dorothy and the wizard in oz-第2章

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She　climbed　into　the　buggy　and　he　followed　her。　　Then　the　boy　picked

up　the　reins；　shook　them；　and　said　〃Gid…dap！〃



The　horse　did　not　stir。　　Dorothy　thought　he　just　wiggled　one　of　his

drooping　ears；　but　that　was　all。



〃Gid…dap！〃　called　the　boy；　again。



The　horse　stood　still。



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃if　you　untied　him；　he　would　go。〃



The　boy　laughed　cheerfully　and　jumped　out。



〃Guess　I'm　half　asleep　yet；〃　he　said；　untying　the　horse。　　〃But　Jim

knows　his　business　all　rightdon't　you；　Jim？〃　patting　the　long　nose

of　the　animal。



Then　he　got　into　the　buggy　again　and　took　the　reins；　and　the　horse　at

once　backed　away　from　the　tree；　turned　slowly　around；　and　began　to

trot　down　the　sandy　road　which　was　just　visible　in　the　dim　light。



〃Thought　that　train　would　never　come；〃　observed　the　boy。　　〃I've

waited　at　that　station　for　five　hours。〃



〃We　had　a　lot　of　earthquakes；〃　said　Dorothy。　　〃Didn't　you　feel　the

ground　shake？〃



〃Yes；　but　we're　used　to　such　things　in　California；〃　he　replied。　　〃They

don't　scare　us　much。〃



〃The　conductor　said　it　was　the　worst　quake　he　ever　knew。〃



〃Did　he？　　Then　it　must　have　happened　while　I　was　asleep；〃

he　said　thoughtfully。



〃How　is　Uncle　Henry？〃　she　enquired；　after　a　pause　during　which　the

horse　continued　to　trot　with　long；　regular　strides。



〃He's　pretty　well。　　He　and　Uncle　Hugson　have　been　having　a　fine　visit。〃



〃Is　Mr。　Hugson　your　uncle？〃　she　asked。



〃Yes。　　Uncle　Bill　Hugson　married　your　Uncle　Henry's　wife's　sister；

so　we　must　be　second　cousins；〃　said　the　boy；　in　an　amused　tone。

〃I　work　for　Uncle　Bill　on　his　ranch；　and　he　pays　me　six　dollars　a　month

and　my　board。〃



〃Isn't　that　a　great　deal？〃　she　asked；　doubtfully。



〃Why；　it's　a　great　deal　for　Uncle　Hugson；　but　not　for　me。　　I'm　a

splendid　worker。　　I　work　as　well　as　I　sleep；〃　he　added；　with　a　laugh。



〃What　is　your　name？〃　said　Dorothy；　thinking　she　liked　the　boy's　manner

and　the　cheery　tone　of　his　voice。



〃Not　a　very　pretty　one；〃　he　answered；　as　if　a　little　ashamed。　　〃My

whole　name　is　Zebediah；　but　folks　just　call　me　'Zeb。'　　You've　been　to

Australia；　haven't　you？〃



〃Yes；　with　Uncle　Henry；〃　she　answered。　　〃We　got　to　San　Francisco　a

week　ago；　and　Uncle　Henry　went　right　on　to　Hugson's　Ranch　for　a　visit

while　I　stayed　a　few　days　in　the　city　with　some　friends　we　had　met。〃



〃How　long　will　you　be　with　us？〃　he　asked。



〃Only　a　day。　　Tomorrow　Uncle　Henry　and　I　must　start　back　for　Kansas。

We've　been　away　for　a　long　time；　you　know；　and　so　we're　anxious　to　get

home　again。〃



The　boy　flicked　the　big；　boney　horse　with　his　whip　and　looked

thoughtful。　　Then　he　started　to　say　something　to　his　little　companion；

but　before　he　could　speak　the　buggy　began　to　sway　dangerously　from　side

to　side　and　the　earth　seemed　to　rise　up　before　them。　　Next　minute

there　was　a　roar　and　a　sharp　crash；　and　at　her　side　Dorothy　saw　the

ground　open　in　a　wide　crack　and　then　come　together　again。



〃Goodness！〃　she　cried；　grasping　the　iron　rail　of　the　seat。

〃What　was　that？〃



〃That　was　an　awful　big　quake；〃　replied　Zeb；　with　a　white　face。　　〃It

almost　got　us　that　time；　Dorothy。〃



The　horse　had　stopped　short；　and　stood　firm　as　a　rock。　　Zeb　shook　the

reins　and　urged　him　to　go；　but　Jim　was　stubborn。　　Then　the　boy　cracked

his　whip　and　touched　the　animal's　flanks　with　it；　and　after　a　low　moan

of　protest　Jim　stepped　slowly　along　the　road。



Neither　the　boy　nor　the　girl　spoke　again　for　some　minutes。　　There　was

a　breath　of　danger　in　the　very　air；　and　every　few　moments　the　earth

would　shake　violently。　　Jim's　ears　were　standing　erect　upon　his　head

and　every　muscle　of　his　big　body　was　tense　as　he　trotted　toward　home。

He　was　not　going　very　fast；　but　on　his　flanks　specks　of　foam　began　to

appear　and　at　times　he　would　tremble　like　a　leaf。



The　sky　had　grown　darker　again　and　the　wind　made　queer　sobbing　sounds

as　it　swept　over　the　valley。



