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Title: Tik-Tok of Oz

Author: L. Frank Baum







Release Date: June, 1997 [eBook #956]
[Updated: February 21, 2002]

PGCC Collection: Tik-Tok of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
*eBook File: 08woz11.htm or 08woz11.pdf**

Corrected EDITIONS, 08woz12.htm
Separate source VERSION, 08woz11a.htm

Prepared by Anthony Matonac.
Proofreading and corrections by Paul Selkirk, January 2002.







TIK-TOK OF OZ

by L. FRANK BAUM

To Louis F. Gottschalk,
whose sweet and dainty melodies
breathe the true spirit of fairyland,
this book is affectionately dedicated


To My Readers

The very marked success of my last year's fairy
book, "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," convinces me
that my readers like the Oz stories "best of all," as
one little girl wrote me. So here, my dears, is a
new Oz story in which is introduced Ann Soforth,
the Queen of Oogaboo, whom Tik-Tok assisted
in conquering our old acquaintance, the Nome King.
It also tells of Betsy Bobbin and how, after many
adventures, she finally reached the marvelous
Land of Oz.

There is a play called "The Tik-Tok Man of Oz,"
but it is not like this story of "Tik-Tok of Oz,"
although some of the adventures recorded in this
book, as well as those in several other Oz books,
are included in the play. Those who have seen the
play and those who have read the other Oz books
will find in this story a lot of strange
characters and adventures that they have never
heard of before.

In the letters I receive from children there has
been an urgent appeal for me to write a story that
will take Trot and Cap'n Bill to the Land of Oz,
where they will meet Dorothy and Ozma. Also
they think Button-Bright ought to get acquainted
with Ojo the Lucky. As you know, I am obliged
to talk these matters over with Dorothy by means
of the "wireless," for that is the only way I can
communicate with the Land of Oz. When I asked
her about this idea, she replied: "Why, haven't you
heard?" I said "No." "Well," came the message over
the wireless, "I'll tell you all about it, by and
by, and then you can make a book of that story for
the children to read."

So, if Dorothy keeps her word and I am permitted
to write another Oz book, you will probably
discover how all these characters came together in
the famous Emerald City. Meantime, I want to tell
all my little friends--whose numbers are increasing
by many thousands every year--that I am very
grateful for the favor they have shown my books and
for the delightful little letters I am constantly
receiving. I am almost sure that I have as many friends
among the children of America as any story writer
alive; and this, of course, makes me very proud and
happy.

L. Frank Baum.

"OZCOT"
at HOLLYWOOD
in CALIFORNIA,
1914.




LIST OF CHAPTERS
1  - Ann's Army
2  - Out of Oogaboo
3  - Magic Mystifies the Marchers
4  - Betsy Braves the Bellows
5  - The Roses Repulse the Refugees
6  - Shaggy Seeks His Stray Brother
7  - Polychrome's Pitiful Plight
8  - Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task
9  - Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless
10 - A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube
11 - The Famous Fellowship of Fairies
12 - The Lovely Lady of Light
13 - The Jinjin's Just Judgment
14 - The Long-Eared Hearer Learns by Listening
15 - The Dragon Defies Danger
16 - The Naughty Nome
17 - A Tragic Transformation
18 - A Clever Conquest
19 - King Kaliko
20 - Quox Quietly Quits
21 - A Bashful Brother
22 - Kindly Kisses
23 - Ruggedo Reforms
24 - Dorothy is Delighted
25 - The Land of Love




TIK-TOK of OZ




Chapter One

Ann's Army


"I won't!" cried Ann; "I won't sweep the floor. It
is beneath my dignity."

"Some one must sweep it," replied Ann's younger
sister, Salye; "else we shall soon be wading in
dust. And you are the eldest, and the head of the
family."

"I'm Queen of Oogaboo," said Ann, proudly.
"But," she added with a sigh, "my kingdom is the
smallest and the poorest in all the Land of Oz."

This was quite true. Away up in the mountains,
in a far corner of the beautiful fairyland of Oz,
lies a small valley which is named Oogaboo, and in
this valley lived a few people who were usually
happy and contented and never cared to wander over
the mountain pass into the more settled parts of
the land. They knew that all of Oz, including
their own territory, was ruled by a beautiful
Princess named Ozma, who lived in the splendid
Emerald City; yet the simple folk of Oogaboo
never visited Ozma. They had a royal family of
their own--not especially to rule over them, but
just as a matter of pride. Ozma permitted the
various parts of her country to have their Kings
and Queens and Emperors and the like, but all were
ruled over by the lovely girl Queen of the Emerald
City.

The King of Oogaboo used to be a man named
Jol Jemkiph Soforth, who for many years did
all the drudgery of deciding disputes and telling
his people when to plant cabbages and pickle
onions. But the King's wife had a sharp tongue
and small respect for the King, her husband;
therefore one night King Jol crept over the pass
into the Land of Oz and disappeared from
Oogaboo for good and all. The Queen waited
a few years for him to return and then started
in search of him, leaving her eldest daughter,
Ann Soforth, to act as Queen.

Now, Ann had not forgotten when her birthday
came, for that meant a party and feasting and
dancing, but she had quite forgotten how many
years the birthdays marked. In a land where people
live always, this is not considered a cause for
regret, so we may justly say that Queen Ann of
Oogaboo was old enough to make jelly--and let it go
at that.

But she didn't make jelly, or do any more of the
housework than she could help. She was an
ambitious woman and constantly resented the fact
that her kingdom was so tiny and her people so
stupid and unenterprising. Often she wondered what
had become of her father and mother, out beyond
the pass, in the wonderful Land of Oz, and the
fact that they did not return to Oogaboo led Ann
to suspect that they had found a better place to
live. So, when Salye refused to sweep the floor of
the living room in the palace, and Ann would not
sweep it, either, she said to her sister:

"I'm going away. This absurd Kingdom of Oogaboo
tires me."

"Go, if you want to," answered Salye; "but you
are very foolish to leave this place."

"Why?" asked Ann.

"Because in the Land of Oz, which is Ozma's
country, you will be a nobody, while here you
are a Queen."

"Oh, yes! Queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven
women and forty-four children!" returned Ann
bitterly.

"Well, there are certainly more people than that
in the great Land of Oz," laughed Salye. "Why
don't you raise an army and conquer them, and be
Queen of all Oz?" she asked, trying to taunt Ann
and so to anger her. Then she made a face at her
sister and went into the back yard to swing in the
hammock.

Her jeering words, however, had given Queen Ann
an idea. She reflected that Oz was reported to be
a peaceful country and Ozma a mere girl who ruled
with gentleness to all and was obeyed because her
people loved her. Even in Oogaboo the story was
told that Ozma's sole army consisted of twenty-
seven fine officers, who wore beautiful uniforms
but carried no weapons, because there was no one
to fight. Once there had been a private soldier,
besides the officers, but Ozma had made him a
Captain-General and taken away his gun for fear it
might accidentally hurt some one.

The more Ann thought about the matter the more
she was convinced it would be easy to conquer the
Land of Oz and set herself up as Ruler in Ozma's
place, if she but had an Army to do it with.
Afterward she could go out into the world and
conquer other lands, and then perhaps she could
find a way to the moon, and conquer that. She had
a warlike spirit that preferred trouble to
idleness.

It all depended on an Army, Ann decided. She
carefully counted in her mind all the men of her
kingdom. Yes; there were exactly eighteen of them,
all told. That would not make a very big Army, but
by surprising Ozma's unarmed officers her men
might easily subdue them. "Gentle people are
always afraid of those that bluster," Ann told
herself. "I don't wish to shed any blood, for that
would shock my nerves and I might faint; but if we
threaten and flash our weapons I am sure the
people of Oz will fall upon their knees before me
and surrender."

This argument, which she repeated to herself
more than once, finally determined the Queen of
Oogaboo to undertake the audacious venture.

"Whatever happens," she reflected, "can make
me no more unhappy than my staying shut up
in this miserable valley and sweeping floors and
quarreling with Sister Salye; so I will venture
all, and win what I may."

That very day she started out to organize her
Army.

The first man she came to was Jo Apple, so
called because he had an apple orchard.

"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the
world, and I want you to join my Army."

"Don't ask me to do such a fool thing, for I
must politely refuse Your Majesty," said Jo
Apple."

"I have no intention of asking you. I shall
command you, as Queen of Oogaboo, to join," said
Ann.

"In that case, I suppose I must obey," the man
remarked, in a sad voice. "But I pray you to
consider that I am a very important citizen, and
for that reason am entitled to an office of high
rank."

"You shall be a General," promised Ann.

"With gold epaulets and a sword?" he asked.

"Of course," said the Queen.

Then she went to the next man, whose name was Jo
Bunn, as he owned an orchard where graham-buns and
wheat-buns, in great variety, both hot and cold,
grew on the trees.

"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the
world, and I command you to join my Army."

"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "The bun crop has to
be picked."

"Let your wife and children do the picking,"
said Ann.

"But I'm a man of great importance, Your
Majesty," he protested.

"For that reason you shall be one of my
Generals, and wear a cocked hat with gold
braid, and curl your mustaches and clank a long
sword," she promised.

So he consented, although sorely against his
will, and the Queen walked on to the next
cottage. Here lived Jo Cone, so called because
the trees in his orchard bore crops of excellent
ice-cream cones.

"Jo," said Ann, "I am going to conquer the
world, and you must join my Army."

"Excuse me, please," said Jo Cone. "I am a
bad fighter. My good wife conquered me years
ago, for she can fight better than I. Take her,
Your Majesty, instead of me, and I'll bless you
for the favor."

"This must be an army of men--fierce, ferocious
warriors," declared Ann, looking sternly upon the
mild little man.

"And you will leave my wife here in Oogaboo?" he
asked.

"Yes; and make you a General."

"I'll go," said Jo Cone, and Ann went on to
the cottage of Jo Clock, who had an orchard of
clock-trees. This man at first insisted that he
would not join the army, but Queen Ann's
promise to make him a General finally won his
consent.

"How many Generals are there in your army?"
he asked.

"Four, so far," replied Ann.

"And how big will the army be?" was his next
question.

"I intend to make every one of the eighteen
men in Oogaboo join it," she said.

"Then four Generals are enough," announced
Jo Clock. "I advise you to make the rest of them
Colonels."

Ann tried to follow his advice. The next four
men she visited--who were Jo Plum, Jo Egg, Jo
Banjo and Jo Cheese, named after the trees in
their orchards--she made Colonels of her Army; but
the fifth one, Jo Nails, said Colonels and
Generals were getting to be altogether too common
in the Army of Oogaboo and he preferred to be a
Major. So Jo Nails, Jo Cake, Jo Ham and Jo
Stockings were all four made Majors, while the
next four--Jo Sandwich, Jo Padlocks, Jo Sundae and
Jo Buttons--were appointed Captains of the Army.

But now Queen Ann was in a quandary. There
remained but two other men in all Oogaboo,
and if she made these two Lieutenants, while
there were four Captains, four Majors, four
Colonels and four Generals, there was likely to
be jealousy in her army, and perhaps mutiny
and desertions.

One of these men, however, was Jo Candy, and he
would not go at all. No promises could tempt him,
nor could threats move him. He said he must remain
at home to harvest his crop of jackson-balls,
lemon-drops, bonbons and chocolate-creams. Also he
had large fields of crackerjack and buttered
pop corn to be mowed and threshed, and he was
determined not to disappoint the children of
Oogaboo by going away to conquer the world and so
let the candy crop spoil.

Finding Jo Candy so obstinate, Queen Ann
let him have his own way and continued her
journey to the house of the eighteenth and last
man in Oogaboo, who was a young fellow
named Jo Files. This Files had twelve trees
which bore steel files of various sorts; but also
he had nine book-trees, on which grew a choice
selection of story-books. In case you have never
seen books growing upon trees, I will explain
that those in Jo Files' orchard were enclosed
in broad green husks which, when fully ripe,
turned to a deep red color. Then the books were
picked and husked and were ready to read. If
they were picked too soon, the stories were found
to be confused and uninteresting and the spelling
bad. However, if allowed to ripen perfectly, the
stories were fine reading and the spelling and
grammar excellent.

Files freely gave his books to all who wanted
them, but the people of Oogaboo cared little for
books and so he had to read most of them himself,
before they spoiled. For, as you probably know, as
soon as the books were read the words disappeared
and the leaves withered and faded--which is the
worst fault of all books which grow upon trees.

When Queen Ann spoke to this young man Files,
who was both intelligent and ambitious, he said he
thought it would be great fun to conquer the
world. But he called her attention to the fact
that he was far superior to the other men of her
army. Therefore, he would not be one of her
Generals or Colonels or Majors or Captains, but
claimed the honor of being sole Private.

Ann did not like this idea at all.

"I hate to have a Private Soldier in my army,"
she said; "they're so common. I am told that
Princess Ozma once had a private soldier, but
she made him her Captain-General, which is
good evidence that the private was unnecessary."

"Ozma's army doesn't fight," returned Files;
"but your army must fight like fury in order to
conquer the world. I have read in my books that it
is always the private soldiers who do the
fighting, for no officer is ever brave enough to
face the foe. Also, it stands to reason that your
officers must have some one to command and to
issue their orders to; therefore I'll be the one.
I long to slash and slay the enemy and become a
hero. Then, when we return to Oogaboo, I'll take
all the marbles away from the children and melt
them up and make a marble statue of myself for all
to look upon and admire."

Ann was much pleased with Private Files. He
seemed indeed to be such a warrior as she needed
in her enterprise, and her hopes of success took
a sudden bound when Files told her he knew
where a gun-tree grew and would go there at
once and pick the ripest and biggest musket the
tree bore.




Chapter Two

Out of Oogaboo


Three days later the Grand Army of Oogaboo
assembled in the square in front of the royal
palace. The sixteen officers were attired in
gorgeous uniforms and carried sharp, glittering
swords. The Private had picked his gun and,
although it was not a very big weapon, Files tried
to look fierce and succeeded so well that all his
commanding officers were secretly afraid of him.

