The Master Key

by L. Frank Baum

  The robber turned to watch its fall and, filled with sudden anger,the boy grabbed the weapon, pointed it at his enemy, and pressed thebutton. Down tumbled the Turk, without a cry, and lay motionless at thefoot of the wall.

  Rob's first thought was to search the pockets of his captive, and tohis delight he found and recovered his box of food tablets. The Recordof Events and the traveling machine were doubtless in the possession ofthe other robbers, but Rob did not despair of recovering them, now thathe had the tube to aid him.

  Day was now breaking, and several of the Tatars appeared and examinedthe body of the Turk with grunts of surprise, for there was no markupon him to show how he had been slain. Supposing him to be dead, theytossed him aside and forgot all about him.

  Rob had secured his ruby ring again, and going to the chief's tenthe showed the jewel to the guard and was at once admitted. Theblack-bearded chieftain was still reclining upon his pillows, but Robbowed before him, and by means of signs managed to ask for a band ofwarriors to assist him in assaulting the town. The chieftain appearedto doubt the wisdom of the enterprise, not being able to understand howthe boy could expect to succeed; but he graciously issued the requiredorder, and by the time Rob reached the city gate he found a large groupof Tatars gathered to support him, while the entire camp, roused tointerest in the proceedings, stood looking on.

  Rob cared little for the quarrel between the Turks and Tatars, andunder ordinary circumstances would have refused to side with one orthe other; but he knew he could not hope to recover his electricalmachines unless the city was taken by the band of warriors who hadbefriended him, so he determined to force an entrance for them.

  Without hesitation he walked close to the great gate and shattered itsfastenings with the force of the electric current directed upon themfrom the tube. Then, shouting to his friends the Tatars for assistance,they rushed in a body upon the gate and dashed it open.

  The Turks had expected trouble when they heard the fastenings of thehuge gate splinter and fall apart, so they had assembled in forcebefore the opening. As the Tatars poured through the gateway in acompact mass they were met by a hail of bullets, spears and arrows,which did fearful execution among them. Many were killed outright,while others fell wounded to be trampled upon by those who pressed onfrom the rear.

  Rob maintained his position in the front rank, but escaped all injurythrough the possession of the Garment of Repulsion. But he took anactive part in the fight and pressed the button of the electric tubeagain and again, tumbling the enemy into heaps on every side, even thehorses and camels falling helplessly before the resistless current ofelectricity.

  The Tatars shouted joyfully as they witnessed this marvelous feat andrushed forward to assist in the slaughter; but the boy motioned themall back. He did not wish any more bloodshed than was necessary, andknew that the heaps of unconscious Turks around him would soon recover.

  So he stood alone and faced the enemy, calmly knocking them over asfast as they came near. Two of the Turks managed to creep up behind theboy, and one of them, who wielded an immense simitar with a two-edgedblade as sharp as a razor, swung the weapon fiercely to cut off Rob'shead. But the repulsive force aroused in the Garment was so terrificthat it sent the weapon flying backwards with redoubled swiftness, sothat it caught the second Turk at the waist and cut him fairly in two.

  Thereafter they all avoided coming near the boy, and in a surprisinglyshort time the Turkish forces were entirely conquered, all having beenreduced to unconsciousness except a few cowards who had run away andhidden in the cellars or garrets of the houses.

  The Tatars entered the city with shouts of triumph, and the chief wasso delighted that he threw his arms around Rob's neck and embraced himwarmly.

  Then began the sack of Yarkand, the fierce Tatars plundering thebazaars and houses, stripping them of everything of value they couldfind.

  Rob searched anxiously among the bodies of the unconscious Turks forthe two men who had robbed him, but neither could be found. He was moresuccessful later, for in running through the streets he came upon aband of Tatars leading a man with a rope around his neck, whom Robquickly recognized as one of the thieves he was hunting for. The Tatarswillingly allowed him to search the fellow, and in one of his pocketsRob found the Record of Events.

