The Playful Scooters
The first of the rivermen caught the dummy's crown neatly and tossed it
back. "Is it a game?" he called hoarsely. Dorothy had no time to dodge,
so she quickly caught the crown, which came with such force that she
sat down with a jolt.
The dummy danced up and down and waved his arms threateningly.
"Come on, Flub Blub. It's a game," called the first riverman to the
man just behind him. "Two Scoots playing a game! Here," he croaked
in his deep, frog-like voice, "throw it to me!" He raised his sails
coaxingly at Dorothy and, partly because she was afraid to have him
come nearer and partly because she didn't know what else to do, the
little girl pitched back the crown with all her might. The one called
Flub Blub caught it immediately. The next throw was to Humpy and
backward and forward between the puzzled travellers on the bank and
curious creatures on the water flew the dummy's crown, and breathlessly
between catches Dorothy examined these strange playfellows.
They were tall and angular and so sunburned that they almost appeared
to be Indians. They were clad in shiny water proof hats and slickers.
On their long, thin feet, shaped somewhat like skis and somewhat like
narrow boats, they slid over the water as surely and carelessly as we
skate about on ice. Extending from the ankle to the finger tips, and
as much a part of the wearer as wings are part of a bird, were bright
yellow sails. When their arms were down at their sides, the sails were
folded in and almost unnoticeable, but with arms outstretched the
rivermen had two wide-spread sails to help them scoot over the water.
By lowering the right arm or the left, they could turn, tack and get
about faster than any sailing boat you have ever seen. Their faces,
under the broad sou-westers, were child-like and pleasant and, finding
them more interesting than dangerous, Dorothy motioned for Humpy to
hold the crown, which had landed for about the tenth time with a
resounding thwack against his chest.
"But I was just getting good," objected the dummy, placing the crown
regretfully on his head. "What now?" Humpy had become so engrossed
in catching the crown that he had quite forgotten his fright and, as
the leader came in close to the shore, he looked at him with frank
curiosity.
"Well, Scoots," bubbled the one called Flub Blub, rocking gently
backward and forward on the water, "who won?"
"I think it was a tie," answered Dorothy politely, "but why do you call
us Scoots?"
"Because your sails haven't grown," gurgled the riverman, taking a
white bubble pipe from his mouth and smiling broadly at the little
girl. "But don't mind, my dear. We must all be Scoots before we're
Scooters. Just stick in the mud a little longer and your sails will
grow as large as mine."
"Dorothy's not a Scoot, she's a star," protested Humpy, "and I'm her
double and do all the hard falling. Don't you know a star when you see
one?"
The Scooter turned his pale blue eyes curiously on Humpy. "You look
about as much like her as a pumpkin looks like a peach," he observed
mildly. "Why do you call yourself her double? And if she's a star
what's she doing out now? It's only ten o'clock." At this all the other
Scooters removed their pipes and nodded gravely.
"Is she an out-and-out star, or a down-and-out star?" inquired Flub
Blub, blowing a whole flock of soap bubbles from his pipe and watching
them float lazily up the river.
"I'm a Princess," put in Dorothy, seeing that everything was becoming
hopelessly confused, "and we're on our way to the Emerald City."
"A Princess!" exclaimed the Scooter in amazement. He took off his
sou-wester and scratched his head in a puzzled way. Dorothy was so
astonished to find that his hair was moss that she said nothing at all
for a whole minute.
"If you're a Princess, why are you so shabby?" choked a Scooter named
Mouldy.
"Don't mind him, he has a bad cold," apologized Flub, putting his hat
on again. "He would go a picking daisies on the shore yesterday and got
his feet dry. Now look at him!"
The Scooter coughed miserably. "That's right," he wheezed, dabbing at
his eyes with his right sail. "Never get your feet dry little Scoot,
it's turrible!"
At this Dorothy giggled in spite of herself. Then seeing the poor
fellow was offended she asked quickly, "Is there any way we could cross
this river, Mr. Mouldy?"
"There's a bridge a bit further on," sniffed the Scooter, waving his
sail sulkily. Following the direction, Dorothy saw what at first looked
like a silver bridge. But on closer inspection it proved to be a great
torrent of water spouting across the river like the stream from a giant
hose.
"But it's water!" gasped the little girl in dismay.
"Of course it's water. What should a bridge be but water?" demanded the
leader of the Scooters impatiently. "Just stand on one side and it will
shoot you across."
"How dreadfully wet," sighed the dummy dolefully, "but I'll cross if
you will Dorothy."
