"Pull off your coat," he shouted to the Villain, and the Villain pulled it off. "Now tie one of the sleeves about my foot," he cried, and it was done. "Now each of you catch hold of the jacket and hang on for dear life and I'll see if I can pull you to shore." So he started swimming, and little by little he neared the land, swimming with a strong stroke until he brought them safely to the beach. You may think he was tired, but not so, for when they got up on their feet, and walked ashore, he simply knocked his heels together and danced a hornpipe and sang: "A sailor's life's the life for me." [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XVII And they sat upon the shore until Jackie Tar had finished his song about the Sailor's Life, and by that time their clothing was pretty well dried out from their swim, so they got up and wandered toward the city and it wasn't an easy thing to do, for they had a lot of bridges to cross and they had no boat. "I think the best thing to do," said the Villain, "is to find a toy-store, for there some doll can tell us what to do." So they kept an eye out for a toy-store, and pretty soon they found one. "I'd better go in alone," said Kernel Cob, "because I'm the bravest and have a sword and can fight if any trouble arises." "Aye, aye, skipper," said Jackie Tar. So Kernel Cob crept very carefully into the shop and very lucky he did so, for the shopkeeper was there although he was asleep. On a shelf stood a row of soldiers. And Kernel Cob saluted them and said, "I am Kernel Cob of the United States Army," at which the soldiers gave him three cheers. "My friends and I," said Kernel Cob, "are looking for the South Pole, where we hope to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather, and I thought maybe you could help us." But not one of them answered him for they didn't know what he had said. "I guess tin soldiers are deaf," said he. "No, they're not," said a voice behind him, "only these are Italians and do not understand English." And looking behind him, Kernel Cob discovered an English clown doll who turned a somersault and came up on his feet with a merry laugh. "Good for you," said Kernel Cob, "I wish I could do that." "Everybody to his trade," said the clown, and stood upon his head. "Maybe you'd be good enough to stay upon your feet till I find out what I want to know," said Kernel Cob. And the Clown sprang into the air, turned over three or four times, and landed neatly upon his feet again. "What is it you want to know?" he asked. "First I want to know why you don't keep still?" asked Kernel Cob, for the Clown's antics made him nervous. "I'm a Circus Clown," said he, "and I just turn these hand-springs all day." So Kernel Cob looked about the store, but could see nobody else that looked as if he could talk English. "What do you do all day without anybody to talk to?" he asked the Clown at length.