\"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。