the back of the stout little mule, facing backward and talking to
Shaggy and Polychrome, who were just behind. Suddenly Hank pitched
forward and began falling and Betsy would have tumbled over his head
had she not grabbed the mule's shaggy neck with both arms and held on
for dear life.
All around was darkness, and they were not falling directly downward
but seemed to be sliding along a steep incline. Hank's hoofs were
resting upon some smooth substance over which he slid with the
swiftness of the wind. Once Betsy's heels flew up and struck a similar
substance overhead. They were, indeed, descending the "Hollow Tube"
that led to the other side of the world.
"Stop, Hank--stop!" cried the girl; but Hank only uttered a plaintive
"Hee-haw!" for it was impossible for him to obey.
After several minutes had passed and no harm had befallen them, Betsy
gained courage. She could see nothing at all, nor could she hear
anything except the rush of air past her ears as they plunged downward
along the Tube. Whether she and Hank were alone, or the others were
with them, she could not tell. But had some one been able to take a
flash-light photograph of the Tube at that time a most curious picture
would have resulted. There was Tik-Tok, flat upon his back and sliding
headforemost down the incline. And there were the Officers of the Army
of Oogaboo, all tangled up in a confused crowd, flapping their arms and
trying to shield their faces from the clanking swords, which swung back
and forth during the swift journey and pommeled everyone within their
reach. Now followed Queen Ann, who had struck the Tube in a sitting
position and went flying along with a dash and abandon that thoroughly
bewildered the poor lady, who had no idea what had happened to her.
Then, a little distance away, but unseen by the others in the inky
darkness, slid Betsy and Hank, while behind them were Shaggy and
Polychrome and finally Files and the Princess.
When first they tumbled into the Tube all were too dazed to think
clearly, but the trip was a long one, because the cavity led straight
through the earth to a place just opposite the Nome King's dominions,
and long before the adventurers got to the end they had begun to
recover their wits.
"This is awful, Hank!" cried Betsy in a loud voice, and Queen Ann heard
her and called out: "Are you safe, Betsy?"
"Mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "How could anyone be safe when
she's going about sixty miles a minute?" Then, after a pause, she
added: "But where do you s'pose we're going to, Your Maj'sty?"
"Don't ask her that, please don't!" said Shaggy, who was not too far
away to overhear them. "And please don't ask me why, either."
"Why?" said Betsy.
"No one can tell where we are going until we get there," replied
Shaggy, and then he yelled "Ouch!" for Polychrome had overtaken him and
was now sitting on his head.
The Rainbow's Daughter laughed merrily, and so infectious was this
joyous laugh that Betsy echoed it and Hank said "Hee haw!" in a mild
and sympathetic tone of voice.
"I'd like to know where and when we'll arrive, just the same,"
exclaimed the little girl.
"Be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said Polychrome. "But isn't
this an odd experience? Here am I, whose home is in the skies, making a
journey through the center of the earth--where I never expected to be!"
"How do you know we're in the center of the earth?" asked Betsy, her
voice trembling a little through nervousness.
"Why, we can t be anywhere else," replied Polychrome. "I have often
heard of this passage, which was once built by a Magician who was a
great traveler. He thought it would save him the bother of going around
the earth's surface, but he tumbled through the Tube so fast that he
shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky, which at once
exploded."
"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.
"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."
"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the girl.
"No one knows that," answered Polychrome. "But I don't think it matters
much."
"It matters a good deal, if we also hit the stars when we come out,"
said Queen Ann, with a moan.
"Don't worry," advised Polychrome. "I believe the Magician was going
the other way, and probably he went much faster than we are going."
"It's fast enough to suit me," remarked Shaggy, gently removing
Polychrome's heel from his left eye. "Couldn't you manage to fall all
by yourself, my dear?"
"I'll try," laughed the Rainbow's Daughter.
All this time they were swiftly falling through the Tube, and it was
not so easy for them to talk as you may imagine when you read their
words. But although they were so helpless and altogether in the dark as
to their fate, the fact that they were able to converse at all cheered
them, considerably.
