively, were "antediluvians."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "'Sh'sh! A Missionary,' whispered the Dodo, excitedly."]

The whole party having alighted, with a great deal of noise and confusion, they proceeded at once to the Palace. Everywhere their appearance was the signal for a wild stampede of other visitors, and by the time they had reached the great hall no one at all was in sight, except one old gentleman in gla.s.ses, who was consulting a guide book while he stood before a group of wooden Hottentots.

"Sh!" whispered the Dodo, "a Missionary! I have seen them before, when abroad. In some places they are greatly admired by the natives, some of whom have described them enthusiastically as being simply _delicious_!

Let us be friendly to him; he is, no doubt, a very excellent man.

"My dear Sir," he continued, waddling up to the Missionary, "delighted to see you looking so well."

The Missionary, who was very short-sighted, beamed kindly, and grasped the Dodo's glove, while he peered up into his face through his gla.s.ses.

On catching sight of his beak, however, he gave a gasp of astonishment, and stammered--

"I'm afraid, Sir, you've made a mistake. I--er--I--er--don't remember your face."

"Oh, well, it is some time since we met, certainly; but perhaps you know my friend?" said the Dodo, introducing the Eteraedarium, who came forward with an engaging grin.

The poor Missionary gave him a hasty glance through his gla.s.ses, and then, nervously clutching his guide book and umbrella, muttered something about "an important engagement," and fled in the direction of the big clock.

"Strange how nervous everybody is in my presence," murmured the Dodo, conceitedly. "It's doubtless my beauty and brilliant wit which alarms them; but, come on, let's go out to the lake, and I'll take you for a row."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "The Dodo was a m.u.f.f at rowing."]

So, having met with the Palaeotherium, they all three got into a boat.

The Dodo was a m.u.f.f at rowing, though, and kept "catching a crab," which disaster he accounted for by declaring that the fishes would keep holding on to his oar when he dipped it into the water; but the Palaeotherium, who was in the bow of the boat, and consequently got all of the splashes and knocks with the oar, declared that this was all nonsense, and I am inclined to agree with him.

CHAPTER XX.

A DIFFICULTY WITH THE ROUNDABOUT.

While the Dodo and his friends were enjoying themselves on the lake, the children and the others were wandering about the grounds, and continually discovering fresh attractions. What puzzled them not a little, however, was the fact that there seemed to be no other visitors about, and even the attendants had disappeared in a most mysterious manner.

At the roundabout the steam was up, but there was apparently n.o.body in charge.

"What a pity," said d.i.c.k, "I should have liked very much to have gone around on the horses, wouldn't you, Marjorie?"

"I should," chimed in Fidge.

"Yes, it would have been rather jolly," said Marjorie. "Don't you think perhaps the Prehistoric Doctor could manage to set it going? Let's ask him."

"Well, my dear," said the Doctor, when consulted on the subject, "I don't know much about machinery, but I'll try, if you like."

"What's that?" inquired the Dodo, just then coming up, he having failed to get on with the rowing to his own or anybody else's satisfaction.

"Why, we are just discussing the question of setting this roundabout going," explained the Doctor.

"Pooh! the easiest thing in the world," said the Dodo. "You just get on, and I'll soon start you off."

"All right," cried the Doctor, getting astride one of the horses.

"Hold on!" cried the Palaeotherium; "let us get on, too."

And he and several of the others clambered up to their places.

"I think," whispered Marjorie, nervously, "that we had better wait and see how they get on, before trying ourselves."

"That's just like a girl," cried d.i.c.k--"afraid of everything."

"I'm not," replied Marjorie, indignantly; "I'm quite ready to go on, if you want to--only I thought----"

"All aboard!" interrupted the Dodo, pulling the lever.

"Stop! Stop!" shouted d.i.c.k; "we want to get on."

"Too late!" cried the Dodo. "You shall go on the next journey." And with a shriek from the steam-whistle the horses began to go around.

"There you are, you see," said the Dodo, complacently regarding the result of his efforts. "I said it was an easy matter to set them going."

Faster and faster grew the pace, till the Doctor, who at first seemed to be enjoying his ride immensely, suddenly threw his arms around his horse's neck, and gasped out, breathlessly--

"Oh! Oh! Stop them! They're running away?"

"Pooh! Nonsense!" cried the Dodo; "don't be a baby."

"Stop them! Stop them! Help! Help!" screamed the other poor creatures, as the horses whirled around faster and faster.

The Dodo went to the engine and tried to push the lever back again, but, to his great consternation, he found that he could not do so, and the only result of pulling another lever which he discovered was to make the machinery work more rapidly than before.