nd leave me all alone, do you?" asked
the girl. "Besides, if I go now I can wind up Tiktok, so that he can
make his last guess."

"Very well, then," said the Scarecrow, with a sigh. "Run along, little
Dorothy, and may good luck go with you!"

So Dorothy, trying to be brave in spite of her fears, passed through
the doorway into the gorgeous rooms of the palace. The stillness of
the place awed her, at first, and the child drew short breaths, and
pressed her hand to her heart, and looked all around with wondering
eyes.

Yes, it was a beautiful place; but enchantments lurked in every nook
and corner, and she had not yet grown accustomed to the wizardries of
these fairy countries, so different from the quiet and sensible
common-places of her own native land.

Slowly she passed through several rooms until she came upon Tiktok,
standing motionless. It really seemed, then, that she had found a
friend in this mysterious palace, so she hastened to wind up the
machine man's action and speech and thoughts.

"Thank you, Dor-oth-y," were his first words. "I have now one more
guess to make."

"Oh, be very careful, Tiktok; won't you?" cried the girl.

"Yes. But the Nome King has us in his power, and he has set a trap for
us. I fear we are all lost." he answered.

"I fear so, too," said Dorothy, sadly.

"If Smith & Tin-ker had giv-en me a guess-ing clock-work at-tach-ment,"
continued Tiktok, "I might have de-fied the Nome King. But my thoughts
are plain and sim-ple, and are not of much use in this case."

"Do the best you can," said Dorothy, encouragingly, "and if you fail I
will watch and see what shape you are changed into."

So Tiktok touched a yellow glass vase that had daisies painted on one
side, and he spoke at the same time the word "Ev."

In a flash the machine man had disappeared, and although the girl
looked quickly in every direction, she could not tell which of the many
ornaments the room contained had a moment before been her faithful
friend and servant.

So all she could do was to accept the hopeless task set her, and make
her guesses and abide by the result.

"It can't hurt very much," she thought, "for I haven't heard any of
them scream or cry out--not even the poor officers. Dear me! I wonder
if Uncle Henry or Aunt Em will ever know I have become an orn'ment in
the Nome King's palace, and must stand forever and ever in one place
and look pretty--'cept when I'm moved to be dusted. It isn't t