The Second Rash Ruby
"I told you there was a strange power in that ruby when you bought
it from the fisherman," hissed Guph. "No ruby has an R carved in the
side without some reason. It is undoubtedly one of the magic rubies of
Rash--the one protecting the holder from danger by water."
Several days before Betsy's arrival, an old Ev fisherman had brought a
sparkling square ruby to the Gnome King. He had found it in a fish he
had drawn up in his nets and, knowing Kaliko's fondness for jewels, had
taken it straight to the King. Kaliko at once purchased the stone and
had it set in a small ring--the same ring Carter had seen him slip into
the rock throne. "If you had the courage of a flea," grumbled Guph,
"you'd steal the ruby this vegetable person discovered and become a
real power in the land."
"But it wouldn't be right," objected Kaliko, mopping his brow with his
gray kerchief. "Besides, Ozma would hear of it and come with her army
to conquer us."
"How could she if you had the two Rash rubies?" argued Guph. "How
would she ever know? We'll just destroy all these rubbishy travellers
and that will be the end of it. Where's the ring now?" he inquired
anxiously.
"Safe enough," answered Kaliko, glancing over his shoulder. "I took
it off as soon as Betsy mentioned the rubies. I was afraid she would
notice it."
"Come on then," urged Guph coaxingly. "Can't you be a little bad for
once. Tisn't natural for a gnome to be good all the time and where
does all this goodness get you? Show you're a real gnome for once and
forget all this mortal stuff you learned from Betsy Bobbin."
As Guph continued his wicked pleading, Carter stood frozen to the spot,
his corn ears waving to and fro with wrath and indignation. He longed
to snatch the precious ruby from its hiding place and dash back to warn
the others. But the gnomes were so close, he dared not move. But all at
once Kaliko came to a decision and began to hurry toward a small door.
"I will consult the wizard," muttered the Gnome King in a weak whisper.
"Come, let us see what the wizard thinks about this." Taking Guph's
arm, Kaliko went pattering down the rocky hallway. In one leap, the
Vegetable Man reached the great throne, found the ruby ring and dropped
it into his leather pouch. He was about to return to his companions
when the King's exspectacles, lying on the arm of the throne, attracted
his attention. Clapping them hurriedly upon his nose, he rushed toward
the cavern occupied by the little Prince of Rash. But half-way there he
gave a great leap.
"Great cauliflowers!" gasped Carter. As plainly as you see the pictures
in this book, he saw Guph thumping the little boy on the head with a
pick-axe.
"Stop! Stop!" screamed the Vegetable Man, dashing into the cavern like
a whirlwind. Off flew the King's exspectacles and splintered into bits
on the floor, and his entrance was so noisy, Evered jumped up in a
fright from the couch where he had been sleeping.
"What's the matter?" he demanded, feeling around sleepily for his
sword.
"Matter!" coughed Carter, "Wasn't that rogue Guph in here?" The Prince
shook his head and, looking into the next cavern, Carter saw Betsy
curled up peacefully on a green sofa and from the cave beyond came the
resounding snores of the Hungry Tiger. "Nothing's happened at all,"
yawned Reddy.
"It was the exspectacles," puffed Carter, catching a glimpse of the
pink splinters of glass at his feet.
"Do you know what is going to happen, my Rash young friend? That
scalawag of a gnome intends to bang you over the ears with a pick-axe.
I saw him with my own eyes and Kaliko's specs!"
"Bang me with a pick-axe!" shuddered Evered, jumping up in alarm, as
Carter ran to waken Betsy and the Hungry Tiger. As fast as he could,
the Vegetable Man told them all he had overheard, and showed them the
ruby ring Kaliko had slyly hidden away from them. Their pleasure at
recovering the second ruby was entirely spoiled by the treachery of the
Gnome King and, scarcely looking at it, Reddy thrust the ring into his
pocket.
"I can run the fastest," panted the Hungry Tiger. "Jump on my back, all
of you and I'll make a sprint for safety." Almost as one, the three
leaped on the Hungry Tiger's back, Carter leaving his wheel-barrow
with a sigh, and arming himself with the spade he had picked from the
Indus Tree.
But as the Hungry Tiger dashed through the door into the throne room,
Guph and his entire army came swarming through another entrance.
Kaliko, himself, was nowhere in sight. He had delegated Guph to secure
the Rash ruby and dispose of the travellers. Then, thought the Gnome
King, if any trouble arose afterward, Guph would be held responsible.
But Guph did not intend to have any trouble afterward. He meant to
destroy the travellers so utterly that not even Ozma, with her magic,
would be able to discover what had become of them. Therefore, when the
wicked little elf saw his four victims preparing to escape, he gave
a loud screech, hurled himself at the Hungry Tiger, and brought his
pick-axe down with all his might upon the head of the little Prince. It
might have been a feather for all the impression it made upon Reddy.
