Tip was so anxious to rejoin his man Jack and the Saw-Horse that he
walked a full half the distance to the Emerald City without stopping to
rest. Then he discovered that he was hungry and the crackers and cheese
he had provided for the Journey had all been eaten.
While wondering what he should do in this emergency he came upon a girl
sitting by the roadside. She wore a costume that struck the boy as
being remarkably brilliant: her silken waist being of emerald green and
her skirt of four distinct colors—blue in front, yellow at the left
side, red at the back and purple at the right side. Fastening the waist
in front were four buttons—the top one blue, the next yellow, a third
red and the last purple.
[Illustration: image100]
The splendor of this dress was almost barbaric; so Tip was fully
justified in staring at the gown for some moments before his eyes were
attracted by the pretty face above it. Yes, the face was pretty enough,
he decided; but it wore an expression of discontent coupled to a shade
of defiance or audacity.
While the boy stared the girl looked upon him calmly. A lunch basket
stood beside her, and she held a dainty sandwich in one hand and a
hard-boiled egg in the other, eating with an evident appetite that
aroused Tip’s sympathy.
He was just about to ask a share of the luncheon when the girl stood up
and brushed the crumbs from her lap.
“There!” said she; “it is time for me to go. Carry that basket for me
and help yourself to its contents if you are hungry.”
Tip seized the basket eagerly and began to eat, following for a time
the strange girl without bothering to ask questions. She walked along
before him with swift strides, and there was about her an air of
decision and importance that led him to suspect she was some great
personage.
Finally, when he had satisfied his hunger, he ran up beside her and
tried to keep pace with her swift footsteps—a very difficult feat, for
she was much taller than he, and evidently in a hurry.
“Thank you very much for the sandwiches,” said Tip, as he trotted
along. “May I ask your name?”
“I am General Jinjur,” was the brief reply.
“Oh!” said the boy surprised. “What sort of a General?”
“I command the Army of Revolt in this war,” answered the General, with
unnecessary sharpness.
“Oh!” he again exclaimed. “I didn’t know there was a war.”
“You were not supposed to know it,” she returned, “for we have kept it
a secret; and considering that our army is composed entirely of girls,”
she added, with some pride, “it is surely a remarkable thing that our
Revolt is not yet discovered.”
“It is, indeed,” acknowledged Tip. “But where is your army?”
“About a mile from here,” said General Jinjur. “The forces have
assembled from all parts of the Land of Oz, at my express command. For
this is the day we are to conquer His Majesty the Scarecrow, and wrest
from him the throne. The Army of Revolt only awaits my coming to march
upon the Emerald City.”
“Well!” declared Tip, drawing a long breath, “this is certainly a
surprising thing! May I ask why you wish to conquer His Majesty the
Scarecrow?”
“Because the Emerald City has been ruled by men long enough, for one
reason,” said the girl.
“Moreover, the City glitters with beautiful gems, which might far
better be used for rings, bracelets and necklaces; and there is enough
money in the King’s treasury to buy every girl in our Army a dozen new
gowns. So we intend to conquer the City and run the government to suit
ourselves.”
Jinjur spoke these words with an eagerness and decision that proved she
was in earnest.
“But war is a terrible thing,” said Tip, thoughtfully.
“This war will be pleasant,” replied the girl, cheerfully.
“Many of you will be slain!” continued the boy, in an awed voice.
“Oh, no”, said Jinjur. “What man would oppose a girl, or dare to harm
her? And there is not an ugly face in my entire Army.”
Tip laughed.
“Perhaps you are right,” said he. “But the Guardian of the Gate is
considered a faithful Guardian, and the King’s Army will not let the
City be conquered without a struggle.”
“The Army is old and feeble,” replied General Jinjur, scornfully. “His
strength has all been used to grow whiskers, and his wife has such a
temper that she has already pulled more than half of them out by the
roots. When the Wonderful Wizard reigned the Soldier with the Green
Whiskers was a very good Royal Army, for people feared the Wizard. But
no one is afraid of the Scarecrow, so his Royal Army don’t count for
much in time of war.”
After this conversation they proceeded some distance in silence, and
before long reached a large clearing in the forest where fully four
hundred young women were assembled. These were laughing and talking
together as gaily as if they had gathered for a picnic instead of a war
of conquest.
