CAPTAIN SALT
IN OZ
_By_
RUTH PLUMLY THOMPSON
Founded on and continuing the Famous Oz Stories
_By_
L. FRANK BAUM
"Royal Historian of Oz"
_Illustrated by_
JOHN R. NEILL
The Reilly & Lee Co.
CHICAGO
Copyright, 1936
by
THE REILLY & LEE CO.
All rights reserved
Printed in the U.S.A.
* * * * *
Dear Boys and Girls:
Another year--
Another book,
And this time a voyage
That Sam Salt took
In that good old Ship,
The _Crescent Moon_--
Steering by compass,
By star and moon,
To discover new countries
For OZ. Hear! Hear!
He's discovered a whole
New Hemisphere!
Three cheers for Sam,
And his jolly crew,
And three for OZ
And three for YOU,
And three for me,
Though I don't need cheer
'Cause the letters you write
Keep me gay ALL year!
So keep writing to me about Oz and everything, will you? And remember
to put your full name and complete address on the letter. Righto!
And Best till I hear from you!
RUTH PLUMLY THOMPSON.
* * * * *
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
WITH MY BEST BOW AND TOP WISHES
TO MY PUBLISHER.
--_Ruth Plumly Thompson_
* * * * *
LIST OF CHAPTERS
1 SAIL HO!
2 ANCHORS AWEIGH
3 THE FIRE BABY
4 SAMUEL'S FIRST SPECIMEN
5 PATRIPPANY ISLAND
6 A LITTLE WILD MAN
7 STRANGE SPECIMENS FOR SAMUEL SALT
8 MAXIMS FOR MONARCHS
9 SEA LEGS FOR TANDY
10 THE CITY OF BRIDGES
11 THE PRINCE OF THE PEAKS
12 FOG
13 THE SEA FOREST
14 THE SEA UNICORN!
15 THE COLLECTOR IS COLLECTED
16 THE STORM!
17 THE OLD MAN OF THE JUNGLE!
18 A NEW COUNTRY
19 BOGLODORE'S REVENGE
20 KING TANDY
21 A VOYAGE RESUMED
CHAPTER 1
Sail Ho!
Eight miles east of Pingaree lies the eight-sided island of King
Ato the Eighth. While not so large as Pingaree, the Octagon Isle is
nevertheless one of the tidiest and most pleasing of the sea realms
that dot the great green rolling expanses of the Nonestic Ocean. And
Ato himself is as pleasing as his island, enormously fat and jolly with
a kind word for everyone.
In his eight-sided castle, he has every modern convenience and comfort
and some of which even an up-to-date country like our own cannot boast.
For instance, take Roger, his Royal Read Bird. Roger, besides knowing
eight languages, can read aloud for hours at a time without growing
hoarse or weary. So Ato never has to strain his eyes poring over his
eight hundred huge volumes of adventure and history, nor his arms
holding a newspaper or court document, nor his jaw pronouncing the
names of kings and countries in Ev and Oz and other curious places on
the mainland west of his own island. And Roger is as handsome as he
is handy, his head and bill rather like a duck's, his body shaped and
colored like a parrot, but much larger, while his tail opens out into
an enormous fan. This is extremely fortunate, for the Octagon Isle
is semi-tropical in climate, and on warm sultry days, Roger not only
reads to his Majesty, but fans him as well. All in all, Ato's life is
decidedly luxurious and lazy.
Sixentwo, Chief Chancellor of the realm, and Four'nfour, its treasurer,
attend to all the business of governing, so that Ato and Roger have
little to do but enjoy themselves. The Octagon Islanders, one hundred
and eighty in number, are a sober and industrious lot, rarely giving
any trouble.
Once, it is true, they sailed off and deserted the King entirely, but
Ato, with Peter, a Philadelphia boy, and Samuel Salt, a pirate, who
landed on the Island at just the right moment, immediately set out
after them, using the pirate's stout ship the _Crescent Moon_, for the
purpose.
