subjects; but the Roses regarded it with calm disdain.
"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy in surprise. "The Magnet
never failed to work before!"
"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely. "These Roses have no
hearts."
"That's it," agreed the Gardener. "They're pretty, and sweet, and
alive; but still they are Roses. Their stems have thorns, but no
hearts."
The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet to the Shaggy Man.
"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.
"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" commanded the Roses. "We
will have no Ruler until a man-rose--a King--is ripe enough to pick."
"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You must excuse me, my dear
Shaggy, for opposing your wishes, but you and the others, including
Ozga, must get out of Rose Kingdom immediately, if not before."
"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy, carelessly displaying the
Magnet.
"I do. I dote on thee!" answered the Gardener earnestly; "but no true
man will neglect his duty for the sake of love. My duty is to drive you
out, so--out you go!"
With this he seized a garden fork and began jabbing it at the
strangers, in order to force them to leave. Hank the mule was not
afraid of the fork and when he got his heels near to the Gardener the
man fell back to avoid a kick.
But now the Roses crowded around the outcasts and it was soon
discovered that beneath their draperies of green leaves were many sharp
thorns which were more dangerous than Hank's heels. Neither Betsy nor
Ozga nor Shaggy nor the mule cared to brave those thorns and when they
pressed away from them they found themselves slowly driven through the
garden door into the greenhouse. From there they were forced out at the
entrance and so through the territory of the flower-strewn Rose
Kingdom, which was not of very great extent.
The Rose Princess was sobbing bitterly; Betsy was indignant and angry;
Hank uttered defiant "Hee-haws" and the Shaggy Man whistled softly to
himself.
The boundary of the Rose Kingdom was a deep gulf, but there was a
drawbridge in one place and this the Royal Gardener let down until the
outcasts had passed over it. Then he drew it up again and returned with
his Roses to the greenhouse, leaving the four queerly assorted comrades
to wander into the bleak and unknown country that lay beyond.
"I don't mind, much," remarked Shaggy, as he led the way over the
stony, barren ground. "I've got to search for my long-lost little
brother, anyhow, so it won't matter where I go."
"Hank and I will help you find your brother," said Betsy in her most
cheerful voice. "I'm so far away from home now that I don't s'pose I'll
ever find my way back; and, to tell the truth, it's more fun traveling
around and having adventures than sticking at home. Don't you think so,
Hank?"
"Hee-haw!" said Hank, and the Shaggy Man thanked them both.
"For my part," said Princess Ozga of Roseland, with a gentle sigh, "I
must remain forever exiled from my Kingdom. So I, too, will be glad to
help the Shaggy Man find his lost brother."
"That's very kind of you, ma'am," said Shaggy. "But unless I can find
the underground cavern of Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch, I shall never
find poor brother."
(This King was formerly named "Roquat," but after he drank of the
"Waters of Oblivion" he forgot his own name and had to take another.)
"Doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquired Betsy.
"_Some_ one must know, of course," was Shaggy's reply. "But we are not
the ones. The only way to succeed is for us to keep going until we find
a person who can direct us to Ruggedo's cavern."
"We may find it ourselves, without any help," suggested Betsy. "Who
knows?"
"No one knows that, except the person who's writing this story," said
Shaggy. "But we won't find anything--not even supper--unless we travel
on. Here's a path. Let's take it and see where it leads to."
Chapter Seven
Polychrome's Pitiful Plight
The Rain King got too much water in his basin and spilled some over the
brim. That made it rain in a certain part of the country--a real hard
shower, for a time--and sent the Rainbow scampering to the place to
show the gorgeous colors of his glorious bow as soon as the mist of
rain had passed and the sky was clear.
The coming of the Rainbow is always a joyous event to earth folk, yet
few have ever seen it close by. Usually the Rainbow is so far distant
that you can observe its splendid hues but dimly, and that is why we
seldom catch sight of the dancing Daughters of the Rainbow.
In the barren country where the rain had just fallen there appeared to
be no human beings at all; but the Rainbow appeared, just the same, and
dancing gayly upon its arch were the Rainbow's Daughters, led by the
fairylike Polychrome, who is so dainty and beautiful that no girl has
ever quite equalled her in loveliness.
Polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down the arch of the bow to
the ground, daring her sisters to follow her. Laughing and gleeful,
they also touched the ground with their twinkling feet; but all the
Daughters of the Rainbow knew that this was a dangerous pastime, so
they quickly climbed upon their bow again.
All but Polychrome. Though the sweetest and merriest of them all, she
was likewise the most reckless. Moreover, it was an unusual sensation
to pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes. Before she realized it
the bow had lifted and disappeared in the billowy blue sky, and here
was Polychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her gauzy draperies
floating about her like brilliant cobwebs and not a soul--fairy or
mortal--to help her regain her lost bow!
"Dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across her pretty face, "I'm
caught again. This is the second time my carelessness has left me on
earth while my sisters returned to our Sky Palaces. The first time I
enjoyed some pleasant adventures, but this is a lonely, forsaken
country and I shall be very unhappy until my Rainbow comes again and I
can climb aboard. Let me think what is best to be done."
She crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her draperies about her and
bowed her head.
It was in this position that Betsy Bobbin spied Polychrome as she came
along the stony path, followed by Hank, the Princess and Shaggy. At
once the girl ran up to the radiant Daughter of the Rainbow and
exclaimed:
"Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!"
Polychrome raised her golden head. There were tears in her blue eyes.
"I'm the most miserable girl in the whole world!" she sobbed.
The others gathered around her.
"Tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the Princess.
"I--I've lost my bow!" wailed Polychrome.
"Take me, my dear," said Shaggy Man in a sympathetic tone, thinking she
meant "beau" instead of "bow."
"I don't want you!" cried Polychrome, stamping her foot imperiously; "I
want my _Rain_bow."
"Oh; that's different," said Shaggy. "But try to forget it. When I was
young I used to cry for the Rainbow myself, but I couldn't have it.
Looks as if _you_ couldn't have it, either; so please don't cry."
Polychrome looked at him reproachfully.
"I don't like you," she said.
"No?" replied Shaggy, drawing the Love Magnet from his pocket; "not a
little bit?--just a wee speck of a like?"
"Yes, yes!" said Polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy as she gazed
at the enchanted talisman; "I love you, Shaggy Man!"
"Of course you do," said he calmly; "but I don't take any credit for
it. It's the Love Magnet's powerful charm. But you seem quite alone and
friendless, little Rainbow. Don't you want to join our party until you
find your father and sisters again?"
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"We don't just know that," said Betsy, taking her hand; "but we're
trying to find Shaggy's long-lost brother, who has been captured by the
terrible Metal Monarch. Won't you come with us, and help us?"
Polychrome looked from one to another of the queer party of travelers
and a bewitching smile suddenly lighted her face.
"A donkey, a mortal maid, a Rose Princess and a Shaggy Man!" she
exclaimed. "Surely you need help, if you intend to face Ruggedo."
"Do you know him, then?" inquired Betsy.
"No, indeed. Ruggedo's caverns are beneath the earth's surface, where
no Rainbow can ever penetrate. But I've heard of the Metal Monarch. He
is also called the Nome King, you know, and he has made trouble for a
good many people--mortals and fairies--in his time," said Polychrome.
"Do you fear him, then?" asked the Princess, anxiously.
"No one can harm a Daughter of the Rainbow," said Polychrome proudly.
"I'm a sky fairy."
"Then," said Betsy, quickly, "you will be able to tell us the way to
Ruggedo's cavern."
"No," returned Polychrome, shaking her head, "that is one thing I
cannot do. But I will gladly go with you and help you search for the
place."
This promise delighted all the wanderers and after the Shaggy Man had
found the path again they began moving along it in a more happy mood.
The Rainbow's Daughter danced lightly over the rocky trail, no longer
sad, but with her beautiful features wreathed in smiles. Shaggy came
next, walking steadily and now and then supporting the Rose Princess,
who followed him. Betsy and Hank brought up the rear, and if she tired
with walking the girl got upon Hank's back and let the stout little
donkey carry her for awhile.
At nightfall they came to some trees that grew beside a tiny brook and
here they made camp and rested until morning. Then away they tramped,
finding berries and fruits here and there which satisfied the hunger of
Betsy, Shaggy and Hank, so that they were well content with their lot.
