And after a few days they came to a place where the ice was broken, and they had to cross by floating on huge cakes of ice, which was very exciting.

They were crossing on one of these once, and Kernel Cob and Sweetclover had gone across with Speed, when the cake of ice on which they were waiting for Jackie Tar, split suddenly, and Jackie Tar was left behind on a small piece.

In vain they tried to catch him and slowly but surely he began to drift away from them farther and farther, and all they could do was to watch him fade out of sight.

“Oh,” cried Sweetclover, “we shall never see him again.

“Will he be killed?”

“I don’t know,” said Speed.  “He’s got a good chance of being picked up by a vessel, if he ever floats down south far enough.”

“Oh, I hope so,” cried Sweetclover, “for he is such a brave sailor and was so good to us.”

And after Kernel Cob and Sweetclover had said a prayer to the fairies to take good care of Jackie Tar, they drove away in their sled and at length came to the Yukon.

[Illustration]

A prayer for Jackie tar

Do not think it very nice
To travel on a cake of ice
Except in Summer when it’s hot;
But in the Winter, when it’s not
And icy winds blow in my face
I like an open fireplace
Where I can watch the glowing flames
Or play upon the floor with games. 
So let us say a fervent prayer
That Jackie Tar may land somewhere
Beyond the sweep of wind and storm
Where he may find it safe and warm.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXII

When they reached the Yukon, they told Speed not to go near the city or wait where he was, for they had been captured so often by people they wanted to stay away from them.  So Speed took them up into the hills where they made their camp.

But they hadn’t been there a day when Speed was caught by a number of men, and again Kernel Cob and Sweetclover were left alone to work things out the best way they could.

Sweetclover was very much discouraged, for said she:  “Now that we are here and have lost all our friends, and with no one to help us, I don’t see how we are ever to find Jackie and Peggs’ motheranfather.”

But that only made Kernel Cob the more determined.

“I’ve told you a thousand times that I’ll find them, and find them I will.”

“Well,” said Sweetclover, “I certainly hope so, but I’m sure I cannot see how it is going to be done.”

“You’ll see if I am not right,” said Kernel Cob.

But nothing happened to raise their hopes.

So they went up into the hills in search of a scene that looked like the one that the Magician had shown them on the crystal ball in India, and they walked about all day until, tired and worn out, they crept into a hollow stump to rest.