The women were there, protesting that Queen Ann
Soforth had no right to take their husbands and
fathers from them; but Ann commanded them to keep
silent, and that was the hardest order to obey
they had ever received.

The Queen appeared before her Army dressed in an
imposing uniform of green, covered with gold
braid. She wore a green soldier-cap with a purple
plume in it and looked so royal and dignified that
everyone in Oogaboo except the Army was glad she
was going. The Army was sorry she was not going
alone.

"Form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice.

Salye leaned out of the palace window and
laughed.

"I believe your Army can run better than it can
fight," she observed.

"Of course," replied General Bunn, proudly.
"We're not looking for trouble, you know, but for
plunder. The more plunder and the less fighting we
get, the better we shall like our work."

"For my part," said Files, "I prefer war and
carnage to anything. The only way to become
a hero is to conquer, and the story-books all say
that the easiest way to conquer is to fight."

"That's the idea, my brave man!" agreed Ann. "To
fight is to conquer and to conquer is to secure
plunder and to secure plunder is to become a hero.
With such noble determination to back me, the
world is mine! Good-bye, Salye. When we return we
shall be rich and famous. Come, Generals; let us
march."

At this the Generals straightened up and threw
out their chests. Then they swung their glittering
swords in rapid circles and cried to the Colonels:

"For-ward March!"

Then the Colonels shouted to the Majors: 
"For-ward March!" and the Majors yelled to the
Captains: "For-ward March!" and the Captains
screamed to the Private:

"For-ward March!"

So Files shouldered his gun and began to march,
and all the officers followed after him. Queen Ann
came last of all, rejoicing in her noble army and
wondering why she had not decided long ago to
conquer the world.

In this order the procession marched out of
Oogaboo and took the narrow mountain pass
which led into the lovely Fairyland of Oz.




Chapter Three

Magic Mystifies the Marchers


Princess Ozma was all unaware that the Army of
Oogaboo, led by their ambitious Queen, was
determined to conquer her Kingdom. The beautiful
girl Ruler of Oz was busy with the welfare of her
subjects and had no time to think of Ann Soforth
and her disloyal plans. But there was one who
constantly guarded the peace and happiness of the
Land of Oz and this was the Official Sorceress of
the Kingdom, Glinda the Good.

In her magnificent castle, which stands far
north of the Emerald City where Ozma holds her
court, Glinda owns a wonderful magic Record Book,
in which is printed every event that takes place
anywhere, just as soon as it happens.

The smallest things and the biggest things are
all recorded in this book. If a child stamps its
foot in anger, Glinda reads about it; if a city
burns down, Glinda finds the fact noted in her
book.

The Sorceress always reads her Record Book every
day, and so it was she knew that Ann Soforth,
Queen of Oogaboo, had foolishly assembled an army
of sixteen officers and one private soldier, with
which she intended to invade and conquer the Land
of Oz.

There was no danger but that Ozma, supported by
the magic arts of Glinda the Good and the powerful
Wizard of Oz--both her firm friends--could easily
defeat a far more imposing army than Ann's; but it
would be a shame to have the peace of Oz
interrupted by any sort of quarreling or fighting.
So Glinda did not even mention the matter to Ozma,
or to anyone else. She merely went into a great
chamber of her castle, known as the Magic Room,
where she performed a magical ceremony which
caused the mountain pass that led from Oogaboo to
make several turns and twists. The result was that
when Ann and her army came to the end of the pass
they were not in the Land of Oz at all, but in an
adjoining territory that was quite distinct from
Ozma's domain and separated from Oz by an
invisible barrier.

As the Oogaboo people emerged into this country,
the pass they had traversed disappeared behind
them and it was not likely they would ever find
their way back into the valley of Oogaboo. They
were greatly puzzled, indeed, by their
surroundings and did not know which way to go.
None of them had ever visited Oz, so it took them
some time to discover they were not in Oz at all,
but in an unknown country.

"Never mind," said Ann, trying to conceal her
disappointment; "we have started out to conquer
the world, and here is part of it. In time, as we
pursue our victorious journey, we will doubtless
come to Oz; but, until we get there, we may as
well conquer whatever land we find ourselves in."

"Have we conquered this place, Your Majesty?"
anxiously inquired Major Cake.

"Most certainly," said Ann. "We have met no
people, as yet, but when we do, we will inform
them that they are our slaves."

"And afterward we will plunder them of all
their possessions," added General Apple.

"They may not possess anything," objected
Private Files; "but I hope they will fight us,
just the same. A peaceful conquest wouldn't be any
fun at all."

"Don't worry," said the Queen. "We can fight,
whether our foes do or not; and perhaps we would
find it more comfortable to have the enemy
surrender promptly."

It was a barren country and not very pleasant to
travel in. Moreover, there was little for them to
eat, and as the officers became hungry they became
fretful. Many would have deserted had they been
able to find their way home, but as the Oogaboo
people were now hopelessly lost in a strange
country they considered it more safe to keep
together than to separate.

Queen Ann's temper, never very agreeable, became
sharp and irritable as she and her army tramped
over the rocky roads without encountering either
people or plunder. She scolded her officers until
they became surly, and a few of them were disloyal
enough to ask her to hold her tongue. Others began
to reproach her for leading them into difficulties
and in the space of three unhappy days every man
was mourning for his orchard in the pretty valley
of Oogaboo.

Files, however, proved a different sort. The
more difficulties he encountered the more cheerful
he became, and the sighs of the officers were
answered by the merry whistle of the Private. His
pleasant disposition did much to encourage Queen
Ann and before long she consulted the Private
Soldier more often than she did his superiors.

It was on the third day of their pilgrimage
that they encountered their first adventure.
Toward evening the sky was suddenly darkened
and Major Nails exclaimed:

"A fog is coming toward us."

"I do not think it is a fog," replied Files,
looking with interest at the approaching cloud.
"It seems to me more like the breath of a Rak."

"What is a Rak?" asked Ann, looking about
fearfully.

"A terrible beast with a horrible appetite,"
answered the soldier, growing a little paler than
usual. "I have never seen a Rak, to be sure, but I
have read of them in the story-books that grew in
my orchard, and if this is indeed one of those
fearful monsters, we are not likely to conquer the
world."

Hearing this, the officers became quite worried
and gathered closer about their soldier.

"What is the thing like?" asked one.

"The only picture of a Rak that I ever saw in a
book was rather blurred," said Files, "because the
book was not quite ripe when it was picked. But
the creature can fly in the air and run like a
deer and swim like a fish. Inside its body is a
glowing furnace of fire, and the Rak breathes in
air and breathes out smoke, which darkens the sky
for miles around, wherever it goes. It is bigger
than a hundred men and feeds on any living thing."

The officers now began to groan and to tremble,
but Files tried to cheer them, saying:

"It may not be a Rak, after all, that we see
approaching us, and you must not forget that we
people of Oogaboo, which is part of the fairyland
of Oz, cannot be killed."

"Nevertheless," said Captain Buttons, "if the
Rak catches us, and chews us up into small pieces,
and swallows us--what will happen then?"

"Then each small piece will still be alive,"
declared Files.

"I cannot see how that would help us," wailed
Colonel Banjo. "A hamburger steak is a hamburger
steak, whether it is alive or not!"

"I tell you, this may not be a Rak," persisted
Files. "We will know, when the cloud gets nearer,
whether it is the breath of a Rak or not. If it
has no smell at all, it is probably a fog; but if
it has an odor of salt and pepper, it is a Rak and
we must prepare for a desperate fight."

They all eyed the dark cloud fearfully. Before
long it reached the frightened group and began
to envelop them. Every nose sniffed the cloud--
and every one detected in it the odor of salt and
pepper.

"The Rak!" shouted Private Files, and with a
howl of despair the sixteen officers fell to the
ground, writhing and moaning in anguish.
Queen Ann sat down upon a rock and faced the
cloud more bravely, although her heart was beating
fast. As for Files, he calmly loaded his gun
and stood ready to fight the foe, as a soldier
should.

They were now in absolute darkness, for the
cloud which covered the sky and the setting sun
was black as ink. Then through the gloom appeared
two round, glowing balls of red, and Files at once
decided these must be the monster's eyes.

He raised his gun, took aim and fired.

There were several bullets in the gun, all
gathered from an excellent bullet-tree in Oogaboo,
and they were big and hard. They flew toward the
monster and struck it, and with a wild, weird cry
the Rak came fluttering down and its huge body
fell plump upon the forms of the sixteen officers,
who thereupon screamed louder than before.

"Badness me!" moaned the Rak. "See what
you've done with that dangerous gun of yours!"

"I can't see," replied Files, "for the cloud
formed by your breath darkens my sight!"

"Don't tell me it was an accident," continued
the Rak, reproachfully, as it still flapped its
wings in a helpless manner. "Don't claim you
didn't know the gun was loaded, I beg of you!"

"I don't intend to," replied Files. "Did the
bullets hurt you very badly?"

"One has broken my jaw, so that I can't open
my mouth. You will notice that my voice sounds
rather harsh and husky, because I have to talk
with my teeth set close together. Another bullet
broke my left wing, so that I can't fly; and still
another broke my right leg, so that I can't walk.
It was the most careless shot I ever heard of!"

"Can't you manage to lift your body off from
my commanding officers?" inquired Files. "From
their cries I'm afraid your great weight is
crushing them."

"I hope it is," growled the Rak. "I want to
crush them, if possible, for I have a bad
disposition. If only I could open my mouth, I'd
eat all of you, although my appetite is poorly
this warm weather."

With this the Rak began to roll its immense
body sidewise, so as to crush the officers more
easily; but in doing this it rolled completely off
from them and the entire sixteen scrambled to
their feet and made off as fast as they could run.

Private Files could not see them go but he
knew from the sound of their voices that they had
escaped, so he ceased to worry about them.

"Pardon me if I now bid you good-bye," he
said to the Rak. "The parting is caused by our
desire to continue our journey. If you die, do
not blame me, for I was obliged to shoot you
as a matter of self-protection."

"I shall not die," answered the monster, "for I
bear a charmed life. But I beg you not to leave
me!"

"Why not?" asked Files.

"Because my broken jaw will heal in about an
hour, and then I shall be able to eat you. My wing
will heal in a day and my leg will heal in a week,
when I shall be as well as ever. Having shot me,
and so caused me all this annoyance, it is only
fair and just that you remain here and allow me to
eat you as soon as I can open my jaws."

"I beg to differ with you," returned the soldier
firmly. "I have made an engagement with Queen
Ann of Oogaboo to help her conquer the world,
and I cannot break my word for the sake of being
eaten by a Rak."

"Oh; that's different," said the monster. "If
you've an engagement, don't let me detain you."

So Files felt around in the dark and grasped
the hand of the trembling Queen, whom he led
away from the flapping, sighing Rak. They
stumbled over the stones for a way but presently
began to see dimly the path ahead of them, as
they got farther and farther away from the
dreadful spot where the wounded monster lay.
By and by they reached a little hill and could
see the last rays of the sun flooding a pretty
valley beyond, for now they had passed beyond
the cloudy breath of the Rak. Here were huddled
the sixteen officers, still frightened and panting
from their run. They had halted only because
it was impossible for them to run any farther.

Queen Ann gave them a severe scolding for
their cowardice, at the same time praising Files
for his courage.

"We are wiser than he, however," muttered
General Clock, "for by running away we are
now able to assist Your Majesty in conquering
the world; whereas, had Files been eaten by the
Rak, he would have deserted your Army."

After a brief rest they descended into the
valley, and as soon as they were out of sight of
the Rak the spirits of the entire party rose
quickly. Just at dusk they came to a brook, on
the banks of which Queen Ann commanded
them to make camp for the night.

Each officer carried in his pocket a tiny white
tent. This, when placed upon the ground, quickly
grew in size until it was large enough to permit
the owner to enter it and sleep within its canvas
walls. Files was obliged to carry a knapsack, in
which was not only his own tent but an elaborate
pavilion for Queen Ann, besides a bed and chair
and a magic table. This table, when set upon the
ground in Ann's pavilion, became of large size,
and in a drawer of the table was contained the
Queen's supply of extra clothing, her manicure and
toilet articles and other necessary things. The
royal bed was the only one in the camp, the
officers and private sleeping in hammocks attached
to their tent poles.

There was also in the knapsack a flag bearing
the royal emblem of Oogaboo, and this flag Files
flew upon its staff every night, to show that the
country they were in had been conquered by the
Queen of Oogaboo. So far, no one but themselves
had seen the flag, but Ann was pleased to see it
flutter in the breeze and considered herself
already a famous conqueror.




Chapter Four

Betsy Braves the Billows


The waves dashed and the lightning flashed and the
thunder rolled and the ship struck a rock. Betsy
Bobbin was running across the deck and the shock
sent her flying through the air until she fell
with a splash into the dark blue water. The same
shock caught Hank, a thin little, sad-faced mule,
and tumbled him also into the sea, far from the
ship's side.

When Betsy came up, gasping for breath because
the wet plunge had surprised her, she reached out
in the dark and grabbed a bunch of hair. At first
she thought it was the end of a rope, but
presently she heard a dismal "Hee-haw!" and knew
she was holding fast to the end of Hank's tail.

Suddenly the sea was lighted up by a vivid
glare. The ship, now in the far distance, caught
fire, blew up and sank beneath the waves.

Betsy shuddered at the sight, but just then
her eye caught a mass of wreckage floating near
her and she let go the mule's tail and seized the
rude raft, pulling herself up so that she rode
upon it in safety. Hank also saw the raft and
swam to it, but he was so clumsy he never would
have been able to climb upon it had not Betsy
helped him to get aboard.

They had to crowd close together, for their
support was only a hatch-cover torn from the
ship's deck; but it floated them fairly well and
both the girl and the mule knew it would keep
them from drowning.