It surprised Betsy to see the Rose Princess partake of their food, for
she considered her a fairy; but when she mentioned this to Polychrome,
the Rainbow's Daughter explained that when Ozga was driven out of her
Rose Kingdom she ceased to be a fairy and would never again be more
than a mere mortal. Polychrome, however, was a fairy wherever she
happened to be, and if she sipped a few dewdrops by moonlight for
refreshment no one ever saw her do it.
As they continued their wandering journey, direction meant very little
to them, for they were hopelessly lost in this strange country. Shaggy
said it would be best to go toward the mountains, as the natural
entrance to Ruggedo's underground cavern was likely to be hidden in
some rocky, deserted place; but mountains seemed all around them except
in the one direction that they had come from, which led to the Rose
Kingdom and the sea. Therefore it mattered little which way they
traveled.
By and by they espied a faint trail that looked like a path and after
following this for some time they reached a crossroads. Here were many
paths, leading in various directions, and there was a signpost so old
that there were now no words upon the sign. At one side was an old
well, with a chain windlass for drawing water, yet there was no house
or other building anywhere in sight.
While the party halted, puzzled which way to proceed, the mule
approached the well and tried to look into it.
"He's thirsty," said Betsy.
"It's a dry well," remarked Shaggy. "Probably there has been no water
in it for many years. But, come; let us decide which way to travel."
No one seemed able to decide that. They sat down in a group and tried
to consider which road might be the best to take. Hank, however, could
not keep away from the well and finally he reared up on his hind legs,
got his head over the edge and uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" Betsy watched
her animal friend curiously.
"I wonder if he sees anything down there?" she said.
At this, Shaggy rose and went over to the well to investigate, and
Betsy went with him. The Princess and Polychrome, who had become fast
friends, linked arms and sauntered down one of the roads, to find an
easy path.
"Really," said Shaggy, "there does seem to be something at the bottom
of this old well."
"Can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked the girl.
There was no bucket at the end of the windlass chain, but there was a
big hook that at one time was used to hold a bucket. Shaggy let down
this hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then pulled it up. An
old hoopskirt came with it, and Betsy laughed and threw it away. The
thing frightened Hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt before, and he
kept a good distance away from it.
Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured with the hook and drew
up, but none of these was important.
"This well seems to have been the dump for all the old rubbish in the
country," he said, letting down the hook once more. "I guess I've
captured everything now. No--the hook has caught again. Help me, Betsy!
Whatever this thing is, it's heavy."
She ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much effort a
confused mass of copper came in sight.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed Shaggy. "Here is a surprise, indeed!"
"What is it?" inquired Betsy, clinging to the windlass and panting for
breath.
For answer the Shaggy Man grasped the bundle of copper and dumped it
upon the ground, free of the well. Then he turned it over with his
foot, spread it out, and to Betsy's astonishment the thing proved to be
a copper man.
"Just as I thought," said Shaggy, looking hard at the object. "But
unless there are two copper men in the world this is the most
astonishing thing I ever came across."
At this moment the Rainbow's Daughter and the Rose Princess approached
them, and Polychrome said:
"What have you found, Shaggy One?"
"Either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied.
"Oh, here's a sign on his back!" cried Betsy, who had knelt down to
examine the man. "Dear me; how funny! Listen to this."
Then she read the following words, engraved upon the copper plates of
the man's body:
SMITH & TINKER'S
Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive,
Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking
MECHANICAL MAN
Fitted with our Special Clockwork Attachment.
Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything but Live.
"Isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the Princess.
"Yes; but here's more," said Betsy, reading from another engraved plate:
DIRECTIONS FOR USING:
For THINKING:--Wind the Clockwork
Man under his left arm, (marked No. 1).
For SPEAKING:--Wind the Clockwork
Man under his right arm, (marked No. 2).
For WALKING and ACTION:--Wind Clockwork Man
in the middle of his back, (marked No. 3).
N. B.--This Mechanism is guaranteed to
work perfectly for a thousand years.
"If he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said Polychrome, "he ought
to work yet."
"Of course," replied Shaggy. "Let's wind him up."
In order to do this they were obliged to set the copper man upon his
feet, in an upright position, and this was no easy task. He was
inclined to topple over, and had to be propped again and again. The
girls assisted Shaggy, and at last Tik-Tok seemed to be balanced and
stood alone upon his broad feet.