Files and Ozga were also conversing as they clung tightly to one
another, and the young fellow bravely strove to reassure the Princess,
although he was terribly frightened, both on her account and on his own.
An hour, under such trying circumstances, is a very long time, and for
more than an hour they continued their fearful journey. Then, just as
they began to fear the Tube would never end, Tik-Tok popped out into
broad daylight and, after making a graceful circle in the air, fell
with a splash into a great marble fountain.
Out came the officers, in quick succession, tumbling heels over head
and striking the ground in many undignified attitudes.
"For the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a Peculiar Person who was hoeing
pink violets in a garden. "What can all this mean?"
For answer, Queen Ann sailed up from the Tube, took a ride through the
air as high as the treetops, and alighted squarely on top of the
Peculiar Person's head, smashing a jeweled crown over his eyes and
tumbling him to the ground.
The mule was heavier and had Betsy clinging to his back, so he did not
go so high up. Fortunately for his little rider he struck the ground
upon his four feet. Betsy was jarred a trifle but not hurt and when she
looked around her she saw the Queen and the Peculiar Person struggling
together upon the ground, where the man was trying to choke Ann and she
had both hands in his bushy hair and was pulling with all her might.
Some of the officers, when they got upon their feet, hastened to
separate the combatants and sought to restrain the Peculiar Person so
that he could not attack their Queen again.
By this time, Shaggy, Polychrome, Ozga and Files had all arrived and
were curiously examining the strange country in which they found
themselves and which they knew to be exactly on the opposite side of
the world from the place where they had fallen into the Tube. It was a
lovely place, indeed, and seemed to be the garden of some great Prince,
for through the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be seen the towers
of an immense castle. But as yet the only inhabitant to greet them was
the Peculiar Person just mentioned, who had shaken off the grasp of the
officers without effort and was now trying to pull the battered crown
from off his eyes.
Shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to do this and when the man
was free and could see again he looked at his visitors with evident
amazement.
"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "Where did you come from and how did
you get here?"
Betsy tried to answer him, for Queen Ann was surly and silent.
"I can't say, exac'ly where we came from, 'cause I don't know the name
of the place," said the girl, "but the way we got here was through the
Hollow Tube."
"Don't call it a 'hollow' Tube, please," exclaimed the Peculiar Person
in an irritated tone of voice. "If it's a tube, it's sure to be hollow."
"Why?" asked Betsy.
"Because all tubes are made that way. But this Tube is private property
and everyone is forbidden to fall into it."
"We didn't do it on purpose," explained Betsy, and Polychrome added: "I
am quite sure that Ruggedo, the Nome King, pushed us down that Tube."
"Ha! Ruggedo! Did you say Ruggedo?" cried the man, becoming much
excited.
"That is what she said," replied Shaggy, "and I believe she is right.
We were on our way to conquer the Nome King when suddenly we fell into
the Tube."
"Then you are enemies of Ruggedo?" inquired the peculiar Person.
"Not exac'ly enemies," said Betsy, a little puzzled by the question,
"'cause we don't know him at all; but we started out to conquer him,
which isn't as friendly as it might be."
"True," agreed the man. He looked thoughtfully from one to another of
them for a while and then he turned his head over his shoulder and
said: "Never mind the fire and pincers, my good brothers. It will be
best to take these strangers to the Private Citizen."
"Very well, Tubekins," responded a Voice, deep and powerful, that
seemed to come out of the air, for the speaker was invisible.
All our friends gave a jump, at this. Even Polychrome was so startled
that her gauze draperies fluttered like a banner in a breeze. Shaggy
shook his head and sighed; Queen Ann looked very unhappy; the officers
clung to each other, trembling violently.
But soon they gained courage to look more closely at the Peculiar
Person. As he was a type of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary
land whom they afterward met, I will try to tell you what he looked
like.
His face was beautiful, but lacked expression. His eyes were large and
blue in color and his teeth finely formed and white as snow. His hair
was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at the ends. So far no
one could find any fault with his appearance. He wore a robe of
scarlet, which did not cover his arms and extended no lower than his
bare knees. On the bosom of the robe was embroidered a terrible
dragon's head, as horrible to look at as the man was beautiful. His
arms and legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was bright yellow
and the skin of the other arm a vivid green. He had one blue leg and
one pink one, while both his feet--which showed through the open
sandals he wore--were jet black.
Betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous colors were dyes or the
natural tints of the skin, but while she was thinking it over the man
who had been called "Tubekins" said:
"Follow me to the Residence--all of you!"
But just then a Voice exclaimed: "Here's another of them, Tubekins,
lying in the water of the fountain."
"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok, and he'll drown."
"Water is a bad thing for his clockworks, anyhow," agreed Shaggy, as
with one accord they all started for the fountain. But before they
could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-Tok from the marble basin
and set him upon his feet beside it, water dripping from every joint of
his copper body.
"Ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and then his copper jaws
clicked together and he could say no more. He next made an attempt to
walk but after several awkward trials found he could not move his
joints.
Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen greeted Tik-Tok's
failure, and the new arrivals in this strange land found it very
uncomfortable to realize that there were many creatures around them who
were invisible, yet could be heard plainly.
"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very sorry for Tik-Tok.
"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs oiling," replied Shaggy.
At once an oil-can appeared before him, held on a level with his eyes
by some unseen hand. Shaggy took the can and tried to oil Tik-Tok's
joints. As if to assist him, a strong current of warm air was directed
against the copper man which quickly dried him. Soon he was able to say
"Ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his joints worked fairly well.
"Come!" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back upon them he walked up
the path toward the castle.
"Shall we go?" asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but just then she received
a shove that almost pitched her forward on her head; so she decided to
go. The officers who hesitated received several energetic kicks, but
could not see who delivered them; therefore they also decided--very
wisely--to go. The others followed willingly enough, for unless they
ventured upon another terrible journey through the Tube they must make
the best of the unknown country they were in, and the best seemed to be
to obey orders.
Chapter Eleven
The Famous Fellowship of Fairies
After a short walk through very beautiful gardens they came to the
castle and followed Tubekins through the entrance and into a great
domed chamber, where he commanded them to be seated.
From the crown which he wore, Betsy had thought this man must be the
King of the country they were in, yet after he had seated all the
strangers upon benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a high
throne, Tubekins bowed humbly before the vacant throne and in a flash
became invisible and disappeared.
The hall was an immense place, but there seemed to be no one in it
beside themselves. Presently, however, they heard a low cough near
them, and here and there was the faint rustling of a robe and a slight
patter as of footsteps. Then suddenly there rang out the clear tone of
a bell and at the sound all was changed.
Gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw that it was filled with
hundreds of men and women, all with beautiful faces and staring blue
eyes and all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon their heads.
In fact, these people seemed exact duplicates of Tubekins and it was
difficult to find any mark by which to tell them apart.
"My! what a lot of Kings and Queens!" whispered Betsy to Polychrome,
who sat beside her and appeared much interested in the scene but not a
bit worried.
"It is certainly a strange sight," was Polychrome's reply; "but I
cannot see how there can be more than one King, or Queen, in any one
country, for were these all rulers, no one could tell who was Master."
One of the Kings who stood near and overheard this remark turned to her
and said: "One who is Master of himself is always a King, if only to
himself. In this favored land all Kings and Queens are equal, and it is
our privilege to bow before one supreme Ruler--the Private Citizen."
"Who's he?" inquired Betsy.
As if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell again rang out and
instantly there appeared seated in the throne the man who was lord and
master of all these royal ones. This fact was evident when with one
accord they fell upon their knees and touched their foreheads to the
floor.
The Private Citizen was not unlike the others, except that his eyes
were black instead of blue and in the centers of the black irises
glowed red sparks that seemed like coals of fire. But his features were
very beautiful and dignified and his manner composed and stately.
Instead of the prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white, and the
same dragon's head that decorated the others was embroidered upon its
bosom.
"What charge lies against these people, Tubekins?" he asked in quiet,
even tones.
"They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty Citizen," was the reply.
"You see, it was this way," said Betsy. "We were marching to the Nome
King, to conquer him and set Shaggy's brother free, when on a sudden--"
"Who are you?" demanded the Private Citizen sternly.
