The Search Party
CHAPTER 6
Next morning, as soon as the sun was up, Glinda flew back to her castle,stopping on the way to instruct the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, whowere at that time staying at the college of Professor H. M. Wogglebug,T. E., and taking a course of his Patent Educational Pills. On hearingof Ozma's loss they started at once for the Quadling Country to searchfor her.
As soon as Glinda had left the Emerald City, Tik-Tok and the Shaggy Manand Jack Pumpkinhead, who had been present at the conference, begantheir journey into the Gillikin Country, and an hour later Ojo and UncNunkie joined Dr. Pipt and together they traveled toward the MunchkinCountry. When all these searchers were gone, Dorothy and the Wizardcompleted their own preparations.
The Wizard hitched the Sawhorse to the Red Wagon, which would seat fourvery comfortably. He wanted Dorothy, Betsy, Trot and the Patchwork Girlto ride in the wagon, but Scraps came up to them mounted upon the Woozy,and the Woozy said he would like to join the party. Now this Woozy was amost peculiar animal, having a square head, square body, square legs andsquare tail. His skin was very tough and hard, resembling leather, andwhile his movements were somewhat clumsy the beast could travel withremarkable swiftness. His square eyes were mild and gentle in expressionand he was not especially foolish. The Woozy and the Patchwork Girl weregreat friends and so the Wizard agreed to let the Woozy go with them.
Another great beast now appeared and asked to go along. This was noneother than the famous Cowardly Lion, one of the most interestingcreatures in all Oz. No lion that roamed the jungles or plains couldcompare in size or intelligence with this Cowardly Lion, who--like allanimals living in Oz--could talk, and who talked with more shrewdnessand wisdom than many of the people did. He said he was cowardly becausehe always trembled when he faced danger, but he had faced danger manytimes and never refused to fight when it was necessary. This Lion was agreat favorite with Ozma and always guarded her throne on stateoccasions. He was also an old companion and friend of the PrincessDorothy, so the girl was delighted to have him join the party.
"I'm so nervous over our dear Ozma," said the Cowardly Lion in his deep,rumbling voice, "that it would make me unhappy to remain behind whileyou are trying to find her. But do not get into any danger, I beg ofyou, for danger frightens me terribly."
"We'll not get into danger if we can poss'bly help it," promisedDorothy; "but we shall do anything to find Ozma, danger or no danger."
The addition of the Woozy and the Cowardly Lion to the party gave BetsyBobbin an idea and she ran to the marble stables at the rear of thepalace and brought out her mule, Hank by name. Perhaps no mule you eversaw was so lean and bony and altogether plain looking as this Hank, butBetsy loved him dearly because he was faithful and steady and not nearlyso stupid as most mules are considered to be. Betsy had a saddle forHank and declared she would ride on his back, an arrangement approved bythe Wizard because it left only four of the party to ride on the seatsof the Red Wagon--Dorothy and Button-Bright and Trot and himself.
An old sailor-man, who had one wooden leg, came to see them off andsuggested that they put a supply of food and blankets in the Red Wagon,inasmuch as they were uncertain how long they would be gone. Thissailor-man was called Cap'n Bill. He was a former friend and comrade ofTrot and had encountered many adventures in company with the littlegirl. I think he was sorry he could not go with her on this trip, butGlinda the Sorceress had asked Cap'n Bill to remain in the Emerald Cityand take charge of the royal palace while everyone else was away, andthe one-legged sailor had agreed to do so.
They loaded the back end of the Red Wagon with everything they thoughtthey might need, and then they formed a procession and marched from thepalace through the Emerald City to the great gates of the wall thatsurrounded this beautiful capital of the Land of Oz. Crowds of citizenslined the streets to see them pass and to cheer them and wish themsuccess, for all were grieved over Ozma's loss and anxious that she befound again.
