The Cruise of the Noah's Ark Read online

  The Squirrel came aboard with a bag of nuts.]

  REPAIRS

  Ahoy, ahoy, Mount Ararat, Now we know where we are at. Run the Ark up high and dry, Close against the bright blue sky.

  "Not a bit of it!" shouted Capt. Noah, looking up at the Weathercock, "Idon't propose to take any chances running up that mountain side. Supposeour motor gave out? We'd be in a nice fix. We'll run up on the shore andheave to."

  The Ark, obeying Capt. Noah's guiding hand, swept up on the beach and cameto a standstill some 200 feet from the water.

  "We can cut all the timber we need for repairs now," said Japheth, lookingover toward a big forest that lay back from the beach. "The animals, too,can have a nice frolic on the sand. It will do them good after beingcooped up on board ship for so long."

  And in a short time the Ark was empty and all the animals were having afine time making castles in the sand and picking up pretty sea shells.

  And after a while Capt. Noah got out his axe and saw, and calling to Mr.Jonah, and his three boys, started off for the forest, and as soon as hecut down a tree, Mr. Jonah and the three boys sawed it up into logs.

  "I guess we have enough now," said Capt. Noah. "Guess we'd better startand split them into planks."

  This was not such easy work, but after a while, they had quite a pile oflumber on hand.

  "If we only had a wagon to haul the logs to the Ark," said Capt. Noah,wiping his forehead with his red bordered handkerchief.

  And just then Marjorie came riding down the gang-plank in the little toyautomobile.

  "I'll take them back to the Ark," she said, and after a while, not so verylong, they were all aboard.

  Well, by this time it was pretty dark, and Capt. Noah felt uneasy aboutthe animals, so he stood up on the bow of the big boat and called out:

  "All aboard for the night!"

  "All aboard for the night!" he called out again, and then he turned tolittle Marjorie and said, "I'd never forgive myself if anything shouldhappen to any one of my passengers."

  But, oh dear me! When Capt. Noah, who had stood by the gang-plank andchecked off each animal as he came aboard, found that the little redsquirrel was missing, he was dreadfully worried.

  "Goodness me!" he exclaimed, "if that squirrel has gone off into thewoods, how will we ever find him?"

  "Well, there's no use in worrying," said Mrs. Noah, who just then came upfrom below deck. "Come down and get a nice hot cup of tea. After you'veeaten something you'll know better what to do."

  Well, after supper, everybody felt better, so Capt. Noah and his crew cameup on deck to look for the lost squirrel.

  The moon was just coming up out of the east, making a silver path acrossthe water right up to the Ark.

  As Capt. Noah looked over the railing to the sand below he saw a littlefigure walking directly in the silver moon path. It seemed to be carryingsomething heavy; for it paused every now and then to rest.

  "It's the little red squirrel," shouted Marjorie.

  "So it is," said Capt. Noah.

  "Helloa, there!" he shouted, "wait and I'll let down the gang-plank!"

  "Whew, but I'm tired!" panted the red squirrel, as he crawled up on deck."This bag of nuts is as heavy as lead!"

  And then he let the well-filled bag slip from his shoulders to the deck.

  "Don't you ever stay out as late as this again, sir," said Capt. Noah,pulling in the gang-plank and making it fast for the night. "If you do,you won't get shore leave for a long time."

  "I'm glad you're back," whispered Marjorie, "for we were all dreadfullyworried about you," and this so pleased the little red squirrel that hegave her a handful of chestnuts.

  "Come along with me," said Capt. Noah, "I'm going below to see what theboys are doing."

  So Marjorie and the little squirrel followed the captain without a word,for they saw that he was somewhat vexed.

  Below deck all was in confusion, for the animals, after finishing theirsupper, were trying to find places to sleep.

  Although Mr. Jonah and the boys had made the place as clean as possiblesince the fire, they had not, of course, been able in so short a time toreplace the bunks and pens in which the animals had slept.

  Everybody was in everybody else's way.

  The smaller animals were squeezed into corners by the larger ones, and theElephant complained that the red Ant kept treading on his toes.

  "Order! Order!" shouted Capt. Noah.

  "What are you doing, Jonah, and where are you, boys?" he called out,peering into the darkness, for of course all the electric lights were outand the hold was in total darkness.

  "Here we are," answered Mr. Jonah. "We're doing the best we can," and hecame out of the darkness and rested his pitchfork on the floor while hewiped the perspiration from his forehead.

  "I was spreading out the straw for bedding. Ham is giving the pigs a drinkbefore they go to bed."

  And just then the other two boys appeared. "What are you doing here?"Japheth asked the muley cow, which stood by quietly chewing her cud.

  But the muley cow only said, "Moo-o-oo!"

  "Well, you come along with me. All the cows are at the other end of theArk."

  "Don't be impatient," said Capt. Noah, for the muley cow was a very gentlecreature and never tried to butt any one with her horns, because shedidn't have any, you know.

  While all this was going on Marjorie and the little squirrel stood in thedoorway.

  "Glad you weren't lost," said Shem, patting the squirrel on the back as ifhe were a little pet dog. "The other squirrels said they wouldn't go tobed until you were found."

  "Where are they?" asked the little red squirrel. "I'm pretty sleepy andwould like to cuddle up for the night," and then he swung his bag of nutsover his shoulder and followed Shem, but before he went he whispered toMarjorie that he'd give her some hickory nuts in the morning.

  After a while everything was made snug and tight for the night. Mr. Jonahput away his pitchfork and the boys hung up the water pails. Then alighted lantern was hung at each end of the cabin, and the evening choreswere done, just the same as if they had been on a farm, you know.

  And after that Marjorie went up on deck, where the weathercock was sittingon the flagpole in the moonlight.

  "Oh, I love to be a sailor And sail the ocean blue, And hear the Captain shout 'Ahoy!' And order 'round the crew.

  "And when the waves are rolling high The wind is blowing strong, I sing my cock-a-doodle-do Just like a sailor song.

  "Oh, I'm a sailor rooster, And my name is Shanghai Joe, And I'll sail the sea from A to Z, I'm a sailor bird, Heave ho!"

  "Well, I'm glad you're so happy," said little Marjorie, and maybe she feltjust a little bit homesick, for she was far away from home. And just thenMrs. Noah came on deck and said, "Come, Madge, it's time for bed," andthen she picked her up and carried her into her cabin and tucked her infor the night as comfortable as you please. And in the next chapter I'lltell you what happened in the morning.