Suddenly　there　was　a　rending；　tearing　sound；　and　the　earth　split　into

another　great　crack　just　beneath　the　spot　where　the　horse　was

standing。　　With　a　wild　neigh　of　terror　the　animal　fell　bodily　into　the

pit；　drawing　the　buggy　and　its　occupants　after　him。



Dorothy　grabbed　fast　hold　of　the　buggy　top　and　the　boy　did　the　same。

The　sudden　rush　into　space　confused　them　so　that　they　could　not　think。



Blackness　engulfed　them　on　every　side；　and　in　breathless　silence　they

waited　for　the　fall　to　end　and　crush　them　against　jagged　rocks　or　for

the　earth　to　close　in　on　them　again　and　bury　them　forever　in　its

dreadful　depths。



The　horrible　sensation　of　falling；　the　darkness　and　the　terrifying

noises；　proved　more　than　Dorothy　could　endure　and　for　a　few　moments

the　little　girl　lost　consciousness。　　Zeb；　begin　a　boy；　did　not　faint；

but　he　was　badly　frightened；　and　clung　to　the　buggy　seat　with　a　tight

grip；　expecting　every　moment　would　be　his　last。







2。　　The　Glass　City





When　Dorothy　recovered　her　senses　they　were　still　falling；　but　not　so

fast。　　The　top　of　the　buggy　caught　the　air　like　a　parachute　or　an

umbrella　filled　with　wind；　and　held　them　back　so　that　they　floated

downward　with　a　gentle　motion　that　was　not　so　very　disagreeable　to

bear。　　The　worst　thing　was　their　terror　of　reaching　the　bottom　of　this

great　crack　in　the　earth；　and　the　natural　fear　that　sudden　death　was

about　to　overtake　them　at　any　moment。　　Crash　after　crash　echoed　far

above　their　heads；　as　the　earth　came　together　where　it　had　split；　and

stones　and　chunks　of　clay　rattled　around　them　on　every　side。　　These

they　could　not　see；　but　they　could　feel　them　pelting　the　buggy　top；

and　Jim　screamed　almost　like　a　human　being　when　a　stone　overtook　him

and　struck　his　boney　body。　　They　did　not　really　hurt　the　poor　horse；

because　everything　was　falling　together；　only　the　stones　and　rubbish

fell　faster　than　the　horse　and　buggy；　which　were　held　back　by　the

pressure　of　the　air；　so　that　the　terrified　animal　was　actually　more

frightened　than　he　was　injured。



How　long　this　state　of　things　continued　Dorothy　could　not　even　guess；

she　was　so　greatly　bewildered。　　But　bye　and　bye；　as　she　stared　ahead

into　the　black　chasm　with　a　beating　heart；　she　began　to　dimly　see　the

form　of　the　horse　Jimhis　head　up　in　the　air；　his　ears　erect　and　his

long　legs　sprawling　in　every　direction　as　he　tumbled　through　space。

Also；　turning　her　head；　she　found　that　she　could　see　the　boy　beside

her；　who　had　until　now　remained　as　still　and　silent　as　she　herself。



Dorothy　sighed　and　commenced　to　breathe　easier。　　She　began　to　realize

that　death　was　not　in　store　for　her；　after　all；　but　that　she　had　merely

started　upon　another　adventure；　which　promised　to　be　just　as　queer　and

unusual　as　were　those　she　had　before　encountered。



With　this　thought　in　mind　the　girl　took　heart　and　leaned　her　head　over

the　side　of　the　buggy　to　see　where　the　strange　light　was　coming　from。

Far　below　her　she　found　six　great　glowing　balls　suspended　in　the　air。

The　central　and　largest　one　was　white；　and　reminded　her　of　the　sun。

Around　it　were　arranged；　like　the　five　points　of　a　star；　the　other

five　brilliant　balls；　one　being　rose　colored；　one　violet；　one　yellow；

one　blue　and　one　orange。　　This　splendid　group　of　colored　suns　sent

rays　darting　in　every　direction；　and　as　the　horse　and　buggywith

Dorothy　and　Zebsank　steadily　downward　and　came　nearer　to　the　lights；

the　rays　began　to　take　on　all　the　delicate　tintings　of　a　rainbow；

growing　more　and　more　distinct　every　moment　until　all　the　space　was

brilliantly　illuminated。



Dorothy　was　too　dazed　to　say　much；　but　she　watched　one　of　Jim's　big

ears　turn　to　violet　and　the　other　to　rose；　and　wondered　that　his　tail

should　be　yellow　and　his　body　striped　with　blue　and　orange　like　the

stripes　of　a　zebra。　　Then　she　looked　at　Zeb；　whose　face　was　blue　and

whose　hair　was　pink；　and　gave　a　little　laugh　that　sounded　a　bit　nervous。



〃Isn't　it　funny？〃　she　said。



The　boy　was　startled　and　his　eyes　wer