The old Walrus was trudging along in front, leading Fidge (who seemed to have taken a violent fancy to him) by the hand; presently he stopped in front of a big round hole, and waited for the others to catch up to him. "Here ve are," he said, pointing to the enormous hole, which looked like the crater of an extinct volcano lined with ice. "Whatever is that?" asked Marjorie, peering over the edge curiously. "Der North Bole," said the Walrus. "Id vas German, too," he added, emphatically. "The North Pole!" exclaimed the children. "Why, there isn't any pole at all!" "No," said the Walrus, "das is so, id vas meldted all avay." [Illustration: "'Well, good-bye,' said Dick."] "Good gracious!" cried Dick. "Yah! id vas mit der lightning struck, und meldted all avay, und made a big hole in der ground all der vay trough der earth to der Equador. Id vas made in Germany, dat pole," he added. The children gazed with wondering eyes into the deep, dark hole, and Marjorie clung to Dick's arm nervously. "How wonderful!" she exclaimed; "but I'm glad we've seen where it was, aren't you, Dick?" But Dick was thinking deeply. "Are you sure it went right through to the Equator?" he asked of the Walrus. "Yah!" said that worthy, "for sure." "Then if we slid through, we should come out at the other end?" said Dick. "Yah! das is so," said the Walrus, nodding violently. "Well, then, I think we'll do it," said Dick, boldly. "Oh, Dick!" cried Marjorie, in alarm. "Well, why not?" said Dick, for, really, so many strange things had happened that nothing seemed impossible to him now. "It would be rather jolly to see what it's like at the other end, and it's no use stopping here. Do you know your way from the Equator?" he added, turning to the Dodo. "Yes," said the bird, who was quite ready to start on the perilous voyage, and, grasping Fidge by the hand, he gave a loud whoop, and began to slide down the steep incline. "Well, good-by," cried Dick, hurriedly, shaking hands with the Walrus. "Thanks for all your kindness." And, jumping on the sled behind Marjorie, he pushed off, and they shot over the edge after the others. They just caught a glimpse of the little dog throwing up his arms in surprise, and as they disappeared into space they heard the old Walrus crying, in an anxious voice-- "Gom back! gom back! I forgot to tell you somedings." CHAPTER X. SOME NEW ACQUAINTANCES. It was all very well for the Walrus to shout "Come back!" but _that_ was a matter of utter impossibility, for down--and down--and down the children sped at a terrific rate, so quickly indeed that after a moment or two they must have lost their senses completely, for not one of them could remember anything about the marvelous journey through the center of the earth. "It seemed," Dick explained afterwards, "as though we were falling through a big black hole for hours and hours, and then, all of a sudden, it was light again, and we shot out into the air at the other end."