By a strange coincidence, Samuel Salt's men had also mutinied and
sailed away, so that there were two sets of deserters to seek out
and discover. After a dangerous and lively voyage, the _Crescent
Moon_ reached the rocky shores of Menankypoo on the Mainland. Here
they learned that the Octagon Islanders and Samuel Salt's men had
been enslaved by Ruggedo, the former Gnome King, and marched off to
conquer the Emerald City of Oz. How Peter and the Pirate, Ato and a
poetical Pig outwitted the Gnome King is a long and other story. You
have probably read it yourself. But ever since their hair-raising
experiences with Ruggedo, and their rescue by Ato, the Octagon
Islanders have been perfectly satisfied with their own ruler and
country. In fact, they were so docile and devoted, so fearfully anxious
to please, Ato often wished they would revolt or sass him a little just
to relieve the monotony and make life more interesting.
To tell the truth, after serving as cook, mate and able-bodied seaman
on the _Crescent Moon_, Ato found it quite boring to settle down to
a humdrum life of a monarch ashore. Roger, too, missed the gay and
carefree life he had led as a pirate and could not even pretend an
interest in the books of adventure he still dutifully read to his
Master. He and Ato now spent most of their time on the edge of the
Island--the King in a comfortable hammock swung between two palm
trees, Roger on a tall golden perch set close beside him. Whenever the
Read Bird paused to yawn or turn a page, Ato would pull himself up to
a sitting position, raise the telescope he always had with him and
gaze long and wistfully out to sea. Many ships passed Ato's Island,
but never a one in the least resembling the splendid three-masted fast
sailing ship belonging to the Pirate.
"You'll give yourself a fine squint there," warned Roger one morning,
as Ato for about the hundredth time raised his spy glass. "And what is
the use of it, pray?" inquired Roger grumpily, ruffling the pages of
the Book of Barons. "Samuel Salt has probably forgotten all about us
and gone off by himself on a voyage of discovery."
"No! No! Sammy wouldn't do that," said the King, shaking his head
positively. "He promised to stop by for us on the very first voyage he
made as Royal Discoverer of Oz."
"Ho, one of those seafaring promises!" muttered Roger. "A pirate's
promise. Humph! His new honors have gone to his head. Quite a jump from
pirating to exploring. I'll wager a wing he's gone back to buccaneering
and forgotten us altogether!"
"Now, Roger, how can you say that?" Heaving up his huge bulk with
great difficulty, Ato looked reproachfully at his Royal Read Bird.
"Sammy never cared for pirating in the first place," wheezed the King
earnestly, "and he was so soft-hearted about planking the captives and
burning the ships, his band sailed off and left him. They only made him
Captain because he was clever at navigating, and you know perfectly
well he spent more time looking for flora and fauna than for ships and
treasure."
"Ah, then I suppose some wild Flora or Fauna has him in its clutches,"
observed Roger sarcastically, "and a likely thing that is, seeing the
poor Captain weighs but two hundred and twenty pounds and stands six
feet in his socks."
"What a tremendous fellow he was," sighed Ato, sinking dreamily back in
his hammock and half closing his eyes. "I'll never forget how high and
handsome he looked when Queen Ozma asked him to give up buccaneering,
and serve her instead as Royal Discoverer and Explorer for Oz! And
a fitting reward it was, too, for capturing Ruggedo and saving the
Kingdom. Aha, my lad, THAT was a day! And we had our share of glory,
too! Remember how they cheered us in the Emerald City of Oz?"
"Aye, I remember THAT day and a good many other days since," sniffed
the Read Bird disagreeably. "Six months from that day Samuel Salt was
to sail into our Harbor. Well, King--it's been six times six months,
and nary a sail nor a sign of him have we seen."
"That long?" said Ato, blinking unhappily.
"That long and longer. Three years, eleven months, twenty-six days and
twelve hours, to be exact!"
"Dear, dear and dear! Then something's happened to him," murmured
Ato. "He's either been shipwrecked, captured or enchanted! I'll never
believe Sammy would forget us or break his promise. Never!"
"Well, whatever you believe, the results are the same." Flapping open
his book, Roger prepared to go on with his reading. "And depend upon
it," he insisted stubbornly, "we'll never see Samuel Salt again, so
you may as well put up your telescope and put your mind on something
else for a change. Maybe it's your cooking that's keeping him away,"
finished the Read Bird, who felt cross and fractious and contrary as a
goat.