The storm was not over, by any means, when the
ship went down. Blinding bolts of lightning shot
from cloud to cloud and the clamor of deep
thunderclaps echoed far over the sea. The waves
tossed the little raft here and there as a child
tosses a rubber ball and Betsy had a solemn
feeling that for hundreds of watery miles in every
direction there was no living thing besides
herself and the small donkey.

Perhaps Hank had the same thought, for he gently
rubbed his nose against the frightened girl and
said "Hee-haw!" in his softest voice, as if to
comfort her.

"You'll protect me, Hank dear, won't you?" she
cried helplessly, and the mule said "Hee-haw!"
again, in tones that meant a promise.

On board the ship, during the days that preceded
the wreck, when the sea was calm, Betsy and Hank
had become good friends; so, while the girl might
have preferred a more powerful protector in this
dreadful emergency, she felt that the mule would
do all in a mule's power to guard her safety.

All night they floated, and when the storm had
worn itself out and passed away with a few distant
growls, and the waves had grown smaller and easier
to ride, Betsy stretched herself out on the wet
raft and fell asleep.

Hank did not sleep a wink. Perhaps he felt it
his duty to guard Betsy. Anyhow, he crouched
on the raft beside the tired sleeping girl and
watched patiently until the first light of dawn
swept over the sea.

The light wakened Betsy Bobbin. She sat up,
rubbed her eyes and stared across the water.

"Oh, Hank; there's land ahead!" she exclaimed.

"Hee-haw!" answered Hank in his plaintive voice.

The raft was floating swiftly toward a very
beautiful country and as they drew near Betsy
could see banks of lovely flowers showing brightly
between leafy trees. But no people were to be seen
at all.




Chapter Five

The Roses Repulse the Refugees


Gently the raft grated on the sandy beach. Then
Betsy easily waded ashore, the mule following
closely behind her. The sun was now shining and
the air was warm and laden with the fragrance of
roses.

"I'd like some breakfast, Hank," remarked the
girl, feeling more cheerful now that she was on
dry land; "but we can't eat the flowers, although
they do smell mighty good."

"Hee-haw!" replied Hank and trotted up a little
pathway to the top of the bank.

Betsy followed and from the eminence looked
around her. A little way off stood a splendid big
greenhouse, its thousands of crystal panes
glittering in the sunlight.

"There ought to be people somewhere 'round,"
observed Betsy thoughtfully; "gardeners, or
somebody. Let's go and see, Hank. I'm getting
hungrier ev'ry minute."

So they walked toward the great greenhouse and
came to its entrance without meeting with anyone
at all. A door stood ajar, so Hank went in first,
thinking if there was any danger he could back out
and warn his companion. But Betsy was close at his
heels and the moment she entered was lost in
amazement at the wonderful sight she saw.

The greenhouse was filled with magnificent
rosebushes, all growing in big pots. On the
central stem of each bush bloomed a splendid Rose,
gorgeously colored and deliciously fragrant, and
in the center of each Rose was the face of a
lovely girl.

As Betsy and Hank entered, the heads of the
Roses were drooping and their eyelids were closed
in slumber; but the mule was so amazed that he
uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" and at the sound of his
harsh voice the rose leaves fluttered, the Roses
raised their heads and a hundred startled eyes
were instantly fixed upon the intruders.

"I--I beg your pardon!" stammered Betsy,
blushing and confused.

"O-o-o-h!" cried the Roses, in a sort of sighing
chorus; and one of them added: "What a horrid
noise!"

"Why, that was only Hank," said Betsy, and as if
to prove the truth of her words the mule uttered
another loud "Hee-haw!"

At this all the Roses turned on their stems as
far as they were able and trembled as if some one
were shaking their bushes. A dainty Moss Rose
gasped: "Dear me! How dreadfully dreadful!"

"It isn't dreadful at all," said Betsy, somewhat
indignant. "When you get used to Hank's voice it
will put you to sleep."

The Roses now looked at the mule less fearfully
and one of them asked:

"Is that savage beast named Hank?"

"Yes; Hank's my comrade, faithful and true,"
answered the girl, twining her arms around the
little mule's neck and hugging him tight. "Aren't
you, Hank?"

Hank could only say in reply: "Hee-haw!" and at
his bray the Roses shivered again.

"Please go away!" begged one. "Can't you see
you're frightening us out of a week's growth?"

"Go away!" echoed Betsy. "Why, we've no place to
go. We've just been wrecked."

"Wrecked?" asked the Roses in a surprised
chorus.

"Yes; we were on a big ship and the storm came
and wrecked it," explained the girl. "But Hank and
I caught hold of a raft and floated ashore to this
place, and--we're tired and hungry. What country
is this, please?"

"This is the Rose Kingdom," replied the Moss
Rose, haughtily, "and it is devoted to the culture
of the rarest and fairest Roses grown."

"I believe it," said Betsy, admiring the pretty
blossoms.

"But only Roses are allowed here," continued a
delicate Tea Rose, bending her brows in a frown;
"therefore you must go away before the Royal
Gardener finds you and casts you back into the
sea."

"Oh! Is there a Royal Gardener, then?" inquired
Betsy.

"To be sure."

"And is he a Rose, also?"

"Of course not; he's a man--a wonderful man,"
was the reply.

"Well, I'm not afraid of a man," declared the
girl, much relieved, and even as she spoke the
Royal Gardener popped into the greenhouse--a
spading fork in one hand and a watering pot in the
other.

He was a funny little man, dressed in a rose-
colored costume, with ribbons at his knees and
elbows, and a bunch of ribbons in his hair. His
eyes were small and twinkling, his nose sharp and
his face puckered and deeply lined.

"O-ho!" he exclaimed, astonished to find
strangers in his greenhouse, and when Hank gave a
loud bray the Gardener threw the watering pot over
the mule's head and danced around with his fork,
in such agitation that presently he fell over the
handle of the implement and sprawled at full
length upon the ground.

Betsy laughed and pulled the watering pot off
from Hank's head. The little mule was angry at the
treatment he had received and backed toward the
Gardener threateningly.

"Look out for his heels!" called Betsy warningly
and the Gardener scrambled to his feet and hastily
hid behind the Roses.

"You are breaking the Law!" he shouted, sticking
out his head to glare at the girl and the mule.

"What Law?" asked Betsy.

"The Law of the Rose Kingdom. No strangers
are allowed in these domains."

"Not when they're shipwrecked?" she inquired.

"The Law doesn't except shipwrecks," replied
the Royal Gardener, and he was about to say
more when suddenly there was a crash of glass
and a man came tumbling through the roof of
the greenhouse and fell plump to the ground.




Chapter Six

Shaggy Seeks his Stray Brother


This sudden arrival was a queer looking man,
dressed all in garments so shaggy that Betsy at
first thought he must be some animal. But the
stranger ended his fall in a sitting position and
then the girl saw it was really a man. He held an
apple in his hand, which he had evidently been
eating when he fell, and so little was he jarred
or flustered by the accident that he continued to
munch this apple as he calmly looked around him.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Betsy, approaching
him. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Shaggy Man," said he, taking
another bite of the apple. "Just dropped in for a
short call. Excuse my seeming haste."

"Why, I s'pose you couldn't help the haste,"
said Betsy.

"No. I climbed an apple tree, outside; branch
gave way and--here I am."

As he spoke the Shaggy Man finished his apple,
gave the core to Hank--who ate it greedily --and
then stood up to bow politely to Betsy and the
Roses.

The Royal Gardener had been frightened nearly
into fits by the crash of glass and the fall of
the shaggy stranger into the bower of Roses, but
now he peeped out from behind a bush and cried in
his squeaky voice:

"You're breaking the Law! You're breaking the
Law!"

Shaggy stared at him solemnly.

"Is the glass the Law in this country?" he
asked.

"Breaking the glass is breaking the Law,"
squeaked the Gardener, angrily. "Also, to intrude
in any part of the Rose Kingdom is breaking the
Law."

"How do you know?" asked Shaggy.

"Why, it's printed in a book," said the
Gardener, coming forward and taking a small book
from his pocket. "Page thirteen. Here it is: 'If
any stranger enters the Rose Kingdom he shall at
once be condemned by the Ruler and put to death.'
So you see, strangers," he continued triumphantly,
"it's death for you all and your time has come!"

But just here Hank interposed. He had been
stealthily backing toward the Royal Gardener, whom
he disliked, and now the mule's heels shot out and
struck the little man in the middle. He doubled up
like the letter "U" and flew out of the door so
swiftly--never touching the ground --that he was
gone before Betsy had time to wink.

But the mule's attack frightened the girl.

"Come," she whispered, approaching the Shaggy
Man and taking his hand; "let's go somewhere else.
They'll surely kill us if we stay here!"

"Don't worry, my dear," replied Shaggy, patting
the child's head. "I'm not afraid of anything, so
long as I have the Love Magnet."

"The Love Magnet! Why, what is that?" asked
Betsy.

"It's a charming little enchantment that wins
the heart of everyone who looks upon it," was
the reply. "The Love Magnet used to hang over
the gateway to the Emerald City, in the Land
of Oz; but when I started on this journey our
beloved Ruler, Ozma of Oz, allowed me to take
it with me."

"Oh!" cried Betsy, staring hard at him; "are
you really from the wonderful Land of Oz?"

"Yes. Ever been there, my dear?"

"No; but I've heard about it. And do you know
Princess Ozma?"

"Very well indeed."

"And--and Princess Dorothy?"

"Dorothy's an old chum of mine," declared
Shaggy.

"Dear me!" exclaimed Betsy. "And why did
you ever leave such a beautiful land as Oz?"

"On an errand," said Shaggy, looking sad and
solemn. "I'm trying to find my dear little
brother."

"Oh! Is he lost?" questioned Betsy, feeling
very sorry for the poor man.

"Been lost these ten years," replied Shaggy,
taking out a handkerchief and wiping a tear from
his eye. "I didn't know it until lately, when I
saw it recorded in the magic Record Book of
the Sorceress Glinda, in the Land of Oz. So
now I'm trying to find him."

"Where was he lost?" asked the girl
sympathetically.

"Back in Colorado, where I used to live before I
went to Oz. Brother was a miner, and dug gold out
of a mine. One day he went into his mine and never
came out. They searched for him, but he was not
there. Disappeared entirely," Shaggy ended
miserably.

"For goodness sake! What do you s'pose became of
him?" she asked.

"There is only one explanation," replied
Shaggy, taking another apple from his pocket
and eating it to relieve his misery. "The Nome
King probably got him."

"The Nome King! Who is he?"

"Why, he's sometimes called the Metal Monarch,
and his name is Ruggedo. Lives in some underground
cavern. Claims to own all the metals hidden in the
earth. Don't ask me why."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't know. But this Ruggedo gets
wild with anger if anyone digs gold out of the
earth, and my private opinion is that he captured
brother and carried him off to his underground
kingdom. No--don't ask me why. I see you're
dying to ask me why. But I don't know."

"But--dear me!--in that case you will never
find your lost brother!" exclaimed the girl.

"Maybe not; but it's my duty to try," answered
Shaggy. "I've wandered so far without finding
him, but that only proves he is not where I've
been looking. What I seek now is the hidden
passage to the underground cavern of the terrible
Metal Monarch."

"Well," said Betsy doubtfully, "it strikes me
that if you ever manage to get there the Metal
Monarch will make you, too, his prisoner."

"Nonsense!" answered Shaggy, carelessly.
"You mustn't forget the Love Magnet."

"What about it?" she asked.

"When the fierce Metal Monarch sees the Love
Magnet, he will love me dearly and do anything I
ask."

"It must be wonderful," said Betsy, with awe.

"It is," the man assured her. "Shall I show it
to you?"

"Oh, do!" she cried; so Shaggy searched in his
shaggy pocket and drew out a small silver magnet,
shaped like a horseshoe.

The moment Betsy saw it she began to like the
Shaggy Man better than before. Hank also saw
the Magnet and crept up to Shaggy to rub his
head lovingly against the man's knee.

But they were interrupted by the Royal Gardener,
who stuck his head into the greenhouse and shouted
angrily:

"You are all condemned to death! Your only
chance to escape is to leave here instantly."

This startled little Betsy, but the Shaggy Man
merely waved the Magnet toward the Gardener, who,
seeing it, rushed forward and threw himself at
Shaggy's feet, murmuring in honeyed words:

"Oh, you lovely, lovely man! How fond I am of
you! Every shag and bobtail that decorates you is
dear to me--all I have is yours! But for goodness'
sake get out of here before you die the death."

"I'm not going to die," declared Shaggy Man.

"You must. It's the Law," exclaimed the
Gardener, beginning to weep real tears. "It breaks
my heart to tell you this bad news, but the Law
says that all strangers must be condemned by the
Ruler to die the death."

"No Ruler has condemned us yet," said Betsy.

"Of course not," added Shaggy. "We haven't
even seen the Ruler of the Rose Kingdom."

"Well, to tell the truth," said the Gardener, in
a perplexed tone of voice, "we haven't any real
Ruler, just now. You see, all our Rulers grow on
bushes in the Royal Gardens, and the last one we
had got mildewed and withered before his time. So
we had to plant him, and at this time there is no
one growing on the Royal Bushes who is ripe enough
to pick."

"How do you know?" asked Betsy.

"Why, I'm the Royal Gardener. Plenty of
royalties are growing, I admit; but just now they
are all green. Until one ripens, I am supposed to
rule the Rose Kingdom myself, and see that its
Laws are obeyed. Therefore, much as I love you,
Shaggy, I must put you to death."

"Wait a minute," pleaded Betsy. "I'd like to
see those Royal Gardens before I die."

"So would I," added Shaggy Man. "Take us there,
Gardener."

"Oh, I can't do that," objected the Gardener.
But Shaggy again showed him the Love Magnet
and after one glance at it the Gardener could
no longer resist.

He led Shaggy, Betsy and Hank to the end
of the great greenhouse and carefully unlocked
a small door. Passing through this they came
into the splendid Royal Garden of the Rose
Kingdom.

