首页
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
书架
书页 | 目录
加书签

第3章
23887字

"Allright,"answeredthehorse;"I’lldomybest。ButyoumustrememberI’mold,andmydashingdaysarepastandgone。"

AllthreegotintothebuggyandZebpickedupthereins,thoughJimneedednoguidanceofanysort。Thehorsewasstillsmartingfromthesharpclawsoftheinvisiblebears,andassoonashewasonlandandheadedtowardthemountainthethoughtthatmoreofthosefearsomecreaturesmightbenearactedasaspurandsenthimgallopingalonginawaythatmadeDorothycatchherbreath。

ThenZeb,inaspiritofmischief,utteredagrowllikethatofthebears,andJimprickeduphisearsandfairlyflew。Hisboneylegsmovedsofasttheycouldscarcelybeseen,andtheWizardclungfasttotheseatandyelled"Whoa!"atthetopofhisvoice。

"I——I’m’fraidhe’s——he’srunningaway!"gaspedDorothy。

"IKNOWheis,"saidZeb;"butnobearcancatchhimifhekeepsupthatgait——andtheharnessorthebuggydon’tbreak。"

Jimdidnotmakeamileaminute;butalmostbeforetheywereawareofithedrewupatthefootofthemountain,sosuddenlythattheWizardandZebbothsailedoverthedashboardandlandedinthesoftgrass——wheretheyrolledoverseveraltimesbeforetheystopped。

Dorothynearlywentwiththem,butshewasholdingfasttotheironrailoftheseat,andthatsavedher。Shesqueezedthekitten,though,untilitscreeched;andthentheoldcab-horsemadeseveralcurioussoundsthatledthelittlegirltosuspecthewaslaughingatthemall。

10。TheBraidedManofPyramidMountainThemountainbeforethemwasshapedlikeaconeandwassotallthatitspointwaslostintheclouds。DirectlyfacingtheplacewhereJimhadstoppedwasanarchedopeningleadingtoabroadstairway。Thestairswerecutintherockinsidethemountain,andtheywerebroadandnotverysteep,becausetheycircledaroundlikeacork-screw,andatthearchedopeningwheretheflightbeganthecirclewasquitebig。

Atthefootofthestairswasasignreading:

WARNING。

ThesestepsleadtotheLandoftheGargoyles。

DANGER!KEEPOUT。

"IwonderhowJimisevergoingtodrawthebuggyupsomanystairs,"

saidDorothy,gravely。

"Notroubleatall,"declaredthehorse,withacontemptuousneigh。

"Still,Idon’tcaretodraganypassengers。You’llallhavetowalk。"

"Supposethestairsgetsteeper?"suggestedZeb,doubtfully。

"Thenyou’llhavetoboostthebuggy-wheels,that’sall,"answeredJim。

"We’lltryit,anyway,"saidtheWizard。"It’stheonlywaytogetoutoftheValleyofVoe。"

Sotheybegantoascendthestairs,DorothyandtheWizardfirst,Jimnext,drawingthebuggy,andthenZebtowatchthatnothinghappenedtotheharness。

Thelightwasdim,andsoontheymountedintototaldarkness,sothattheWizardwasobligedtogetouthislanternstolighttheway。Butthisenabledthemtoproceedsteadilyuntiltheycametoalandingwheretherewasariftinthesideofthemountainthatletinbothlightandair。LookingthroughthisopeningtheycouldseetheValleyofVoelyingfarbelowthem,thecottagesseemingliketoyhousesfromthatdistance。

Afterrestingafewmomentstheyresumedtheirclimb,andstillthestairswerebroadandlowenoughforJimtodrawthebuggyeasilyafterhim。Theoldhorsepantedalittle,andhadtostopoftentogethisbreath。Atsuchtimestheywereallgladtowaitforhim,forcontinuallyclimbingupstairsissuretomakeone’slegsache。

Theywoundabout,alwaysgoingupward,forsometime。Thelightsfromthelanternsdimlyshowedtheway,butitwasagloomyjourney,andtheywerepleasedwhenabroadstreakoflightaheadassuredthemtheywerecomingtoasecondlanding。

Hereonesideofthemountainhadagreatholeinit,likethemouthofacavern,andthestairsstoppedatthenearedgeofthefloorandcommencedascendingagainattheoppositeedge。

TheopeninginthemountainwasonthesideoppositetotheValleyofVoe,andourtravellerslookedoutuponastrangescene。Belowthemwasavastspace,atthebottomofwhichwasablackseawithrollingbillows,throughwhichlittletonguesofflameconstantlyshotup。

Justabovethem,andalmostonalevelwiththeirplatform,werebanksofrollingcloudswhichconstantlyshiftedpositionandchangedcolor。

Thebluesandgreyswereverybeautiful,andDorothynoticedthatonthecloudbankssatorreclinedfleecy,shadowyformsofbeautifulbeingswhomusthavebeentheCloudFairies。Mortalswhostandupontheearthandlookupattheskycannotoftendistinguishtheseforms,butourfriendswerenowsoneartothecloudsthattheyobservedthedaintyfairiesveryclearly。

"Aretheyreal?"askedZeb,inanawedvoice。

"Ofcourse,"repliedDorothy,softly。"TheyaretheCloudFairies。"

"Theyseemlikeopen-work,"remarkedtheboy,gazingintently。"IfI

shouldsqueezeone,therewouldn’tbeanythingleftofit。"

Intheopenspacebetweenthecloudsandtheblack,bubblingseafarbeneath,couldbeseenanoccasionalstrangebirdwingingitswayswiftlythroughtheair。Thesebirdswereofenormoussize,andremindedZeboftherocshehadreadaboutintheArabianNights。Theyhadfierceeyesandsharptalonsandbeaks,andthechildrenhopednoneofthemwouldventureintothecavern。

"Well,Ideclare!"suddenlyexclaimedthelittleWizard。"Whatintheworldisthis?"

Theyturnedaroundandfoundamanstandingonthefloorinthecenterofthecave,whobowedverypolitelywhenhesawhehadattractedtheirattention。Hewasaveryoldman,bentnearlydouble;butthequeerestthingabouthimwashiswhitehairandbeard。Theseweresolongthattheyreachedtohisfeet,andboththehairandthebeardwerecarefullyplaitedintomanybraids,andtheendofeachbraidfastenedwithabowofcoloredribbon。

"Wheredidyoucomefrom?"askedDorothy,wonderingly。

"Noplaceatall,"answeredthemanwiththebraids;"thatis,notrecently。OnceIlivedontoptheearth,butformanyyearsIhavehadmyfactoryinthisspot——halfwayupPyramidMountain。"

"Areweonlyhalfwayup?"enquiredtheboy,inadiscouragedtone。

"Ibelieveso,mylad,"repliedthebraidedman。"ButasIhaveneverbeenineitherdirection,downorup,sinceIarrived,Icannotbepositivewhetheritisexactlyhalfwayornot。"

"Haveyouafactoryinthisplace?"askedtheWizard,whohadbeenexaminingthestrangepersonagecarefully。

"Tobesure,"saidtheother。"Iamagreatinventor,youmustknow,andImanufacturemyproductsinthislonelyspot。"

"Whatareyourproducts?"enquiredtheWizard。

"Well,ImakeAssortedFluttersforflagsandbunting,andasuperiorgradeofRustlesforladies’silkgowns。"

"Ithoughtso,"saidtheWizard,withasigh。"Mayweexaminesomeofthesearticles?"

