"Hooray!" shouted
the Scarecrow, gaily. "We can
now leave this miserable Jackdaws'
nest whenever we please."
"But it is nearly dark," said
the Tin Woodman; "and unless
we wait until morning to make
our flight we may get into more
trouble. I don't like these night
trips, for one never knows what
will happen."
So it was decided to wait until
daylight, and the adventurers
amused themselves in the twilight
by searching the Jackdaws' nest
for treasures.
The Woggle-Bug found two handsome
bracelets of wrought gold, which
fitted his slender arms very
well. The Scarecrow took a fancy
for rings, of which there were
many in the nest. Before long
he had fitted a ring to each
finger of his padded gloves,
and not being content with that
display he added one more to
each thumb. As he carefully chose
those rings set with sparkling
stones, such as rubies, amethysts
and sapphires, the Scarecrow's
hands now presented a most brilliant
appearance.
"This nest would be a picnic
for Queen Jinjur," said he, musingly. "for
as nearly as I can make out she
and her girls conquered me merely
to rob my city of its emeralds."
The Tin Woodman was content
with his diamond necklace and
refused to accept any additional
decorations; but Tip secured
a fine gold watch, which was
attached to a heavy fob, and
placed it in his pocket with
much pride. He also pinned several
jeweled brooches to Jack Pumpkinhead's
red waistcoat, and attached a
lorgnette, by means of a fine
chain, to the neck of the Saw-
Horse.
"It's very pretty," said the
creature, regarding the lorgnette
approvingly; "but what is it
for?"
None of them could answer that
question, however; so the Saw-Horse
decided it was some rare decoration
and became very fond of it.
That none of the party might
be slighted, they ended by placing
several large seal rings upon
the points of the Gump's antlers,
although that odd personage seemed
by no means gratified by the
attention.
Darkness soon fell upon them,
and Tip and the Woggle-Bug went
to sleep while the others sat
down to wait patiently for the
day.
Next morning they had cause
to congratulate themselves upon
the useful condition of the Gump;
for with daylight a great flock
of Jackdaws approached to engage
in one more battle for the possession
of the nest.
But our adventurers did not
wait for the assault. They tumbled
into the cushioned seats of the
sofas as quickly as possible,
and Tip gave the word to the
Gump to start.
At once it rose into the air,
the great wings flopping strongly
and with regular motions, and
in a few moments they were so
far from the nest that the chattering
Jackdaws took possession without
any attempt at pursuit.
The Thing flew due North, going
in the same direction from whence
it had come. At least, that was
the Scarecrow's opinion, and
the others agreed that the Scarecrow
was the best judge of direction.
After passing over several cities
and villages the Gump carried
them high above a broad plain
where houses became more and
more scattered until they disappeared
altogether. Next came the wide,
sandy desert separating the rest
of the world from the Land of
Oz, and before noon they saw
the dome-shaped houses that proved
they were once more within the
borders of their native land.
"But the houses and fences
are blue," said the Tin Woodman, "and
that indicates we are in the
land of the Munchkins, and therefore
a long distance from Glinda the
Good."
"What shall we do?" asked
the boy, turning
to their guide.
"I don't know" replied the
Scarecrow, frankly. "If we were
at the Emerald City we could
then move directly southward,
and so reach our destination.
But we dare not go to the Emerald
City, and the Gump is probably
carrying us further in the wrong
direction with every flop of
its wings."
"Then the Woggle-Bug must swallow
another pill," said Tip, decidedly, "and
wish us headed in the right direction."
"Very well," returned the Highly
Magnified one; "I'm willing."
But when the Scarecrow searched
in his pocket for the pepper-box
containing the two silver Wishing
Pills, it was not to be found.
Filled with anxiety, the voyagers
hunted throughout every inch
of the Thing for the precious
box; but it had disappeared entirely.
And still the Gump flew onward,
carrying them they knew not where.
"I must have left the pepper-box
in the Jackdaws' nest," said
the Scarecrow, at length.
"It is a great misfortune," the
Tin Woodman declared. "But we
are no worse off than before
we discovered the Wishing Pills."
"We are better off," replied
Tip. "for the one pill we used
has enabled us to escape from
that horrible nest."
"Yet the loss of the other
two is serious, and I deserve
a good scolding for my carelessness," the
Scarecrow rejoined, penitently. "For
in such an unusual party as this
accidents are liable to happen
any moment, and even now we may
be approaching a new danger."
No one dared contradict this,
and a dismal silence ensued.
The Gump flew steadily on.