"Yes," said Shaggy, looking at the copper man carefully, "this must be,
indeed, my old friend Tik-Tok, whom I left ticking merrily in the Land
of Oz. But how he came to this lonely place, and got into that old
well, is surely a mystery."
"If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us," suggested Betsy. "Here's the
key, hanging to a hook on his back. What part of him shall I wind up
first?"
"His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome, "for it requires thought to
speak or move intelligently."
So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little flashes of
light began to show in the top of his head, which was proof that he had
begun to think.
"Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his phonograph."
"What's that?" she asked.
"Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may be interesting, but they
don't tell us anything."
So Betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and then from the
interior of his copper body came in jerky tones the words: "Ma-ny
thanks!"
"Hurrah!" cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped Tik-Tok upon the back
in such a hearty manner that the copper man lost his balance and
tumbled to the ground in a heap. But the clockwork that enabled him to
speak had been wound up and he kept saying: "Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up!
Pick-me-up!" until they had again raised him and balanced him upon his
feet, when he added politely: "Ma-ny thanks!"
"He won't be self-supporting until we wind up his action," remarked
Shaggy; so Betsy wound it, as tight as she could--for the key turned
rather hard--and then Tik-Tok lifted his feet, marched around in a
circle and ended by stopping before the group and making them all a low
bow.
"How in the world did you happen to be in that well, when I left you
safe in Oz?" inquired Shaggy.
"It is a long sto-ry," replied Tik-Tok, "but I'll tell it in a few
words. Af-ter you had gone in search of your broth-er, Oz-ma saw you
wan-der-ing in strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her mag-ic
pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er in the Nome King's cavern; so
she sent me to tell you where to find your broth-er and told me to help
you if I could. The Sor-cer-ess, Glin-da the Good, trans-port-ed me to
this place in the wink of an eye; but here I met the Nome King
him-self--old Rug-ge-do, who is called in these parts the Met-al
Mon-arch. Rug-ge-do knew what I had come for, and he was so an-gry that
he threw me down the well. Af-ter my works ran down I was help-less
un-til you came a-long and pulled me out a-gain. Ma-ny thanks."
"This is, indeed, good news," said Shaggy. "I suspected that my brother
was the prisoner of Ruggedo; but now I know it. Tell us, Tik-Tok, how
shall we get to the Nome King's underground cavern?"
"The best way is to walk," said Tik-Tok. "We might crawl, or jump, or
roll o-ver and o-ver until we get there; but the best way is to walk."
"I know; but which road shall we take?"
"My ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that," replied Tik-Tok.
"There is more than one entrance to the underground cavern," said
Polychrome; "but old Ruggedo has cleverly concealed every opening, so
that earth dwellers can not intrude in his domain. If we find our way
underground at all, it will be by chance."
"Then," said Betsy, "let us select any road, haphazard, and see where
it leads us."
"That seems sensible," declared the Princess. "It may require a lot of
time for us to find Ruggedo, but we have more time than anything else."
"If you keep me wound up," said Tik-Tok, "I will last a thou-sand
years."
"Then the only question to decide is which way to go," added Shaggy,
looking first at one road and then at another.
But while they stood hesitating, a peculiar sound reached their ears--a
sound like the tramping of many feet.
"What's coming?" cried Betsy; and then she ran to the left-hand road
and glanced along the path. "Why, it's an army!" she exclaimed. "What
shall we do, hide or run?"
"Stand still," commanded Shaggy. "I'm not afraid of an army. If they
prove to be friendly, they can help us; if they are enemies, I'll show
them the Love Magnet."
Chapter Eight
Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task
While Shaggy and his companions stood huddled in a group at one side,
the Army of Oogaboo was approaching along the pathway, the tramp of
their feet being now and then accompanied by a dismal groan as one of
the officers stepped on a sharp stone or knocked his funnybone against
his neighbor's sword-handle.
Then out from among the trees marched Private Files, bearing the banner
of Oogaboo, which fluttered from a long pole. This pole he stuck in the
ground just in front of the well and then he cried in a loud voice:
"I hereby conquer this territory in the name of Queen Ann Soforth of
Oogaboo, and all the inhabitants of the land I proclaim her slaves!"