"Yes,indeed;comeintomyshop,please,"andthebraidedmanturnedandledthewayintoasmallercave,whereheevidentlylived。Here,onabroadshelf,wereseveralcard-boardboxesofvarioussizes,eachtiedwithcottoncord。

"This,"saidtheman,takingupaboxandhandlingitgently,"containstwelvedozenrustles——enoughtolastanyladyayear。Willyoubuyit,mydear?"heasked,addressingDorothy。

"Mygownisn’tsilk,"shesaid,smiling。

"Nevermind。Whenyouopentheboxtherustleswillescape,whetheryouarewearingasilkdressornot,"saidtheman,seriously。Thenhepickedupanotherbox。"Inthis,"hecontinued,"aremanyassortedflutters。Theyareinvaluabletomakeflagsflutteronastillday,whenthereisnowind。You,sir,"turningtotheWizard,"oughttohavethisassortment。OnceyouhavetriedmygoodsIamsureyouwillneverbewithoutthem。"

"Ihavenomoneywithme,"saidtheWizard,evasively。

"Idonotwantmoney,"returnedthebraidedman,"forIcouldnotspenditinthisdesertedplaceifIhadit。ButIwouldlikeverymuchabluehair-ribbon。Youwillnoticemybraidsaretiedwithyellow,pink,brown,red,green,whiteandblack;butIhavenoblueribbons。"

"I’llgetyouone!"criedDorothy,whowassorryforthepoorman;sosheranbacktothebuggyandtookfromhersuit-caseaprettyblueribbon。Itdidhergoodtoseehowthebraidedman’seyessparkledwhenhereceivedthistreasure。

"Youhavemademevery,veryhappy,mydear!"heexclaimed;andthenheinsistedontheWizardtakingtheboxoffluttersandthelittlegirlacceptingtheboxofrustles。

"Youmayneedthem,sometime,"hesaid,"andthereisreallynouseinmymanufacturingthesethingsunlesssomebodyusesthem。"

"Whydidyouleavethesurfaceoftheearth?"enquiredtheWizard。

"Icouldnothelpit。Itisasadstory,butifyouwilltrytorestrainyourtearsIwilltellyouaboutit。OnearthIwasamanufacturerofImportedHolesforAmericanSwissCheese,andIwillacknowledgethatIsuppliedasuperiorarticle,whichwasingreatdemand。AlsoImadeporesforporousplastersandhigh-gradeholesfordoughnutsandbuttons。FinallyIinventedanewAdjustablePost-hole,whichIthoughtwouldmakemyfortune。Imanufacturedalargequantityofthesepost-holes,andhavingnoroominwhichtostorethemIsetthemallendtoendandputthetoponeintheground。Thatmadeanextraordinarylonghole,asyoumayimagine,andreachedfardownintotheearth;and,asIleanedoverittotrytoseetothebottom,Ilostmybalanceandtumbledin。Unfortunately,theholeleddirectlyintothevastspaceyouseeoutsidethismountain;

butImanagedtocatchapointofrockthatprojectedfromthiscavern,andsosavedmyselffromtumblingheadlongintotheblackwavesbeneath,wherethetonguesofflamethatdartoutwouldcertainlyhaveconsumedme。Here,then,Imademyhome;andalthoughitisalonelyplaceIamusemyselfmakingrustlesandflutters,andsogetalongverynicely。"

WhenthebraidedmanhadcompletedthisstrangetaleDorothynearlylaughed,becauseitwasallsoabsurd;buttheWizardtappedhisforeheadsignificantly,toindicatethathethoughtthepoormanwascrazy。Sotheypolitelybadehimgoodday,andwentbacktotheoutercaverntoresumetheirjourney。

11。TheyMeettheWoodenGargoylesAnotherbreathlessclimbbroughtouradventurerstoathirdlandingwheretherewasariftinthemountain。Onpeeringoutalltheycouldseewasrollingbanksofclouds,sothickthattheyobscuredallelse。

Butthetravellerswereobligedtorest,andwhiletheyweresittingontherockyfloortheWizardfeltinhispocketandbroughtouttheninetinypiglets。Tohisdelighttheywerenowplainlyvisible,whichprovedthattheyhadpassedbeyondtheinfluenceofthemagicalValleyofVoe。

"Why,wecanseeeachotheragain!"criedone,joyfully。

"Yes,"sighedEureka;"andIalsocanseeyouagain,andthesightmakesmedreadfullyhungry。Please,Mr。Wizard,mayIeatjustoneofthefatlittlepiglets?You’dnevermissONEofthem,I’msure!"

"Whatahorrid,savagebeast!"exclaimedapiglet;"andafterwe’vebeensuchgoodfriends,too,andplayedwithoneanother!"

"WhenI’mnothungry,Ilovetoplaywithyouall,"saidthekitten,demurely;"butwhenmystomachisemptyitseemsthatnothingwouldfillitsonicelyasafatpiglet。"

"Andwetrustedyouso!"saidanotherofthenine,reproachfully。

"Andthoughtyouwererespectable!"saidanother。

"Itseemsweweremistaken,"declaredathird,lookingatthekittentimorously,"noonewithsuchmurderousdesiresshouldbelongtoourparty,I’msure。"

"Yousee,Eureka,"remarkedDorothy,reprovingly,"youaremakingyourselfdisliked。Therearecertainthingsproperforakittentoeat;butIneverheardofakitteneatingapig,underANYcir’stances。"

"Didyoueverseesuchlittlepigsbefore?"askedthekitten。"Theyarenobiggerthanmice,andI’msuremiceareproperformetoeat。"

"Itisn’tthebigness,dear;itsthevariety,"repliedthegirl。

"TheseareMr。Wizard’spets,justasyouaremypet,anditwouldn’tbeanymoreproperforyoutoeatthemthanitwouldbeforJimtoeatyou。"

"Andthat’sjustwhatIshalldoifyoudon’tletthoselittleballsofporkalone,"saidJim,glaringatthekittenwithhisround,bigeyes。"IfyouinjureanyoneofthemI’llchewyouupinstantly。"

Thekittenlookedatthehorsethoughtfully,asiftryingtodecidewhetherhemeantitornot。

"Inthatcase,"shesaid,"I’llleavethemalone。Youhaven’tmanyteethleft,Jim,butthefewyouhavearesharpenoughtomakemeshudder。Sothepigletswillbeperfectlysafe,hereafter,asfarasIamconcerned。"

"Thatisright,Eureka,"remarkedtheWizard,earnestly。"Letusallbeahappyfamilyandloveoneanother。"

Eurekayawnedandstretchedherself。

"I’vealwayslovedthepiglets,"shesaid;"buttheydon’tloveme。"

"Noonecanloveapersonhe’safraidof,"assertedDorothy。"Ifyoubehave,anddon’tscarethelittlepigs,I’msurethey’llgrowveryfondofyou。"

TheWizardnowputtheninetinyonesbackintohispocketandthejourneywasresumed。

"Wemustbeprettynearthetop,now,"saidtheboy,astheyclimbedwearilyupthedark,windingstairway。

"TheCountryoftheGurglescan’tbefarfromthetopoftheearth,"

remarkedDorothy。"Itisn’tverynicedownhere。I’dliketogethomeagain,I’msure。"

Noonerepliedtothis,becausetheyfoundtheyneededalltheirbreathfortheclimb。ThestairshadbecomenarrowerandZebandtheWizardoftenhadtohelpJimpullthebuggyfromonesteptoanother,orkeepitfromjammingagainsttherockywalls。

Atlast,however,adimlightappearedaheadofthem,whichgrewclearerandstrongerastheyadvanced。

"Thankgoodnesswe’renearlythere!"pantedthelittleWizard。

Jim,whowasinadvance,sawthelaststairbeforehimandstuckhisheadabovetherockysidesofthestairway。Thenhehalted,duckeddownandbegantobackup,sothathenearlyfellwiththebuggyontotheothers。

"Let’sgodownagain!"hesaid,inhishoarsevoice。

"Nonsense!"snappedthetiredWizard。"What’sthematterwithyou,oldman?"

