"But I do not see how we can stop just now; for we might alight in a
river, or on the top of a steeple; and that would be a great disaster."
So they permitted the Gump to fly on, with regular flops of its great
wings, and waited patiently for morning.
Then Tip's fears were proven to be well founded; for with the first
streaks of gray dawn they looked over the sides of the sofas and
discovered rolling plains dotted with queer villages, where the houses,
instead of being dome-shaped--as they all are in the Land of Oz--had
slanting roofs that rose to a peak in the center. Odd looking animals
were also moving about upon the open plains, and the country was
unfamiliar to both the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow, who had formerly
visited Glinda the Good's domain and knew it well.
"We are lost!" said the Scarecrow, dolefully. "The Gump must have
carried us entirely out of the Land of Oz and over the sandy deserts
and into the terrible outside world that Dorothy told us about."
"We must get back," exclaimed the Tin Woodman, earnestly; "we must get
back as soon as possible!"
"Turn around!" cried Tip to the Gump; "turn as quickly as you can!"
"If I do I shall upset," answered the Gump. "I'm not at all used to
flying, and the best plan would be for me to alight in some place, and
then I can turn around and take a fresh start."
Just then, however, there seemed to be no stopping-place that would
answer their purpose. They flew over a village so big that the
Woggle-Bug declared it was a city; and then they came to a range of
high mountains with many deep gorges and steep cliffs showing plainly.
"Now is our chance to stop," said the boy, finding they were very
close to the mountain tops. Then he turned to the Gump and commanded:
"Stop at the first level place you see!"
"Very well," answered the Gump, and settled down upon a table of rock
that stood between two cliffs.
But not being experienced in such matters, the Gump did not judge his
speed correctly; and instead of coming to a stop upon the flat rock he
missed it by half the width of his body, breaking off both his right
wings against the sharp edge of the rock and then tumbling over and
over down the cliff.
Our friends held on to the sofas as long as they could, but when the
Gump caught on a projecting rock the Thing stopped suddenly--bottom
side up--and all were immediately dumped out.
By good fortune they fell only a few feet; for underneath them was a
monster nest, built by a colony of Jackdaws in a hollow ledge of rock;
so none of them--not even the Pumpkinhead--was injured by the fall.
For Jack found his precious head resting on the soft breast of the
Scarecrow, which made an excellent cushion; and Tip fell on a mass of
leaves and papers, which saved him from injury. The Woggle-Bug had
bumped his round head against the Saw-Horse, but without causing him
more than a moment's inconvenience.
[Illustration: ALL WERE IMMEDIATELY DUMPED OUT.]
The Tin Woodman was at first much alarmed; but finding he had escaped
without even a scratch upon his beautiful nickel-plate he at once
regained his accustomed cheerfulness and turned to address his comrades.
"Our journey has ended rather suddenly," said he, "and we cannot justly
blame our friend the Gump for our accident, because he did the best he
could under the circumstances. But how we are ever to escape from this
nest I must leave to someone with better brains than I possess."
Here he gazed at the Scarecrow; who crawled to the edge of the nest and
looked over. Below them was a sheer precipice several hundred feet in
depth. Above them was a smooth cliff unbroken save by the point of rock
where the wrecked body of the Gump still hung suspended from the end of
one of the sofas. There really seemed to be no means of escape, and as
they realized their helpless plight the little band of adventurers gave
way to their bewilderment.
"This is a worse prison than the palace," sadly remarked the Woggle-Bug.
"I wish we had stayed there," moaned Jack. "I'm afraid the mountain
air isn't good for pumpkins."
"It won't be when the Jackdaws come back," growled the Saw-Horse, which
lay waving its legs in a vain endeavor to get upon its feet again.
"Jackdaws are especially fond of pumpkins."
"Do you think the birds will come here?" asked Jack, much distressed.
"Of course they will," said Tip; "for this is their nest. And there
must be hundreds of them," he continued, "for see what a lot of things
they have brought here!"
Indeed, the nest was half filled with a most curious collection of
small articles for which the birds could have no use, but which the
thieving Jackdaws had stolen during many years from the homes of men.
And as the nest was safely hidden where no human being could reach it,
this lost property would never be recovered.
The Woggle-Bug, searching among the rubbish--for the Jackdaws stole
useless things as well as valuable ones--turned up with his foot a
beautiful diamond necklace. This was so greatly admired by the Tin
Woodman that the Woggle-Bug presented it to him with a graceful speech,
after which the Woodman hung it around his neck with much pride,
rejoicing exceedingly when the big diamonds glittered in the sun's
rays.
