The Patchwork Girl of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

  HIP HOPPER THE CHAMPION

  CHAP. 21

  They must have had good courage to climb all those rocks, for aftergetting out of the canyon they encountered more rock hills to besurmounted. Toto could jump from one rock to another quite easily, butthe others had to creep and climb with care, so that after a whole dayof such work Dorothy and Ojo found themselves very tired.

  As they gazed upward at the great mass of tumbled rocks that covered thesteep incline, Dorothy gave a little groan and said:

  "That's going to be a ter'ble hard climb, Scarecrow. I wish we couldfind the dark well without so much trouble."

  "Suppose," said Ojo, "you wait here and let me do the climbing, forit's on my account we're searching for the dark well. Then, if I don'tfind anything, I'll come back and join you."

  "No," replied the little girl, shaking her head positively, "we'll allgo together, for that way we can help each other. If you went alone,something might happen to you, Ojo."

  So they began the climb and found it indeed difficult, for a way. Butpresently, in creeping over the big crags, they found a path at theirfeet which wound in and out among the masses of rock and was quitesmooth and easy to walk upon. As the path gradually ascended themountain, although in a roundabout way, they decided to follow it.

  "This must be the road to the Country of the Hoppers," said theScarecrow.

  "Who are the Hoppers?" asked Dorothy.

  "Some people Jack Pumpkinhead told me about," he replied.

  "I didn't hear him," replied the girl.

  "No; you were asleep," explained the Scarecrow. "But he told Scraps andme that the Hoppers and the Horners live on this mountain."

  "He said _in_ the mountain," declared Scraps; "but of course he meant_on_ it."

  "Didn't he say what the Hoppers and Horners were like?" inquiredDorothy.

  "No; he only said they were two separate nations, and that the Hornerswere the most important."

  "Well, if we go to their country we'll find out all about 'em," said thegirl. "But I've never heard Ozma mention those people, so they can't be_very_ important."

  "Is this mountain in the Land of Oz?" asked Scraps.

  "Course it is," answered Dorothy. "It's in the South Country of theQuadlings. When one comes to the edge of Oz, in any direction, there isnothing more to be seen at all. Once you could see sandy desert allaround Oz; but now it's diff'rent, and no other people can see us, anymore than we can see them."

  "If the mountain is under Ozma's rule, why doesn't she know about theHoppers and the Horners?" Ojo asked.

  "Why, it's a fairyland," explained Dorothy, "and lots of queer peoplelive in places so tucked away that those in the Emerald City never evenhear of 'em. In the middle of the country it's diff'rent, but when youget around the edges you're sure to run into strange little corners thatsurprise you. I know, for I've traveled in Oz a good deal, and so hasthe Scarecrow."

  "Yes," admitted the straw man, "I've been considerable of a traveler, inmy time, and I like to explore strange places. I find I learn much moreby traveling than by staying at home."

  During this conversation they had been walking up the steep pathway andnow found themselves well up on the mountain. They could see nothingaround them, for the rocks beside their path were higher than theirheads. Nor could they see far in front of them, because the path was socrooked. But suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and there wasno place to go. Ahead was a big rock lying against the side of themountain, and this blocked the way completely.

  "There wouldn't be a path, though, if it didn't go somewhere," said theScarecrow, wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.

  "This is somewhere, isn't it?" asked the Patchwork Girl, laughing at thebewildered looks of the others.

  "The path is locked, the way is blocked, Yet here we've innocently flocked; And now we're here it's rather queer There's no front door that can be knocked."

  "Please don't, Scraps," said Ojo. "You make me nervous."

  "Well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little rest, for that's a drea'fulsteep path."

  As she spoke she leaned against the edge of the big rock that stood intheir way. To her surprise it slowly swung backward and showed behind ita dark hole that looked like the mouth of a tunnel.

  "Why, here's where the path goes to!" she exclaimed.

  "So it is," answered the Scarecrow. "But the question is, do we want togo where the path does?"

  "It's underground; right inside the mountain," said Ojo, peering intothe dark hole. "Perhaps there's a well there; and, if there is, it'ssure to be a dark one."

  "Why, that's true enough!" cried Dorothy with eagerness. "Let's go in,Scarecrow; 'cause, if others have gone, we're pretty safe to go, too."