"Everything,"grumbledthehorse。"I’vetakenalookatthisplace,andit’snofitcountryforrealcreaturestogoto。Everything’sdead,upthere——nofleshorbloodorgrowingthinganywhere。"

"Nevermind;。wecan’tturnback,"saidDorothy;"andwedon’tintendtostaythere,anyhow。"

"It’sdangerous,"growledJim,inastubborntone。

"Seehere,mygoodsteed,"brokeintheWizard,"littleDorothyandI

havebeeninmanyqueercountriesinourtravels,andalwaysescapedwithoutharm。We’veevenbeentothemarvelousLandofOz——haven’twe,Dorothy?——sowedon’tmuchcarewhattheCountryoftheGargoylesislike。Goahead,Jim,andwhateverhappenswe’llmakethebestofit。"

"Allright,"answeredthehorse;"thisisyourexcursion,andnotmine;soifyougetintotroubledon’tblameme。"

Withthisspeechhebentforwardanddraggedthebuggyuptheremainingsteps。Theothersfollowedandsoontheywereallstandinguponabroadplatformandgazingatthemostcuriousandstartlingsighttheireyeshadeverbeheld。

"TheCountryoftheGargoylesisallwooden!"exclaimedZeb;andsoitwas。Thegroundwassawdustandthepebblesscatteredaroundwerehardknotsfromtrees,wornsmoothincourseoftime。Therewereoddwoodenhouses,withcarvedwoodenflowersinthefrontyards。Thetree-trunkswereofcoarsewood,buttheleavesofthetreeswereshavings。Thepatchesofgrassweresplintersofwood,andwhereneithergrassnorsawdustshowedwasasolidwoodenflooring。Woodenbirdsflutteredamongthetreesandwoodencowswerebrowsinguponthewoodengrass;butthemostamazingthingsofallwerethewoodenpeople——thecreaturesknownasGargoyles。

Thesewereverynumerous,fortheplacewasthicklyinhabited,andalargegroupofthequeerpeopleclusterednear,gazingsharplyuponthestrangerswhohademergedfromthelongspiralstairway。

TheGargoyleswereverysmallofstature,beinglessthanthreefeetinheight。Theirbodieswereround,theirlegsshortandthickandtheirarmsextraordinarilylongandstout。Theirheadsweretoobigfortheirbodiesandtheirfacesweredecidedlyuglytolookupon。

Somehadlong,curvednosesandchins,smalleyesandwide,grinningmouths。Othershadflatnoses,protrudingeyes,andearsthatwereshapedlikethoseofanelephant。Thereweremanytypes,indeed,scarcelytwobeingalike;butallwereequallydisagreeableinappearance。Thetopsoftheirheadshadnohair,butwerecarvedintoavarietyoffantasticshapes,somehavingarowofpointsorballsaroundthetop,othersdesignsresemblingflowersorvegetables,andstillothershavingsquaresthatlookedlikewafflescutcriss-crossontheirheads。Theyallworeshortwoodenwingswhichwerefastenedtotheirwoodenbodiesbymeansofwoodenhingeswithwoodenscrews,andwiththesewingstheyflewswiftlyandnoiselesslyhereandthere,theirlegsbeingoflittleusetothem。

ThisnoiselessmotionwasoneofthemostpeculiarthingsabouttheGargoyles。Theymadenosoundsatall,eitherinflyingortryingtospeak,andtheyconversedmainlybymeansofquicksignalsmadewiththeirwoodenfingersorlips。Neitherwasthereanysoundtobeheardanywherethroughoutthewoodencountry。Thebirdsdidnotsing,nordidthecowsmoo;yettherewasmorethanordinaryactivityeverywhere。

Thegroupofthesequeercreatureswhichwasdiscoveredclusterednearthestairsatfirstremainedstaringandmotionless,glaringwithevileyesattheintruderswhohadsosuddenlyappearedintheirland。

InturntheWizardandthechildren,thehorseandthekitten,examinedtheGargoyleswiththesamesilentattention。

"There’sgoingtobetrouble,I’msure,"remarkedthehorse。

"Unhitchthosetugs,Zeb,andsetmefreefromthebuggy,soIcanfightcomfortably。"

"Jim’sright,"sighedtheWizard。"There’sgoingtobetrouble,andmyswordisn’tstoutenoughtocutupthosewoodenbodies——soIshallhavetogetoutmyrevolvers。"

Hegothissatchelfromthebuggyand,openingit,tookouttwodeadlylookingrevolversthatmadethechildrenshrinkbackinalarmjusttolookat。

"WhatharmcantheGurglesdo?"askedDorothy。"Theyhavenoweaponstohurtuswith。"

"Eachoftheirarmsisawoodenclub,"answeredthelittleman,"andI’msurethecreaturesmeanmischief,bythelooksoftheireyes。

Eventheserevolverscanmerelysucceedindamagingafewoftheirwoodenbodies,andafterthatwewillbeattheirmercy。"

"Butwhyfightatall,inthatcase?"askedthegirl。

"SoImaydiewithaclearconscience,"returnedtheWizard,gravely。

"It’severyman’sdutytodothebestheknowshow;andI’mgoingtodoit。"

"WishIhadanaxe,"saidZeb,whobynowhadunhitchedthehorse。

"Ifwehadknownwewerecomingwemighthavebroughtalongseveralotherusefulthings,"respondedtheWizard。"Butwedroppedintothisadventureratherunexpectedly。"

TheGargoyleshadbackedawayadistancewhentheyheardthesoundoftalking,foralthoughourfriendshadspokeninlowtonestheirwordsseemedloudinthesilencesurroundingthem。Butassoonastheconversationceased,thegrinning,uglycreaturesaroseinaflockandflewswiftlytowardthestrangers,theirlongarmsstretchedoutbeforethemlikethebowspritsofafleetofsail-boats。Thehorsehadespeciallyattractedtheirnotice,becauseitwasthebiggestandstrangestcreaturetheyhadeverseen;soitbecamethecenteroftheirfirstattack。

ButJimwasreadyforthem,andwhenhesawthemcomingheturnedhisheelstowardthemandbegankickingoutashardashecould。Crack!

crash!bang!wenthisiron-shodhoofsagainstthewoodenbodiesoftheGargoyles,andtheywerebatteredrightandleftwithsuchforcethattheyscatteredlikestrawsinthewind。ButthenoiseandclatterseemedasdreadfultothemasJim’sheels,forallwhowereableswiftlyturnedandflewawaytoagreatdistance。Theotherspickedthemselvesupfromthegroundonebyoneandquicklyrejoinedtheirfellows,soforamomentthehorsethoughthehadwonthefightwithease。

ButtheWizardwasnotsoconfident。

"Thosewoodenthingsareimpossibletohurt,"hesaid,"andallthedamageJimhasdonetothemistoknockafewsplintersfromtheirnosesandears。Thatcannotmakethemlookanyuglier,I’msure,anditismyopiniontheywillsoonrenewtheattack。"

"Whatmadethemflyaway?"askedDorothy。

"Thenoise,ofcourse。Don’tyourememberhowtheChampionescapedthembyshoutinghisbattle-cry?"

