CHAPTER 17
The Ork Rescues Button-Bright
I must now tell you what had become of Button-Bright since he wanderedaway in the morning and got lost. This small boy, as perhaps you havediscovered, was almost as destitute of nerves as the Scarecrow. Nothingever astonished him much; nothing ever worried him or made him unhappy.Good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with a quiet smile, nevercomplaining, whatever happened. This was one reason why Button-Bright wasa favorite with all who knew him--and perhaps it was the reason why he sooften got into difficulties, or found himself lost.
To-day, as he wandered here and there, over hill and down dale, he missedTrot and Cap'n Bill, of whom he was fond, but nevertheless he was notunhappy. The birds sang merrily and the wildflowers were beautiful andthe breeze had a fragrance of new-mown hay.
"The only bad thing about this country is its King," he reflected; "butthe country isn't to blame for that."
A prairie-dog stuck its round head out of a mound of earth and looked atthe boy with bright eyes.
"Walk around my house, please," it said, "and then you won't harm it ordisturb the babies."
"All right," answered Button-Bright, and took care not to step on themound. He went on, whistling merrily, until a petulant voice cried:
"Oh, stop it! Please stop that noise. It gets on my nerves."
Button-Bright saw an old gray owl sitting in the crotch of a tree, and hereplied with a laugh: "All right, old Fussy," and stopped whistling untilhe had passed out of the owl's hearing. At noon he came to a farmhousewhere an aged couple lived. They gave him a good dinner and treated himkindly, but the man was deaf and the woman was dumb, so they could answerno questions to guide him on the way to Port's house. When he left themhe was just as much lost as he had been before.
Every grove of trees he saw from a distance he visited, for he rememberedthat the King's castle was near a grove of trees and Pon's hut was nearthe King's castle; but always he met with disappointment. Finally,passing through one of these groves, he came out into the open and foundhimself face to face with the Ork.
"Hello!" said Button-Bright. "Where did _you_ come from?"
"From Orkland," was the reply. "I've found my own country, at last, andit is not far from here, either. I would have come back to you sooner,to see how you are getting along, had not my family and friends welcomedmy return so royally that a great celebration was held in my honor. So Icouldn't very well leave Orkland again until the excitement was over."
"Can you find your way back home again?" asked the boy.
"Yes, easily; for now I know exactly where it is. But where are Trot andCap'n Bill?"
Button-Bright related to the Ork their adventures since it had left themin Jinxland, telling of Trot's fear that the King had done somethingwicked to Cap'n Bill, and of Pon's love for Gloria, and how Trot andButton-Bright had been turned out of the King's castle. That was all thenews that the boy had, but it made the Ork anxious for the safety of hisfriends.
"We must go to them at once, for they may need us," he said.
"I don't know where to go," confessed Button-Bright. "I'm lost."
"Well, I can take you back to the hut of the gardener's boy," promisedthe Ork, "for when I fly high in the air I can look down and easily spythe King's castle. That was how I happened to spy you, just entering thegrove; so I flew down and waited until you came out."
"How can you carry me?" asked the boy.
"You'll have to sit straddle my shoulders and put your arms around myneck. Do you think you can keep from falling off?"
"Til try," said Button-Bright. So the Ork squatted down and the boytook his seat and held on tight. Then the skinny creature's tail beganwhirling and up they went, far above all the tree-tops.
After the Ork had circled around once or twice, its sharp eyes locatedthe towers of the castle and away it flew, straight toward the place.As it hovered in the air, near by the castle, Button-Bright pointed outPon's hut, so they landed just before it and Trot came running out togreet them.
Gloria was introduced to the Ork, who was surprised to find Cap'n Billtransformed into a grasshopper.
"How do you like it?" asked the creature.
"Why, it worries me a good deal," answered Cap'n Bill, perched uponTrot's shoulder. "I'm always afraid o' bein' stepped on, and I don't likethe flavor of grass an' can't seem to get used to it. It's my nature toeat grass, you know, but I begin to suspect it's an acquired taste."
"Can you give molasses?" asked the Ork.
"I guess I'm not that kind of a grasshopper," replied Cap'n Bill. "But Ican't say what I might do if I was squeezed--which I hope I won't be."
"Well," said the Ork, "it's a great pity, and I'd like to meet that cruelKing and his Wicked Witch and punish them both severely. You're awfullysmall, Cap'n Bill, but I think I would recognize you anywhere by yourwooden leg."
Then the Ork and Button-Bright were told all about Gloria's frozen heartand how the Scarecrow had come from the Land of Oz to help them. The Orkseemed rather disturbed when it learned that the Scarecrow had gone aloneto conquer King Krewl.
"I'm afraid he'll make a fizzle of it," said the skinny creature,"and there's no telling what that terrible King might do to the poorScarecrow, who seems like a very interesting person. So I believe I'lltake a hand in this conquest myself."
"How?" asked Trot.
"Wait and see," was the reply. "But, first of all, I must fly homeagain--back to my own country--so if you'll forgive my leaving you sosoon, I'll be off at once. Stand away from my tail, please, so that thewind from it, when it revolves, won't knock you over."
They gave the creature plenty of room and away it went like a flash andsoon disappeared in the sky.
"I wonder," said Button-Bright, looking solemnly after the Ork, "whetherhe'll ever come back again."
"Of course he will!" returned Trot. "The Ork's a pretty good fellow, andwe can depend on him. An' mark my words, Button-Bright, whenever ourOrk does come back, there's one cruel King in Jinxland that'll wish hehadn't."
The Scarecrow of Oz Page 19