  Toto looked in and barked, but he did not venture to enter until theScarecrow had bravely gone first. Scraps followed closely after thestraw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped inside the tunnel. Assoon as all of them had passed the big rock, it slowly turned and filledup the opening again; but now they were no longer in the dark, for asoft, rosy light enabled them to see around them quite distinctly.

  It was only a passage, wide enough for two of them to walk abreast--withToto in between them--and it had a high, arched roof. They could not seewhere the light which flooded the place so pleasantly came from, forthere were no lamps anywhere visible. The passage ran straight for alittle way and then made a bend to the right and another sharp turn tothe left, after which it went straight again. But there were no sidepassages, so they could not lose their way.

  After proceeding some distance, Toto, who had gone on ahead, began tobark loudly. They ran around a bend to see what was the matter and founda man sitting on the floor of the passage and leaning his back againstthe wall. He had probably been asleep before Toto's barks aroused him,for he was now rubbing his eyes and staring at the little dog with allhis might.

  There was something about this man that Toto objected to, and when heslowly rose to his foot they saw what it was. He had but one leg, setjust below the middle of his round, fat body; but it was a stout leg andhad a broad, flat foot at the bottom of it, on which the man seemed tostand very well. He had never had but this one leg, which lookedsomething like a pedestal, and when Toto ran up and made a grab at theman's ankle he hopped first one way and then another in a very activemanner, looking so frightened that Scraps laughed aloud.

  Toto was usually a well behaved dog, but this time he was angry andsnapped at the man's leg again and again. This filled the poor fellowwith fear, and in hopping out of Toto's reach he suddenly lost hisbalance and tumbled heel over head upon the floor. When he sat up hekicked Toto on the nose and made the dog howl angrily, but Dorothy nowran forward and caught Toto's collar, holding him back.

  "Do you surrender?" she asked the man.

  "Who? Me?" asked the Hopper.

  "Yes; you," said the little girl.

  "Am I captured?" he inquired.

  "Of course. My dog has captured you," she said.

  "Well," replied the man, "if I'm captured I must surrender, for it's theproper thing to do. I like to do everything proper, for it saves one alot of trouble."

  "It does, indeed," said Dorothy. "Please tell us who you are."

  "I'm Hip Hopper--Hip Hopper, the Champion."

  "Champion what?" she asked in surprise.

  "Champion wrestler. I'm a very strong man, and that ferocious animalwhich you are so kindly holding is the first living thing that has everconquered me."

  "And you are a Hopper?" she continued.

  "Yes. My people live in a great city not far from here. Would you liketo visit it?"

  "I'm not sure," she said with hesitation. "Have you any dark wells inyour city?"

  "I think not. We have wells, you know, but they're all well lighted, anda well lighted well cannot well be a dark well. But there may be such athing as a very dark well in the Horner Country, which is a black spoton the face of the earth."

  "Where is the Horner Country?" Ojo inq
uired.

  "The other side of the mountain. There's a fence between the HopperCountry and the Horner Country, and a gate in the fence; but you can'tpass through just now, because we are at war with the Horners."

  "That's too bad," said the Scarecrow. "What seems to be the trouble?"

  "Why, one of them made a very insulting remark about my people. He saidwe were lacking in understanding, because we had only one leg to aperson. I can't see that legs have anything to do with understandingthings. The Horners each have two legs, just as you have. That's one legtoo many, it seems to me."

  "No," declared Dorothy, "it's just the right number."

  "You don't need them," argued the Hopper, obstinately. "You've only onehead, and one body, and one nose and mouth. Two legs are quiteunnecessary, and they spoil one's shape."

  "But how can you walk, with only one leg?" asked Ojo.

  "Walk! Who wants to walk?" exclaimed the man. "Walking is a terriblyawkward way to travel. I hop, and so do all my people. It's so much moregraceful and agreeable than walking."

  "I don't agree with you," said the Scarecrow. "But tell me, is there anyway to get to the Horner Country without going through the city of theHoppers?"

  "Yes; there is another path from the rocky lowlands, outside themountain, that leads straight to the entrance of the Horner Country. Butit's a long way around, so you'd better come with me. Perhaps they willallow you to go through the gate; but we expect to conquer them thisafternoon, if we get time, and then you may go and come as you please."

  They thought it best to take the Hopper's advice, and asked him to leadthe way. This he did in a series of hops, and he moved so swiftly inthis strange manner that those with two legs had to run to keep up withhim.