First came the Cowardly Lion; then the Patchwork Girl riding upon theWoozy; then Betsy Bobbin on her mule Hank; and finally the Sawhorsedrawing the Red Wagon, in which were seated the Wizard and Dorothy andButton-Bright and Trot. No one was obliged to drive the Sawhorse, sothere were no reins to his harness; one had only to tell him which wayto go, fast or slow, and he understood perfectly.
It was about this time that a shaggy little black dog who had been lyingasleep in Dorothy's room in the palace woke up and discovered he waslonesome. Everything seemed very still throughout the great building andToto--that was the little dog's name--missed the customary chatter ofthe three girls. He never paid much attention to what was going onaround him and, although he could speak, he seldom said anything; so thelittle dog did not know about Ozma's loss or that everyone had gone insearch of her. But he liked to be with people, and especially with hisown mistress, Dorothy, and having yawned and stretched himself and foundthe door of the room ajar he trotted out into the corridor and wentdown the stately marble stairs to the hall of the palace, where he metJellia Jamb.
"Where's Dorothy?" asked Toto.
"She's gone to the Winkie Country," answered the maid.
"When?"
"A little while ago," replied Jellia.
Toto turned and trotted out into the palace garden and down the longdriveway until he came to the streets of the Emerald City. Here hepaused to listen and, hearing sounds of cheering, he ran swiftly alonguntil he came in sight of the Red Wagon and the Woozy and the Lion andthe Mule and all the others. Being a wise little dog, he decided not toshow himself to Dorothy just then, lest he be sent back home; but henever lost sight of the party of travelers, all of whom were so eager toget ahead that they never thought to look behind them.
When they came to the gates in the city wall the Guardian of the Gatescame out to throw wide the golden portals and let them pass through.
"Did any strange person come in or out of the city on the night beforelast, when Ozma was stolen?" asked Dorothy.
"No, indeed, Princess," answered the Guardian of the Gates.
"Of course not," said the Wizard. "Anyone clever enough to steal all thethings we have lost would not mind the barrier of a wall like this, inthe least. I think the thief must have flown through the air, forotherwise he could not have stolen from Ozma's royal palace and Glinda'sfar-away castle in the same night. Moreover, as there are no airships inOz and no way for airships from the outside world to get into thiscountry, I believe the thief must have flown from place to place bymeans of magic arts which neither Glinda nor I understand."
On they went, and before the gates closed behind them Toto managed tododge through them. The country surrounding the Emerald City was thicklysettled and for a while our friends rode over nicely paved roads whichwound through a fertile country dotted with beautiful houses, all builtin the quaint Oz fashion. In the course of a few hours, however, theyhad left the tilled fields and entered the Country of the Winkies, whichoccupies a quarter of all the territory in the Land of Oz but is not sowell known as many other parts of Ozma's fairyland. Long before nightthe travelers had crossed the Winkie River near to the Scarecrow'sTower (which was now vacant) and had entered the Rolling Prairie wherefew people live. They asked everyone they met for news of Ozma, but nonein this district had seen her or even knew that she had been stolen. Andby nightfall they had passed all the farmhouses and were obliged to stopand ask for shelter at the hut of a lonely shepherd. When they halted,Toto was not far behind. The little dog halted, too, and stealing softlyaround the party he hid himself behind the hut.
The shepherd was a kindly old man and treated the travelers with muchcourtesy. He slept out of doors, that night, giving up his hut to thethree girls, who made their beds on the floor with the blankets they hadbrought in the Red Wagon. The Wizard and Button-Bright also slept out ofdoors, and so did the Cowardly Lion and Hank the Mule. But Scraps andthe Sawhorse did not sleep at all and the Woozy could stay awake for amonth at a time, if he wished to, so these three sat in a lit
tle groupby themselves and talked together all through the night.
In the darkness the Cowardly Lion felt a shaggy little form nestlingbeside his own, and he said sleepily:
"Where did you come from, Toto?"
"From home," said the dog. "If you roll over, roll the other way, so youwon't smash me."
"Does Dorothy know you are here?" asked the Lion.
"I believe not," admitted Toto, and he added, a little anxiously: "Doyou think, friend Lion, we are now far enough from the Emerald City forme to risk showing myself? Or will Dorothy send me back because I wasn'tinvited?"
