Out of the Prison Pit
Nox's angry words had a strange effect on the boastful Gnome King.
Leaning dejectedly against the side of the pit, he drew his hand
wearily across his forehead.
"I remember now," he told them hoarsely. "I once was the Powerful Metal
Monarch, but that was before I fell into the hands of Ozma and that
wicked Wizard of Oz."
"So it was Ozma who turned you to a jug!" exclaimed Handy with all her
hands on her hips.
"Yes, and before that she deprived me of my Kingdom, ducked me in a
Truth Pond, marooned me for years on a desert island, struck me dumb,
and then, when she could think of nothing worse, turned me to this
jug!" screamed Ruggedo, kicking at the fragments of broken china at his
feet.
"You and Ozma have been enemies for a long time, then?" observed the
Ox, looking at the Gnome with great disfavor.
"Yes, yes, ever since that girl Dorothy stole my magic belt and gave
it to Ozma," raged Ruggedo, stamping furiously up and down. "And every
time I try to recover my own property, or capture those wretched girls
and the Emerald City, something goes wrong and they conquer ME! The
last time Ozma turned me to a jug!" cried Ruggedo, his voice rising to
a shrill whistle.
"Well, what did you expect?" inquired Handy Mandy sharply. "That Ozma
would sit calmly on her throne and allow you to conquer her? My--y such
goings on!"
"Oh, then you are friends of Ozma?" said the Gnome King suspiciously.
"But no, you could not be her friends or you would not have broken the
jug. Who ARE you? The Ox is usual enough, except for his golden horns,
but you"--Ruggedo's eyes grew round and anxious as he looked at the
seven-armed Goat Girl, "_YOU_ are odd, aren't you?"
"No, she's not odd!" snapped the Royal Ox severely. He had been through
so much with the sturdy mountain lass, he felt almost as if they were
related. "Handy is just seven times as smart and seven times as handy
as most people, that's all. And since her seven hands have served you
pretty well, try to keep a civil tongue in your head, will you?"
"Oh, all right!" Ruggedo scuffing his foot, looked sulkily from one to
the other. "Much obliged, I'm sure. But what in rockets are we doing
in this miserable hole and what are we waiting for?"
"For a fellow Metal Monarch and Wizard," answered a smooth voice, and
appearing as quietly as he had vanished, Wutz stood calmly before them.
"Come with me, Ruggedo, I have surprising news for you, comrade!" And
without so much as a nod or "thank you" to Nox and Handy Mandy, he
linked his arm through the Gnome's and drew him through the invisible
door, slamming it viciously behind him.
"Hi--yi!" yelled Handy Mandy indignantly. "Come back here! Come back
here! A bargain's a bargain, you old cheat and villain! We've kept our
part and you shall keep yours! Where have you hidden the little King of
Keretaria? Let us out! Let us out, you false faced rascal!"
Nox, as angry as Handy, charged forward, butting his head against the
exact spot where the wizard had disappeared. To his astonishment and
joy the whole section of wall swung outward and he and the Goat Girl,
rushing through, found themselves in a narrow dimly lit silver tunnel.
"To think, to think we could have got out any time!" gulped the Royal
Ox in a vexed voice. "The door was invisible but not locked. Imagine
that, m'lass!"
"Oh, I've other things to do," puffed Handy, peering down the long
passageway to see whether she could catch a glimpse of the two Kings.
"No use trying to imagine anything about this mountain, it's just plain
bewitched and goblinish. But that wizard made us a promise and I'm
going to see that he keeps it. Come on!"
"No! No!" said the Royal Ox, leaning weakly against the side of the
tunnel. "I couldn't bear to look at him again, at least, not just yet.
Wait! I may think of something else! WAIT!" bellowed Nox, as Handy, in
spite of his pleas, started off on a run. "There now, you've dropped
something out of your pocket."
"That silver ball," muttered Handy, scooping it up without slackening
her pace.
"The ball! The _BALL_?" exclaimed Nox, galloping breathlessly to catch
up with her. "Oh, what muddle heads, _WHAT_ muddle heads! It told us to
wait for the wizard. Quick, see what it says now?"
"Well, a lot of good it did waiting for that wizard," grumbled the Goat
Girl; but nevertheless, she stopped and opened the silver ball. Taking
out the folded paper, she held it up toward an amethyst gleaming dully
in the side of the tunnel.
"Follow me."
directed the paper rather mysteriously.
"But who does 'me' mean?" asked Handy, as Nox, still breathing heavily,
read the message over her shoulder. "I don't see any me, do you? Beans
and butternuts! If you hadn't stopped me I'd have caught those villains
by this time!"
"And what good would that have done?" sniffed the Ox impatiently.
"Remember there are two of them now, and that little gnome is worse
than Wutz and twice as dangerous." Closing his eyes in an effort to
concentrate, Nox repeated over the message, "Follow me! Follow me!
Follow ME! Why of course, it's as plain as oats!" he snorted joyfully.
"'Me' means that ball. Put the message back in the ball, set the ball
down and then see what happens." And what happened, was amazing enough,
for the silver ball, once it was on the floor of the tunnel began to
roll rapidly along ahead of them, faster and faster and faster, till
Handy and Nox had all they could do to keep it in sight.
"Where do you suppose it's taking us?" gasped the Goat Girl, thankful
that so far the tunnel had been more or less straight and fairly well
lighted.
"To Kerry," said the Royal Ox positively. "Now watch that turn, m'lass.
What's ahead? It's growing so dark I can't even see my own shadow!"
"It's a flight of steps," whispered Handy, gazing fearfully into the
deep well of a circular stairway winding down into the darkness. They
could hear the chink of the silver ball as it rolled from step to
step, so, taking her courage in all hands, the Goat Girl, herself,
began to descend. Nox, grunting and muttering lugubriously, came just
behind her. Steps were difficult enough for the Ox at any time, but
negotiating a flight of circular steps in pitch darkness was terrifying
and dangerous in the extreme.
"Be careful!" warned Handy, looking up anxiously. "Don't slip, or
you'll break my heart."
"More than that, I'm afraid," quavered the Royal Ox, setting his front
feet cautiously on the step below while he balanced his hind quarters
perilously on the one above.