第3章
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  \"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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