And while Betsy and Carter ducked back in dismay, the gnomes rushed at
them in a body and simply rained blows upon their heads and shoulders.
But the blows fell as harmlessly as an April shower and when Carter
realized this, he began laying about with his spade so briskly that the
enemy went down in heaps.
"One of the rubies is protecting us," whispered Prince Evered, pulling
out his sword. "Take that you gray robber!" And bringing the sword
down on Guph's shoulders he stretched him flat upon the rocks. At the
same moment, the Hungry Tiger, gathering himself for a spring, leaped
entirely over the gnome army and, charging out the first door he came
to, raced down a long dismal tunnel. They could hear the gnomes
scampering after them and, redoubling his speed, the Hungry Tiger
fairly flew down the dim corridor. When a sudden turn brought him up
against a swinging door, he went through like a shot and out upon a
huge rocky cliff.
"Whoa! Whoa!" quavered Carter, jerking the Hungry Tiger frantically by
the tail.
"Stop! Stop!" implored Betsy and Reddy both together. No wonder!
Bubbling up from the cliff and hurling itself down over the rocks
below, was a shimmering sheet of flame, the highest fire-fall, to be
perfectly exact, in the whole of Kaliko's Kingdom. But the Hungry Tiger
could no more stop himself than a barrel rolling down hill. With a roar
that loosened three rocks and a bowlder, he plunged over the cliff and
down the fire-fall itself.
"Ruby! Ruby!" moaned the Vegetable Man, clutching Betsy and the little
Prince. "Do your work!" The roar of the flames drowned out every other
sound and green and yellow tongues of fire licked out at the travellers
as they were hurled downward. But so powerful was the Rash Ruby, they
were harmless as spring zephyrs, while the stones and rocks against
which they bumped and bounded seemed soft as pillows. The tiger was
falling head first, and somehow the three riders managed to keep on
his back and hang together. Just before they reached the bottom and
swirled down into the pool of flames at the base of the fire-fall,
Carter lost his hold on Reddy's belt. He soon regained it, but not
quickly enough.
"My ears burn," complained the Vegetable Man, as the Hungry Tiger
struggled through the flaming torrent toward the shore.
"What's that?" questioned Betsy, sniffing the air suddenly. At the same
moment they were simply covered with a shower of crisp white flakes.
"My ears!" moaned the Vegetable Man, in grief-stricken tones. "They've
popped!" This on top of all the other shocks was almost too much,
and when the tiger had dragged himself out of the fiery stream and
scrambled up the steep bank, they all dropped down upon the steaming
rocks and simply panted with exhaustion.
"First time I ever came down a fire-fall," puffed Reddy, gazing
fearfully at the tumbling torrent of flames.
"Well, it's the last time I ever come down one," growled the Hungry
Tiger. "If it hadn't been for that ruby of yours we'd all have been
nicely toasted by now. As it is--" The Hungry Tiger looked sorrowfully
at the Vegetable Man.
"The best ears I ever had," groaned Carter, feeling the husks that were
left to him.
"Did it hurt?" asked Betsy sympathetically. But the Vegetable Man made
no reply.
"He can't hear you," explained the Hungry Tiger gloomily. "If I had
that Gnome King I'd eat him."
"He _didn't_ turn out very well," admitted Betsy sadly. "But never
mind. Reddy has another ruby and we're in the upstairs world again."
"That's so! Maybe we're nearer the Emerald City than we think," rumbled
the Hungry Tiger. "Let's look around a bit and see." Motioning for
Carter to follow, and still feeling depressed over Kaliko's treachery
and the Vegetable Man's sad loss, they started across the stony country
edging the Gnome King's dominions.
"It's funny Ozma doesn't help us," whispered Betsy to the little Prince
of Rash, as Carter strode gloomily and silently beside them. "I've been
away from the Emerald City two days now and she must be wondering where
I am and they have certainly missed the Hungry Tiger by this time."
"But how would Ozma know where to look for you?" asked Reddy.
"The Magic Picture would show her," answered Betsy, and quickly
explained the most magic of Ozma's possessions. This curious painting
hangs in the royal palace, and when Ozma wishes to know where her
friends are and what they are doing she has but to stand before it and
request them to appear. Immediately they flash into view, the picture
showing just where they are and what they are doing at the time.
More than once, Ozma had saved her subjects from serious disaster by
consulting the Magic Picture, and it did seem strange that she had not
looked for Betsy and the Hungry Tiger.
While Betsy and the little Prince were still puzzling over it, they
stepped across the rocky borders of the Gnome King's dominion into
a pleasant farming country and they were all so relieved to find
themselves once again in more natural surroundings that they stopped
worrying and began to enjoy themselves. The fields of potatoes and
cabbages were especially cheering to Carter Green, and when they came
upon a waving field of corn, he gave a joyful shout and sprang lightly
over a fence.
"Wait!" he called gaily holding up both hands. "Wait till I pick a
couple of ears!"