"Supposeweescapedownthestairs,too,"suggestedtheboy。"Wehavetime,justnow,andI’dratherfacetheinvis’blebearsthanthosewoodenimps。"

"No,"returnedDorothy,stoutly,"itwon’tdotogoback,forthenwewouldnevergethome。Let’sfightitout。"

"ThatiswhatIadvise,"saidtheWizard。"Theyhaven’tdefeatedusyet,andJimisworthawholearmy。"

ButtheGargoyleswerecleverenoughnottoattackthehorsethenexttime。Theyadvancedinagreatswarm,havingbeenjoinedbymanymoreoftheirkind,andtheyflewstraightoverJim’sheadtowheretheotherswerestanding。

TheWizardraisedoneofhisrevolversandfiredintothethrongofhisenemies,andtheshotresoundedlikeaclapofthunderinthatsilentplace。

Someofthewoodenbeingsfellflatupontheground,wheretheyquiveredandtrembledineverylimb;butmostofthemmanagedtowheelandescapeagaintoadistance。

ZebranandpickeduponeoftheGargoylesthatlaynearesttohim。

ThetopofitsheadwascarvedintoacrownandtheWizard’sbullethadstruckitexactlyinthelefteye,whichwasahardwoodenknot。

Halfofthebulletstuckinthewoodandhalfstuckout,soithadbeenthejarandthesuddennoisethathadknockedthecreaturedown,morethanthefactthatitwasreallyhurt。BeforethiscrownedGargoylehadrecoveredhimselfZebhadwoundastrapseveraltimesarounditsbody,confiningitswingsandarmssothatitcouldnotmove。Then,havingtiedthewoodencreaturesecurely,theboybuckledthestrapandtossedhisprisonerintothebuggy。Bythattimetheothershadallretired。

12。AWonderfulEscapeForawhiletheenemyhesitatedtorenewtheattack。ThenafewofthemadvanceduntilanothershotfromtheWizard’srevolvermadethemretreat。

"That’sfine,"saidZeb。"We’vegot’emontherunnow,sureenough。"

"Butonlyforatime,"repliedtheWizard,shakinghisheadgloomily。

"Theserevolversaregoodforsixshotseach,butwhenthosearegoneweshallbehelpless。"

TheGargoylesseemedtorealizethis,fortheysentafewoftheirbandtimeaftertimetoattackthestrangersanddrawthefirefromthelittleman’srevolvers。Inthiswaynoneofthemwasshockedbythedreadfulreportmorethanonce,forthemainbandkeptfarawayandeachtimeanewcompanywassentintothebattle。WhentheWizardhadfiredallofhistwelvebulletshehadcausednodamagetotheenemyexcepttostunafewbythenoise,andsoheasnonearertovictorythaninthebeginningofthefray。

"Whatshallwedonow?"askedDorothy,anxiously。

"Let’syell——alltogether,"saidZeb。

"Andfightatthesametime,"addedtheWizard。"WewillgetnearJim,sothathecanhelpus,andeachonemusttakesomeweaponanddothebesthecan。I’llusemysword,althoughitisn’tmuchaccountinthisaffair。Dorothymusttakeherparasolandopenitsuddenlywhenthewoodenfolksattackher。Ihaven’tanythingforyou,Zeb。"

"I’llusetheking,"saidtheboy,andpulledhisprisoneroutofthebuggy。TheboundGargoyle’sarmsextendedfaroutbeyonditshead,sobygraspingitswristsZebfoundthekingmadeaverygoodclub。

Theboywasstrongforoneofhisyears,havingalwaysworkeduponafarm;

sohewaslikelytoprovemoredangeroustotheenemythantheWizard。

WhenthenextcompanyofGargoylesadvanced,ouradventurersbeganyellingasiftheyhadgonemad。EventhekittengaveadreadfullyshrillscreamandatthesametimeJimthecab-horseneighedloudly。

Thisdauntedtheenemyforatime,butthedefendersweresoonoutofbreath。Perceivingthis,aswellasthefactthattherewerenomoreoftheawful"bangs"tocomefromtherevolvers,theGargoylesadvancedinaswarmasthickasbees,sothattheairwasfilledwiththem。

Dorothysquatteduponthegroundandputupherparasol,whichnearlycoveredherandprovedagreatprotection。TheWizard’ssword-bladesnappedintoadozenpiecesatthefirstblowhestruckagainstthewoodenpeople。ZebpoundedawaywiththeGargoylehewasusingasaclubuntilhehadknockeddowndozensoffoes;butatthelasttheyclusteredsothicklyabouthimthathenolongerhadroominwhichtoswinghisarms。ThehorseperformedsomewonderfulkickingandevenEurekaassistedwhensheleapedbodilyupontheGargoylesandscratchedandbitatthemlikeawild-cat。

Butallthisbraveryamountedtonothingatall。ThewoodenthingswoundtheirlongarmsaroundZebandtheWizardandheldthemfast。

Dorothywascapturedinthesameway,andnumbersoftheGargoylesclungtoJim’slegs,soweightinghimdownthatthepoorbeastwashelpless。Eurekamadeadesperatedashtoescapeandscamperedalongthegroundlikeastreak;butagrinningGargoyleflewafterherandgrabbedherbeforeshehadgoneveryfar。

Allofthemexpectednothinglessthaninstantdeath;buttotheirsurprisethewoodencreaturesflewintotheairwiththemandborethemfaraway,overmilesandmilesofwoodencountry,untiltheycametoawoodencity。Thehousesofthiscityhadmanycorners,beingsquareandsix-sidedandeight-sided。Theyweretower-likeinshapeandthebestofthemseemedoldandweather-worn;yetallwerestrongandsubstantial。

Tooneofthesehouseswhichhadneitherdoorsnorwindows,butonlyonebroadopeningfarupunderneaththeroof,theprisonerswerebroughtbytheircaptors。TheGargoylesroughlypushedthemintotheopening,wheretherewasaplatform,andthenflewawayandleftthem。

Astheyhadnowingsthestrangerscouldnotflyaway,andiftheyjumpeddownfromsuchaheighttheywouldsurelybekilled。Thecreatureshadsenseenoughtoreasonthatway,andtheonlymistaketheymadewasinsupposingtheearthpeoplewereunabletoovercomesuchordinarydifficulties。

Jimwasbroughtwiththeothers,althoughittookagoodmanyGargoylestocarrythebigbeastthroughtheairandlandhimonthehighplatform,andthebuggywasthrustinafterhimbecauseitbelongedtothepartyandthewoodenfolkshadnoideawhatitwasusedfororwhetheritwasaliveornot。WhenEureka’scaptorhadthrownthekittenaftertheothersthelastGargoylesilentlydisappeared,leavingourfriendstobreathefreelyoncemore。

"Whatanawfulfight!"saidDorothy,catchingherbreathinlittlegasps。

"Oh,Idon’tknow,"purredEureka,smoothingherruffledfurwithherpaw;"wedidn’tmanagetohurtanybody,andnobodymanagedtohurtus。"

"Thankgoodnesswearetogetheragain,evenifweareprisoners,"

sighedthelittlegirl。

"Iwonderwhytheydidn’tkillusonthespot,"remarkedZeb,whohadlosthiskinginthestruggle。

"Theyareprobablykeepingusforsomeceremony,"theWizardanswered,reflectively;"butthereisnodoubttheyintendtokillusasdeadaspossibleinashorttime。"

"Asdeadasposs’blewouldbeprettydead,wouldn’tit?"askedDorothy。

"Yes,mydear。Butwehavenoneedtoworryaboutthatjustnow。Letusexamineourprisonandseewhatitislike。"

Thespaceunderneaththeroof,wheretheystood,permittedthemtoseeonallsidesofthetallbuilding,andtheylookedwithmuchcuriosityatthecityspreadoutbeneaththem。Everythingvisiblewasmadeofwood,andthesceneseemedstiffandextremelyunnatural。

Fromtheirplatformastairdescendedintothehouse,andthechildrenandtheWizardexploreditafterlightingalanterntoshowthemtheway。Severalstoriesofemptyroomsrewardedtheirsearch,butnothingmore;soafteratimetheycamebacktotheplatformagain。

Hadtherebeenanydoorsorwindowsinthelowerrooms,orhadnottheboardsofthehousebeensothickandstout,escapecouldhavebeeneasy;buttoremaindownbelowwaslikebeinginacellarortheholdofaship,andtheydidnotlikethedarknessorthedampsmell。

Inthiscountry,asinallotherstheyhadvisitedunderneaththeearth’ssurface,therewasnonight,aconstantandstronglightcomingfromsomeunknownsource。Lookingout,theycouldseeintosomeofthehousesnearthem,wheretherewereopenwindowsinabundance,andwereabletomarktheformsofthewoodenGargoylesmovingaboutintheirdwellings。

"Thisseemstobetheirtimeofrest,"observedtheWizard。

"Allpeopleneedrest,eveniftheyaremadeofwood,andasthereisnonightheretheyselectacertaintimeofthedayinwhichtosleepordoze。"

"Ifeelsleepymyself,"remarkedZeb,yawning。

"Why,where’sEureka?"criedDorothy,suddenly。

Theyalllookedaround,butthekittenwasnoplacetobeseen。

"She’sgoneoutforawalk,"saidJim,gruffly。

"Where?Ontheroof?"askedthegirl。

"No;shejustdugherclawsintothewoodandclimbeddownthesidesofthishousetotheground。"

"Shecouldn’tclimbDOWN,Jim,"saidDorothy。"Toclimbmeanstogoup。"

"Whosaidso?"demandedthehorse。

"Myschool-teachersaidso;andsheknowsalot,Jim。"

"To’climbdown’issometimesusedasafigureofspeech,"remarkedtheWizard。

"Well,thiswasafigureofacat,"saidJim,"andsheWENTdown,anyhow,whethersheclimbedorcrept。"

"Dearme!howcarelessEurekais,"exclaimedthegirl,muchdistressed。"TheGurgleswillgether,sure!"

