Chapter I: Front Matter

THE RUNAWAY EQUATOR

THE RUNAWAY
EQUATOR

And the Strange Adventures of a
Little Boy in Pursuit of It

BY

LILIAN BELL

AUTHOR OF “THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF AN OLD MAID,”
“THE EXPATRIATES,” “ABROAD WITH THE JIMMIES,”
“HOPE LORING,” “AT HOME WITH THE JARDINES,” ETC.

_Illustrated by_
PETER NEWELL

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1910, 1911, by_
THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY

_Copyright, 1911, by_
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

_All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian_

_September, 1911_

TO
JIMMIE BELL, JUNIOR
SECOND INFANTRY, U.S.A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. IN WHICH BILLY MEETS NIMBUS 3

II. THE ENCHANTED TROLLEY CAR 13

III. THE EQUATOR IS LOOSE 23

IV. THE EQUINE OX AND THE EVENING STAR 37

V. IN PURSUIT 47

VI. ON THE PASSIVE VOLCANO 55

VII. JACK FROST 63

VIII. THE COMPASS 73

IX. THE TRAIL OF THE RUNAWAY 83

X. WHERE NIGHT IS SIX MONTHS LONG 93

XI. THE END OF THE CHASE 105

XII. ACROSS THE RAINBOW 115

ILLUSTRATIONS

“THEY SAW THE EQUATOR MAKING OFF A MILE OR TWO AWAY” _Frontispiece_

Facing
Page

“WE’LL TAKE THIS SUNBEAM WITH US” 6

“NIMBUS FOLDED THE TRANSFER INTO A TINY WAND AND SAID:
‘THIS CAR FOR THE EQUATOR!’” 10

“BOTH THE PLUMBER’S APPRENTICES JUMPED HASTILY TO THE GROUND” 14

“STRAIGHT INTO A GREAT PILE OF SNOW WENT THE CAR” 28

“PRESENTLY THEY BEGAN TO CRY AS HARD AS EVER THEY COULD” 32

“NOW, SIR, WHERE IS THAT EQUATOR?” 40

“THERE SUDDENLY APPEARED SEVEN LITTLE CHAPS” 48

“WITH A GREAT CRACKLING NOISE THEY SHOT INTO THE VOID” 50

“BILLY TOOK A SHARP STICK AND POKED THE EQUATOR SMARTLY” 60

“SEATING HIMSELF ON THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF, HE SANG” 66

“CONFRONTING THE EQUINE OX WAS THE CONDUCTOR, WAVING
HIS HANDS AND SHOUTING” 76

“THEY TIED THE TROLLEY ROPE TO HIS HORN AND SECURED HIM
TO THE CAR” 78

“A METEOR DROPPED AMONG THEM” 80

“‘LISTEN,’ SAID THE EQUINE OX, AND THROWING BACK HIS
HEAD, HE SANG” 84

“THE EQUINE OX CROWDED INTO THE REAR DOOR” 90

BILLY MEETS NIMBUS

THE RUNAWAY EQUATOR