"Me? Oh, I'm Betsy Bobbin, and--"
"Who is the leader of this party?" asked the Citizen.
"Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and--"
"Then keep quiet," said the Citizen. "Who is the leader?"
No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn stood up.
"Sit down!" commanded the Citizen. "I can see that sixteen of you are
merely officers, and of no account."
"But we have an Army," said General Clock, blusteringly, for he didn't
like to be told he was of no account.
"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.
"It's me," said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a little rusty. "I'm the
on-ly Pri-vate Sol-dier in the par-ty."
Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed respectfully to the Clockwork
Man.
"Pardon me for not realizing your importance before," said he. "Will
you oblige me by taking a seat beside me on my throne?"
Tik-Tok rose and walked over to the throne, all the Kings and Queens
making way for him. Then with clanking steps he mounted the platform
and sat on the broad seat beside the Citizen.
Ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor shown to the humble
Clockwork Man, but Shaggy seemed much pleased that his old friend's
importance had been recognized by the ruler of this remarkable country.
The Citizen now began to question Tik-Tok, who told in his mechanical
voice about Shaggy's quest of his lost brother, and how Ozma of Oz had
sent the Clockwork Man to assist him, and how they had fallen in with
Queen Ann and her people from Oogaboo. Also he told how Betsy and Hank
and Polychrome and the Rose Princess had happened to join their party.
"And you intended to conquer Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch and King of the
Nomes?" asked the Citizen.
"Yes. That seemed the on-ly thing for us to do," was Tik-Tok's reply.
"But he was too clev-er for us. When we got close to his cav-ern he
made our path lead to the Tube, and made the op-en-ing in-vis-i-ble, so
that we all fell in-to it be-fore we knew it was there. It was an eas-y
way to get rid of us and now Rug-gedo is safe and we are far a-way in a
strange land."
The Citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be thinking. Then he said:
"Most noble Private Soldier, I must inform you that by the laws of our
country anyone who comes through the Forbidden Tube must be tortured
for nine days and ten nights and then thrown back into the Tube. But it
is wise to disregard laws when they conflict with justice, and it seems
that you and your followers did not disobey our laws willingly, being
forced into the Tube by Ruggedo. Therefore the Nome King is alone to
blame, and he alone must be punished."
"That suits me," said Tik-Tok. "But Rug-ge-do is on the o-ther side of
the world where he is a-way out of your reach."
The Citizen drew himself up proudly.
"Do you imagine anything in the world or upon it can be out of the
reach of the Great Jinjin?" he asked.
"Oh! Are you, then, the Great Jinjin?" inquired Tik-Tok.
"I am."
"Then your name is Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?"
"It is."
Queen Ann gave a scream and began to tremble. Shaggy was so disturbed
that he took out a handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his
brow. Polychrome looked sober and uneasy for the first time, while
Files put his arms around the Rose Princess as if to protect her. As
for the officers, the name of the great Jinjin set them moaning and
weeping at a great rate and every one fell upon his knees before the
throne, begging for mercy. Betsy was worried at seeing her companions
so disturbed, but did not know what it was all about. Only Tik-Tok was
unmoved at the discovery.
"Then," said he, "if you are Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo, and think Rug-ge-do is
to blame, I am sure that some-thing queer will hap-pen to the King of
the Nomes."
"I wonder what 'twill be," said Betsy.
The Private Citizen--otherwise known as Tititi-Hoochoo, the Great
Jinjin--looked at the little girl steadily.
"I will presently decide what is to happen to Ruggedo," said he in a
hard, stern voice. Then, turning to the throng of Kings and Queens, he
continued: "Tik-Tok has spoken truly, for his machinery will not allow
him to lie, nor will it allow his thoughts to think falsely. Therefore
these people are not our enemies and must be treated with consideration
and justice. Take them to your palaces and entertain them as guests
until to-morrow, when I command that they be brought again to my
Residence. By then I shall have formed my plans."
No sooner had Tititi-Hoochoo spoken than he disappeared from sight.
Immediately after, most of the Kings and Queens likewise disappeared.