"Ha,ha!"chuckledtheoldcab-horse;"they’renot’Gurgles,’littlemaid;they’reGargoyles。"

"Nevermind;they’llgetEureka,whateverthey’recalled。"

"Notheywon’t,"saidthevoiceofthekitten,andEurekaherselfcrawledovertheedgeoftheplatformandsatdownquietlyuponthefloor。

"Whereverhaveyoubeen,Eureka?"askedDorothy,sternly。

"Watchingthewoodenfolks。They’retoofunnyforanything,Dorothy。

Justnowtheyareallgoingtobed,and——whatdoyouthink?——theyunhookthehingesoftheirwingsandputtheminacorneruntiltheywakeupagain。"

"What,thehinges?"

"No;thewings。"

"That,"saidZeb,"explainswhythishouseisusedbythemforaprison。IfanyoftheGargoylesactbadly,andhavetobeputinjail,theyarebroughthereandtheirwingsunhookedandtakenawayfromthemuntiltheypromisetobegood。"

TheWizardhadlistenedintentlytowhatEurekahadsaid。

"Iwishwehadsomeofthoseloosewings,"hesaid。

"Couldweflywiththem?"askedDorothy。

"Ithinkso。IftheGargoylescanunhookthewingsthenthepowertoflyliesinthewingsthemselves,andnotinthewoodenbodiesofthepeoplewhowearthem。So,ifwehadthewings,wecouldprobablyflyaswellastheydo——asleastwhileweareintheircountryandunderthespellofitsmagic。"

"Buthowwouldithelpustobeabletofly?"questionedthegirl。

"Comehere,"saidthelittleman,andtookhertooneofthecornersofthebuilding。"Doyouseethatbigrockstandingonthehillsideyonder?"hecontinued,pointingwithhisfinger。

"Yes;it’sagoodwayoff,butIcanseeit,"shereplied。

"Well,insidethatrock,whichreachesupintotheclouds,isanarchwayverymuchliketheoneweenteredwhenweclimbedthespiralstairwayfromtheValleyofVoe。I’llgetmyspy-glass,andthenyoucanseeitmoreplainly。"

Hefetchedasmallbutpowerfultelescope,whichhadbeeninhissatchel,andbyitsaidthelittlegirlclearlysawtheopening。

"Wheredoesitleadto?"sheasked。

"ThatIcannottell,"saidtheWizard;"butwecannotnowbefarbelowtheearth’ssurface,andthatentrancemayleadtoanotherstairwaythatwillbringusontopofourworldagain,wherewebelong。So,ifwehadthewings,andcouldescapetheGargoyles,wemightflytothatrockandbesaved。"

"I’llgetyouthewings,"saidZeb,whohadthoughtfullylistenedtoallthis。"Thatis,ifthekittenwillshowmewheretheyare。"

"Buthowcanyougetdown?"enquiredthegirl,wonderingly。

ForanswerZebbegantounfastenJim’sharness,strapbystrap,andtobuckleonepiecetoanotheruntilhehadmadealongleatherstripthatwouldreachtotheground。

"Icanclimbdownthat,allright,"hesaid。

"Noyoucan’t,"remarkedJim,withatwinkleinhisroundeyes。"YoumayGOdown,butyoucanonlyCLIMBup。"

"Well,I’llclimbupwhenIgetback,then,"saidtheboy,withalaugh。"Now,Eureka,you’llhavetoshowmethewaytothosewings。"

"Youmustbeveryquiet,"warnedthekitten;"forifyoumaketheleastnoisetheGargoyleswillwakeup。Theycanhearapindrop。"

"I’mnotgoingtodropapin,"saidZeb。

Hehadfastenedoneendofthestraptoawheelofthebuggy,andnowheletthelinedangleoverthesideofthehouse。

"Becareful,"cautionedDorothy,earnestly。

"Iwill,"saidtheboy,andlethimselfslideovertheedge。

ThegirlandtheWizardleanedoverandwatchedZebworkhiswaycarefullydownward,handoverhand,untilhestooduponthegroundbelow。Eurekaclungwithherclawstothewoodensideofthehouseandletherselfdowneasily。Thentogethertheycreptawaytoenterthelowdoorwayofaneighboringdwelling。

Thewatcherswaitedinbreathlesssuspenseuntiltheboyagainappeared,hisarmsnowfullofthewoodenwings。

Whenhecametowherethestrapwashanginghetiedthewingsallinabunchtotheendoftheline,andtheWizarddrewthemup。ThenthelinewasletdownagainforZebtoclimbupby。Eurekaquicklyfollowedhim,andsoontheywereallstandingtogetherupontheplatform,witheightofthemuchprizedwoodenwingsbesidethem。

Theboywasnolongersleepy,butfullofenergyandexcitement。HeputtheharnesstogetheragainandhitchedJimtothebuggy。Then,withtheWizard’shelp,hetriedtofastensomeofthewingstotheoldcab-horse。

Thiswasnoeasytask,becausehalfofeachoneofthehingesofthewingswasmissing,itbeingstillfastenedtothebodyoftheGargoylewhohadusedit。However,theWizardwentoncemoretohissatchel——

whichseemedtocontainasurprisingvarietyofoddsandends——andbroughtoutaspoolofstrongwire,bymeansofwhichtheymanagedtofastenfourofthewingstoJim’sharness,twonearhisheadandtwonearhistail。Theywereabitwiggley,butsecureenoughifonlytheharnessheldtogether。

Theotherfourwingswerethenfastenedtothebuggy,twooneachside,forthebuggymustbeartheweightofthechildrenandtheWizardasitflewthroughtheair。

Thesepreparationshadnotconsumedagreatdealoftime,butthesleepingGargoyleswerebeginningtowakeupandmovearound,andsoonsomeofthemwouldbehuntingfortheirmissingwings。Sotheprisonersresolvedtoleavetheirprisonatonce。

Theymountedintothebuggy,DorothyholdingEurekasafeinherlap。

Thegirlsatinthemiddleoftheseat,withZebandtheWizardoneachsideofher。Whenallwasreadytheboyshookthereinsandsaid:

"Flyaway,Jim!"