It was all surrounded by a tall hedge and within
the enclosure grew several enormous rosebushes
having thick green leaves of the texture of
velvet. Upon these bushes grew the members of the
Royal Family of the Rose Kingdom--men, women and
children in all stages of maturity. They all
seemed to have a light green hue, as if unripe or
not fully developed, their flesh and clothing
being alike green. They stood perfectly lifeless
upon their branches, which swayed softly in the
breeze, and their wide open eyes stared straight
ahead, unseeing and unintelligent.

While examining these curious growing people,
Betsy passed behind a big central bush and at once
uttered an exclamation of surprise and pleasure.
For there, blooming in perfect color and shape,
stood a Royal Princess, whose beauty was amazing.

"Why, she's ripe!" cried Betsy, pushing aside
some of the broad leaves to observe her more
clearly.

"Well, perhaps so," admitted the Gardener,
who had come to the girl's side; "but she's a girl,
and so we can't use her for a Ruler."

"No, indeed!" came a chorus of soft voices,
and looking around Betsy discovered that all the
Roses had followed them from the greenhouse
and were now grouped before the entrance.

"You see," explained the Gardener, "the subjects
of Rose Kingdom don't want a girl Ruler. They want
a King."

"A King! We want a King!" repeated the
chorus of Roses.

"Isn't she Royal?" inquired Shaggy, admiring
the lovely Princess.

"Of course, for she grows on a Royal Bush.
This Princess is named Ozga, as she is a distant
cousin of Ozma of Oz; and, were she but a man,
we would joyfully hail her as our Ruler."

The Gardener then turned away to talk with
his Roses and Betsy whispered to her companion:
"Let's pick her, Shaggy."

"All right," said he. "If she's royal, she has
the right to rule this Kingdom, and if we pick
her she will surely protect us and prevent our
being hurt, or driven away."

So Betsy and Shaggy each took an arm of the
beautiful Rose Princess and a little twist of her
feet set her free of the branch upon which she
grew. Very gracefully she stepped down from
the bush to the ground, where she bowed low
to Betsy and Shaggy and said in a delightfully
sweet voice: "I thank you."

But at the sound of these words the Gardener and
the Roses turned and discovered that the Princess
had been picked, and was now alive. Over every
face flashed an expression of resentment and
anger, and one of the Roses cried aloud.

"Audacious mortals! What have you done?"

"Picked a Princess for you, that's all," replied
Betsy, cheerfully.

"But we won't have her! We want a King!"
exclaimed a Jacque Rose, and another added with a
voice of scorn: "No girl shall rule over us!"

The newly-picked Princess looked from one to
another of her rebellious subjects in
astonishment. A grieved look came over her
exquisite features.

"Have I no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she
asked gently. "Have I not come from my Royal Bush
to be your Ruler?"

"You were picked by mortals, without our
consent," replied the Moss Rose, coldly; "so we
refuse to allow you to rule us."

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" cried
the Tea Rose.

"Just a second, please!" called Shaggy, taking
the Love Magnet from his pocket. "I guess this
will win their love, Princess. Here--take it in
your hand and let the roses see it."

Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held it
poised before the eyes of her subjects; but the
Roses regarded it with calm disdain.

"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy in
surprise. "The Magnet never failed to work
before!"

"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely.
"These Roses have no hearts."

"That's it," agreed the Gardener. "They're
pretty, and sweet, and alive; but still they are
Roses. Their stems have thorns, but no hearts."

The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet
to the Shaggy Man.

"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!"
commanded the Roses. "We will have no Ruler until
a man-rose--a King--is ripe enough to pick."

"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You must
excuse me, my dear Shaggy, for opposing your
wishes, but you and the others, including Ozga,
must get out of Rose Kingdom immediately, if not
before."

"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy,
carelessly displaying the Magnet.

"I do. I dote on thee!" answered the Gardener
earnestly; "but no true man will neglect his duty
for the sake of love. My duty is to drive you out,
so--out you go!"

With this he seized a garden fork and began
jabbing it at the strangers, in order to force them
to leave. Hank the mule was not afraid of the
fork and when he got his heels near to the
Gardener the man fell back to avoid a kick.

But now the Roses crowded around the outcasts
and it was soon discovered that beneath their
draperies of green leaves were many sharp thorns
which were more dangerous than Hank's heels.
Neither Betsy nor Ozga nor Shaggy nor the mule
cared to brave those thorns and when they pressed
away from them they found themselves slowly
driven through the garden door into the
greenhouse. From there they were forced out at the
entrance and so through the territory of the
flower-strewn Rose Kingdom, which was not of very
great extent.

The Rose Princess was sobbing bitterly; Betsy
was indignant and angry; Hank uttered defiant
"Hee-haws" and the Shaggy Man whistled softly to
himself.

The boundary of the Rose Kingdom was a deep
gulf, but there was a drawbridge in one place and
this the Royal Gardener let down until the
outcasts had passed over it. Then he drew it up
again and returned with his Roses to the
greenhouse, leaving the four queerly assorted
comrades to wander into the bleak and unknown
country that lay beyond.

"I don't mind, much," remarked Shaggy, as he led
the way over the stony, barren ground. "I've got
to search for my long-lost little brother, anyhow,
so it won't matter where I go."

"Hank and I will help you find your brother,"
said Betsy in her most cheerful voice. "I'm so far
away from home now that I don't s'pose I'll ever
find my way back; and, to tell the truth, it's
more fun traveling around and having adventures
than sticking at home. Don't you think so, Hank?"

"Hee-haw!" said Hank, and the Shaggy Man thanked
them both.

"For my part," said Princess Ozga of Roseland,
with a gentle sigh, "I must remain forever exiled
from my Kingdom. So I, too, will be glad to help
the Shaggy Man find his lost brother."

"That's very kind of you, ma'am," said Shaggy.
"But unless I can find the underground cavern of
Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch, I shall never find
poor brother."


(This King was formerly named "Roquat," but after he
drank of the "Waters of Oblivion" he forgot his own name
and had to take another.)


"Doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquired
Betsy.

"Some one must know, of course," was Shaggy's
reply. "But we are not the ones. The only way to
succeed is for us to keep going until we find a
person who can direct us to Ruggedo's cavern."

"We may find it ourselves, without any help,"
suggested Betsy. "Who knows?"

"No one knows that, except the person who's
writing this story," said Shaggy. "But we won't
find anything--not even supper--unless we travel
on. Here's a path. Let's take it and see where it
leads to."




Chapter Seven

Polychrome's Pitiful Plight


The Rain King got too much water in his basin and
spilled some over the brim. That made it rain in a
certain part of the country--a real hard shower,
for a time--and sent the Rainbow scampering to the
place to show the gorgeous colors of his glorious
bow as soon as the mist of rain had passed and the
sky was clear.

The coming of the Rainbow is always a joyous
event to earth folk, yet few have ever seen it
close by. Usually the Rainbow is so far distant
that you can observe its splendid hues but dimly,
and that is why we seldom catch sight of the
dancing Daughters of the Rainbow.

In the barren country where the rain had
just fallen there appeared to be no human
beings at all; but the Rainbow appeared, just
the same, and dancing gayly upon its arch were
the Rainbow's Daughters, led by the fairylike
Polychrome, who is so dainty and beautiful that
no girl has ever quite equalled her in loveliness.

Polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down
the arch of the bow to the ground, daring her
sisters to follow her. Laughing and gleeful, they
also touched the ground with their twinkling feet;
but all the Daughters of the Rainbow knew that
this was a dangerous pastime, so they quickly
climbed upon their bow again.

All but Polychrome. Though the sweetest and
merriest of them all, she was likewise the most
reckless. Moreover, it was an unusual sensation to
pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes.
Before she realized it the bow had lifted and
disappeared in the billowy blue sky, and here was
Polychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her
gauzy draperies floating about her like brilliant
cobwebs and not a soul--fairy or mortal--to help
her regain her lost bow!

"Dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across
her pretty face, "I'm caught again. This is the
second time my carelessness has left me on earth
while my sisters returned to our Sky Palaces. The
first time I enjoyed some pleasant adventures, but
this is a lonely, forsaken country and I shall be
very unhappy until my Rainbow comes again and I
can climb aboard. Let me think what is best to be
done."

She crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her
draperies about her and bowed her head.

It was in this position that Betsy Bobbin spied
Polychrome as she came along the stony path,
followed by Hank, the Princess and Shaggy. At once
the girl ran up to the radiant Daughter of the
Rainbow and exclaimed:

"Oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!"

Polychrome raised her golden head. There
were tears in her blue eyes.

"I'm the most miserable girl in the whole
world!" she sobbed.

The others gathered around her.

"Tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the
Princess.

"I--I've lost my bow!" wailed Polychrome.

"Take me, my dear," said Shaggy Man in a
sympathetic tone, thinking she meant "beau"
instead of "bow."

"I don't want you!" cried Polychrome, stamping
her foot imperiously; "I want my Rainbow."

"Oh; that's different," said Shaggy. "But try to
forget it. When I was young I used to cry for the
Rainbow myself, but I couldn't have it. Looks as
if you couldn't have it, either; so please don't
cry."

Polychrome looked at him reproachfully.

"I don't like you," she said.

"No?" replied Shaggy, drawing the Love Magnet
from his pocket; "not a little bit?--just a wee
speck of a like?"

"Yes, yes!" said Polychrome, clasping her
hands in ecstasy as she gazed at the enchanted
talisman; "I love you, Shaggy Man!"

"Of course you do," said he calmly; "but I don't
take any credit for it. It's the Love Magnet's
powerful charm. But you seem quite alone and
friendless, little Rainbow. Don't you want to join
our party until you find your father and sisters
again?"

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"We don't just know that," said Betsy, taking
her hand; "but we're trying to find Shaggy's long-
lost brother, who has been captured by the
terrible Metal Monarch. Won't you come with us,
and help us?"

Polychrome looked from one to another of the
queer party of travelers and a bewitching smile
suddenly lighted her face.

"A donkey, a mortal maid, a Rose Princess and a
Shaggy Man!" she exclaimed. "Surely you need help,
if you intend to face Ruggedo."

"Do you know him, then?" inquired Betsy.

"No, indeed. Ruggedo's caverns are beneath the
earth's surface, where no Rainbow can ever
penetrate. But I've heard of the Metal Monarch. He
is also called the Nome King, you know, and he has
made trouble for a good many people --mortals and
fairies--in his time," said Polychrome.

"Do you fear him, then?" asked the Princess,
anxiously.

"No one can harm a Daughter of the Rainbow,"
said Polychrome proudly. "I'm a sky fairy."

"Then," said Betsy, quickly, "you will be able
to tell us the way to Ruggedo's cavern."

"No," returned Polychrome, shaking her head,
"that is one thing I cannot do. But I will gladly
go with you and help you search for the place."

This promise delighted all the wanderers and
after the Shaggy Man had found the path again
they began moving along it in a more happy
mood. The Rainbow's Daughter danced lightly
over the rocky trail, no longer sad, but with her
beautiful features wreathed in smiles. Shaggy
came next, walking steadily and now and then
supporting the Rose Princess, who followed him.
Betsy and Hank brought up the rear, and if she
tired with walking the girl got upon Hank's back
and let the stout little donkey carry her for
a while.

At nightfall they came to some trees that grew
beside a tiny brook and here they made camp and
rested until morning. Then away they tramped,
finding berries and fruits here and there which
satisfied the hunger of Betsy, Shaggy and Hank,
so that they were well content with their lot.

It surprised Betsy to see the Rose Princess
partake of their food, for she considered her a
fairy; but when she mentioned this to Polychrome,
the Rainbow's Daughter explained that when Ozga
was driven out of her Rose Kingdom she ceased to
be a fairy and would never again be more than a
mere mortal. Polychrome, however, was a fairy
wherever she happened to be, and if she sipped a
few dewdrops by moonlight for refreshment no one
ever saw her do it.

As they continued their wandering journey,
direction meant very little to them, for they were
hopelessly lost in this strange country. Shaggy
said it would be best to go toward the mountains,
as the natural entrance to Ruggedo's underground
cavern was likely to be hidden in some rocky,
deserted place; but mountains seemed all around
them except in the one direction that they had
come from, which led to the Rose Kingdom and the
sea. Therefore it mattered little which way they
traveled.

By and by they espied a faint trail that looked
like a path and after following this for some time
they reached a crossroads. Here were many paths,
leading in various directions, and there was a
signpost so old that there were now no words upon
the sign. At one side was an old well, with a
chain windlass for drawing water, yet there was no
house or other building anywhere in sight.

While the party halted, puzzled which way
to proceed, the mule approached the well and
tried to look into it.

"He's thirsty," said Betsy.

"It's a dry well," remarked Shaggy. "Probably
there has been no water in it for many years. But,
come; let us decide which way to travel."

No one seemed able to decide that. They sat
down in a group and tried to consider which
road might be the best to take. Hank, however,
could not keep away from the well and finally
he reared up on his hind legs, got his head over
the edge and uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" Betsy
watched her animal friend curiously.

"I wonder if he sees anything down there?" she
said.

At this, Shaggy rose and went over to the well
to investigate, and Betsy went with him. The
Princess and Polychrome, who had become fast
friends, linked arms and sauntered down one of the
roads, to find an easy path.

"Really," said Shaggy, "there does seem to
be something at the bottom of this old well."

"Can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked
the girl.

There was no bucket at the end of the windlass
chain, but there was a big hook that at one time
was used to hold a bucket. Shaggy let down this
hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then
pulled it up. An old hoopskirt came with it, and
Betsy laughed and threw it away. The thing
frightened Hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt
before, and he kept a good distance away from it.

Several other objects the Shaggy Man captured
with the hook and drew up, but none of these was
important.

"This well seems to have been the dump for
all the old rubbish in the country," he said,
letting down the hook once more. "I guess I've
captured everything now. No--the hook has caught
again. Help me, Betsy! Whatever this thing is,
it's heavy."