  He had now recovered all his property, except the traveling machine,the one thing that was absolutely necessary to enable him to escapefrom this barbarous country.

  He continued his search persistently, and an hour later found the deadbody of the third robber lying in the square in the center of the city.But the traveling machine was not on his person, and for the first timethe boy began to give way to despair.

  In the distance he heard loud shouts and sound of renewed strife,warning him that the Turks were recovering consciousness and engagingthe Tatars with great fierceness. The latter had scattered throughoutthe town, thinking themselves perfectly secure, so that not only werethey unprepared to fight, but they became panic-stricken at seeingtheir foes return, as it seemed, from death to life. Their usualcourage forsook them, and they ran, terrified, in every direction, onlyto be cut down by the revengeful Turkish simitars.

  Rob was sitting upon the edge of a marble fountain in the center of thesquare when a crowd of victorious Turks appeared and quickly surroundedhim. The boy paid no attention to their gestures and the Turks fearedto approach him nearly, so they stood a short distance away and firedvolleys at him from their rifles and pistols.

  Rob glared at them scornfully, and seeing they could not injure himthe Turks desisted; but they still surrounded him, and the crowd grewthicker every moment.

  Women now came creeping from their hiding places and mingled with theranks of the men, and Rob guessed, from their joyous chattering, thatthe Turks had regained the city and driven out or killed the Tatarwarriors. He reflected, gloomily, that this did not affect his ownposition in any way, since he could not escape from the oasis.

  Suddenly, on glancing at the crowd, Rob saw something that arrestedhis attention. A young girl was fastening some article to the wrist ofa burly, villainous-looking Turk. The boy saw a glitter that remindedhim of the traveling machine, but immediately afterward the man and thegirl bent their heads over the fellow's wrist in such a way that Robcould see nothing more.

  While the couple were apparently examining the strange device, Robstarted to his feet and walked toward them. The crowd fell back at hisapproach, but the man and the girl were so interested that they did notnotice him. He was still several paces away when the girl put out herfinger and touched the indicator on the dial.

  To Rob's horror and consternation the big Turk began to rise slowlyinto the air, while a howl of fear burst from the crowd. But the boymade a mighty spring and caught the Turk by his foot, clinging to itwith desperate tenacity, while they both mounted steadily upward untilthey were far above the city of the desert.

  The Turk rose slowly into the air, with Rob clinging tohim with desperate tenacity]

  The big Turk screamed pitifully at first, and then actually faintedaway from fright. Rob was much frightened, on his part, for he knew ifhis hands slipped from their hold he would fall to his death. Indeed,one hand was slipping already, so he made a frantic clutch and caughtfirmly hold of the Turk's baggy trousers. Then, slowly and carefully,he drew himself up and seized the leather belt that encircled the man'swaist. This firm grip gave him new confidence, and he began to breathemore freely.

  He now clung to the body of the Turk with both legs entwined, in theway he was accustomed to cling to a tree-trunk when he climbed aftercherries at home. He had conquered his fear of falling, and took timeto recover his wits and his strength.

  They had now reached such a tremendous height that the city lookedlike a speck on the desert beneath them. Knowing he must act quickly,Rob seized the dangling left arm of the unconscious Turk and raisedit until he could reach the dial of the traveling machine. He fearedto unclasp the machine just then, for two reasons: if it slipped fromhis gras
p they would both plunge downward to their death; and he wasnot sure the machine would work at all if in any other position thanfastened to the left wrist.

  Rob determined to take no chances, so he left the machine attached tothe Turk and turned the indicator to zero and then to "East," for hedid not wish to rejoin either his enemies the Turks or his equallyundesirable friends the Tatars.

  After traveling eastward a few minutes he lost sight of the cityaltogether; so, still clinging to the body of the Turk, he again turnedthe indicator and began to descend. When, at last, they landed gentlyupon a rocky eminence of the Kuen-Lun mountains, the boy's strength wasalmost exhausted, and his limbs ached with the strain of clinging tothe Turk's body.

