The
Witch was at first frightened
at finding herself captured by
the enemy; but soon she decided
that she was exactly as safe
in the Tin Woodman's button-hole
as growing upon the bush. For
no one knew the rose and Mombi
to be one, and now that she was
without the gates of the City
her chances of escaping altogether
from Glinda were much improved.
"But there is no hurry," thought
Mombi. "I will wait awhile and
enjoy the humiliation of this
Sorceress when she finds I have
outwitted her." So throughout
the night the rose lay quietly
on the Woodman's bosom, and in
the morning, when Glinda summoned
our friends to a consultation,
Nick Chopper carried his pretty
flower with him to the white
silk tent.
"For some reason," said Glinda, "we
have failed to find this cunning
old Mombi; so I fear our expedition
will prove a failure. And for
that I am sorry, because without
our assistance little Ozma will
never be rescued and restored
to her rightful position as Queen
of the Emerald City"
"Do not let us give up so easily," said
the Pumpkinhead. "Let us do something
else."
"Something else must really
be done," replied Glinda, with
a smile. "yet I cannot understand
how I have been defeated so easily
by an old Witch who knows far
less of magic than I do myself."
"While we are on the ground
I believe it would be wise for
us to conquer the Emerald City
for Princess Ozma, and find the
girl afterward," said the Scarecrow." And
while the girl remains hidden
I will gladly rule in her place,
for I understand the business
of ruling much better than Jinjur
does."
"But I have promised not to
molest Jinjur," objected Glinda.
"Suppose you all return with
me to my kingdom -- or Empire,
rather," said the Tin Woodman,
politely including the entire
party in a royal wave of his
arm. "It will give me great pleasure
to entertain you in my castle,
where there is room enough and
to spare. And if any of you wish
to be nickel- plated, my valet
will do it free of all expense."
While the Woodman was speaking
Glinda's eyes had been noting
the rose in his button-hole,
and now she imagined she saw
the big red leaves of the flower
tremble slightly. This quickly
aroused her suspicions, and in
a moment more the Sorceress had
decided that the seeming rose
was nothing else than a transformation
of old Mombi. At the same instant
Mombi knew she was discovered
and must quickly plan an escape,
and as transformations were easy
to her she immediately took the
form of a Shadow and glided along
the wall of the tent toward the
entrance, thinking thus to disappear.
But Glinda had not only equal
cunning, but far more experience
than the Witch. So the Sorceress
reached the opening of the tent
before the Shadow, and with a
wave of her hand closed the entrance
so securely that Mombi could
not find a crack big enough to
creep through. The Scarecrow
and his friends were greatly
surprised at Glinda's actions;
for none of them had noted the
Shadow. But the Sorceress said
to them:
"Remain
perfectly quiet,
all of you!
For the old
Witch is
even now with us in this tent,
and I hope to capture her."
These words so alarmed Mombi
that she quickly transformed
herself from a shadow to a Black
Ant, in which shape she crawled
along the ground, seeking a crack
or crevice in which to hide her
tiny body.
Fortunately, the ground where
the tent had been pitched, being
Just before the city gates, was
hard and smooth; and while the
Ant still crawled about, Glinda
discovered it and ran quickly
forward to effect its capture
But, Just as her hand was descending,
the Witch, now fairly frantic
with fear, made her last transformation,
and in the form of a huge Griffin
sprang through the wall of the
tent -- tearing the silk asunder
in her rush -- and in a moment
had darted away with the speed
of a whirlwind.
Glinda did not hesitate to
follow. She sprang upon the back
of the Saw-Horse and cried:
"Now
you shall prove
that you have
a right to
be alive! Run
-- run -- run!"
The Saw-Horse ran. Like a flash
he followed the Griffin, his
wooden legs moving so fast that
they twinkled like the rays of
a star. Before our friends could
recover from their surprise both
the Griffin and the Saw-Horse
had dashed out of sight.
"Come! Let us follow!" cried
the Scarecrow.
They ran to the place where
the Gump was lying and quickly
tumbled aboard.
"Fly!" commanded
Tip, eagerly.
"Where to?" asked
the Gump, in
its calm voice.
"I don't know," returned Tip,
who was very nervous at the delay; "but
if you will mount into the air
I think we can discover which
way Glinda has gone."
"Very well," returned
the Gump, quietly;
and it spread
its great
wings and mounted high into the
air.
Far away, across the meadows,
they could now see two tiny specks,
speeding one after the other;
and they knew these specks must
be the Griffin and the Saw-Horse.
So Tip called the Gump's attention
to them and bade the creature
try to overtake the Witch and
the Sorceress. But, swift as
was the Gump's flight, the pursued
and pursuer moved more swiftly
yet, and within a few moments
were blotted out against the
dim horizon.
"Let us continue to follow
them, nevertheless," said the
Scarecrow. "for the Land of Oz
is of small extent, and sooner
or later they must both come
to a halt."
Old Mombi had thought herself
very wise to choose the form
of a Griffin, for its legs were
exceedingly fleet and its strength
more enduring than that of other
animals. But she had not reckoned
on the untiring energy of the
Saw- Horse, whose wooden limbs
could run for days without slacking
their speed. Therefore, after
an hour's hard running, the Griffin's
breath began to fail, and it
panted and gasped painfully,
and moved more slowly than before.
Then it reached the edge of the
desert and began racing across
the deep sands. But its tired
feet sank far into the sand,
and in a few minutes the Griffin
fell forward, completely exhausted,
and lay still upon the desert
waste.
Glinda came up a moment later,
riding the still vigorous Saw-Horse;
and having unwound a slender
golden thread from her girdle
the Sorceress threw it over the
head of the panting and helpless
Griffin, and so destroyed the
magical power of Mombi's transformation.
For the animal, with one fierce
shudder, disappeared from view,
while in its place was discovered
the form of the old Witch, glaring
savagely at the serene and beautiful
face of the Sorceress.
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