[Illustration: TURNED UP A BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND NECKLACE.]
But now they heard a great jabbering and flopping of wings, and as the
sound grew nearer to them Tip exclaimed:
"The Jackdaws are coming! And if they find us here they will surely
kill us in their anger."
"I was afraid of this!" moaned the Pumpkinhead. "My time has come!"
"And mine, also!" said the Woggle-Bug; "for Jackdaws are the greatest
enemies of my race."
The others were not at all afraid; but the Scarecrow at once decided
to save those of the party who were liable to be injured by the angry
birds. So he commanded Tip to take off Jack's head and lie down with
it in the bottom of the nest, and when this was done he ordered
the Woggle-Bug to lie beside Tip. Nick Chopper, who knew from past
experience just what to do, then took the Scarecrow to pieces--(all
except his head)--and scattered the straw over Tip and the Woggle-Bug,
completely covering their bodies.
Hardly had this been accomplished when the flock of Jackdaws reached
them. Perceiving the intruders in their nest the birds flew down upon
them with screams of rage.
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
Dr. Nikidik's
Famous Wishing Pills
]
The Tin Woodman was usually a peaceful man, but when occasion required
he could fight as fiercely as a Roman gladiator. So, when the Jackdaws
nearly knocked him down in their rush of wings, and their sharp beaks
and claws threatened to damage his brilliant plating, the Woodman
picked up his axe and made it whirl swiftly around his head.
But although many were beaten off in this way, the birds were so
numerous and so brave that they continued the attack as furiously as
before. Some of them pecked at the eyes of the Gump, which hung over
the nest in a helpless condition; but the Gump's eyes were of glass and
could not be injured. Others of the Jackdaws rushed at the Saw-Horse;
but that animal, being still upon his back, kicked out so viciously
with his wooden legs that he beat off as many assailants as did the
Woodman's axe.
Finding themselves thus opposed, the birds fell upon the Scarecrow's
straw, which lay at the center of the nest, covering Tip and the
Woggle-Bug and Jack's pumpkin head, and began tearing it away and
flying off with it, only to let it drop, straw by straw into the great
gulf beneath.
The Scarecrow's head, noting with dismay this wanton destruction of
his interior, cried to the Tin Woodman to save him; and that good
friend responded with renewed energy. His axe fairly flashed among
the Jackdaws, and fortunately the Gump began wildly waving the two
wings remaining on the left side of its body. The flutter of these
great wings filled the Jackdaws with terror, and when the Gump by its
exertions freed itself from the peg of rock on which it hung, and sank
flopping into the nest, the alarm of the birds knew no bounds and they
fled screaming over the mountains.
When the last foe had disappeared, Tip crawled from under the sofas and
assisted the Woggle-Bug to follow him.
"We are saved!" shouted the boy, delightedly.
"We are, indeed!" responded the Educated Insect, fairly hugging the
stiff head of the Gump in his joy; "and we owe it all to the flopping
of the Thing and the good axe of the Woodman!"
"If I am saved, get me out of here!" called Jack, whose head was still
beneath the sofas; and Tip managed to roll the pumpkin out and place it
upon its neck again. He also set the Saw-Horse upright, and said to it:
"We owe you many thanks for the gallant fight you made."
"I really think we have escaped very nicely," remarked the Tin Woodman,
in a tone of pride.
"Not so!" exclaimed a hollow voice.
At this they all turned in surprise to look at the Scarecrow's head,
which lay at the back of the nest.
[Illustration]
"I am completely ruined!" declared the Scarecrow, as he noted their
astonishment. "For where is the straw that stuffs my body?"
The awful question startled them all. They gazed around the nest with
horror, for not a vestige of straw remained. The Jackdaws had stolen
it to the last wisp and flung it all into the chasm that yawned for
hundreds of feet beneath the nest.
"My poor, poor friend!" said the Tin Woodman, taking up the Scarecrow's
head and caressing it tenderly; "whoever could imagine you would come
to this untimely end?"
"I did it to save my friends," returned the head; "and I am glad that
I perished in so noble and unselfish a manner."
"But why are you all so despondent?" inquired the Woggle-Bug. "The
Scarecrow's clothing is still safe."