Suddenly
Tip uttered
an exclamation
of surprise. "We must have reached
the South Country," he cried, "for
below us everything is red!"
Immediately they all leaned
over the backs of the sofas to
look -- all except Jack, who
was too careful of his pumpkin
head to risk its slipping off
his neck. Sure enough; the red
houses and fences and trees indicated
they were within the domain of
Glinda the Good; and presently,
as they glided rapidly on, the
Tin Woodman recognized the roads
and buildings they passed, and
altered slightly the flight of
the Gump so that they might reach
the palace of the celebrated
Sorceress.
"Good!" cried the Scarecrow,
delightedly. "We do not need
the lost Wishing Pills now, for
we have arrived at our destination."
Gradually the Thing sank lower
and nearer to the ground until
at length it came to rest within
the beautiful gardens of Glinda,
settling upon a velvety green
lawn close by a fountain which
sent sprays of flashing gems,
instead of water, high into the
air, whence they fell with a
soft, tinkling sound into the
carved marble basin placed to
receive them.
Everything was very gorgeous
in Glinda's gardens, and while
our voyagers gazed about with
admiring eyes a company of soldiers
silently appeared and surrounded
them. But these soldiers of the
great Sorceress were entirely
different from those of Jinjur's
Army of Revolt, although they
were likewise girls. For Glinda's
soldiers wore neat uniforms and
bore swords and spears; and they
marched with a skill and precision
that proved them well trained
in the arts of war.
The Captain commanding this
troop -- which was Glinda's private
Body Guard - - recognized the
Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman
at once, and greeted them with
respectful salutations.
"Good day!" said the Scarecrow,
gallantly removing his hat, while
the Woodman gave a soldierly
salute; "we have come to request
an audience with your fair Ruler."
"Glinda is now within her palace,
awaiting you," returned the Captain; "for
she saw you coming long before
you arrived."
"That is strange!" said
Tip, wondering.
"Not at all," answered the
Scarecrow, "for Glinda the Good
is a mighty Sorceress, and nothing
that goes on in the Land of Oz
escapes her notice. I suppose
she knows why we came as well
as we do ourselves."
"Then what was the use of our
coming?" asked Jack, stupidly.
"To prove you are a Pumpkinhead!" retorted
the Scarecrow. "But, if the Sorceress
expects us, we must not keep
her waiting."
So they all clambered out of
the sofas and followed the Captain
toward the palace -- even the
Saw-Horse taking his place in
the queer procession.
Upon her throne of finely wrought
gold sat Glinda, and she could
scarcely repress a smile as her
peculiar visitors entered and
bowed before her. Both the Scarecrow
and the Tin Woodman she knew
and liked; but the awkward Pumpkinhead
and Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug
were creatures she had never
seen before, and they seemed
even more curious than the others.
As for the Saw-Horse, he looked
to be nothing more than an animated
chunk of wood; and he bowed so
stiffly that his head bumped
against the floor, causing a
ripple of laughter among the
soldiers, in which Glinda frankly
joined.
"I beg to announce to your
glorious highness," began the
Scarecrow, in a solemn voice, "that
my Emerald City has been overrun
by a crowd of impudent girls
with knitting-needles, who have
enslaved all the men, robbed
the streets and public buildings
of all their emerald jewels,
and usurped my throne."
"I know it," said
Glinda.
"They also threatened to destroy
me, as well as all the good friends
and allies you see before you," continued
the Scarecrow. "and had we not
managed to escape their clutches
our days would long since have
ended."
"I know it," repeated
Glinda.
"Therefore I have come to beg
your assistance," resumed the
Scarecrow, "for I believe you
are always glad to succor the
unfortunate and oppressed."
"That is true," replied the
Sorceress, slowly. "But the Emerald
City is now ruled by General
Jinjur, who has caused herself
to be proclaimed Queen. What
right have I to oppose her?"
"Why, she stole the throne
from me," said the Scarecrow.
"And how came you to possess
the throne?" asked Glinda.
"I got it from the Wizard of
Oz, and by the choice of the
people," returned the Scarecrow,
uneasy at such questioning.
"And where did the Wizard get
it?" she continued gravely.
"I am told he took it from
Pastoria, the former King," said
the Scarecrow, becoming confused
under the intent look of the
Sorceress.
"Then," declared Glinda, "the
throne of the Emerald City belongs
neither to you nor to Jinjur,
but to this Pastoria from whom
the Wizard usurped it."
"That is true," acknowledged
the Scarecrow, humbly; "but Pastoria
is now dead and gone, and some
one must rule in his place."