  His first act was to transfer the traveling machine to his own wristand to see that his other electrical devices were safely bestowed inhis pockets. Then he sat upon the rock to rest until the Turk recoveredconsciousness.

  Presently the fellow moved uneasily, rolled over, and then sat up andstared at his surroundings. Perhaps he thought he had been dreaming,for he rubbed his eyes and looked again with mingled surprise andalarm. Then, seeing Rob, he uttered a savage shout and drew his dagger.

  Rob smiled and pointed the electric tube at the man, who doubtlessrecognized its power, for he fell back scowling and trembling.

  "This place seems like a good jog from civilization," remarked the boy,as coolly as if his companion could understand what he said; "but asyour legs are long and strong you may be able to find your way. It'strue you're liable to starve to death, but if you do it will be yourown misfortune and not my fault."

  The Turk glared at him sullenly, but did not attempt to reply.

  Rob took out his box of tablets, ate one of them and offered another tohis enemy. The fellow accepted it ungraciously enough, but seeing Robeat one he decided to follow his example, and consumed the tablet witha queer expression of distrust upon his face.

  "Brave man!" cried Rob, laughingly; "you've avoided the pangs ofstarvation for a time, anyhow, so I can leave you with a clearconscience."

  Without more ado he turned the indicator of the traveling machine andmounted into the air, leaving the Turk sitting upon the rocks andstaring after him in comical bewilderment.

  _CHAPTER FIFTEEN_

  A BATTLE WITH MONSTERS

  Our young adventurer never experienced a more grateful feeling ofrelief and security than when he found himself once more high in theair, alone, and in undisputed possession of the electrical devicesbestowed upon him by the Demon.

  The dangers he had passed through since landing at the city of thedesert and the desperate chance that alone had permitted him to regainthe traveling machine made him shudder at the bare recollection andrendered him more sober and thoughtful than usual.

  We who stick closely to the earth's surface can scarcely realize howRob could travel through the air at such dizzy heights without any fearor concern whatsoever. But he had come to consider the air a veritablerefuge. Experience had given him implicit confidence in the powers ofthe electrical instrument whose unseen forces carried him so swiftlyand surely, and while the tiny, watch-like machine was clasped to hiswrist he felt himself to be absolutely safe.

  Having slipped away from the Turk and attained a fair altitude, he setthe indicator at zero and paused long enough to consult his map anddecide what direction it was best for him to take. The mischance thathad swept him unwittingly over the countries of Europe had also carriedhim more than half way around the world from his home. Therefore thenearest way to reach America would be to continue traveling to theeastward.

  So much time had been consumed at the desert oasis that he felt hemust now hasten if he wished to reach home by Saturday afternoon; so,having quickly come to a decision, he turned the indicator and began aswift flight into the east.

  For several hours he traveled above the great desert of Gobi, but bynoon signs of a more fertile country began to appear, and, dropping toa point nearer the earth, he was able to observe closely the countryof the Chinese, with its crowded population and ancient but crudecivilization.

  Then he came to the Great Wall of China and to mighty Peking, abovewhich he hovered some time, examining it curiously. He really longed tomake a stop there, but with his late experiences fresh in his mind hethought it much safer to view the wonderful city from a distance.

  Resuming his flight he presently came to the gulf of Laou Tong, whosefair face was freckled with many ships of many nations, and so on toKorea, which seemed to him a land fully a century behind the times.

  Night overtook him while speeding across the Sea of Japan, and having agreat desire to view the Mikado's famous islands, he put the indicatorat zero, and, coming to a full stop, composed himself to sleep untilmorning, that he might run no chances of being carried beyond hisknowledge during the night.

  You might suppose it no easy task to sleep suspended in mid-air, yetthe magnetic currents controlled by the traveling machine were soevenly balanced that Rob was fully as comfortable as if reposing upona bed of down. He had become somewhat accustomed to passing the nightin the air and now slept remarkably well, having no fear of burglars orfire or other interruptions that dwellers in cities are subject to.