"WhichwingsmustIflopfirst?"askedthecab-horse,undecidedly。

"Flopthemalltogether,"suggestedtheWizard。

"Someofthemarecrooked,"objectedthehorse。

"Nevermind;wewillsteerwiththewingsonthebuggy,"saidZeb。

"Justyoulightoutandmakeforthatrock,Jim;anddon’twasteanytimeaboutit,either。"

Sothehorsegaveagroan,floppeditsfourwingsalltogether,andflewawayfromtheplatform。Dorothywasalittleanxiousaboutthesuccessoftheirtrip,forthewayJimarchedhislongneckandspreadouthisbonylegsasheflutteredandflounderedthroughtheairwasenoughtomakeanybodynervous。Hegroaned,too,asiffrightened,andthewingscreakeddreadfullybecausetheWizardhadforgottentooilthem;buttheykeptfairlygoodtimewiththewingsofthebuggy,sothattheymadeexcellentprogressfromthestart。Theonlythingthatanyonecouldcomplainofwithjusticewasthefactthattheywobbledfirstupandthendown,asiftheroadwererockyinsteadofbeingassmoothastheaircouldmakeit。

Themainpoint,however,wasthattheyflew,andflewswiftly,ifabitunevenly,towardtherockforwhichtheyhadheaded。

SomeoftheGargoylessawthem,presently,andlostnotimeincollectingabandtopursuetheescapingprisoners;sothatwhenDorothyhappenedtolookbackshesawthemcominginagreatcloudthatalmostdarkenedthesky。

13。TheDenoftheDragonettesOurfriendshadagoodstartandwereabletomaintainit,forwiththeireightwingstheycouldgojustasfastascouldtheGargoyles。

Allthewaytothegreatrockthewoodenpeoplefollowedthem,andwhenJimfinallyalightedatthemouthofthecavernthepursuerswerestillsomedistanceaway。

"But,I’mafraidthey’llcatchusyet,"saidDorothy,greatlyexcited。

"No;wemuststopthem,"declaredtheWizard。"QuickZeb,helpmepulloffthesewoodenwings!"

Theytoreoffthewings,forwhichtheyhadnofurtheruse,andtheWizardpiledtheminaheapjustoutsidetheentrancetothecavern。

Thenhepouredoverthemallthekeroseneoilthatwasleftinhisoil-can,andlightingamatchsetfiretothepile。

TheflamesleapedupatonceandthebonfirebegantosmokeandroarandcracklejustasthegreatarmyofwoodenGargoylesarrived。Thecreaturesdrewbackatonce,beingfilledwithfearandhorror;forsuchasdreadfulthingasafiretheyhadneverbeforeknowninallthehistoryoftheirwoodenland。

Insidethearchwaywereseveraldoors,leadingtodifferentroomsbuiltintothemountain,andZebandtheWizardliftedthesewoodendoorsfromtheirhingesandtossedthemallontheflames。

"Thatwillproveabarrierforsometimetocome,"saidthelittleman,smilingpleasantlyalloverhiswrinkledfaceatthesuccessoftheirstratagem。"Perhapstheflameswillsetfiretoallthatmiserablewoodencountry,andifitdoesthelosswillbeverysmallandtheGargoylesneverwillbemissed。Butcome,mychildren;

letusexplorethemountainanddiscoverwhichwaywemustgoinordertoescapefromthiscavern,whichisgettingtobealmostashotasabake-oven。"

Totheirdisappointmenttherewaswithinthismountainnoregularflightofstepsbymeansofwhichtheycouldmounttotheearth’ssurface。Asortofinclinedtunnelledupwardforaway,andtheyfoundthefloorofitbothroughandsteep。Thenasuddenturnbroughtthemtoanarrowgallerywherethebuggycouldnotpass。Thisdelayedandbotheredthemforawhile,becausetheydidnotwishtoleavethebuggybehindthem。Itcarriedtheirbaggageandwasusefultorideinwhereverthereweregoodroads,andsinceithadaccompaniedthemsofarintheirtravelstheyfeltittheirdutytopreserveit。SoZebandtheWizardsettoworkandtookoffthewheelsandthetop,andthentheyputthebuggyedgewise,soitwouldtakeupthesmallestspace。Inthispositiontheymanaged,withtheaidofthepatientcab-horse,todragthevehiclethroughthenarrowpartofthepassage。Itwasnotagreatdistance,fortunately,andwhenthepathgrewbroadertheyputthebuggytogetheragainandproceededmorecomfortably。Buttheroadwasnothingmorethanaseriesofriftsorcracksinthemountain,anditwentzig-zagineverydirection,slantingfirstupandthendownuntiltheywerepuzzledastowhethertheywereanynearertothetopoftheearththanwhentheyhadstarted,hoursbefore。

"Anyhow,"saidDorothy,"we’ve’scapedthoseawfulGurgles,andthat’sONEcomfort!"

"ProbablytheGargoylesarestillbusytryingtoputoutthefire,"

returnedtheWizard。"Buteveniftheysucceededindoingthatitwouldbeverydifficultforthemtoflyamongsttheserocks;soIamsureweneedfearthemnolonger。"

Onceinawhiletheywouldcometoadeepcrackinthefloor,whichmadethewayquitedangerous;buttherewasstillenoughoilinthelanternstogivethemlight,andthecrackswerenotsowidebutthattheywereabletojumpoverthem。Sometimestheyhadtoclimboverheapsoflooserock,whereJimcouldscarcelydragthebuggy。AtsuchtimesDorothy,ZebandtheWizardallpushedbehind,andliftedthewheelsovertheroughestplaces;sotheymanaged,bydintofhardwork,tokeepgoing。Butthelittlepartywasbothwearyanddiscouragedwhenatlast,onturningasharpcorner,thewanderersfoundthemselvesinavastcavearchinghighovertheirheadsandhavingasmooth,levelfloor。

Thecavewascircularinshape,andallarounditsedge,neartotheground,appearedgroupsofdullyellowlights,twoofthembeingalwayssidebyside。Theseweremotionlessatfirst,butsoonbegantoflickermorebrightlyandtoswayslowlyfromsidetosideandthenupanddown。

"Whatsortofplaceisthis?"askedtheboy,tryingtoseemoreclearlythroughthegloom。

"Icannotimagine,I’msure,"answeredtheWizard,alsopeeringabout。

"Woogh!"snarledEureka,archingherbackuntilherhairstoodstraightonend;"it’sdenofalligators,orcrocodiles,orsomeotherdreadfulcreatures!Don’tyouseetheirterribleeyes?"

"Eurekaseesbetterinthedarkthanwecan,"whisperedDorothy。

"Tellus,dear,whatdothecreatureslooklike?"sheasked,addressingherpet。

"Isimplycan’tdescribe’em,"answeredthekitten,shuddering。

"Theireyesarelikepie-platesandtheirmouthslikecoal-scuttles。

Buttheirbodiesdon’tseemverybig。"

"Wherearethey?"enquiredthegirl。

"Theyareinlittlepocketsallaroundtheedgeofthiscavern。Oh,Dorothy——youcan’timaginewhathorridthingstheyare!They’reuglierthantheGargoyles。"

"Tut-tut!becarefulhowyoucriticiseyourneighbors,"spokearaspingvoicenearby。"Asamatteroffactyouareratherugly-lookingcreaturesyourselves,andI’msuremotherhasoftentoldusweweretheloveliestandprettiestthingsinalltheworld。"

Hearingthesewordsourfriendsturnedinthedirectionofthesound,andtheWizardheldhislanternssothattheirlightwouldfloodoneofthelittlepocketsintherock。

"Why,it’sadragon!"heexclaimed。

"No,"answeredtheownerofthebigyelloweyeswhichwereblinkingatthemsosteadily;"youarewrongaboutthat。Wehopetogrowtobedragonssomeday,butjustnowwe’reonlydragonettes。"

"What’sthat?"askedDorothy,gazingfearfullyatthegreatscaleyhead,theyawningmouthandthebigeyes。

"Youngdragons,ofcourse;butwearenotallowedtocallourselvesrealdragonsuntilwegetourfullgrowth,"wasthereply。"Thebigdragonsareveryproud,anddon’tthinkchildrenamounttomuch;butmothersaysthatsomedaywewillallbeverypowerfulandimportant。"

"Whereisyourmother?"askedtheWizard,anxiouslylookingaround。

"Shehasgoneuptothetopoftheearthtohuntforourdinner。Ifshehasgoodluckshewillbringusanelephant,orabraceofrhinoceri,orperhapsafewdozenpeopletostayourhunger。"

"Oh;areyouhungry?"enquiredDorothy,drawingback。

"Very,"saidthedragonette,snappingitsjaws。

"And——and——doyoueatpeople?"