"Pastoria had a daughter, who
is the rightful heir to the throne
of the Emerald City. Did you
know that?" questioned the Sorceress.
"No," replied the Scarecrow. "But
if the girl still lives I will
not stand in her way. It will
satisfy me as well to have Jinjur
turned out, as an impostor, as
to regain the throne myself.
In fact, it isn't much fun to
be King, especially if one has
good brains. I have known for
some time that I am fitted to
occupy a far more exalted position.
But where is the girl who owns
the throne, and what is her name?"
"Her name is Ozma," answered
Glinda. "But where she is I have
tried in vain to discover. For
the Wizard of Oz, when he stole
the throne from Ozma's father,
hid the girl in some secret place;
and by means of a magical trick
with which I am not familiar
he also managed to prevent her
being discovered -- even by so
experienced a Sorceress as myself."
"That is strange," interrupted
the Woggle-Bug, pompously. "I
have been informed that the Wonderful
Wizard of Oz was nothing more
than a humbug!"
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the Scarecrow,
much provoked by this speech. "Didn't
he give me a wonderful set of
brains?"
"There's no humbug about my
heart," announced the Tin Woodman,
glaring indignantly at the Woggle-Bug.
"Perhaps I was misinformed," stammered
the Insect, shrinking back; "I
never knew the Wizard personally."
"Well, we did," retorted the
Scarecrow, "and he was a very
great Wizard, I assure you. It
is true he was guilty of some
slight impostures, but unless
he was a great Wizard how --
let me ask -- could he have hidden
this girl Ozma so securely that
no one can find her?"
"I -- I give it up!" replied
the Woggle-Bug, meekly.
"That is the most sensible
speech you've made," said the
Tin Woodman.
"I must really make another
effort to discover where this
girl is hidden," resumed the
Sorceress, thoughtfully. "I have
in my library a book in which
is inscribed every action of
the Wizard while he was in our
land of Oz -- or, at least, every
action that could be observed
by my spies. This book I will
read carefully tonight, and try
to single out the acts that may
guide us in discovering the lost
Ozma. In the meantime, pray amuse
yourselves in my palace and command
my servants as if they were your
own. I will grant you another
audience tomorrow."
With this gracious speech Glinda
dismissed the adventurers, and
they wandered away through the
beautiful gardens, where they
passed several hours enjoying
all the delightful things with
which the Queen of the Southland
had surrounded her royal palace.
On the following morning they
again appeared before Glinda,
who said to them:
"I
have searched
carefully through
the records
of the Wizard's
actions, and among them I can
find but three that appear to
have been suspicious. He ate
beans with a knife, made three
secret visits to old Mombi, and
limped slightly on his left foot."
"Ah! that last is certainly
suspicious!" exclaimed the Pumpkinhead.
"Not necessarily," said the
Scarecrow. "he may, have had
corns. Now, it seems to me his
eating beans with a knife is
more suspicious."
"Perhaps it is a polite custom
in Omaha, from which great country
the Wizard originally came," suggested
the Tin Woodman.
"It may be," admitted
the Scarecrow.
"But why," asked Glinda, "did
he make three secret visits to
old Mombi?"
"Ah! Why, indeed!" echoed
the Woggle-Bug,
impressively.
"We know that the Wizard taught
the old woman many of his tricks
of magic," continued Glinda; "and
this he would not have done had
she not assisted him in some
way. So we may suspect with good
reason that Mombi aided him to
hide the girl Ozma, who was the
real heir to the throne of the
Emerald City, and a constant
danger to the usurper. For, if
the people knew that she lived,
they would quickly make her their
Queen and restore her to her
rightful position."
"An able argument!" cried the
Scarecrow. "I have no doubt that
Mombi was mixed up in this wicked
business. But how does that knowledge
help us?"
"We must find Mombi," replied
Glinda, "and force her to tell
where the girl is hidden."
"Mombi is now with Queen Jinjur,
in the Emerald, City" said Tip. "It
was she who threw so many obstacles
in our pathway, and made Jinjur
threaten to destroy my friends
and give me back into the old
witch's power."
"Then," decided Glinda, "I
will march with my army to the
Emerald City, and take Mombi
prisoner. After that we can,
perhaps, force her to tell the
truth about Ozma."
"She is a terrible old woman!" remarked
Tip, with a shudder at the thought
of Mombi's black kettle; "and
obstinate, too."
"I am quite obstinate myself," returned
the Sorceress, with a sweet smile. "so
I do not fear Mombi in the least.
Today I will make all necessary
preparations, and we will march
upon the Emerald City at daybreak
tomorrow."
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