She ran up and helped him turn the windlass
and after much effort a confused mass of copper
came in sight.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Shaggy. "Here is
a surprise, indeed!"

"What is it?" inquired Betsy, clinging to the
windlass and panting for breath.

For answer the Shaggy Man grasped the
bundle of copper and dumped it upon the
ground, free of the well. Then he turned it over
with his foot, spread it out, and to Betsy's
astonishment the thing proved to be a copper
man.

"Just as I thought," said Shaggy, looking hard
at the object. "But unless there are two copper
men in the world this is the most astonishing
thing I ever came across."

At this moment the Rainbow's Daughter and the
Rose Princess approached them, and Polychrome
said:

"What have you found, Shaggy One?"

"Either an old friend, or a stranger," he
replied.

"Oh, here's a sign on his back!" cried Betsy,
who had knelt down to examine the man. "Dear me;
how funny! Listen to this."

Then she read the following words, engraved
upon the copper plates of the man's body:

          SMITH & TINKER'S
Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive,
Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking
          MECHANICAL MAN
Fitted with our Special Clockwork Attachment.
Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything
but Live.


"Isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the Princess.

"Yes; but here's more," said Betsy, reading
from another engraved plate:


          DIRECTIONS FOR USING:

For THINKING:--Wind the Clockwork
  Man under his left arm, (marked No. 1).
For SPEAKING:--Wind  the  Clockwork
  Man under his right arm, (marked No. 2).
For WALKING and ACTION:--Wind Clockwork Man
  in the middle of his back, (marked No. 3).

N. B.--This Mechanism is guaranteed to
work perfectly for a thousand years.


"If he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said
Polychrome, "he ought to work yet."

"Of course," replied Shaggy. "Let's wind him up."

In order to do this they were obliged to set the
copper man upon his feet, in an upright position,
and this was no easy task. He was inclined to
topple over, and had to be propped again and
again. The girls assisted Shaggy, and at last Tik-
Tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone upon his
broad feet.

"Yes," said Shaggy, looking at the copper man
carefully, "this must be, indeed, my old friend
Tik-Tok, whom I left ticking merrily in the
Land of Oz. But how he came to this lonely
place, and got into that old well, is surely a
mystery."

"If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us,"
suggested Betsy. "Here's the key, hanging to a
hook on his back. What part of him shall I wind up
first?"

"His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome,
"for it requires thought to speak or move
intelligently."

So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and
at once little flashes of light began to show in
the top of his head, which was proof that he had
begun to think.

"Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his
phonograph."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may
be interesting, but they don't tell us anything."

So Betsy wound the copper man under his right
arm, and then from the interior of his copper body
came in jerky tones the words: "Ma-ny thanks!"

"Hurrah!" cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped
Tik-Tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that
the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to the
ground in a heap. But the clockwork that enabled
him to speak had been wound up and he kept saying:
"Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up!" until they
had again raised him and balanced him upon his
feet, when he added politely: "Ma-ny thanks!"

"He won't be self-supporting until we wind
up his action," remarked Shaggy; so Betsy
wound it, as tight as she could--for the key
turned rather hard--and then Tik-Tok lifted his
feet, marched around in a circle and ended by
stopping before the group and making them all
a low bow.

"How in the world did you happen to be in
that well, when I left you safe in Oz?" inquired
Shaggy.

"It is a long sto-ry," replied Tik-Tok, "but
I'll tell it in a few words. Af-ter you had gone
in search of your broth-er, Oz-ma saw you wan-der-
ing in strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her
mag-ic pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er in
the Nome King's cavern; so she sent me to tell you
where to find your broth-er and told me to help you
if I could. The Sor-cer-ess, Glin-da the Good,
trans-port-ed me to this place in the wink of an
eye; but here I met the Nome King him-self--old
Rug-ge-do, who is called in these parts the Met-al
Mon-arch. Rug-ge-do knew what I had come for, and
he was so an-gry that he threw me down the well.
Af-ter my works ran down I was help-less un-til you
came a-long and pulled me out a-gain. Ma-ny
thanks."

"This is, indeed, good news," said Shaggy. "I
suspected that my brother was the prisoner of
Ruggedo; but now I know it. Tell us, Tik-Tok, how
shall we get to the Nome King's underground
cavern?"

"The best way is to walk," said Tik-Tok. "We
might crawl, or jump, or roll o-ver and o-ver
until we get there; but the best way is to walk."

"I know; but which road shall we take?"

"My ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that,"
replied Tik-Tok.

"There is more than one entrance to the
underground cavern," said Polychrome; "but old
Ruggedo has cleverly concealed every opening, so
that earth dwellers can not intrude in his domain.
If we find our way underground at all, it will be
by chance."

"Then," said Betsy, "let us select any road,
haphazard, and see where it leads us."

"That seems sensible," declared the Princess.
"It may require a lot of time for us to find
Ruggedo, but we have more time than anything
else."

"If you keep me wound up," said Tik-Tok, "I
will last a thou-sand years."

"Then the only question to decide is which
way to go," added Shaggy, looking first at one
road and then at another.

But while they stood hesitating, a peculiar
sound reached their ears--a sound like the
tramping of many feet.

"What's coming?" cried Betsy; and then she
ran to the left-hand road and glanced along the
path. "Why, it's an army!" she exclaimed. "What
shall we do, hide or run?"

"Stand still," commanded Shaggy. "I'm not afraid
of an army. If they prove to be friendly, they can
help us; if they are enemies, I'll show them the
Love Magnet."




Chapter Eight

Tik-Tok Tackles a Tough Task


While Shaggy and his companions stood huddled in a
group at one side, the Army of Oogaboo was
approaching along the pathway, the tramp of their
feet being now and then accompanied by a dismal
groan as one of the officers stepped on a sharp
stone or knocked his funnybone against his
neighbor's sword-handle.

Then out from among the trees marched Private
Files, bearing the banner of Oogaboo, which
fluttered from a long pole. This pole he stuck in
the ground just in front of the well and then he
cried in a loud voice:

"I hereby conquer this territory in the name of
Queen Ann Soforth of Oogaboo, and all the
inhabitants of the land I proclaim her slaves!"

Some of the officers now stuck their heads out
of the bushes and asked:

"Is the coast clear, Private Files?"

"There is no coast here," was the reply, "but
all's well."

"I hope there's water in it," said General Cone,
mustering courage to advance to the well; but just
then he caught a glimpse of Tik-Tok and Shaggy and
at once fell upon his knees, trembling and
frightened and cried out:

"Mercy, kind enemies! Mercy! Spare us, and
we will be your slaves forever!"

The other officers, who had now advanced into
the clearing, likewise fell upon their knees and
begged for mercy.

Files turned around and, seeing the strangers
for the first time, examined them with much
curiosity. Then, discovering that three of the
party were girls, he lifted his cap and made a
polite bow.

"What's all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as
Queen Ann reached the place and beheld her
kneeling army.

"Permit us to introduce ourselves," replied
Shaggy, stepping forward. "This is Tik-Tok, the
Clockwork Man--who works better than some meat
people. And here is Princess Ozga of Roseland,
just now unfortunately exiled from her Kingdom of
Roses. I next present Polychrome, a sky fairy, who
lost her Bow by an accident and can't find her way
home. The small girl here is Betsy Bobbin, from
some unknown earthly paradise called Oklahoma,
and with her you see Mr. Hank, a mule with a long
tail and a short temper."

"Puh!" said Ann, scornfully; "a pretty lot of
vagabonds you are, indeed; all lost or strayed,
I suppose, and not worth a Queen's plundering.
I'm sorry I've conquered you."

"But you haven't conquered us yet," called
Betsy indignantly.

"No," agreed Files, "that is a fact. But if my
officers will kindly command me to conquer you,
I will do so at once, after which we can stop
arguing and converse more at our ease."

The officers had by this time risen from their
knees and brushed the dust from their trousers. To
them the enemy did not look very fierce, so the
Generals and Colonels and Majors and Captains
gained courage to face them and began strutting in
their most haughty manner.

"You must understand," said Ann, "that I am the
Queen of Oogaboo, and this is my invincible Army.
We are busy conquering the world, and since you
seem to be a part of the world, and are
obstructing our journey, it is necessary for us to
conquer you--unworthy though you may be of such
high honor."

"That's all right," replied Shaggy. "Conquer us
as often as you like. We don't mind."

"But we won't be anybody's slaves," added Betsy,
positively.

"We'll see about that," retorted the Queen,
angrily. "Advance, Private Files, and bind the
enemy hand and foot!"

But Private Files looked at pretty Betsy and
fascinating Polychrome and the beautiful Rose
Princess and shook his head.

"It would be impolite, and I won't do it," he
asserted.

"You must!" cried Ann. "It is your duty to obey
orders."

"I haven't received any orders from my
officers," objected the Private.

But the Generals now shouted: "Forward, and bind
the prisoners!" and the Colonels and Majors and
Captains repeated the command, yelling it as loud
as they could.

All this noise annoyed Hank, who had been eyeing
the Army of Oogaboo with strong disfavor. The mule
now dashed forward and began backing upon the
officers and kicking fierce and dangerous heels at
them. The attack was so sudden that the officers
scattered like dust in a whirlwind, dropping their
swords as they ran and trying to seek refuge
behind the trees and bushes.

Betsy laughed joyously at the comical rout of
the "noble army," and Polychrome danced with glee.
But Ann was furious at this ignoble defeat of her
gallant forces by one small mule.

"Private Files, I command you to do your duty!"
she cried again, and then she herself ducked to
escape the mule's heels--for Hank made no
distinction in favor of a lady who was an open
enemy. Betsy grabbed her champion by the forelock,
however, and so held him fast, and when the
officers saw that the mule was restrained from
further attacks they crept fearfully back and
picked up their discarded swords.

"Private Files, seize and bind these prisoners!"
screamed the Queen.

"No," said Files, throwing down his gun and
removing the knapsack which was strapped to his
back, "I resign my position as the Army of
Oogaboo. I enlisted to fight the enemy and become
a hero, but if you want some one to bind harmless
girls you will have to hire another Private."

Then he walked over to the others and shook
hands with Shaggy and Tik-Tok.

"Treason!" shrieked Ann, and all the officers
echoed her cry.

"Nonsense," said Files. "I've the right to
resign if I want to."

"Indeed you haven't!" retorted the Queen. "If
you resign it will break up my Army, and then I
cannot conquer the world." She now turned to the
officers and said: "I must ask you to do me a
favor. I know it is undignified in officers to
fight, but unless you immediately capture Private
Files and force him to obey my orders there will
be no plunder for any of us. Also it is likely you
will all suffer the pangs of hunger, and when we
meet a powerful foe you are liable to be captured
and made slaves."

The prospect of this awful fate so frightened
the officers that they drew their swords and
rushed upon Files, who stood beside Shaggy, in a
truly ferocious manner. The next instant, however,
they halted and again fell upon their knees; for
there, before them, was the glistening Love
Magnet, held in the hand of the smiling Shaggy
Man, and the sight of this magic talisman at once
won the heart of every Oogabooite. Even Ann saw
the Love Magnet, and forgetting all enmity and
anger threw herself upon Shaggy and embraced him
lovingly.

Quite disconcerted by this unexpected effect of
the Magnet, Shaggy disengaged himself from the
Queen's encircling arms and quickly hid the
talisman in his pocket. The adventurers from
Oogaboo were now his firm friends, and there was
no more talk about conquering and binding any of
his party.

"If you insist on conquering anyone," said
Shaggy, "you may march with me to the underground
Kingdom of Ruggedo. To conquer the world, as you
have set out to do, you must conquer everyone
under its surface as well as those upon its
surface, and no one in all the world needs
conquering so much as Ruggedo."

"Who is he?" asked Ann.

"The Metal Monarch, King of the Nomes."

"Is he rich?" inquired Major Stockings in an
anxious voice.

"Of course," answered Shaggy. "He owns all
the metal that lies underground--gold, silver,
copper, brass and tin. He has an idea he also
owns all the metals above ground, for he says all
metal was once a part of his kingdom. So, by
conquering the Metal Monarch, you will win all
the riches in the world."

"Ah!" exclaimed General Apple, heaving a
deep sigh, "that would be plunder worth our
while. Let's conquer him, Your Majesty."

The Queen looked reproachfully at Files, who was
sitting next to the lovely Princess and whispering
in her ear.

"Alas," said Ann, "I have no longer an Army.
I have plenty of brave officers, indeed, but no
private soldier for them to command. Therefore
I cannot conquer Ruggedo and win all his
wealth."

"Why don't you make one of your officers the
Private?" asked Shaggy; but at once every officer
began to protest and the Queen of Oogaboo shook
her head as she replied:

"That is impossible. A private soldier must be a
terrible fighter, and my officers are unable to
fight. They are exceptionally brave in commanding
others to fight, but could not themselves meet
the enemy and conquer."

"Very true, Your Majesty," said Colonel Plum,
eagerly. "There are many kinds of bravery and one
cannot be expected to possess them all. I myself
am brave as a lion in all ways until it comes to
fighting, but then my nature revolts. Fighting is
unkind and liable to be injurious to others; so,
being a gentleman, I never fight."

"Nor I!" shouted each of the other officers.

"You see," said Ann, "how helpless I am. Had not
Private Files proved himself a traitor and a
deserter, I would gladly have conquered this
Ruggedo; but an Army without a private soldier is
like a bee without a stinger."

"I am not a traitor, Your Majesty," protested
Files. "I resigned in a proper manner, not liking
the job. But there are plenty of people to take my
place. Why not make Shaggy Man the private
soldier?"

"He might be killed," said Ann, looking tenderly
at Shaggy, "for he is mortal, and able to die. If
anything happened to him, it would break my
heart."

"It would hurt me worse than that," declared
Shaggy. "You must admit, Your Majesty, that I am
commander of this expedition, for it is my brother
we are seeking, rather than plunder. But I and my
companions would like the assistance of your Army,
and if you help us to conquer Ruggedo and to
rescue my brother from captivity we will allow you
to keep all the gold and jewels and other
plunder you may find."