"Yes," answered the Tin Woodman; "but our friend's clothes are useless
without stuffing."
"Why not stuff him with money?" asked Tip.
"Money!" they all cried, in an amazed chorus.
"To be sure," said the boy. "In the bottom of the nest are thousands of
dollar bills--and two-dollar bills--and five-dollar bills--and tens,
and twenties, and fifties. There are enough of them to stuff a dozen
Scarecrows. Why not use the money?"
The Tin Woodman began to turn over the rubbish with the handle of his
axe; and, sure enough, what they had first thought only worthless
papers were found to be all bills of various denominations, which the
mischievous Jackdaws had for years been engaged in stealing from the
villages and cities they visited.
[Illustration]
There was an immense fortune lying in that inaccessible nest; and Tip's
suggestion was, with the Scarecrow's consent, quickly acted upon.
They selected all the newest and cleanest bills and assorted them
into various piles. The Scarecrow's left leg boot were stuffed with
five-dollar bills; his right leg was stuffed with ten-dollar bills, and
his body so closely filled with fifties, one-hundreds and one-thousands
that he could scarcely button his jacket with comfort.
"You are now," said the Woggle-Bug, impressively, when the task had
been completed, "the most valuable member of our party; and as you are
among faithful friends there is little danger of your being spent."
"Thank you," returned the Scarecrow, gratefully. "I feel like a new
man; and although at first glance I might be mistaken for a Safety
Deposit Vault, I beg you to remember that my Brains are still composed
of the same old material. And these are the possessions that have
always made me a person to be depended upon in an emergency."
"Well, the emergency is here," observed Tip; "and unless your brains
help us out of it we shall be compelled to pass the remainder of our
lives in this nest."
"How about these wishing pills?" enquired the Scarecrow, taking the box
from his jacket pocket. "Can't we use them to escape?"
"Not unless we can count seventeen by twos," answered the Tin Woodman.
"But our friend the Woggle-Bug claims to be highly educated, so he
ought easily to figure out how that can be done."
"It isn't a question of education," returned the Insect; "it's merely a
question of mathematics. I've seen the Professor work lots of sums on
the black-board, and he claimed anything could be done with x's and y's
and a's, and such things, by mixing them up with plenty of plusses and
minuses and equals, and so forth. But he never said anything, so far
as I can remember, about counting up to the odd number of seventeen by
the even numbers of twos."
"Stop! stop!" cried the Pumpkinhead. "You're making my head ache."
"And mine," added the Scarecrow. "Your mathematics seem to me very like
a bottle of mixed pickles--the more you fish for what you want the less
chance you have of getting it. I am certain that if the thing can be
accomplished at all, it is in a very simple manner."
"Yes," said Tip; "old Mombi couldn't use x's and minuses, for she never
went to school."
"Why not start counting at a half of one?" asked the Saw-Horse,
abruptly. "Then anyone can count up to seventeen by twos very easily."
They looked at each other in surprise, for the Saw-Horse was considered
the most stupid of the entire party.
"You make me quite ashamed of myself," said the Scarecrow, bowing low
to the Saw-Horse.
"Nevertheless, the creature is right," declared the Woggle-Bug; "for
twice one-half is one, and if you get to one it is easy to count from
one up to seventeen by twos."
"I wonder I didn't think of that myself," said the Pumpkinhead.
"I don't," returned the Scarecrow. "You're no wiser than the rest of
us, are you? But let us make a wish at once. Who will swallow the first
pill?"
"Suppose you do it," suggested Tip.
"I can't," said the Scarecrow.
"Why not? You've a mouth, haven't you?" asked the boy.
"Yes; but my mouth is painted on, and there's no swallow connected with
it," answered the Scarecrow. "In fact," he continued, looking from one
to another critically, "I believe the boy and the Woggle-Bug are the
only ones in our party that are able to swallow."
Observing the truth of this remark, Tip said:
"Then I will undertake to make the first wish. Give me one of the
Silver Pills."
This the Scarecrow tried to do; but his padded gloves were too clumsy
to clutch so small an object, and he held the box toward the boy while
Tip selected one of the pills and swallowed it.
"Count!" cried the Scarecrow.
"One-half, one, three, five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen, fifteen,
seventeen!" counted Tip.
"Now wish!" said the Tin Woodman anxiously.
But just then the boy began to suffer such fearful pains that he became
alarmed.