"My cooking?" roared Ato, roused to honest anger at last. "I've a
notion to have you plucked and roasted for that. My cooking, indeed!
Show me the fellow who can beat up an omelette, a cake, a batch of
biscuits, faster than I; who can brown a fowl, broil a steak or toss
out a pan of fried potatoes to compare with mine. I--I, why, I'm
surprised at you, Roger!"
Roger, ruffling his feathers uncomfortably, was rather surprised at
himself, for the King was speaking the exact truth; a more skillful man
with a skillet it would be impossible to find in any kingdom. Ever
since his voyage on the _Crescent Moon_, cooking had been Ato's chief
pleasure and pastime. The castle chef, though he heartily disapproved
of a King in the kitchen, could do nothing to discourage him, so
finally stood by in grudging envy and admiration as Ato turned out his
delectable puddings, pies, roasts and sauces.
Muttering with hurt pride and indignation, his Majesty continued to
frown at the Read Bird, and realizing he had gone too far, Roger
started to read as fast as he could from the Book of Barons. As he read
on, he could see the King growing calmer and finally, pausing to turn a
page, he let his gaze rove idly over the harbor.
"Anchors and animal crackers! What was that?" Stretching up his neck,
Roger took another look, then, flinging the Book of Barons high into
the air, he spread his wings and started out to sea.
Soothed by the droning voice of the Read Bird, Ato had closed his
eyes and the first warning he had of Roger's departure was a terrific
thump as the Book of Barons landed on his stomach. Leaping out of the
hammock as if he had been shot, the outraged Monarch looked furiously
around for his Read Bird. This really was too much. Not satisfied with
insulting him, Roger must now be bombarding him with books, cocoanuts
and what not.
Shading his eyes with his hand, Ato glared up and down the beach and
finally out over the rippling blue ocean. At what he saw there, the
King forgot his anger as completely as Roger had forgotten his manners.
For, swinging jauntily into the Octagon Harbor was the _Crescent Moon_
herself! No mistaking the high-prowed, deep-waisted, powerful craft of
the Pirate. But a new and gayer pennant fluttered from the mizzenmast
today. Instead of the skull and bones, Samuel was flying the green and
white banner of Oz, as befitted the Royal Discoverer and Explorer of
the most famous Fairyland in History.
"He's here! He's come!" shouted Ato, running wildly up and down.
"Samuel! SAM-U-EL!" In his delight and excitement the King forgot the
Royal dock and began wading out into the bay. Peering around his
wheel, Sammy saw him coming and broke into a loud cheerful greeting.
"Hi, King! Ho, King! How are you, you son of a Lubber! Wait till I
ease her in and I'll be ashore quicker than quick." Roger had already
reached the _Crescent Moon_ and, perched on the Captain's shoulder, was
chattering away at such a rate Samuel could hardly keep his mind on his
steering. But he was an old hand at such matters, and before Ato had
half recovered from the shock of seeing him, the shining three-masted
vessel was made fast, and its Master striding exuberantly up the wet
planks of the royal dock.
"Ahoy! Ahoy!" he boomed boisterously. "What a day for a voyage! Is it
really my old cook and shipmate?"
"None other!" puffed Ato, seizing both of the former pirate's hands.
"But what have you done to yourself, Sam-u-el? Where's your sash and
scimiter? And what's that on your head, may I ask? You don't look
natural or seaman-like at all."
"Oh, don't mind these," grinned the Pirate, touching his three-cornered
hat and satin coat apologetically. "These are my shore togs for
impressing the natives. Can't look like pirates when we go ashore this
voyage, Mates. We're explorers and fine gentlemen now, and when we set
the flag of Oz on lofty mountains and rocky isles, when we bring savage
tribes and strange races under the beneficent rule of Ozma of Oz, we
must look like Conquerors. Eh, my lads?"
"Yes--I sup-pose--so!" puffed the King, skipping clumsily to keep up
with the long strides of Captain Salt. "But I'm sorry this is going to
be a dressy affair, Sammy. How'm I to cook in a cocked hat and lace
collar and swab down the deck in velvet pants?"