This prospect was so tempting that the officers
began whispering together and presently Colonel
Cheese said: "Your Majesty, by combining our
brains we have just evolved a most brilliant idea.
We will make the Clockwork Man the private
soldier!"

"Who? Me?" asked Tik-Tok. "Not for a sin-gle
sec-ond! I can-not fight, and you must not for-get
that it was Rug-ge-do who threw me in the well."

"At that time you had no gun," said Polychrome.
"But if you join the Army of Oogaboo you will
carry the gun that Mr. Files used."

"A sol-dier must be a-ble to run as well as to
fight," protested Tik-Tok, "and if my works run
down, as they of-ten do, I could nei-ther run nor
fight."

"I'll keep you wound up, Tik-Tok," promised
Betsy.

"Why, it isn't a bad idea," said Shaggy. "Tik-
Tok will make an ideal soldier, for nothing can
injure him except a sledge hammer. And, since a
private soldier seems to be necessary to this
Army, Tik-Tok is the only one of our party fitted
to undertake the job."

"What must I do?" asked Tik-Tok.

"Obey orders," replied Ann. "When the officers
command you to do anything, you must do
it; that is all."

"And that's enough, too," said Files.

"Do I get a salary?" inquired Tik-Tok.

"You get your share of the plunder," answered
the Queen.

"Yes," remarked Files, "one-half of the plunder
goes to Queen Ann, the other half is divided
among the officers, and the Private gets the
rest."

"That will be sat-is-fac-tor-y," said Tik-Tok,
picking up the gun and examining it wonderingly,
for he had never before seen such a weapon.

Then Ann strapped the knapsack to Tik-Tok's
copper back and said: "Now we are ready to march
to Ruggedo's Kingdom and conquer it. Officers,
give the command to march."

"Fall--in!" yelled the Generals, drawing their
swords.

"Fall--in!" cried the Colonels, drawing their
swords.

"Fall--in!" shouted the Majors, drawing their
swords.

"Fall--in!" bawled the Captains, drawing their
swords.

Tik-Tok looked at them and then around him in
surprise.

"Fall in what? The well?" he asked.

"No," said Queen Ann, "you must fall in marching
order."

"Can-not I march without fall-ing in-to it?"
asked the Clockwork Man.

"Shoulder your gun and stand ready to march,"
advised Files; so Tik-Tok held the gun straight
and stood still.

"What next?" he asked.

The Queen turned to Shaggy.

"Which road leads to the Metal Monarch's
cavern?"

"We don't know, Your Majesty," was the reply.

"But this is absurd!" said Ann with a frown.
"If we can't get to Ruggedo, it is certain that we
can't conquer him."

"You are right," admitted Shaggy; "but I did
not say we could not get to him. We have only
to discover the way, and that was the matter we
were considering when you and your magnificent
Army arrived here."

"Well, then, get busy and discover it," snapped
the Queen.

That was no easy task. They all stood looking
from one road to another in perplexity. The paths
radiated from the little clearing like the rays of
the midday sun, and each path seemed like all the
others.

Files and the Rose Princess, who had by this
time become good friends, advanced a little way
along one of the roads and found that it was
bordered by pretty wild flowers.

"Why don't you ask the flowers to tell you the
way?" he said to his companion.

"The flowers?" returned the Princess, surprised
at the question.

"Of course," said Files. "The field-flowers must
be second-cousins to a Rose Princess, and I
believe if you ask them they will tell you."

She looked more closely at the flowers. There
were hundreds of white daisies, golden buttercups,
bluebells and daffodils growing by the roadside,
and each flower-head was firmly set upon its
slender but stout stem. There were even a few wild
roses scattered here and there and perhaps it was
the sight of these that gave the Princess courage
to ask the important question.

She dropped to her knees, facing the flowers,
and extended both her arms pleadingly toward them.

"Tell me, pretty cousins," she said in her
sweet, gentle voice, "which way will lead us to
the Kingdom of Ruggedo, the Nome King?"

At once all the stems bent gracefully to the
right and the flower heads nodded once--twice--
thrice in that direction.

"That's it!" cried Files joyfully. "Now we
know the way."

Ozga rose to her feet and looked wonderingly
at the field-flowers, which had now resumed
their upright position.

"Was it the wind, do you think?" she asked
in a low whisper.

"No, indeed," replied Files. "There is not a
breath of wind stirring. But these lovely blossoms
are indeed your cousins and answered your question
at once, as I knew they would."




Chapter Nine

Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless


The way taken by the adventurers led up hill and
down dale and wound here and there in a fashion
that seemed aimless. But always it drew nearer to
a range of low mountains and Files said more than
once that he was certain the entrance to
Ruggedo's cavern would be found among these rugged
hills.

In this he was quite correct. Far underneath the
nearest mountain was a gorgeous chamber hollowed
from the solid rock, the walls and roof of which
glittered with thousands of magnificent jewels.
Here, on a throne of virgin gold, sat the famous
Nome King, dressed in splendid robes and wearing a
superb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby.

Ruggedo, the Monarch of all the Metals and
Precious Stones of the Underground World,
was a round little man with a flowing white
beard, a red face, bright eyes and a scowl that
covered all his forehead. One would think, to
look at him, that he ought to be jolly; one might
think, considering his enormous wealth, that he
ought to be happy; but this was not the case. The
Metal Monarch was surly and cross because
mortals had dug so much treasure out of the
earth and kept it above ground, where all the
power of Ruggedo and his nomes was unable to
recover it. He hated not only the mortals but
also the fairies who live upon the earth or above
it, and instead of being content with the riches
he still possessed he was unhappy because he did
not own all the gold and jewels in the world.

Ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in
his chair when suddenly he sat upright, uttered
a roar of rage and began pounding upon a huge
gong that stood beside him.

The sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated
to many caverns beyond, where countless thousands
of nomes were working at their unending tasks,
hammering out gold and silver and other metals, or
melting ores in great furnaces, or polishing
glittering gems. The nomes trembled at the sound
of the King's gong and whispered fearfully to one
another that something unpleasant was sure to
happen; but none dared pause in his task,

The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed
aside and Kaliko, the King's High Chamberlain,
entered the royal presence.

"What's up, Your Majesty?" he asked, with a wide
yawn, for he had just wakened.

"Up?" roared Ruggedo, stamping his foot
viciously. "Those foolish mortals are up, that's
what! And they want to come down."

"Down here?" inquired Kaliko.

"Yes!"

"How do you know?" continued the Chamberlain,
yawning again.

"I feel it in my bones," said Ruggedo. "I can
always feel it when those hateful earth-crawlers
draw near to my Kingdom. I am positive, Kaliko,
that mortals are this very minute on their way
here to annoy me--and I hate mortals more than I do
catnip tea!"

"Well, what's to be done?" demanded the nome.

"Look through your spyglass, and see where
the invaders are," commanded the King.

So Kaliko went to a tube in the wall of rock
and put his eye to it. The tube ran from the
cavern up to the side of the mountain and turned
several curves and corners, but as it was a magic
spyglass Kaliko was able to see through it just
as easily as if it had been straight.

"Ho--hum," said he. "I see 'em, Your Majesty."

"What do they look like?" inquired the Monarch.

"That's a hard question to answer, for a queerer
assortment of creatures I never yet beheld,"
replied the nome. "However, such a collection of
curiosities may prove dangerous. There's a copper
man, worked by machinery--"

"Bah! that's only Tik-Tok," said Ruggedo.
"I'm not afraid of him. Why, only the other day
I met the fellow and threw him down a well."

"Then some one must have pulled him out again,"
said Kaliko. "And there's a little girl--"

"Dorothy?" asked Ruggedo, jumping up in fear.

"No; some other girl. In fact, there are several
girls, of various sizes; but Dorothy is not with
them, nor is Ozma."

"That's good!" exclaimed the King, sighing in
relief.

Kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass.

"I see," said he, "an army of men from Oogaboo.
They are all officers and carry swords. And there
is a Shaggy Man--who seems very harmless--and a
little donkey with big ears."

"Pooh!" cried Ruggedo, snapping his fingers
in scorn. "I've no fear of such a mob as that. A
dozen of my nomes can destroy them all in a
jiffy."

"I'm not so sure of that," said Kaliko. "The
people of Oogaboo are hard to destroy, and I
believe the Rose Princess is a fairy. As for
Polychrome, you know very well that the Rainbow's
Daughter cannot be injured by a nome."

"Polychrome! Is she among them?" asked the King.

"Yes; I have just recognized her."

"Then these people are coming here on no
peaceful errand," declared Ruggedo, scowling
fiercely. "In fact, no one ever comes here on a
peaceful errand. I hate everybody, and everybody
hates me!"

"Very true," said Kaliko.

"I must in some way prevent these people from
reaching my dominions. Where are they now?"

"Just now they are crossing the Rubber Country,
Your Majesty."

"Good! Are your magnetic rubber wires in working
order?"

"I think so," replied Kaliko. "Is it your Royal
Will that we have some fun with these invaders?"

"It is," answered Ruggedo. "I want to teach
them a lesson they will never forget."

Now, Shaggy had no idea that he was in a
Rubber Country, nor had any of his companions.
They noticed that everything around them was
of a dull gray color and that the path upon
which they walked was soft and springy, yet they
had no suspicion that the rocks and trees were
rubber and even the path they trod was made of
rubber.

Presently they came to a brook where sparkling
water dashed through a deep channel and rushed
away between high rocks far down the mountain-side.
Across the brook were stepping-stones, so placed
that travelers might easily leap from one to
another and in that manner cross the water to the
farther bank.

Tik-Tok was marching ahead, followed by his
officers and Queen Ann. After them came Betsy
Bobbin and Hank, Polychrome and Shaggy, and last
of all the Rose Princess with Files. The Clockwork
Man saw the stream and the stepping stones and,
without making a pause, placed his foot upon the
first stone.

The result was astonishing. First he sank
down in the soft rubber, which then rebounded
and sent Tik-Tok soaring high in the air, where
he turned a succession of flip-flops and alighted
upon a rubber rock far in the rear of the party.

General Apple did not see Tik-Tok bound, so
quickly had he disappeared; therefore he also
stepped upon the stone (which you will guess was
connected with Kaliko's magnetic rubber wire) and
instantly shot upward like an arrow. General Cone
came next and met with a like fate, but the others
now noticed that something was wrong and with one
accord they halted the column and looked back
along the path.

There was Tik-Tok, still bounding from one
rubber rock to another, each time rising a less
distance from the ground. And there was General
Apple, bounding away in another direction, his
three-cornered hat jammed over his eyes and his
long sword thumping him upon the arms and head as
it swung this way and that. And there, also,
appeared General Cone, who had struck a rubber
rock headforemost and was so crumpled up that his
round body looked more like a bouncing-ball than
the form of a man.

Betsy laughed merrily at the strange sight and
Polychrome echoed her laughter. But Ozga was
grave and wondering, while Queen Ann became
angry at seeing the chief officers of the Army of
Oogaboo bounding around in so undignified a
manner. She shouted to them to stop, but they
were unable to obey, even though they would
have been glad to do so. Finally, however, they
all ceased bounding and managed to get upon
their feet and rejoin the Army.

"Why did you do that?" demanded Ann, who seemed
greatly provoked.

"Don't ask them why," said Shaggy earnestly. "I
knew you would ask them why, but you ought not to
do it. The reason is plain. Those stones are
rubber; therefore they are not stones. Those rocks
around us are rubber, and therefore they are not
rocks. Even this path is not a path; it's rubber.
Unless we are very careful, your Majesty, we are
all likely to get the bounce, just as your poor
officers and Tik-Tok did."

"Then let's be careful," remarked Files, who
was full of wisdom; but Polychrome wanted to
test the quality of the rubber, so she began
dancing. Every step sent her higher and higher
into the air, so that she resembled a big butterfly
fluttering lightly. Presently she made a great
bound and bounded way across the stream,
landing lightly and steadily on the other side.

"There is no rubber over here," she called to
them. "Suppose you all try to bound over the
stream, without touching the stepping-stones."

Ann and her officers were reluctant to undertake
such a risky adventure, but Betsy at once grasped
the value of the suggestion and began jumping up
and down until she found herself bounding almost
as high as Polychrome had done. Then she suddenly
leaned forward and the next bound took her easily
across the brook, where she alighted by the side
of the Rainbow's Daughter.

"Come on, Hank!" called the girl, and the
donkey tried to obey. He managed to bound
pretty high but when he tried to bound across
the stream he misjudged the distance and fell
with a splash into the middle of the water.

"Hee-haw!" he wailed, struggling toward the
far bank. Betsy rushed forward to help him out,
but when the mule stood safely beside her she
was amazed to find he was not wet at all.

"It's dry water," said Polychrome, dipping her
hand into the stream and showing how the water
fell from it and left it perfectly dry.

"In that case," returned Betsy, "they can all
walk through the water."

She called to Ozga and Shaggy to wade across,
assuring them the water was shallow and would not
wet them. At once they followed her advice,
avoiding the rubber stepping stones, and made the
crossing with ease. This encouraged the entire
party to wade through the dry water, and in a few
minutes all had assembled on the bank and renewed
their journey along the path that led to the Nome
King's dominions.

When Kaliko again looked through his magic
spyglass he exclaimed:

"Bad luck, Your Majesty! All the invaders have
passed the Rubber Country and now are fast
approaching the entrance to your caverns."

Ruggedo raved and stormed at the news and his
anger was so great that several times, as he
strode up and down his jeweled cavern, he paused
to kick Kaliko upon his shins, which were so
sensitive that the poor nome howled with pain.
Finally the King said:

"There's no help for it; we must drop these
audacious invaders down the Hollow Tube."

Kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at his
master wonderingly.

"If you do that, Your Majesty," he said, "you
will make Tititi-Hoochoo very angry."

"Never mind that," retorted Ruggedo. "Tititi-
Hoochoo lives on the other side of the world, so
what do I care for his anger?"

Kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan.

"Remember his terrible powers," he pleaded, "and
remember that he warned you, the last time you
slid people through the Hollow Tube, that if you
did it again he would take vengeance upon you."

The Metal Monarch walked up and down in silence,
thinking deeply.

"Of two dangers," said he, "it is wise to choose
the least. What do you suppose these invaders
want?"

"Let the Long-Eared Hearer listen to them,"
suggested Kaliko.

"Call him here at once!" commanded Ruggedo
eagerly.

So in a few minutes there entered the cavern a
nome with enormous ears, who bowed low before the
King.

"Strangers are approaching," said Ruggedo, "and
I wish to know their errand. Listen carefully to
their talk and tell me why they are coming here,
and what for."

The nome bowed again and spread out his
great ears, swaying them gently up and down
and back and forth. For half an hour he stood
silent, in an attitude of listening, while both the
King and Kaliko grew impatient at the delay. At
last the Long-Eared Hearer spoke:

"Shaggy Man is coming here to rescue his
brother from captivity," said he.

"Ha, the Ugly One!" exclaimed Ruggedo. "Well,
Shaggy Man may have his ugly brother, for all I
care. He's too lazy to work and is always getting
in my way. Where is the Ugly One now, Kaliko?"

"The last time Your Majesty stumbled over
the prisoner you commanded me to send him to
the Metal Forest, which I did. I suppose he is
still there."

"Very good. The invaders will have a hard
time finding the Metal Forest," said the King,
with a grin of malicious delight, "for half the
time I can't find it myself. Yet I created the
forest and made every tree, out of gold and
silver, so as to keep the precious metals in a
safe place and out of the reach of mortals. But
tell me, Hearer, do the strangers want anything
else?"

"Yes, indeed they do!" returned the nome. "The
Army of Oogaboo is determined to capture all the
rich metals and rare jewels in your kingdom, and
the officers and their Queen have arranged to
divide the spoils and carry them away."

When he heard this Ruggedo uttered a bellow of
rage and began dancing up and down, rolling his
eyes, clicking his teeth together and swinging his
arms furiously. Then, in an ecstasy of anger he
seized the long ears of the Hearer and pulled and
twisted them cruelly; but Kaliko grabbed up the
King's sceptre and rapped him over the knuckles
with it, so that Ruggedo let go the ears and began
to chase his Royal Chamberlain around the throne.

The Hearer took advantage of this opportunity to
slip away from the cavern and escape, and after
the King had tired himself out chasing Kaliko he
threw himself into his throne and panted for
breath, while he glared wickedly at his defiant
subject.

"You'd better save your strength to fight the
enemy," suggested Kaliko. "There will be a
terrible battle when the Army of Oogaboo gets
here."

"The Army won't get here," said the King,
still coughing and panting. "I'll drop 'em down
the Hollow Tube--every man Jack and every
girl Jill of 'em!"

"And defy Tititi-Hoochoo?" asked Kaliko.

"Yes. Go at once to my Chief Magician and
order him to turn the path toward the Hollow
Tube, and to make the tip of the Tube invisible,
so they'll all fall into it."

Kaliko went away shaking his head, for he
thought Ruggedo was making a great mistake.  He
found the Magician and had the path twisted so
that it led directly to the opening of the Hollow
Tube, and this opening he made invisible.

Having obeyed the orders of his master, the
Royal Chamberlain went to his private room and
began to write letters of recommendation of
himself, stating that he was an honest man, a good
servant and a small eater.

"Pretty soon," he said to himself, "I shall have
to look for another job, for it is certain that
Ruggedo has ruined himself by this reckless
defiance of the mighty Tititi-Hoochoo. And in
seeking a job nothing is so effective as a letter
of recommendation."




Chapter Ten

A Terrible Tumble Through a Tube


I suppose that Polychrome, and perhaps Queen Ann
and her Army, might have been able to dispel the
enchantment of Ruggedo's Chief Magician had they
known that danger lay in their pathway; for the
Rainbow's Daughter was a fairy and as Oogaboo is
a part of the Land of Oz its inhabitants cannot
easily be deceived by such common magic as the
Nome King could command. But no one suspected any
especial danger until after they had entered
Ruggedo's cavern, and so they were journeying
along in quite a contented manner when Tik-Tok,
who marched ahead, suddenly disappeared.

The officers thought he must have turned a
corner, so they kept on their way and all of them
likewise disappeared--one after another. Queen Ann
was rather surprised at this, and in hastening
forward to learn the reason she also vanished from
sight.

Betsy Bobbin had tired her feet by walking, so
she was now riding upon the back of the stout
little mule, facing backward and talking to Shaggy
and Polychrome, who were just behind. Suddenly
Hank pitched forward and began falling and Betsy
would have tumbled over his head had she not
grabbed the mule's shaggy neck with both arms and
held on for dear life.

All around was darkness, and they were not
falling directly downward but seemed to be sliding
along a steep incline. Hank's hoofs were resting
upon some smooth substance over which he slid with
the swiftness of the wind. Once Betsy's heels flew
up and struck a similar substance overhead. They
were, indeed, descending the "Hollow Tube" that
led to the other side of the world.

"Stop, Hank--stop!" cried the girl; but Hank
only uttered a plaintive "Hee-haw!" for it was
impossible for him to obey.

After several minutes had passed and no harm had
befallen them, Betsy gained courage. She could see
nothing at all, nor could she hear anything except
the rush of air past her ears as they plunged
downward along the Tube. Whether she and Hank were
alone, or the others were with them, she could not
tell. But had some one been able to take a
flash-light photograph of the Tube at that time a
most curious picture would have resulted. There
was Tik-Tok, flat upon his back and sliding
headforemost down the incline. And there were the
Officers of the Army of Oogaboo, all tangled up in
a confused crowd, flapping their arms and trying
to shield their faces from the clanking swords,
which swung back and forth during the swift
journey and pommeled everyone within their reach.
Now followed Queen Ann, who had struck the Tube in
a sitting position and went flying along with a
dash and abandon that thoroughly bewildered the
poor lady, who had no idea what had happened to
her. Then, a little distance away, but unseen by
the others in the inky darkness, slid Betsy and
Hank, while behind them were Shaggy and Polychrome
and finally Files and the Princess.

When first they tumbled into the Tube all were
too dazed to think clearly, but the trip was a
long one, because the cavity led straight through
the earth to a place just opposite the Nome King's
dominions, and long before the adventurers got to
the end they had begun to recover their wits.

"This is awful, Hank!" cried Betsy in a loud
voice, and Queen Ann heard her and called out:
"Are you safe, Betsy?"

"Mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "How
could anyone be safe when she's going about
sixty miles a minute?" Then, after a pause, she
added: "But where do you s'pose we're going
to, Your Maj'sty?"

"Don't ask her that, please don't!" said
Shaggy, who was not too far away to overhear
them. "And please don't ask me why, either."

"Why?" said Betsy.

"No one can tell where we are going until
we get there," replied Shaggy, and then he
yelled "Ouch!" for Polychrome had overtaken
him and was now sitting on his head.

The Rainbow's Daughter laughed merrily,
and so infectious was this joyous laugh that
Betsy echoed it and Hank said "Hee haw!" in a
mild and sympathetic tone of voice.

"I'd like to know where and when we'll arrive,
just the same," exclaimed the little girl.

"Be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said
Polychrome. "But isn't this an odd experience?
Here am I, whose home is in the skies, making
a journey through the center of the earth--where
I never expected to be!"

"How do you know we're in the center of the
earth?" asked Betsy, her voice trembling a little
through nervousness.

"Why, we can t be anywhere else," replied
Polychrome. "I have often heard of this passage,
which was once built by a Magician who was a
great traveler. He thought it would save him the
bother of going around the earth's surface, but
he tumbled through the Tube so fast that he
shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky,
which at once exploded."

"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.

"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."

"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the
girl.

"No one knows that," answered Polychrome. "But I
don't think it matters much."

"It matters a good deal, if we also hit the
stars when we come out," said Queen Ann, with a
moan.

"Don't worry," advised Polychrome. "I believe
the Magician was going the other way, and probably
he went much faster than we are going."

"It's fast enough to suit me," remarked
Shaggy, gently removing Polychrome's heel
from his left eye. "Couldn't you manage to fall
all by yourself, my dear?"

"I'll try," laughed the Rainbow's Daughter.

All this time they were swiftly falling through
the Tube, and it was not so easy for them to talk
as you may imagine when you read their words. But
although they were so helpless and altogether in
the dark as to their fate, the fact that they were
able to converse at all cheered them,
considerably.

Files and Ozga were also conversing as they
clung tightly to one another, and the young
fellow bravely strove to reassure the Princess,
although he was terribly frightened, both on her
account and on his own.

An hour, under such trying circumstances, is
a very long time, and for more than an hour they
continued their fearful journey. Then, just as
they began to fear the Tube would never end,
Tik-Tok popped out into broad daylight and,
after making a graceful circle in the air, fell
with a splash into a great marble fountain.

Out came the officers, in quick succession,
tumbling heels over head and striking the
ground in many undignified attitudes.

"For the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a
Peculiar Person who was hoeing pink violets in a
garden. "What can all this mean?"

For answer, Queen Ann sailed up from the
Tube, took a ride through the air as high as the
treetops, and alighted squarely on top of the
Peculiar Person's head, smashing a jeweled
crown over his eyes and tumbling him to the
ground.

The mule was heavier and had Betsy clinging to
his back, so he did not go so high up. Fortunately
for his little rider he struck the ground upon his
four feet. Betsy was jarred a trifle but not hurt
and when she looked around her she saw the Queen
and the Peculiar Person struggling together upon
the ground, where the man was trying to choke Ann
and she had both hands in his bushy hair and was
pulling with all her might. Some of the officers,
when they got upon their feet, hastened to
separate the combatants and sought to restrain the
Peculiar Person so that he could not attack their
Queen again.

By this time, Shaggy, Polychrome, Ozga and Files
had all arrived and were curiously examining the
strange country in which they found themselves and
which they knew to be exactly on the opposite side
of the world from the place where they had fallen
into the Tube. It was a lovely place, indeed, and
seemed to be the garden of some great Prince, for
through the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be
seen the towers of an immense castle. But as yet
the only inhabitant to greet them was the Peculiar
Person just mentioned, who had shaken off the
grasp of the officers without effort and was now
trying to pull the battered crown from off his
eyes.

Shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to
do this and when the man was free and could
see again he looked at his visitors with evident
amazement.

"Well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "Where did
you come from and how did you get here?"

Betsy tried to answer him, for Queen Ann was
surly and silent.

"I can't say, exac'ly where we came from,
cause I don't know the name of the place," said
the girl, "but the way we got here was through
the Hollow Tube."

"Don't call it a 'hollow' Tube, please,"
exclaimed the Peculiar Person in an irritated tone
of voice. "If it's a tube, it's sure to be
hollow."

"Why?" asked Betsy.

"Because all tubes are made that way. But this
Tube is private property and everyone is forbidden
to fall into it."

"We didn't do it on purpose," explained Betsy,
and Polychrome added: "I am quite sure that
Ruggedo, the Nome King, pushed us down that Tube."

"Ha! Ruggedo! Did  you say Ruggedo?" cried the
man, becoming much excited.

"That is what she said," replied Shaggy, "and I
believe she is right. We were on our way to
conquer the Nome King when suddenly we fell into
the Tube."

"Then you are enemies of Ruggedo?" inquired the
peculiar Person.

"Not exac'ly enemies," said Betsy, a little
puzzled by the question, "'cause we don't know him
at all; but we started out to conquer him, which
isn't as friendly as it might be."

"True," agreed the man. He looked thoughtfully
from one to another of them for a while and then
he turned his head over his shoulder and said:
"Never mind the fire and pincers, my good
brothers. It will be best to take these strangers
to the Private Citizen."

"Very well, Tubekins," responded a Voice,
deep and powerful, that seemed to come out of
the air, for the speaker was invisible.

All our friends gave a jump, at this. Even
Polychrome was so startled that her gauze
draperies fluttered like a banner in a breeze.
Shaggy shook his head and sighed; Queen Ann looked
very unhappy; the officers clung to each other,
trembling violently.

But soon they gained courage to look more
closely at the Peculiar Person. As he was a type
of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary land
whom they afterward met, I will try to tell you
what he looked like.

His face was beautiful, but lacked expression.
His eyes were large and blue in color and his
teeth finely formed and white as snow. His hair
was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at
the ends. So far no one could find any fault with
his appearance. He wore a robe of scarlet, which
did not cover his arms and extended no lower than
his bare knees. On the bosom of the robe was
embroidered a terrible dragon's head, as horrible
to look at as the man was beautiful. His arms and
legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was
bright yellow and the skin of the other arm a
vivid green. He had one blue leg and one pink one,
while both his feet--which showed through the open
sandals he wore--were jet black.

Betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous
colors were dyes or the natural tints of the skin,
but while she was thinking it over the man who
had been called "Tubekins" said:

"Follow me to the Residence--all of you!"

But just then a Voice exclaimed: "Here's another
of them, Tubekins, lying in the water of the
fountain."

"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok,
and he'll drown."

"Water is a bad thing for his clockworks,
anyway," agreed Shaggy, as with one accord they
all started for the fountain. But before they
could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-Tok
from the marble basin and set him upon his feet
beside it, water dripping from every joint of his
copper body.

"Ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and
then his copper jaws clicked together and he
could say no more. He next made an attempt to
walk but after several awkward trials found he
could not move his joints.

Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen
greeted Tik-Tok's failure, and the new arrivals in
this strange land found it very uncomfortable to
realize that there were many creatures around them
who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly.

"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very
sorry for Tik-Tok.

"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs
oiling," replied Shaggy.

At once an oil-can appeared before him, held
on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand.
Shaggy took the can and tried to oil Tik-Tok's
joints. As if to assist him, a strong current of
warm air was directed against the copper man
which quickly dried him. Soon he was able to
say "Ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his
joints worked fairly well.