"The pill has poisoned me!" he gasped; "O--h! O-o-o-o-o! Ouch! Murder!
Fire! O-o-h!" and here he rolled upon the bottom of the nest in such
contortions that he frightened them all.
"What can we do for you? Speak, I beg!" entreated the Tin Woodman,
tears of sympathy running down his nickel cheeks.
"I--I don't know!" answered Tip. "O--h! I wish I'd never swallowed that
pill!"
Then at once the pain stopped, and the boy rose to his feet again and
found the Scarecrow looking with amazement at the end of the pepper-box.
"What's happened?" asked the boy, a little ashamed of his recent
exhibition.
"Why, the three pills are in the box again!" said the Scarecrow.
[Illustration]
"Of course they are," the Woggle-Bug declared. "Didn't Tip wish that
he'd never swallowed one of them? Well, the wish came true, and he
_didn't_ swallow one of them. So of course they are all three in the
box."
"That may be; but the pill gave me a dreadful pain, just the same,"
said the boy.
"Impossible!" declared the Woggle-Bug. "If you have never swallowed
it, the pill can not have given you a pain. And as your wish, being
granted, proves you did not swallow the pill, it is also plain that you
suffered no pain."
"Then it was a splendid imitation of a pain," retorted Tip, angrily.
"Suppose you try the next pill yourself. We've wasted one wish already."
"Oh, no, we haven't!" protested the Scarecrow. "Here are still three
pills in the box, and each pill is good for a wish."
"Now you're making _my_ head ache," said Tip. "I can't understand the
thing at all. But I won't take another pill, I promise you!" and with
this remark he retired sulkily to the back of the nest.
"Well," said the Woggle-Bug, "it remains for me to save us in my most
Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated manner; for I seem to be the
only one able and willing to make a wish. Let me have one of the pills."
He swallowed it without hesitation, and they all stood admiring his
courage while the Insect counted seventeen by twos in the same way
that Tip had done. And for some reason--perhaps because Woggle-Bugs
have stronger stomachs than boys--the silver pellet caused it no pain
whatever.
"I wish the Gump's broken wings mended, and as good as new!" said the
Woggle-Bug, in a slow, impressive voice.
All turned to look at the Thing, and so quickly had the wish been
granted that the Gump lay before them in perfect repair, and as well
able to fly through the air as when it had first been brought to life
on the roof of the palace.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
The Scarecrow Appeals
to Glinda the Good
]
"Hooray!" shouted the Scarecrow, gaily. "We can now leave this
miserable Jackdaws' nest whenever we please."
"But it is nearly dark," said the Tin Woodman; "and unless we wait
until morning to make our flight we may get into more trouble. I don't
like these night trips, for one never knows what will happen."
So it was decided to wait until daylight, and the adventurers amused
themselves in the twilight by searching the Jackdaws' nest for
treasures.
The Woggle-Bug found two handsome bracelets of wrought gold, which
fitted his slender arms very well. The Scarecrow took a fancy for
rings, of which there were many in the nest. Before long he had fitted
a ring to each finger of his padded gloves, and not being content
with that display he added one more to each thumb. As he carefully
chose those rings set with sparkling stones, such as rubies, amethysts
and sapphires, the Scarecrow's hands now presented a most brilliant
appearance.
"This nest would be a picnic for Queen Jinjur," said he, musingly; "for
as nearly as I can make out she and her girls conquered me merely to
rob my city of its emeralds."
The Tin Woodman was content with his diamond necklace and refused
to accept any additional decorations; but Tip secured a fine gold
watch, which was attached to a heavy fob, and placed it in his pocket
with much pride. He also pinned several jeweled brooches to Jack
Pumpkinhead's red waistcoat, and attached a lorgnette, by means of a
fine chain, to the neck of the Saw-Horse.
"It's very pretty," said the creature, regarding the lorgnette
approvingly; "but what is it for?"
None of them could answer that question, however; so the Saw-Horse
decided it was some rare decoration and became very fond of it.
That none of the party might be slighted, they ended by placing several
large seal rings upon the points of the Gump's antlers, although that
odd personage seemed by no means gratified by the attention.
Darkness soon fell upon them, and Tip and the Woggle-Bug went to sleep
while the others sat down to wait patiently for the day.
Next morning they had cause to congratulate themselves upon the useful
condition of the Gump; for with daylight a great flock of Jackdaws
approached to engage in one more battle for the possession of the nest.