  One thing, however, he should have remembered: that he was in anancient and little known part of the world and reposing above a seafamous in fable as the home of many fierce and terrible creatures;while not far away lay the land of the dragon, the simurg and otherferocious monsters.

  Rob may have read of these things in fairy tales and books of travel,but if so they had entirely slipped his mind; so he slumberedpeacefully and actually snored a little, I believe, towards morning.

  But even as the red sun peeped curiously over the horizon he wasawakened by a most unusual disturbance--a succession of hoarse screamsand a pounding of the air as from the quickly revolving blades of somehuge windmill.

  He rubbed his eyes and looked around.

  Coming towards him at his right hand was an immense bird, whose bodyseemed almost as big as that of a horse. Its wide-open, curving beakwas set with rows of pointed teeth, and the talons held against itsbreast and turned threateningly outward were more powerful anddreadful than a tiger's claws.

  While, fascinated and horrified, he watched the approach of thisfeathered monster, a scream sounded just behind him and the nextinstant the stroke of a mighty wing sent him whirling over and overthrough the air.

  He soon came to a stop, however, and saw that another of the monstershad come upon him from the rear and was now, with its mate, circlingclosely around him, while both uttered continuously their hoarse,savage cries.

  Rob wondered why the Garment of Repulsion had not protected him fromthe blow of the bird's wing; but, as a matter of fact, it had protectedhim. For it was not the wing itself but the force of the eddyingcurrents of air that had sent him whirling away from the monster. Withthe indicator at zero the magnetic currents and the opposing powersof attraction and repulsion were so evenly balanced that any violentatmospheric disturbance affected him in the same way that thistledownis affected by a summer breeze. He had noticed something of thisbefore, but whenever a strong wind was blowing he was accustomed torise to a position above the air currents. This was the first time hehad slept with the indicator at zero.

  The huge birds at once renewed their attack, but Rob had now recoveredhis wits sufficiently to draw the electric tube from his pocket. Thefirst one to dart towards him received the powerful electric currentdirect from the tube, and fell stunned and fluttering to the surfaceof the sea, where it floated motionless. Its mate, perhaps warned bythis sudden disaster, renewed its circling flight, moving so swiftlythat Rob could scarcely follow it, and drawing nearer and nearer everymoment to its intended victim. The boy could not turn in the airvery quickly, and he feared an attack in the back, mistrusting thesaving power of the Garment of Repulsion under such circumstances;so in desperation he pressed his finger upon the button of the tubeand whirled the instrument around his head in the oppo
site directionto that in which the monster was circling. Presently the current andthe bird met, and with one last scream the creature tumbled downwardsto join its fellow upon the waves, where they lay like two floatingislands.

  Their presence had left a rank, sickening stench in the surroundingatmosphere, so Rob made haste to resume his journey and was soon movingrapidly eastward.

  He could not control a shudder at the recollection of his recentcombat, and realized the horror of a meeting with such creatures by onewho had no protection from their sharp beaks and talons.

  "It's no wonder the Japs draw ugly pictures of those monsters," hethought. "People who live in these parts must pass most of their livesin a tremble."

  The sun was now shining brilliantly, and when the beautiful islandsof Japan came in sight Rob found that he had recovered his wontedcheerfulness. He moved along slowly, hovering with curious interestover the quaint and picturesque villages and watching the industriousJapanese patiently toiling at their tasks. Just before he reached Tokiohe came to a military fort, and for nearly an hour watched the skilfulmaneuvers of a regiment of soldiers at their morning drill. They werenot very big people, compared with other nations, but they seemed alertand well trained, and the boy decided it would require a brave enemy toface them on a field of battle.

  Having at length satisfied his curiosity as to Japanese life andcustoms Rob prepared for his long flight across the Pacific Ocean.

  By consulting his map he discovered that should he maintain his coursedue east, as before, he would arrive at a point in America very near toSan Francisco, which suited his plans excellently.