"Ho, ho! You'll not have to," exploded the Pirate, giving the tail
feathers of the Read Bird a sly tweak. "On shipboard we'll dress as we
please, for the sea is MY country and free as the wind and sun."
"Well, well, I'm glad to hear you say that. Have you still got my old
pirate suit and blunderbuss aboard?" inquired the King anxiously.
"Certain for sure, and a couple of new ones, and WAIT till you see your
galley all fitted out with copper pots, and provisions enough below
to carry us anywhere and back. Wait till you cast your eyes on 'em,
Lubber!"
"Don't you call ME a Lubber!" chuckled Ato, giving Samuel a hearty poke
in the ribs. "I'm as able-bodied a seaman as you, Sammy, and you know
it."
"SIR Samuel, if you please!" roared the former Pirate, striking himself
a great blow on the chest with his clenched fist. "Sir Samuel Salt,
Explorer and Discoverer Extraordinary to the Crown of Oz."
"So--oooh! You've been knighted?" breathed Roger, peering round into
the Captain's face,
"Ho pass the salt and ring the bell
And bend the knee to Sir Sam-u-el!"
"Sir Samuel Salt! Well, I'll be peppered!" gasped Ato, sinking down on
the lower step of the palace which they had reached by this time.
"Sir Samuel!"
"Yes, SIR!" boasted the Pirate, rubbing his hands together, "but come
on, step lively, boys; how long'll it take you to pack up and heave
your dunnage aboard? Mustn't keep a Knight of Oz waiting, you know!"
"Keep _you_ waiting?" Suddenly and determinedly, Ato rose to his feet
and shook his finger under Sammy's nose. "Keep YOU waiting? Why, we've
been ready and waiting for this voyage three years, eleven months,
twenty-six days and twelve hours. Where've you been, you great lazy son
of a sea-robber?"
"Four years?" choked the Pirate, falling back in real consternation and
dismay. "Never! It's never been four years, Mates. Why, I've scarcely
had time to sort out the shells and specimens we picked up on the last
voyage, and to fit out the _Crescent Moon_ for the next."
"Where have you been?" repeated Ato, wagging his finger sternly.
"Why, home on Elbow Island, of course. Where else should I have been?"
muttered Samuel, looking distinctly worried and crestfallen.
"Then have you no clocks or calendars in your cave?" demanded the King
accusingly. "And what would the _Crescent Moon_ be needing? I thought
she was about perfect as she was."
"Ah, but wait till you see her now!" exclaimed Samuel, cheering up
immediately at mention of his ship. "The _Crescent Moon_, besides a
new coat of paint, has self-hoisting sails and a mechanical steering
control in case we wish to take it easy occasionally. The Red Jinn
paid me a visit and presented us with these and several other magical
contrivances and improvements. I'm minded to make this voyage with no
crew but ourselves. It's cozier so, don't you think?"
"Yes, but am I still on bird watch and lookout duty?" demanded Roger
jealously.
"Aye, aye!" Samuel Salt assured him heartily.
"I suppose the Red Jinn has supplied you with a mechanical cook in my
place as well as a mechanical steering wheel," murmured Ato, tugging
uneasily at the cord round his waist.
"In your place!" thundered the Pirate. "Why, shiver my timbers, Mate!
Only over my prone and prostrate body shall another man enter my galley
to shuffle my rations, sugar my duff or salt my prog!"
"Hooray, then let's get going!" squealed Roger, bouncing up and down
on Sammy's shoulder. "I was only saying this very morning that you'd
never forget your old friends and shipmates or go on a voyage without
us!"
"Huh! So THAT'S what you were saying!" grunted Ato, looking fixedly at
the Read Bird. "Well, well, let it go. Come along then!"
"Yes, yes, and hurry," screamed Roger, spreading his wings to fly on
ahead.
"Sixentwo! Sevenanone! Where are you?" panted the King, plunging up the
steps after Roger two at a time. "Where is everybody? Pack a bag, a
chest, a couple of trunks. I'm going on a voyage of discovery!"
"And don't forget the cook book!" bawled Samuel Salt, bounding
exuberantly after the King.