But our adventurers did not wait for the assault. They tumbled into the
cushioned seats of the sofas as quickly as possible, and Tip gave the
word to the Gump to start.
At once it rose into the air, the great wings flopping strongly and
with regular motions, and in a few moments they were so far from the
nest that the chattering Jackdaws took possession without any attempt
at pursuit.
The Thing flew due North, going in the same direction from whence
it had come. At least, that was the Scarecrow's opinion, and the
others agreed that the Scarecrow was the best judge of direction.
After passing over several cities and villages the Gump carried them
high above a broad plain where houses became more and more scattered
until they disappeared altogether. Next came the wide, sandy desert
separating the rest of the world from the Land of Oz, and before noon
they saw the dome-shaped houses that proved they were once more within
the borders of their native land.
"But the houses and fences are blue," said the Tin Woodman, "and that
indicates we are in the land of the Munchkins, and therefore a long
distance from Glinda the Good."
"What shall we do?" asked the boy, turning to their guide.
"I don't know," replied the Scarecrow, frankly. "If we were at the
Emerald City we could then move directly southward, and so reach our
destination. But we dare not go to the Emerald City, and the Gump is
probably carrying us further in the wrong direction with every flop of
its wings."
"Then the Woggle-Bug must swallow another pill," said Tip, decidedly,
"and wish us headed in the right direction."
"Very well," returned the Highly Magnified one; "I'm willing."
But when the Scarecrow searched in his pocket for the pepper-box
containing the two silver Wishing Pills, it was not to be found. Filled
with anxiety, the voyagers hunted throughout every inch of the Thing
for the precious box; but it had disappeared entirely.
And still the Gump flew onward, carrying them they knew not where.
"I must have left the pepper-box in the Jackdaws' nest," said the
Scarecrow, at length.
"It is a great misfortune," the Tin Woodman declared. "But we are no
worse off than before we discovered the Wishing Pills."
"We are better off," replied Tip; "for the one pill we used has enabled
us to escape from that horrible nest."
"Yet the loss of the other two is serious, and I deserve a good
scolding for my carelessness," the Scarecrow rejoined, penitently. "For
in such an unusual party as this accidents are liable to happen any
moment, and even now we may be approaching a new danger."
No one dared contradict this, and a dismal silence ensued.
The Gump flew steadily on.
Suddenly Tip uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"We must have reached the South Country," he cried, "for below us
everything is red!"
[Illustration]
Immediately they all leaned over the backs of the sofas to look--all
except Jack, who was too careful of his pumpkin head to risk its
slipping off his neck. Sure enough; the red houses and fences and
trees indicated they were within the domain of Glinda the Good; and
presently, as they glided rapidly on, the Tin Woodman recognized the
roads and buildings they passed, and altered slightly the flight
of the Gump so that they might reach the palace of the celebrated
Sorceress.
"Good!" cried the Scarecrow, delightedly. "We do not need the lost
Wishing Pills now, for we have arrived at our destination."
Gradually the Thing sank lower and nearer to the ground until at length
it came to rest within the beautiful gardens of Glinda, settling upon
a velvety green lawn close by a fountain which sent sprays of flashing
gems, instead of water, high into the air, whence they fell with a
soft, tinkling sound into the carved marble basin placed to receive
them.
Everything was very gorgeous in Glinda's gardens, and while our
voyagers gazed about with admiring eyes a company of soldiers silently
appeared and surrounded them. But these soldiers of the great Sorceress
were entirely different from those of Jinjur's Army of Revolt, although
they were likewise girls. For Glinda's soldiers wore neat uniforms and
bore swords and spears; and they marched with a skill and precision
that proved them well trained in the arts of war.
The Captain commanding this troop--which was Glinda's private Body
Guard--recognized the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman at once, and
greeted them with respectful salutations.
"Good day!" said the Scarecrow, gallantly removing his hat, while the
Woodman gave a soldierly salute; "we have come to request an audience
with your fair Ruler."
"Glinda is now within her palace, awaiting you," returned the Captain;
"for she saw you coming long before you arrived."
"That is strange!" said Tip, wondering.
"Not at all," answered the Scarecrow; "for Glinda the Good is a mighty
Sorceress, and nothing that goes on in the Land of Oz escapes her
notice. I suppose she knows why we came as well as we do ourselves."
"Then what was the use of our coming?" asked Jack, stupidly.
[Illustration]