"That's right," said Flub Blub approvingly, "and here's the way to
do it." Followed by the others, the Scooter sailed up the river and
leaped lightly on the gleaming arch of water. Dorothy, watching them
shoot across with sails outspread, thought she had never seen a more
interesting sight. Just before they reached the opposite bank, they
jumped into the water and in less than a minute they all were back.
"See," smiled the leader cheerfully, "it's as easy as sailing, Miss
Star or Princess or whatever else you call yourself."
"Just a little girl, thank you," smiled Dorothy, looking very
doubtfully at the water bridge.
"Is he a little girl too?" asked the riverman, eyeing Humpy
attentively. At this the poor dummy looked so indignant that Dorothy
quickly told about her fall into America, her meeting with Humpy and
the strange manner in which he had been wished to life. But as the
Scooters had never heard of America, nor of a moving picture dummy, her
story was not at all clear to them. And when she went on to explain
that crossing the river on the water bridge and getting her feet wet
would give _her_ a cold, they were more astonished than ever.
"Couldn't you carry her across?" asked Humpy, as they stood arguing
excitedly together. "I don't mind the water myself and am quite used to
floating and falling, but Dorothy--"
"Ever try a water fall?" interrupted Mouldy inquisitively.
"Let's take her across, boys!" called Flub Blub before Humpy had a
chance to answer. "Come along Princess Little Girl and Mr. Dummy!" With
hoarse shouts the Scooters stretched their long arms. A dozen seized
upon Humpy and, holding him awkwardly between them, started scooting
across the river. Dorothy, standing precariously on Flub Blub's right
foot and balanced by Mouldy's left arm, fairly raced over the waters
between the two rivermen. Their sails flapped merrily in the wind and
the spray from their long ski-like feet spread out like white wings
behind.
"Won't Ozma and Betsy be surprised when I tell them about this!"
thought Dorothy as they neared the opposite bank. Little did Dorothy
guess of the strange happenings Ozma and the others would soon have to
relate to her!
"Better stay with us and learn to scoot," advised Flub Blub, seeing the
smile on Dorothy's face.
"Ah what is more brave than a life on the wave!
No care and no trouble, life goes like a bubble!"
The Scooter waved his arm jovially, as he recited the couplet.
"But what do you eat?" inquired Dorothy. She had been puzzling over
this for some time.
"Water cress, water melons and fish," answered Flub Blub, without
slackening his speed.
"Raw fish?" asked Dorothy, with a little gasp.
"Well, rawther," giggled another Scooter just behind them. "Raw fish
make the sails grow. Stay in the water little girl and you'll soon
have a fine pair of sails."
"That's right," added Flub Blub approvingly. Removing his bubble pipe
he continued earnestly, "Fish will make your feet grow too. Eat fish,
my dear, and grow a beautiful pair like mine!"
Dorothy looked down at the Scooter's long feet and shuddered. "That
settles it," she whispered, with a little shiver. "I'll never eat fish!"
They had now reached the opposite side of the river. Thanking the
Scooters for their kindness and bidding them an affectionate farewell,
the little girl scampered quickly up the bank. Humpy had already been
tossed ashore.
"Good-bye!" shouted the Scooters, cheerfully waving their sails. They
were in mid-stream by this time.
"Good-bye!" called Dorothy and Humpy, picking himself up clumsily,
waved his crown.
"Ah, still the same size I see," smiled Humpy, looking amiably at
Dorothy. "Any more adventures coming?"
"Well, I liked that one," chuckled Dorothy, pulling up her stockings
and straightening her hat. "Didn't you?"
Humpy nodded, his eyes wandering over the fields and hills, spreading
out invitingly before them. "Is this the way to your palace?" he
demanded, throwing his cloak back over one shoulder and waving his
stick ahead.
"It's not my palace," explained Dorothy, taking his arm, "it's Ozma's.
She is the Queen of Oz, you know, but I have the dearest little
apartment there, with a hundred fairy tale books, a hundred games, a
hundred dresses, a dog named Toto and a little white kitten."
"Well, I hope your dog won't chew me," said Humpy uneasily. "I was in a
picture with a dog once. He was supposed to knock me down. Well, he did
and, before they could pull him away he had chewed off my ear and eaten
up my wig. I hate dogs."
"But Toto's only a little dog, you'll just _love_ Toto," Dorothy
assured him quickly.
Humpy still looked doubtful and, seeing that dogs made him unhappy,
Dorothy began telling him all about the Scarecrow and Scraps. Chatting
pleasantly, they walked along for more than an hour, when Humpy, ever
on the lookout for adventures, gave Dorothy's arm a quick jerk. Moving
slowly behind a thin fringe of trees to the right was a great gray
shadow. As they stopped, the shadow stopped too and out through the
trees something that looked like a long grey snake came curiously
curling.