"Only Dorothy can answer that question," said the Lion. "For my part,Toto, I consider this affair none of my business, so you must act as youthink best."
Then the huge beast went to sleep again and Toto snuggled closer to hiswarm, hairy body and also slept. He was a wise little dog, in his way,and didn't intend to worry when there was something much better to do.
In the morning the Wizard built a fire, over which the girls cooked avery good breakfast.
Suddenly Dorothy discovered Toto sitting quietly before the fire and thelittle girl exclaimed:
"Goodness me, Toto! Where did _you_ come from?"
"From the place you cruelly left me," replied the dog in a reproachfultone.
"I forgot all about you," admitted Dorothy, "and if I hadn't I'dprob'ly left you with Jellia Jamb, seeing this isn't a pleasure trip butstric'ly business. But, now that you're here, Toto, I s'pose you'll haveto stay with us, unless you'd rather go back home again. We may getourselves into trouble, before we're done, Toto."
"Never mind that," said Toto, wagging his tail. "I'm hungry, Dorothy."
"Breakfas'll soon be ready and then you shall have your share," promisedhis little mistress, who was really glad to have her dog with her. Sheand Toto had traveled together before, and she knew he was a good andfaithful comrade.
When the food was cooked and served the girls invited the old shepherdto join them in their morning meal. He willingly consented and whilethey ate he said to them:
"You are now about to pass through a very dangerous country, unless youturn to the north or to the south to escape its perils."
"In that case," said the Cowardly Lion, "let us turn, by all means, forI dread to face dangers of any sort."
"What's the matter with the country ahead of us?" inquired Dorothy.
"Beyond this Rolling Prairie," explained the shepherd, "are theMerry-Go-Round Mountains, set close together and surrounded by deepgulfs, so that no one is able to get past them. Beyond theMerry-Go-Round Mountains it is said the Thistle-Eaters and the Herkuslive."
"What are they like?" demanded Dorothy.
"No one knows, for no one has ever passed the Merry-Go-Round Mountains,"was the reply; "but it is said that the Thistle-Eaters hitch dragons totheir chariots and that the Herkus are waited upon by giants whom theyhave conquered and made their slaves."
"Who says all that?" asked Betsy.
"It is common report," declared the shepherd. "Everyone believes it."
"I don't see how they know," remarked little Trot, "if no one has beenthere."
"Perhaps the birds who fly over that country brought the news,"suggested Betsy.
"If you escaped those dangers," continued the shepherd, "you mightencounter others, still more serious, before you came to the next branchof the Winkie River. It is true that beyond that river there lies a finecountry, inhabited by good people, and if you reached there you wouldhave no further trouble. It is between here and the west branch of theWinkie River that all dangers lie, for that is the unknown territorythat is inhabited by terrible, lawless people."
"It may be, and it may not be," said the Wizard. "We shall know when weget there."
"Well," persisted the shepherd, "in a fairy country such as ours everyundiscovered place is likely to harbor wicked creatures. If they werenot wicked, they would discover themselves, and by coming among ussubmit to Ozma's rule and be good and considerate, as are all the Ozpeople whom we know."
"That argument," stated the little Wizard, "convinces me that it is ourduty to go straight to those unknown places, however dangerous they maybe; for it is surely some cruel and wicked person who has stolen ourOzma, and we know it would be folly to search among good people for theculprit. Ozma may not be hidden in the secret places of the WinkieCountry, it is true, but it is our duty to travel to every spot, howeverdangerous, where our beloved Ruler is likely to be imprisoned."
"You're right about that," said Button-Bright approvingly. "Dangersdon't hurt us; only things that happen ever hurt anyone, and a danger isa thing that might happen, and might not happen, and sometimes don'tamount to shucks. I vote we go ahead and take our chances."
They were all of the same opinion, so they packed up and said good-byeto the friendly shepherd and proceeded on their way.
The Lost Princess of Oz Page 7
