Sky Island

by L. Frank Baum

  BUTTON-BRIGHT ENCOUNTERS THE BLUE WOLF

  CHAPTER 11.

  A low, fierce growl greeted him. The Treasure Chamber was pretty dark,although the moonlight came in through some of the windows, but the boyhad brought with him the low brass lamp that lighted the corrider andthis he set upon a table beside the door before he took time to lookaround him.

  The Treasure Chamber was heaped and crowded with all the riches theBoolooroo had accumulated during his reign of two or three hundredyears. Piles of gold and jewels were on all sides and precious ornamentsand splendid cloths, rare pieces of carved furniture, vases, bric-a-bracand the like, were strewn about the room in astonishing profusion.

  Just at the boy's feet crouched a monstrous animal of most fearfulaspect. He knew at a glance it was the terrible Blue Wolf and the sightof the beast sent a shiver through him. The Blue Wolf's head was fullyas big as that of a lion and its wide jaws were armed with rows of long,pointed teeth. Its shoulders and front legs were huge and powerful, butthe rest of the wolf's body dwindled away until at the tail it was nobigger than a dog. The jaws were therefore the dangerous part of thecreature, and its small blue eyes flashed wickedly at the intruder.

  Just as the boy made his first step forward the Blue Wolf sprang uponhim with its enormous jaws stretched wide open. Button-Bright jammed thesofa-pillow into the brute's mouth and crowded it in as hard as hecould. The terrible teeth came together and buried themselves in thepillow, and then Mr. Wolf found he could not pull them outagain--because his mouth was stuffed full. He could not even growl oryelp, but rolled upon the floor trying in vain to release himself fromthe conquering pillow.

  Button-Bright paid no further attention to the helpless animal butcaught up the blue-brass lamp and began a search for his umbrella. Ofcourse he could not find it, as it was not there. He came across a smallbook, bound in light blue leather, which lay upon an exquisitely carvedcenter-table. It was named, in dark blue letters stamped on the leather,"The Royal Record Book," and remembering that Ghip-Ghisizzle longed topossess this book Button-Bright hastily concealed it inside his blouse.Then he renewed his search for the umbrella, but it was quite in vain.He hunted in every crack and corner, tumbling the treasures here andthere in the quest, but at last he became positive that the MagicUmbrella had been removed from the room.

  The boy was bitterly disappointed and did not know what to do next. Buthe noticed that the Blue Wolf had finally seized an edge of thesofa-pillow in its sharp claws and was struggling to pull the thing outof his mouth; so, there being no object in his remaining longer in theroom, where he might have to fight the wolf again, Button-Bright wentout and locked the door behind him.

  While he stood in the corridor wondering what to do next a suddenshouting reached his ears. It was the voice of the Boolooroo, crying:"My Key--my Key! Who has stolen my golden Key?" And then there followedshouts of soldiers and guards and servants and the rapid pattering offeet was heard throughout the palace.

  Button-Bright took to his heels and ran along the passages until he cameto Cap'n Bill's room, where the sailorman and Trot were anxiouslyawaiting him.

  "Quick!" cried the boy; "we must escape from here at once or we will becaught and patched."

  "Where's the umbrel?" asked Cap'n Bill.

  "I don't know. I can't find it. But all the palace is aroused and theBoolooroo is furious. Come, let's get away at once!"

  "Where'll we go?" inquired Trot.

  "We must make for the open country and hide in the Fog Bank, or in theArch of Phinis," replied the boy.

  They did not stop to argue any longer, but all three stepped out of thelittle door into the street, where they first clasped hands, so theywould not get separated in the dark, and then ran as swiftly as theycould down the street, which was deserted at this hour by the citizens.They could not go very fast because the sailorman's wooden leg wasawkward to run with and held them back, but Cap'n Bill hobbled quickerthan he had ever hobbled before in all his life, and they really madepretty good progress.

  They met no one on the streets and continued their flight until at lastthey came to the City Wall, which had a blue-iron gate in it. Here was aBlueskin guard, who had been peacefully slumbering when aroused by thefootsteps of the fugitives.

  "Halt!" cried the guard, fiercely.

  Cap'n Bill halted long enough to grab the man around his long neck withone hand and around his long leg with the other hand. Then he raised theBlueskin in the air and threw him far over the wall. A moment later theyhad unfastened the gate and fled into the open country, where theyheaded toward the low mountain whose outlines were plainly visible inthe moonlight.

  The guard was now howling and crying for help. In the city wereanswering shouts. A hue and cry came from every direction, reaching asfar as the palace. Lights began to twinkle everywhere in the streets andthe Blue City hummed like a beehive filled with angry bees.

  "It won't do for us to get caught now," panted Cap'n Bill, as they ranalong. "I'm more afeared o' them Blue citizens ner I am o' the BlueBoolooroo. They'd tear us to pieces, if they could."

  Sky Island was not a very big place, especially the blue part of it, andour friends were now very close to the low mountain. Presently theypaused before a grim archway of blue marble, above which was carved theone word: "Phinis." The interior seemed dark and terrible as theystopped to regard it as a possible place of refuge.

  "Don't like that place, Cap'n," whispered Trot.

  "No more do I, mate," he answered.

  "I think I'd rather take a chance on the Fog Bank," said Button-Bright.

  Just then they were all startled by a swift flapping of wings, and avoice cried in shrill tones:

  "Where are you, Trot? As like as not I've been forgot!"

  Cap'n Bill jumped this way and Button-Bright that, and then therealighted on Trot's shoulder the blue parrot that had been the pet of thePrincess Cerulia.

  Said the bird:

  "Gee! I've flown Here all alone. It's pretty far, But here we are!"

  and then he barked like a dog and chuckled with glee at having found hislittle friend.

  In escaping from the palace Trot had been obliged to leave all the petsbehind her, but it seemed that the parrot had found some way to get freeand follow her. They were all astonished to hear the bird talk--and inpoetry, too--but Cap'n Bill told Trot that some parrots he had known hadpossessed a pretty fair gift of language, and he added that this blueone seemed an unusually bright bird.

  "As fer po'try," said he, "that's as how you look at po'try. Rhymes comefrom your head, but real po'try from your heart, an' whether the blueparrot has a heart or not he's sure got a head."

  Having decided not to venture into the Arch of Phinis they again startedon, this time across the country straight toward the Fog Bank, whichhung like a blue-gray cloud directly across the center of the island.They knew they were being followed by bands of the Blueskins, for theycould hear the shouts of their pursuers growing louder and louder everyminute, since their long legs covered the ground more quickly than ourfriends could possibly go. Had the journey been much farther thefugitives would have been overtaken, but when the leaders of thepursuing Blueskins were only a few yards behind them they reached theedge of the Fog Bank and without hesitation plunged into its thick mist,which instantly hid them from view.

  The Blueskins fell back, horrified at the mad act of the strangers. Tothem the Fog Bank was the most dreadful thing in existence and noBlueskin had ever ventured within it, even for a moment.

  "That's the end of those short-necked Yellowskins," said one, shakinghis head. "We may as well go back and report the matter to theBoolooroo."