Some of the officers now stuck their heads out of the bushes and asked:
"Is the coast clear, Private Files?"
"There is no coast here," was the reply, "but all's well."
"I hope there's water in it," said General Cone, mustering courage to
advance to the well; but just then he caught a glimpse of Tik-Tok and
Shaggy and at once fell upon his knees, trembling and frightened and
cried out:
"Mercy, kind enemies! Mercy! Spare us, and we will be your slaves
forever!"
The other officers, who had now advanced into the clearing, likewise
fell upon their knees and begged for mercy.
Files turned around and, seeing the strangers for the first time,
examined them with much curiosity. Then, discovering that three of the
party were girls, he lifted his cap and made a polite bow.
"What's all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as Queen Ann reached the
place and beheld her kneeling army.
"Permit us to introduce ourselves," replied Shaggy, stepping forward.
"This is Tik-Tok, the Clockwork Man--who works better than some meat
people. And here is Princess Ozga of Roseland, just now unfortunately
exiled from her Kingdom of Roses. I next present Polychrome, a sky
fairy, who lost her Bow by an accident and can't find her way home. The
small girl here is Betsy Bobbin, from some unknown earthly paradise
called Oklahoma, and with her you see Mr. Hank, a mule with a long tail
and a short temper."
"Puh!" said Ann, scornfully; "a pretty lot of vagabonds you are,
indeed; all lost or strayed, I suppose, and not worth a Queen's
plundering. I'm sorry I've conquered you."
"But you haven't conquered us yet," called Betsy indignantly.
"No," agreed Files, "that is a fact. But if my officers will kindly
command me to conquer you, I will do so at once, after which we can
stop arguing and converse more at our ease."
The officers had by this time risen from their knees and brushed the
dust from their trousers. To them the enemy did not look very fierce,
so the Generals and Colonels and Majors and Captains gained courage to
face them and began strutting in their most haughty manner.
"You must understand," said Ann, "that I am the Queen of Oogaboo, and
this is my invincible Army. We are busy conquering the world, and since
you seem to be a part of the world, and are obstructing our journey, it
is necessary for us to conquer you--unworthy though you may be of such
high honor."
"That's all right," replied Shaggy. "Conquer us as often as you like.
We don't mind."
"But we won't be anybody's slaves," added Betsy, positively.
"We'll see about that," retorted the Queen, angrily. "Advance, Private
Files, and bind the enemy hand and foot!"
But Private Files looked at pretty Betsy and fascinating Polychrome and
the beautiful Rose Princess and shook his head.
"It would be impolite, and I won't do it," he asserted.
"You must!" cried Ann. "It is your duty to obey orders."
"I haven't received any orders from my officers," objected the Private.
But the Generals now shouted: "Forward, and bind the prisoners!" and
the Colonels and Majors and Captains repeated the command, yelling it
as loud as they could.
All this noise annoyed Hank, who had been eyeing the Army of Oogaboo
with strong disfavor. The mule now dashed forward and began backing
upon the officers and kicking fierce and dangerous heels at them. The
attack was so sudden that the officers scattered like dust in a
whirlwind, dropping their swords as they ran and trying to seek refuge
behind the trees and bushes.
Betsy laughed joyously at the comical rout of the "noble army," and
Polychrome danced with glee. But Ann was furious at this ignoble defeat
of her gallant forces by one small mule.
"Private Files, I command you to do your duty!" she cried again, and
then she herself ducked to escape the mule's heels--for Hank made no
distinction in favor of a lady who was an open enemy. Betsy grabbed her
champion by the forelock, however, and so held him fast, and when the
officers saw that the mule was restrained from further attacks they
crept fearfully back and picked up their discarded swords.
"Private Files, seize and bind these prisoners!" screamed the Queen.
"No," said Files, throwing down his gun and removing the knapsack which
was strapped to his back, "I resign my position as the Army of Oogaboo.
I enlisted to fight the enemy and become a hero, but if you want some
one to bind harmless girls you will have to hire another Private."
Then he walked over to the others and shook hands with Shaggy and
Tik-Tok.
"Treason!" shrieked Ann, and all the officers echoed her cry.
"Nonsense," said Files. "I've the right to resign if I want to."