"Tobesure,whenwecangetthem。Butthey’vebeenveryscarceforafewyearsandweusuallyhavetobecontentwithelephantsorbuffaloes,"answeredthecreature,inaregretfultone。

"Howoldareyou?"enquiredZeb,whostaredattheyelloweyesasiffascinated。

"Quiteyoung,Igrievetosay;andallofmybrothersandsistersthatyouseeherearepracticallymyownage。IfIrememberrightly,weweresixty-sixyearsoldthedaybeforeyesterday。"

"Butthatisn’tyoung!"criedDorothy,inamazement。

"No?"drawledthedragonette;"itseemstomeverybabyish。"

"Howoldisyourmother?"askedthegirl。

"Mother’sabouttwothousandyearsold;butshecarelesslylosttrackofherageafewcenturiesagoandskippedseveralhundreds。She’salittlefussy,youknow,andafraidofgrowingold,beingawidowandstillinherprime。"

"Ishouldthinkshewouldbe,"agreedDorothy。Then,afteramoment’sthought,sheasked:"Arewefriendsorenemies?Imean,willyoubegoodtous,ordoyouintendtoeatus?"

"Asforthat,wedragonetteswouldlovetoeatyou,mychild;butunfortunatelymotherhastiedallourtailsaroundtherocksatthebackofourindividualcaves,sothatwecannotcrawlouttogetyou。

Ifyouchoosetocomenearerwewillmakeamouthfulofyouinawink;

butunlessyoudoyouwillremainquitesafe。"

Therewasaregretfulaccentinthecreature’svoice,andatthewordsalltheotherdragonettessigheddismally。

Dorothyfeltrelieved。Presentlysheasked:

"Whydidyourmothertieyourtails?"

"Oh,sheissometimesgoneforseveralweeksonherhuntingtrips,andifwewerenottiedwewouldcrawlalloverthemountainandfightwitheachotherandgetintoalotofmischief。Motherusuallyknowswhatsheisabout,butshemadeamistakethistime;foryouaresuretoescapeusunlessyoucometoonear,andyouprobablywon’tdothat。"

"No,indeed!"saidthelittlegirl。"Wedon’twishtobeeatenbysuchawfulbeasts。"

"Permitmetosay,"returnedthedragonette,"thatyouareratherimpolitetocallusnames,knowingthatwecannotresentyourinsults。

Weconsiderourselvesverybeautifulinappearance,formotherhastoldusso,andsheknows。AndweareofanexcellentfamilyandhaveapedigreethatIchallengeanyhumanstoequal,asitextendsbackabouttwentythousandyears,tothetimeofthefamousGreenDragonofAtlantis,wholivedinatimewhenhumanshadnotyetbeencreated。

Canyoumatchthatpedigree,littlegirl?"

"Well,"saidDorothy,"IwasbornonafarminKansas,andIguessthat’sbeingjustas’spectableandhaughtyaslivinginacavewithyourtailtiedtoarock。Ifitisn’tI’llhavetostandit,that’sall。"

"Tastesdiffer,"murmuredthedragonette,slowlydroopingitsscaleyeyelidsoveritsyelloweyes,untiltheylookedlikehalf-moons。

Beingreassuredbythefactthatthecreaturescouldnotcrawloutoftheirrock-pockets,thechildrenandtheWizardnowtooktimetoexaminethemmoreclosely。Theheadsofthedragonetteswereasbigasbarrelsandcoveredwithhard,greenishscalesthatglitteredbrightlyunderthelightofthelanterns。Theirfrontlegs,whichgrewjustbackoftheirheads,werealsostrongandbig;buttheirbodiesweresmalleraroundthantheirheads,anddwindledawayinalonglineuntiltheirtailswereslimasashoe-string。Dorothythought,ifithadtakenthemsixty-sixyearstogrowtothissize,thatitwouldbefullyahundredyearsmorebeforetheycouldhopetocallthemselvesdragons,andthatseemedlikeagoodwhiletowaittogrowup。

"Itoccurstome,"saidtheWizard,"thatweoughttogetoutofthisplacebeforethemotherdragoncomesback。"

"Don’thurry,"calledoneofthedragonettes;"motherwillbegladtomeetyou,I’msure。"

"Youmayberight,"repliedtheWizard,"butwe’realittleparticularaboutassociatingwithstrangers。Willyoukindlytelluswhichwayyourmotherwenttogetontoptheearth?"

"Thatisnotafairquestiontoaskus,"declaredanotherdragonette。

"For,ifwetoldyoutruly,youmightescapeusaltogether;andifwetoldyouanuntruthwewouldbenaughtyanddeservetobepunished。"

"Then,"decidedDorothy,"wemustfindourwayoutthebestwecan。"

Theycircledallaroundthecavern,keepingagooddistanceawayfromtheblinkingyelloweyesofthedragonettes,andpresentlydiscoveredthatthereweretwopathsleadingfromthewalloppositetotheplacewheretheyhadentered。Theyselectedoneoftheseataventureandhurriedalongitasfastastheycouldgo,fortheyhadnoideawhenthemotherdragonwouldbebackandwereveryanxiousnottomakeheracquaintance。

14。OzmaUsestheMagicBeltForaconsiderabledistancethewayledstraightupwardinagentleincline,andthewanderersmadesuchgoodprogressthattheygrewhopefulandeager,thinkingtheymightseesunshineatanyminute。

Butatlengththeycameunexpectedlyuponahugerockthatshutoffthepassageandblockedthemfromproceedingasinglestepfarther。

Thisrockwasseparatefromtherestofthemountainandwasinmotion,turningslowlyaroundandaroundasifuponapivot。Whenfirsttheycametoittherewasasolidwallbeforethem;butpresentlyitrevolveduntiltherewasexposedawide,smoothpathacrossittotheotherside。Thisappearedsounexpectedlythattheywereunpreparedtotakeadvantageofitatfirst,andallowedtherockywalltoswingaroundagainbeforetheyhaddecidedtopassover。

Buttheyknewnowthattherewasameansofescapeandsowaitedpatientlyuntilthepathappearedforthesecondtime。

ThechildrenandtheWizardrushedacrossthemovingrockandsprangintothepassagebeyond,landingsafelythoughalittleoutofbreath。

Jimthecab-horsecamelast,andtherockywallalmostcaughthim;forjustasheleapedtothefloorofthefurtherpassagethewallswungacrossitandaloosestonethatthebuggywheelsknockedagainstfellintothenarrowcrackwheretherockturned,andbecamewedgedthere。

Theyheardacrunching,grindingsound,aloudsnap,andtheturn-tablecametoastopwithitsbroadestsurfaceshuttingoffthepathfromwhichtheyhadcome。

"Nevermind,"saidZeb,"wedon’twanttogetback,anyhow。"

"I’mnotsosureofthat,"returnedDorothy。"Themotherdragonmaycomedownandcatchushere。"

"Itispossible,"agreedtheWizard,"ifthisprovestobethepathsheusuallytakes。ButIhavebeenexaminingthistunnel,andIdonotseeanysignsofsolargeabeasthavingpassedthroughit。"

"Thenwe’reallright,"saidthegirl,"forifthedragonwenttheotherwayshecan’tposs’blygettousnow。"

"Ofcoursenot,mydear。Butthereisanotherthingtoconsider。Themotherdragonprobablyknowstheroadtotheearth’ssurface,andifshewenttheotherwaythenwehavecomethewrongway,"saidtheWizard,thoughtfully。

"Dearme!"criedDorothy。"Thatwouldbeunlucky,wouldn’tit?"

