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friend　of　Ozma　and　that　when　she　got　back　to　the



Emerald　City　she　would　send　them　a　lot　of　things



to　repay　them　for　the　raft；　including　a　new



clothesline。　This　promise　pleased　the　woman　and



she　soon　became　more　pleasant；　saying　they　could



stay　the　night　at　her　house　and　begin　their　voyage



on　the　river　next　morning。







This　they　did；　spending　a　pleasant　evening



with　the　Quadling　family　and　being　entertained



with　such　hospitality　as　the　poor　people　were



able　to　offer　them。　The　man　groaned　a　good



deal　and　said　he　had　overworked　himself　by



chopping　the　logs；　but　the　Scarecrow　gave　him



two　more　tablets　than　he　had　promised；　which



seemed　to　comfort　the　lazy　fellow。



















Chapter　Twenty…Six







The　Trick　River











Next　morning　they　pushed　the　raft　into　the　water



and　all　got　aboard。　The　Quadling　man　had　to　hold



the　log　craft　fast　while　they　took　their　places；



and　the　flow　of　the　river　was　so　powerful　that　it



nearly　tore　the　raft　from　his　hands。　As　soon　as



they　were　all　seated　upon　the　logs　he　let　go　and



away　it　floated　and　the　adventurers　had　begun



their　voyage　toward　the　Winkie　Country。







The　little　house　of　the　Quadlings　was　out　of



sight　almost　before　they　had　cried　their　good…



byes；　and　the　Scarecrow　said　in　a　pleased　voice：



〃It　won't　take　us　long　to　get　to　the　Winkie



Country；　at　this　rate。〃







They　had　floated　several　miles　down　the　stream



and　were　enjoying　the　ride　when　suddenly　the　raft



slowed　up；　stopped　short；　and　then　began　to　float



back　the　way　it　had　come。







〃Why；　what's　wrong？〃　asked　Dorothy；　in



astonishment；　but　they　were　all　just　as　bewildered



as　she　was　and　at　first　no　one　could　answer　the



question。　Soon；　however；　they　realized　the　truth：



that　the　current　of　the　river　had　reversed　and　the



water　was　now　flowing　in　the　opposite　direction



toward　the　mountains。







They　began　to　recognize　the　scenes　they　had



passed；　and　by　and　by　they　came　in　sight　of　the



little　house　of　the　Quadlings　again。　The　man



was　standing　on　the　river　bank　and　he　called



to　them：







〃How　do　you　do？　Glad　to　see　you　again。　I　forgot



to　tell　you　that　the　river　changes　its　direction



every　little　while。　Sometimes　it　flows　one　way；



and　sometimes　the　other。〃







They　had　no　time　to　answer　him；　for　the　raft



was　swept　past　the　house　and　a　long　distance　on



the　other　side　of　it。







〃We're　going　just　the　way　we　don't　want　to



go；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　I　guess　the　best　thing



we　can　do　is　to　get　to　land　before　we're　carried



any　farther。〃







But　they　could　not　get　to　land。　They　had



no　oars；　nor　even　a　pole　to　guide　the　raft　with。



The　logs　which　bore　them　floated　in　the　middle



of　the　stream　and　were　held　fast　in　that　position



by　the　strong　current。







So　they　sat　still　and　waited　and；　even　while



they　were　wondering　what　could　be　done；　the　raft



slowed　down；　stopped；　and　began　drifting　the　other



wayin　the　direction　it　had　first　followed。　After



a　time　they　repassed　the　Quadling　house　and　the



man　was　still　standing　on　the　bank。　He　cried　out



to　them：







〃Good　day！　Glad　to　see　you　again。　I　expect



I　shall　see　you　a　good　many　times；　as　you　go



by；　unless　you　happen　to　swim　ashore。〃







By　that　time　they　had　left　him　behind　and



were　headed　once　more　straight　toward　the



Winkie　Country。







〃This　is　pretty　hard　luck；〃　said　Ojo　in　a



discouraged　voice。　〃The　Trick　River　keeps



changing；　it　seems；　and　here　we　must　float　back



and　forward　forever；　unless　we　manage　in　some　way



to　get　ashore。〃







〃Can　you　swim？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃No；　I'm　Ojo　the　Unlucky。〃