"Run!" puffed the valiant dummy. "Run, Dorothy! This is my part of the
show for it can't bite me!"
Raising his stick, Humpy brought it down sharply on the thick gray
body. There was an enraged snort and snuffle in the bushes. Then,
before Dorothy could run or Humpy could use his stick again, a
perfectly enormous elephant came charging out between the trees. His
sides were heaving with rage and his tusks were trembling with temper.
"Who hit me?" screamed the elephant, lashing about furiously with
his trunk. "I'll mash him, I'll crash him! Ah hah!" His little eyes
snapped wickedly as they fell upon Humpy's stick. The next instant the
great beast had seized the dummy in his trunk and flung him fifty feet
into the air. Then, pausing to straighten his pearl head-piece, he
glared indignantly at Dorothy. There is only one elephant in Oz who is
elegant enough to own a headband of pearls and, with a little shriek
of surprise and recognition, Dorothy ran forward just in time to save
Humpy from another toss in the air.
"Why Kabumpo!" cried the little girl in delight. "Wait! Wait a minute!"
The Elegant Elephant, after a quick look at the little girl, snatched a
huge silk hanky from a pocket in his robe and blew his trunk violently.
"Well, I'll be blowed if it isn't Dorothy," wheezed Kabumpo,
half-choked between embarrassment and surprise. "What brings you here?"
Just as he spoke he caught another glimpse of Humpy, who had risen
and was advancing unsteadily. "Excuse me until I mash that idiot," he
roared.
"Oh please don't mash him," begged Dorothy in alarm. "You see he's only
a dummy and he didn't mean to hit you. Besides he's a friend of mine."
Kabumpo swayed uncertainly for a moment and then stuffed his
handkerchief back into his pocket. "Well, nobody but a dummy would hit
an elephant on the trunk. Why have such dumb friends?" he asked sulkily.
As quickly as she could, Dorothy explained her strange meeting with the
dummy, his coming to life and her curious adventures since. It was such
an amazing story that Kabumpo now regarded Humpy with more interest
than anger. Dorothy, seeing that the dummy still thought her in danger,
hastily took away his stick and introduced him to the Elegant Elephant.
Kabumpo, you know, belongs to the royal family of Pumperdink, a cozy
old-fashioned country in the Gilliken country, and he is one of the
chief ornaments of its court and a prime favorite of Pompadore, the
young Prince. He has a suite of rooms in the palace, and more jewels
and embroidered robes than any other elephant in all of Oz.
Once upon a time Kabumpo had helped Pompa save Peg Amy, an enchanted
Princess, from a dreadful old wizard named Glegg. This little Princess
had afterwards married the Prince of Pumperdink and it was on this
adventure that Dorothy had first met the Elegant Elephant.
"But why did he throw me away?" asked Humpy suspiciously, when Dorothy
had told him all that I have just told you.
"I'll throw you away every time you hit me, so you'd better get that
through your head at once," trumpeted Kabumpo indignantly.
"Well, just so you don't throw Dorothy, it will be all right," sighed
the dummy resignedly. "I'm quite used to being flung about, but I've
never been in a picture with an elephant before."
"This isn't a picture. It's Oz," snapped Kabumpo loftily. "Don't you
know anything at all?"
"Ah, don't quarrel," begged Dorothy anxiously. "Tell me about Pompa and
Peg Amy, Kabumpo, and how's everything in Pumperdink?"
"Well," mused the Elegant Elephant, taking out his handkerchief
again and mopping his forehead thoughtfully, "things are kinda slow.
Since Pompa married Peg there's been no excitement at all. Fact is,"
admitted Kabumpo confidentially, "I was just on my way to the Emerald
City to see whether I could stir up a little fun."
"Why so are we!" cried Dorothy in delight. "Let's all go together. Oh
Kabumpo, won't that be fun?"
The Elegant Elephant looked dubiously at the dummy. "Well, so long
as you're going in the same direction you might as well ride on my
back," he remarked carelessly. Then, winding his trunk about Dorothy
[Kabumpo, under his pompous manner, was really a kind-hearted old
fellow] he set the little girl aloft and, snatching up the dummy, he
tossed him recklessly over his shoulder.
With a blast from his trunk like a steamboat whistle, Kabumpo got under
way, plunging ahead so swiftly that Dorothy and Humpy had all they
could do to keep their seats.
"Isn't this fun?" called Dorothy, holding fast to the Elegant
Elephant's great ear.
"Is it?" inquired the dummy, clinging desperately to Kabumpo's jewelled
harness and fluttering up and down like a banner at each step. "So this
is fun? Ah, how fast I am learning."