"Come!" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back
upon them he walked up the path toward the castle.

"Shall we go?" asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but
just then she received a shove that almost pitched
her forward on her head; so she decided to go. The
officers who hesitated received several energetic
kicks, but could not see who delivered them;
therefore they also decided--very wisely--to go.
The others followed willingly enough, for unless
they ventured upon another terrible journey
through the Tube they must make the best of the
unknown country they were in, and the best seemed
to be to obey orders.




Chapter Eleven

The Famous Fellowship of Fairies


After a short walk through very beautiful gardens
they came to the castle and followed Tubekins
through the entrance and into a great domed
chamber, where he commanded them to be seated.

From the crown which he wore, Betsy had thought
this man must be the King of the country they were
in, yet after he had seated all the strangers upon
benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a
high throne, Tubekins bowed humbly before the
vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and
disappeared.

The hall was an immense place, but there seemed
to be no one in it beside themselves. Presently,
however, they heard a low cough near them, and
here and there was the faint rustling of a robe
and a slight patter as of footsteps. Then suddenly
there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the
sound all was changed.

Gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw
that it was filled with hundreds of men and women,
all with beautiful faces and staring blue eyes and
all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon
their heads. In fact, these people seemed exact
duplicates of Tubekins and it was difficult to
find any mark by which to tell them apart.

"My! what a lot of Kings and Queens!" whispered
Betsy to Polychrome, who sat beside her and
appeared much interested in the scene but not a
bit worried.

"It is certainly a strange sight," was
Polychrome's reply; "but I cannot see how there
can be more than one King, or Queen, in any one
country, for were these all rulers, no one could
tell who was Master."

One of the Kings who stood near and overheard
this remark turned to her and said: "One who is
Master of himself is always a King, if only to
himself. In this favored land all Kings and Queens
are equal, and it is our privilege to bow before
one supreme Ruler--the Private Citizen."

"Who's he?" inquired Betsy.

As if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell
again rang out and instantly there appeared
seated in the throne the man who was lord and
master of all these royal ones. This fact was
evident when with one accord they fell upon their
knees and touched their foreheads to the floor.

The Private Citizen was not unlike the others,
except that his eyes were black instead of blue
and in the centers of the black irises glowed red
sparks that seemed like coals of fire. But his
features were very beautiful and dignified and
his manner composed and stately. Instead of the
prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white,
and the same dragon's head that decorated the
others was embroidered upon its bosom.

"What charge lies against these people,
Tubekins?" he asked in quiet, even tones.

"They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty
Citizen," was the reply.

"You see, it was this way," said Betsy. "We
were marching to the Nome King, to conquer him and
set Shaggy's brother free, when on a sudden--"

"Who are you?" demanded the Private Citizen
sternly.

"Me? Oh, I'm Betsy Bobbin, and--"

"Who is the leader of this party?" asked the
Citizen.

"Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and--"

"Then keep quiet," said the Citizen. "Who is the
leader?"

No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn
stood up.

"Sit down!" commanded the Citizen. "I can see
that sixteen of you are merely officers, and of no
account."

"But we have an Army," said General Clock,
blusteringly, for he didn't like to be told he was
of no account.

"Where is your Army?" asked the Citizen.

"It's me," said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a
little rusty. "I'm the on-ly Pri-vate Sol-dier in
the par-ty."

Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed
respectfully to the Clockwork Man.

"Pardon me for not realizing your importance
before," said he. "Will you oblige me by taking
a seat beside me on my throne?"

Tik-Tok rose and walked over to the throne, all
the Kings and Queens making way for him. Then with
clanking steps he mounted the platform and sat on
the broad seat beside the Citizen.

Ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor
shown to the humble Clockwork Man, but Shaggy
seemed much pleased that his old friend's
importance had been recognized by the ruler of
this remarkable country. The Citizen now began to
question Tik-Tok, who told in his mechanical voice
about Shaggy's quest of his lost brother, and how
Ozma of Oz had sent the Clockwork Man to assist
him, and how they had fallen in with Queen Ann and
her people from Oogaboo. Also he told how Betsy
and Hank and Polychrome and the Rose Princess had
happened to join their party.

"And you intended to conquer Ruggedo, the Metal
Monarch and King of the Nomes?" asked the Citizen.

"Yes. That seemed the on-ly thing for us to do,"
was Tik-Tok's reply. "But he was too cle-ver for
us. When we got close to his cav-ern he made our
path lead to the Tube, and made the op-en-ing in-
vis-i-ble, so that we all fell in-to it be-fore we
knew it was there. It was an eas-y way to get rid
of us and now Rug-gedo is safe and we are far a-
way in a strange land."

The Citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be
thinking. Then he said:

"Most noble Private Soldier, I must inform you
that by the laws of our country anyone who comes
through the Forbidden Tube must be tortured for
nine days and ten nights and then thrown back into
the Tube. But it is wise to disregard laws when
they conflict with justice, and it seems that you
and your followers did not disobey our laws
willingly, being forced into the Tube by Ruggedo.
Therefore the Nome King is alone to blame, and he
alone must be punished."

"That suits me," said Tik-Tok. "But Rug-ge-do
is on the o-ther side of the world where he is
a-way out of your reach."

The Citizen drew himself up proudly.

"Do you imagine anything in the world or upon it
can be out of the reach of the Great Jinjin?" he
asked.

"Oh! Are you, then, the Great Jinjin?" inquired
Tik-Tok.

"I am."

"Then your name is Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?"

"It is."

Queen Ann gave a scream and began to tremble.
Shaggy was so disturbed that he took out a
handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his
brow. Polychrome looked sober and uneasy for the
first time, while Files put his arms around the
Rose Princess as if to protect her. As for the
officers, the name of the great Jinjin set them
moaning and weeping at a great rate and every one
fell upon his knees before the throne, begging for
mercy. Betsy was worried at seeing her companions
so disturbed, but did not know what it was all
about. Only Tik-Tok was unmoved at the discovery.

"Then," said he, "if you are Ti-ti-ti-Hoo-choo,
and think Rug-ge-do is to blame, I am sure that
some-thing queer will hap-pen to the King of the
Nomes."

"I wonder what 'twill be," said Betsy.

The Private Citizen--otherwise known as Tititi-
Hoochoo, the Great Jinjin--looked at the little
girl steadily.

"I will presently decide what is to happen to
Ruggedo," said he in a hard, stern voice. Then,
turning to the throng of Kings and Queens, he
continued: "Tik-Tok has spoken truly, for his
machinery will not allow him to lie, nor will it
allow his thoughts to think falsely. Therefore
these people are not our enemies and must be
treated with consideration and justice. Take them
to your palaces and entertain them as guests until
to-morrow, when I command that they be brought
again to my Residence. By then I shall have formed
my plans."

No sooner had Tititi-Hoochoo spoken than he
disappeared from sight. Immediately after, most of
the Kings and Queens likewise disappeared. But
several of them remained visible and approached
the strangers with great respect. One of the
lovely Queens said to Betsy:

"I trust you will honor me by being my guest. I
am Erma, Queen of Light."

"May Hank come with me?" asked the girl.

"The King of Animals will care for your mule,"
was the reply. "But do not fear for him, for he
will be treated royally. All of your party will be
reunited on the morrow."

"I--I'd like to have some one with me," said
Betsy, pleadingly.

Queen Erma looked around and smiled upon
Polychrome.

"Will the Rainbow's Daughter be an agreeable
companion?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl.

So Polychrome and Betsy became guests of the
Queen of Light, while other beautiful Kings and
Queens took charge of the others of the party.

The two girls followed Erma out of the hall
and through the gardens of the Residence to a
village of pretty dwellings. None of these was so
large or imposing as the castle of the Private
Citizen, but all were handsome enough to be
called palaces--as, in fact, they really were.




Chapter Twelve

The Lovely Lady of Light


The palace of the Queen of Light stood on a little
eminence and was a mass of crystal windows,
surmounted by a vast crystal dome. When they
entered the portals Erma was greeted by six lovely
maidens, evidently of high degree, who at once
aroused Betsy's admiration. Each bore a wand in
her hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and
their costumes were also emblematic of the lights
they represented. Erma introduced them to her
guests and each made a graceful and courteous
acknowledgment.

First was Sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very
fair; the second was Moonlight, a soft, dreamy
damsel with nut-brown hair; next came Starlight,
equally lovely but inclined to be retiring and
shy. These three were dressed in shimmering robes
of silvery white. The fourth was Daylight, a
brilliant damsel with laughing eyes and frank
manners, who wore a variety of colors. Then came
Firelight, clothed in a fleecy flame-colored robe
that wavered around her shapely form in a very
attractive manner. The sixth maiden, Electra, was
the most beautiful of all, and Betsy thought from
the first that both Sunlight and Daylight regarded
Electra with envy and were a little jealous of
her.

But all were cordial in their greetings to the
strangers and seemed to regard the Queen of Light
with much affection, for they fluttered around her
in a flashing, radiant group as she led the way to
her regal drawing-room.

This apartment was richly and cosily furnished,
the upholstery being of many tints, and both Betsy
and Polychrome enjoyed resting themselves upon the
downy divans after their strenuous adventures of
the day.

The Queen sat down to chat with her guests, who
noticed that Daylight was the only maiden now
seated beside Erma. The others had retired to
another part of the room, where they sat modestly
with entwined arms and did not intrude themselves
at all.

The Queen told the strangers all about this
beautiful land, which is one of the chief
residences of fairies who minister to the needs of
mankind. So many important fairies lived there
that, to avoid rivalry, they had elected as their
Ruler the only important personage in the country
who had no duties to mankind to perform and was,
in effect, a Private Citizen. This Ruler, or
Jinjin, as was his title, bore the name of Tititi-
Hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him was
that he had no heart. But instead of this he
possessed a high degree of Reason and Justice and
while he showed no mercy in his judgments he never
punished unjustly or without reason. To wrong-
doers Tititi-Hoochoo was as terrible as he was
heartless, but those who were innocent of evil had
nothing to fear from him.

All the Kings and Queens of this fairyland paid
reverence to Jinjin, for as they expected to be
obeyed by others they were willing to obey the one
in authority over them.

The inhabitants of the Land of Oz had heard many
tales of this fearfully just Jinjin, whose
punishments were always equal to the faults
committed. Polychrome also knew of him, although
this was the first time she had ever seen him face
to face. But to Betsy the story was all new, and
she was greatly interested in Tititi-Hoochoo, whom
she no longer feared.

Time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly
Betsy noticed that Moonlight was sitting beside
the Queen of Light, instead of Daylight.

"But tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you
all wear a dragon's head embroidered on your
gowns?"

Erma's pleasant face became grave as she
answered:

"The Dragon, as you must know, was the first
living creature ever made; therefore the Dragon is
the oldest and wisest of living things. By good
fortune the Original Dragon, who still lives, is a
resident of this land and supplies us with wisdom
whenever we are in need of it. He is old as the
world and remembers everything that has happened
since the world was created."

"Did he ever have any children?" inquired the
girl.

"Yes, many of them. Some wandered into other
lands, where men, not understanding them, made war
upon them; but many still reside in this country.
None, however, is as wise as the Original Dragon,
for whom we have great respect. As he was the
first resident here, we wear the emblem of the
dragon's head to show that we are the favored
people who alone have the right to inhabit this
fairyland, which in beauty almost equals the
Fairyland of Oz, and in power quite surpasses it."

"I understand about the dragon, now," said
Polychrome, nodding her lovely head. Betsy did not
quite understand, but she was at present
interested in observing the changing lights. As
Daylight had given way to Moonlight, so now
Starlight sat at the right hand of Erma the Queen,
and with her coming a spirit of peace and content
seemed to fill the room. Polychrome, being
herself a fairy, had many questions to ask about
the various Kings and Queens who lived in this
far-away, secluded place, and before Erma had
finished answering them a rosy glow filled the
room and Firelight took her place beside the
Queen.

Betsy liked Firelight, but to gaze upon her warm
and glowing features made the little girl sleepy,
and presently she began to nod. Thereupon Erma
rose and took Betsy's hand gently in her own.

"Come," said she; "the feast time has arrived
and the feast is spread."

"That's nice," exclaimed the small mortal.
"Now that I think of it, I'm awful hungry. But
p'raps I can't eat your fairy food."

The Queen smiled and led her to a doorway. As
she pushed aside a heavy drapery a flood of
silvery light greeted them, and Betsy saw before
her a splendid banquet hall, with a table spread
with snowy linen and crystal and silver. At one
side was a broad, throne-like seat for Erma and
beside her now sat the brilliant maid Electra.
Polychrome was placed on the Queen's right hand
and Betsy upon her left. The other five messengers
of light now waited upon them, and each person was
supplied with just the food she liked best.
Polychrome found her dish of dewdrops, all fresh
and sparkling, while Betsy was so lavishly served
that she decided she had never in her life eaten a
dinner half so good.

"I s'pose," she said to the Queen, "that Miss
Electra is the youngest of all these girls."

"Why do you suppose that?" inquired Erma, with a
smile.

"'Cause electric'ty is the newest light we
know of. Didn't Mr. Edison discover it?"

"Perhaps he was the first mortal to discover
it," replied the Queen. "But electricity was a
part of the world from its creation, and therefore
my Electra is as old as Daylight or Moonlight,
and equally beneficent to mortals and fairies
alike."

Betsy was thoughtful for a time. Then she
remarked, as she looked at the six messengers of
light:

"We couldn't very well do without any of
'em; could we?"

Erma laughed softly. "I couldn't, I'm sure," she
replied, "and I think mortals would miss any one
of my maidens, as well. Daylight cannot take the
place of Sunlight, which gives us strength and
energy. Moonlight is of value when Daylight, worn
out with her long watch, retires to rest. If the
moon in its course is hidden behind the earth's
rim, and my sweet Moonlight cannot cheer us,
Starlight takes her place,