〃Neither　can　I。　Toto　can　swim　a　little；　but



that　won't　help　us　to　get　to　shore。〃







〃I　don't　know　whether　I　could　swim；　or　not；〃



remarked　Scraps；　〃but　if　I　tried　it　I'd　surely　ruin



my　lovely　patches。〃







〃My　straw　would　get　soggy　in　the　water　and



I　would　sink；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。







So　there　seemed　no　way　out　of　their　dilemma



and　being　helpless　they　simply　sat　still。　Ojo；



who　was　on　the　front　of　the　raft；　looked　over



into　the　water　and　thought　he　saw　some　large



fishes　swimming　about。　He　found　a　loose　end



of　the　clothesline　which　fastened　the　logs



together；　and　taking　a　gold　nail　from　his　pocket



he　bent　it　nearly　double；　to　form　a　hook；　and



tied　it　to　the　end　of　the　line。　Having　baited　the



hook　with　some　bread　which　he　broke　from　his



loaf；　he　dropped　the　line　into　the　water　and



almost　instantly　it　was　seized　by　a　great　fish。







They　knew　it　was　a　great　fish；　because　it



pulled　so　hard　on　the　line　that　it　dragged　the



raft　forward　even　faster　than　the　current　of　the



river　had　carried　it。　The　fish　was　frightened；



and　it　was　a　strong　swimmer。　As　the　other　end



of　the　clothesline　was　bound　around　the　logs



he　could　not　get　it　away；　and　as　he　had　greedily



swallowed　the　gold　hook　at　the　first　bite　he



could　not　get　rid　of　that；　either。







When　they　reached　the　place　where　the　current



had　before　changed；　the　fish　was　still　swimming



ahead　in　its　wild　attempt　to　escape。　The　raft



slowed　down；　yet　it　did　not　stop；　because　the　fish



would　not　let　it。　It　continued　to　move　in　the　same



direction　it　had　been　going。　As　the　current



reversed　and　rushed　backward　on　its　course　it



failed　to　drag　the　raft　with　it。　Slowly；　inch　by



inch；　they　floated　on；　and　the　fish　tugged　and



tugged　and　kept　them　going。







〃I　hope　he　won't　give　up；〃　said　Ojo　anxiously。



〃If　the　fish　can　hold　out　until　the　current



changes　again；　we'll　be　all　right。〃







The　fish　did　not　give　up；　but　held　the　raft



bravely　on　its　course；　till　at　last　the　water　in



the　river　shifted　again　and　floated　them　the　way



they　wanted　to　go。　But　now　the　captive　fish



found　its　strength　failing。　Seeking　a　refuge；　it



began　to　drag　the　raft　toward　the　shore。　As　they



did　not　wish　to　land　in　this　place　the　boy　cut



the　rope　with　his　pocket…knife　and　set　the　fish



free；　just　in　time　to　prevent　the　raft　from



grounding。







The　next　time　the　river　backed　up　the　Scarecrow



managed　to　seize　the　branch　of　a　tree　that



overhung　the　water　and　they　all　assisted　him　to



hold　fast　and　prevent　the　raft　from　being　carried



backward。　While　they　waited　here；　Ojo　spied　a　long



broken　branch　lying　upon　the　bank；　so　he　leaped



ashore　and　got　it。　When　he　had　stripped　off　the



side　shoots　he　believed　he　could　use　the　branch　as



a　pole；　to　guide　the　raft　in　case　of　emergency。







They　clung　to　the　tree　until　they　found　the



water　flowing　the　right　way；　when　they　let　go



and　permitted　the　raft　to　resume　its　voyage。　In



spite　of　these　pauses　they　were　really　making



good　progress　toward　the　Winkie　Country　and



having　found　a　way　to　conquer　the　adverse



current　their　spirits　rose　considerably。　They



could　see　little　of　the　country　through　which



they　were　passing；　because　of　the　high　banks；



and　they　met　with　no　boats　or　other　craft　upon



the　surface　of　the　river。







Once　more　the　trick　river　reversed　its　current；



but　this　time　the　Scarecrow　was　on　guard　and



used　the　pole　to　push　the　raft　toward　a　big



rock　which　lay　in　the　water。　He　believed　the



rock　would　prevent　their　floating　backward　with



the　current；　and　so　it　did。　They　clung　to　this



anchorage　until　the　water　resumed　its　proper



direction；　when　they