They were divided into four companies, and Tip noticed that all were
dressed in costumes similar to that worn by General Jinjur. The only
real difference was that while those girls from the Munchkin country
had the blue strip in front of their skirts, those from the country of
the Quadlings had the red strip in front; and those from the country of
the Winkies had the yellow strip in front, and the Gillikin girls wore
the purple strip in front. All had green waists, representing the
Emerald City they intended to conquer, and the top button on each waist
indicated by its color which country the wearer came from. The uniforms
were Jaunty and becoming, and quite effective when massed together.
Tip thought this strange Army bore no weapons whatever; but in this he
was wrong. For each girl had stuck through the knot of her back hair
two long, glittering knitting-needles.
General Jinjur immediately mounted the stump of a tree and addressed
her army.
“Friends, fellow-citizens, and girls!” she said; “we are about to begin
our great Revolt against the men of Oz! We march to conquer the Emerald
City—to dethrone the Scarecrow King—to acquire thousands of gorgeous
gems—to rifle the royal treasury—and to obtain power over our former
oppressors!”
[Illustration: image105]
[Illustration: image106]
“Hurrah!” said those who had listened; but Tip thought most of the Army
was too much engaged in chattering to pay attention to the words of the
General.
The command to march was now given, and the girls formed themselves
into four bands, or companies, and set off with eager strides toward
the Emerald City.
[Illustration: image107]
The boy followed after them, carrying several baskets and wraps and
packages which various members of the Army of Revolt had placed in his
care. It was not long before they came to the green granite walls of
the City and halted before the gateway.
The Guardian of the Gate at once came out and looked at them curiously,
as if a circus had come to town. He carried a bunch of keys swung round
his neck by a golden chain; his hands were thrust carelessly into his
pockets, and he seemed to have no idea at all that the City was
threatened by rebels. Speaking pleasantly to the girls, he said:
“Good morning, my dears! What can I do for you?”
“Surrender instantly!” answered General Jinjur, standing before him and
frowning as terribly as her pretty face would allow her to.
“Surrender!” echoed the man, astounded. “Why, it’s impossible. It’s
against the law! I never heard of such a thing in my life.”
“Still, you must surrender!” exclaimed the General, fiercely. “We are
revolting!”
“You don’t look it,” said the Guardian, gazing from one to another,
admiringly.
“But we are!” cried Jinjur, stamping her foot, impatiently; “and we
mean to conquer the Emerald City!”
“Good gracious!” returned the surprised Guardian of the Gates; “what a
nonsensical idea! Go home to your mothers, my good girls, and milk the
cows and bake the bread. Don’t you know it’s a dangerous thing to
conquer a city?”
[Illustration: image109]
“We are not afraid!” responded the General; and she looked so
determined that it made the Guardian uneasy.
So he rang the bell for the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, and the
next minute was sorry he had done so. For immediately he was surrounded
by a crowd of girls who drew the knitting-needles from their hair and
began Jabbing them at the Guardian with the sharp points dangerously
near his fat cheeks and blinking eyes.
The poor man howled loudly for mercy and made no resistance when Jinjur
drew the bunch of keys from around his neck.
Followed by her Army the General now rushed to the gateway, where she
was confronted by the Royal Army of Oz—which was the other name for the
Soldier with the Green Whiskers.
“Halt!” he cried, and pointed his long gun full in the face of the
leader.
Some of the girls screamed and ran back, but General Jinjur bravely
stood her ground and said, reproachfully:
“Why, how now? Would you shoot a poor, defenceless girl?”
“No,” replied the soldier. “for my gun isn’t loaded.”
“Not loaded?”
“No; for fear of accidents. And I’ve forgotten where I hid the powder
and shot to load it with. But if you’ll wait a short time I’ll try to
hunt them up.”
“Don’t trouble yourself,” said Jinjur, cheerfully. Then she turned to
her Army and cried:
“Girls, the gun isn’t loaded!”
“Hooray,” shrieked the rebels, delighted at this good news, and they
proceeded to rush upon the Soldier with the Green Whiskers in such a
crowd that it was a wonder they didn’t stick the knitting-needles into
one another.
But the Royal Army of Oz was too much afraid of women to meet the
onslaught. He simply turned about and ran with all his might through
the gate and toward the royal palace, while General Jinjur and her mob
flocked into the unprotected City.
In this way was the Emerald City captured without a drop of blood being
spilled. The Army of Revolt had become an Army of Conquerors!
[Illustration: image111]
[Illustration: image112]
[Illustration: image113]