"Very。Unlessthispassagealsoleadstothetopoftheearth,"saidZeb。"Formypart,ifwemanagetogetoutofhereI’llbegladitisn’tthewaythedragongoes。"

"SowillI,"returnedDorothy。"It’senoughtohaveyourpedigreeflunginyourfacebythosesaucydragonettes。Nooneknowswhatthemothermightdo。"

Theynowmovedonagain,creepingslowlyupanothersteepincline。

Thelanternswerebeginningtogrowdim,andtheWizardpouredtheremainingoilfromoneintotheother,sothattheonelightwouldlastlonger。Buttheirjourneywasalmostover,forinashorttimetheyreachedasmallcavefromwhichtherewasnofurtheroutlet。

Theydidnotrealizetheirillfortuneatfirst,fortheirheartsweregladdenedbythesightofarayofsunshinecomingthroughasmallcrackintheroofofthecave,faroverhead。Thatmeantthattheirworld——therealworld——wasnotveryfaraway,andthatthesuccessionofperilousadventurestheyhadencounteredhadatlastbroughtthemneartheearth’ssurface,whichmeanthometothem。Butwhentheadventurerslookedmorecarefullyaroundthemtheydiscoveredthattherewereinastrongprisonfromwhichtherewasnohopeofescape。

"Butwe’reALMOSTonearthagain,"criedDorothy,"forthereisthesun——themostBEAU’FULsunthatshines!"andshepointedeagerlyatthecrackinthedistantroof。

"Almostonearthisn’tbeingthere,"saidthekitten,inadiscontentedtone。"Itwouldn’tbepossibleforevenmetogetuptothatcrack——orthroughitifIgotthere。"

"Itappearsthatthepathendshere,"announcedtheWizard,gloomily。

"Andthereisnowaytogoback,"addedZeb,withalowwhistleofperplexity。

"Iwassureitwouldcometothis,intheend,"remarkedtheoldcab-horse。"Folksdon’tfallintothemiddleoftheearthandthengetbackagaintotelloftheiradventures——notinreallife。AndthewholethinghasbeenunnaturalbecausethatcatandIarebothabletotalkyourlanguage,andtounderstandthewordsyousay。"

"Andsocantheninetinypiglets,"addedEureka。"Don’tforgetthem,forImayhavetoeatthem,afterall。"

"I’veheardanimalstalkbefore,"saidDorothy,"andnoharmcameofit。"

"Wereyoueverbeforeshutupinacave,farundertheearth,withnowayofgettingout?"enquiredthehorse,seriously。

"No,"answeredDorothy。"Butdon’tyouloseheart,Jim,forI’msurethisisn’ttheendofourstory,byanymeans。"

ThereferencetothepigletsremindedtheWizardthathispetshadnotenjoyedmuchexerciselately,andmustbetiredoftheirprisoninhispocket。Sohesatdownuponthefloorofthecave,broughtthepigletsoutonebyone,andallowedthemtorunaroundasmuchastheypleased。

"Mydears,"hesaidtothem,"I’mafraidI’vegotyouintoalotoftrouble,andthatyouwillneveragainbeabletoleavethisgloomycave。"

"What’swrong?"askedapiglet。"We’vebeeninthedarkquiteawhile,andyoumayaswellexplainwhathashappened。"

TheWizardtoldthemofthemisfortunethathadovertakenthewanderers。

"Well,"saidanotherpiglet,"youareawizard,areyounot?"

"Iam,"repliedthelittleman。

"Thenyoucandoafewwizzesandgetusoutofthishole,"declaredthetinyone,withmuchconfidence。

"IcouldifIhappenedtobearealwizard,"returnedthemastersadly。"ButI’mnot,mypiggy-wees;I’mahumbugwizard。"

"Nonsense!"criedseveralofthepiglets,together。

"YoucanaskDorothy,"saidthelittleman,inaninjuredtone。

"It’strueenough,"returnedthegirl,earnestly。"OurfriendOzismerelyahumbugwizard,forheonceprovedittome。Hecandoseveralverywonderfulthings——ifheknowshow。Buthecan’twizasinglethingifhehasn’tthetoolsandmachinerytoworkwith。"

"Thankyou,mydear,fordoingmejustice,"respondedtheWizard,gratefully。"Tobeaccusedofbeingarealwizard,whenI’mnot,isaslanderIwillnottamelysubmitto。ButIamoneofthegreatesthumbugwizardsthateverlived,andyouwillrealizethiswhenwehaveallstarvedtogetherandourbonesarescatteredoverthefloorofthislonelycave。"

"Idon’tbelievewe’llrealizeanything,whenitcomestothat,"

remarkedDorothy,whohadbeendeepinthought。"ButI’mnotgoingtoscattermybonesjustyet,becauseIneedthem,andyouprob’lyneedyours,too。"

"Wearehelplesstoescape,"sighedtheWizard。

"WEmaybehelpless,"answeredDorothy,smilingathim,"butthereareotherswhocandomorethanwecan。Cheerup,friends。"I’msureOzmawillhelpus。"

"Ozma!"exclaimedtheWizard。"WhoisOzma?"

"ThegirlthatrulesthemarvelousLandofOz,"wasthereply。"She’safriendofmine,forImetherintheLandofEv,notlongago,andwenttoOzwithher。"

"Forthesecondtime?"askedtheWizard,withgreatinterest。

"Yes。ThefirsttimeIwenttoOzIfoundyouthere,rulingtheEmeraldCity。Afteryouwentupinaballoon,andescapedus,IgotbacktoKansasbymeansofapairofmagicalsilvershoes。"

"Irememberthoseshoes,"saidthelittleman,nodding。"TheyoncebelongedtotheWickedWitch。Haveyouthemherewithyou?"

"No;Ilostthemsomewhereintheair,"explainedthechild。"ButthesecondtimeIwenttotheLandofOzIownedtheNomeKing’sMagicBelt,whichismuchmorepowerfulthanweretheSilverShoes。"

"WhereisthatMagicBelt?"enquiredtheWizard,whohadlistenedwithgreatinterest。

"Ozmahasit;foritspowerswon’tworkinacommon,ordinarycountryliketheUnitedStates。AnyoneinafairycountryliketheLandofOzcandoanythingwithit;soIleftitwithmyfriendthePrincessOzma,whousedittowishmeinAustraliawithUncleHenry。"

"Andwereyou?"askedZeb,astonishedatwhatheheard。

"Ofcourse;injustajiffy。AndOzmahasanenchantedpicturehanginginherroomthatshowshertheexactscenewhereanyofherfriendsmaybe,atanytimeshechooses。Allshehastodoistosay:’IwonderwhatSo-and-soisdoing,’andatoncethepictureshowswhereherfriendisandwhatthefriendisdoing。That’sREALmagic,Mr。Wizard;isn’tit?Well,everydayatfouro’clockOzmahaspromisedtolookatmeinthatpicture,andifIaminneedofhelpI

amtomakeheracertainsignandshewillputontheNomeKing’sMagicBeltandwishmetobewithherinOz。"

"DoyoumeanthatPrincessOzmawillseethiscaveinherenchantedpicture,andseeallofushere,andwhatwearedoing?"demandedZeb。

"Ofcourse;whenitisfouro’clock,"shereplied,withalaughathisstartledexpression。

"AndwhenyoumakeasignshewillbringyoutoherintheLandofOz?"continuedtheboy。

"That’sit,exactly;bymeansoftheMagicBelt。"

"Then,"saidtheWizard,"youwillbesaved,littleDorothy;andIamverygladofit。Therestofuswilldiemuchmorecheerfullywhenweknowyouhaveescapedoursadfate。"

"Iwon’tdiecheerfully!"protestedthekitten。"There’snothingcheerfulaboutdyingthatIcouldeversee,althoughtheysayacathasninelives,andsomustdieninetimes。"

"Haveyoueverdiedyet?"enquiredtheboy。

"No,andI’mnotanxioustobegin,"saidEureka。

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