the lost princess of oz-第11章

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and　be　on　the　other　side　of　the　gulf。〃







〃There　are　too　many　'if's'　in　that　suggestion；〃



remarked　the　little　Wizard。　〃And　you　must　remember　that



the　other　side　is　nothing　but　spinning　mountains；　so　we



couldn't　possibly　fasten　a　rope　to　them　　even　if　we



had　one。〃







〃That　rope　idea　isn't　half　bad；　though；〃　said　the



Patchwork　Girl；　who　had　been　dancing　dangerously　near



to　the　edge　of　the　gulf。







〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Dorothy。







The　Patchwork　Girl　suddenly　stood　still　and　cast　her



button　eyes　around　the　group。







〃Ha；　I　have　it！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Unharness　the



Sawhorse；　somebody；　my　fingers　are　too　clumsy。〃







〃Shall　we？〃　asked　Button…Bright　doubtfully；　turning



to　the　others。







〃Well；　Scraps　has　a　lot　of　brains；　even　if　she　is



stuffed　with　cotton；〃　asserted　the　Wizard。　〃If　her



brains　can　help　us　out　of　this　trouble　we　ought



to　use　them。〃







So　he　began　unharnessing　the　Sawhorse；　and　Button…



Bright　and　Dorothy　helped　him。　When　they　had　removed



the　harness　the　Patchwork　Girl　told　them　to　take　it　all



apart　and　buckle　the　straps　together；　end　to　end。　And；



after　they　had　done　this；　they　found　they　had　one　very



long　strap　that　was　stronger　than　any　rope。







〃It　would　reach　across　the　gulf；　easily；〃　said　the



Lion；　who　with　the　other　animals　had　sat　on　his



haunches　and　watched　this　proceeding。　〃But　I　don't　see



how　it　could　be　fastened　to　one　of　those　dizzy



mountains。〃







Scraps　had　no　such　notion　as　that　in　her　baggy　head。



She　told　them　to　fasten　one　end　of　the　strap　to　a　stout



limb　of　the　tree；　pointing　to　one　which　extended　quite



to　the　edge　of　the　gulf。　Button…Bright　did　that；



climbing　the　tree　and　then　crawling　out　upon　the　limb



until　he　was　nearly　over　the　gulf。　There　he　managed　to



fasten　the　strap；　which　reached　to　the　ground　below；



and　then　he　slid　down　it　and　was　caught　by　the　Wizard；



who　feared　he　might　fall　into　the　chasm。







Scraps　was　delighted　She　seized　the　lower　end　of　the



strap　and　telling　them　all　to　get　out　of　her　way　she



went　back　as　far　as　the　strap　would　reach　and　then　made



a　sudden　run　toward　the　gulf。　Over　the　edge　she　swung；



clinging　to　the　strap　until　it　had　gone　as　far　as　its



length　permitted；　when　she　let　go　and　sailed　gracefully



through　the　air　until　she　alighted　upon　the　mountain



just　in　front　of　them。







Almost　instantly；　as　the　great　cone　continued　to



whirl；　she　was　sent　flying　against　the　next　mountain　in



the　rear；　and　that　one　had　only　turned　halfway　around



when　Scraps　was　sent　flying　to　the　next　mountain　behind



it。　Then　her　patchwork　form　disappeared　from　view



entirely　and　the　amazed　watchers　under　the　tree



wondered　what　had　become　of　her。







〃She's　gone；　and　she　can't　get　back；〃　said　the　Woozy。







〃My；　how　she　bounded　from　one　mountain　to　another！〃



exclaimed　the　Lion。







〃That　was　because　they　whirl　so　fast；〃　the　Wizard



explained。　〃Scraps　had　nothing　to　hold　on　to　and　so　of



course　she　was　tossed　from　one　hill　to　another。　I'm



afraid　we　shall　never　see　the　poor　Patchwork　Girl



again。〃







〃I　shall　see　her；〃　declared　the　Woozy。　〃Scraps　is　an



old　friend　of　mine　and；　if　there　are　really　Thistle…



Eaters　and　Giants　on　the　other　side　of　those　tops；　she



will　need　someone　to　protect　her。　So；　here　I　go！〃







He　seized　the　dangling　strap　firmly　in　his　square



mouth　and　in　the　same　way　that　Scraps　had　done　swung



himself　over　the　gulf。　He　let　go　the　strap　at　the　right



moment　and　fell　upon　the　first　whirling　mountain。　Then



he　bounded　to　the　next　one　back　of　it　　not　on　his



feet　but　〃all　mixed　up；〃　as　Trot　said　　and　then　he



shot　across　to　another　mountain；　disappearing　from　view



just　as　the　Patchwork　Girl　had　done。







〃It　seems　to　work；　all　right；〃　remarked　Button…



Bright。　〃I　guess　I'll　try　it。〃







〃Wait　a　minute；〃　urged　the　Wizard。　〃Before　any　more



of　us　make　this　desperate　leap　into　the　beyond；　we　must



decide　whether　all　will　go；　or　if　some　of　us　will



remain　behind。〃







〃Do　you　s'pose　it　hurt　them　much；　to　bump　against



those　mountains？〃　asked　Trot。







〃I　don't　s'pose　anything　could　hurt　Scraps　or　the



Woozy；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　nothing　can　hurt　me；　because