But several of them remained visible and approached the strangers with
great respect. One of the lovely Queens said to Betsy:
"I trust you will honor me by being my guest. I am Erma, Queen of
Light."
"May Hank come with me?" asked the girl.
"The King of Animals will care for your mule," was the reply. "But do
not fear for him, for he will be treated royally. All of your party
will be reunited on the morrow."
"I--I'd like to have _some_ one with me," said Betsy, pleadingly.
Queen Erma looked around and smiled upon Polychrome.
"Will the Rainbow's Daughter be an agreeable companion?" she asked.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl.
So Polychrome and Betsy became guests of the Queen of Light, while
other beautiful Kings and Queens took charge of the others of the party.
The two girls followed Erma out of the hall and through the gardens of
the Residence to a village of pretty dwellings. None of these was so
large or imposing as the castle of the Private Citizen, but all were
handsome enough to be called palaces--as, in fact, they really were.
Chapter Twelve
The Lovely Lady of Light
The palace of the Queen of Light stood on a little eminence and was a
mass of crystal windows, surmounted by a vast crystal dome. When they
entered the portals Erma was greeted by six lovely maidens, evidently
of high degree, who at once aroused Betsy's admiration. Each bore a
wand in her hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and their costumes
were also emblematic of the lights they represented. Erma introduced
them to her guests and each made a graceful and courteous
acknowledgment.
First was Sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very fair; the second was
Moonlight, a soft, dreamy damsel with nut-brown hair; next came
Starlight, equally lovely but inclined to be retiring and shy. These
three were dressed in shimmering robes of silvery white. The fourth was
Daylight, a brilliant damsel with laughing eyes and frank manners, who
wore a variety of colors. Then came Firelight, clothed in a fleecy
flame-colored robe that wavered around her shapely form in a very
attractive manner. The sixth maiden, Electra, was the most beautiful of
all, and Betsy thought from the first that both Sunlight and Daylight
regarded Electra with envy and were a little jealous of her.
But all were cordial in their greetings to the strangers and seemed to
regard the Queen of Light with much affection, for they fluttered
around her in a flashing, radiant group as she led the way to her regal
drawing-room.
This apartment was richly and cosily furnished, the upholstery being of
many tints, and both Betsy and Polychrome enjoyed resting themselves
upon the downy divans after their strenuous adventures of the day.
The Queen sat down to chat with her guests, who noticed that Daylight
was the only maiden now seated beside Erma. The others had retired to
another part of the room, where they sat modestly with entwined arms
and did not intrude themselves at all.
The Queen told the strangers all about this beautiful land, which is
one of the chief residences of fairies who minister to the needs of
mankind. So many important fairies lived there that, to avoid rivalry,
they had elected as their Ruler the only important personage in the
country who had no duties to mankind to perform and was, in effect, a
Private Citizen. This Ruler, or Jinjin, as was his title, bore the name
of Tititi-Hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him was that he
had no heart. But instead of this he possessed a high degree of Reason
and Justice and while he showed no mercy in his judgments he never
punished unjustly or without reason. To wrong-doers Tititi-Hoochoo was
as terrible as he was heartless, but those who were innocent of evil
had nothing to fear from him.
All the Kings and Queens of this fairyland paid reverence to Jinjin,
for as they expected to be obeyed by others they were willing to obey
the one in authority over them.
The inhabitants of the Land of Oz had heard many tales of this
fearfully just Jinjin, whose punishments were always equal to the
faults committed. Polychrome also knew of him, although this was the
first time she had ever seen him face to face. But to Betsy the story
was all new, and she was greatly interested in Tititi-Hoochoo, whom she
no longer feared.
Time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly Betsy noticed that
Moonlight was sitting beside the Queen of Light, instead of Daylight.
"But tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you all wear a dragon's
head embroidered on your gowns?"
Erma's pleasant face became grave as she answered:
"The Dragon, as you must know, was the first living creature ever made;
therefore the Dragon is the oldest and wisest of living things. By good
fortune the Original Dragon, who still lives, is a resident of this
land and supplies us with wisdom whenever we are in need of it. He is
old as the world and remembers everything that has happened since the
world was created."