I　wear　the　Magic　Belt。　So；　as　I'm　anxious　to　find　Ozma；



I　mean　to　swing　myself　across；　too。〃







〃I'll　take　my　chances；〃　decided　Button…Bright。







〃I'm　sure　it　will　hurt　dreadfully；　and　I'm　afraid　to



do　it；〃　said　the　Lion；　who　was　already　trembling；　〃but



I　shall　do　it　if　Dorothy　does。〃







〃Well；　that　will　leave　Betsy　and　the　Mule　and　Trot；〃



said　the　Wizard；　〃for　of　course；　I　shall　go；　that　I　may



look　after　Dorothy。　Do　you　two　girls　think　you　can　find



your　way　back　home　again？〃　he　asked；　addressing　Trot



and　Betsy。







〃I'm　not　afraid；　not　much；　that　is；〃　said　Trot。　〃It



looks　risky；　I　know；　but　I'm　sure　I　can　stand　it　if　the



others　can。〃







〃If　it　wasn't　for　leaving　Hank；〃　began　Betsy；　in　a



hesitating　voice；　but　the　Mule　interrupted　her　by



saying：







〃Co　ahead；　if　you　want　to；　and　I'll　come　after　you。　A



mule　is　as　brave　as　a　lion；　any　day。〃







〃Braver；〃　said　the　Lion；　〃for　I'm　a　coward；　friend



Hank；　and　you　are　not。　But　of　course　the　Sawhorse　〃







〃Oh；　nothing　ever　hurts　me；〃　asserted　the　Sawhorse



calmly。　〃There's　never　been　any　question　about　my



going。　I　can't　take　the　Red　Wagon；　though。〃







〃No；　we　must　leave　the　wagon；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃and



also　we　must　leave　our　food　and　blankets；　I　fear。　But



if　we　can　defy　these　Merry…Go…Round　Mountains　to　stop



us　we　won't　mind　the　sacrifice　of　some　of　our



comforts。〃







〃No　one　knows　where　we're　going　to　land！〃　remarked



the　Lion；　in　a　voice　that　sounded　as　if　he　were　going



to　cry。







〃We　may　not　land　at　all；〃　replied　Hank；　〃but　the　best



way　to　find　out　what　will　happen　to　us　is　to　swing



across；　as　Scraps　and　the　Woozy　have　done。〃







〃I　think　I　shall　go　last；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃so　who



wants　to　go　first？〃







〃I'll　go；〃　decided　Dorothy。







〃No；　it's　my　turn　first；〃　said　Button…Bright。　〃Watch　me！〃







Even　as　he　spoke　the　boy　seized　the　strap　and　after



making　a　run　swung　himself　across　the　gulf。　Away　he



went；　bumping　from　hill　to　hill　until　he　disappeared。



They　listened　intently；　but　the　boy　uttered　no　cry



until　he　had　been　gone　some　moments；　when　they　heard　a



faint　〃Hullo…a！〃　as　if　called　from　a　great　distance。







The　sound　gave　them　courage；　however；　and　Dorothy



picked　up　Toto　and　held　him　fast　under　one　arm　while



with　the　other　hand　she　seized　the　strap　and　bravely



followed　after　Button…Bright。







When　she　struck　the　first　whirling　mountain　she　fell



upon　it　quite　softly；　but　before　she　had　time　to　think



she　flew　through　the　air　and　lit　with　a　jar　on　the　side



of　the　next　mountain。　Again　she　flew；　and　alighted；　and



again；　and　still　again；　until　after　five　successive



bumps　she　fell　sprawling　upon　a　green　meadow　and　was　so



dazed　and　bewildered　by　her　bumpy　journey　across　the



Merry…Go…Round　Mountains　that　she　lay　quite　still　for　a



time；　to　collect　her　thoughts。　Toto　had　escaped　from



her　arms　just　as　she　fell；　and　he　now　sat　beside　her



panting　with　excitement。







Then　Dorothy　realized　that　someone　was　hopping　her　to



her　feet；　and　here　was　Button…Bright　on　one　side　of　her



and　Scraps　on　the　other；　both　seeming　to　be　unhurt。　The



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