the Scarecrow walked and commanded the army in the absence of the
Tin Woodman.

Presently the way began to lighten and more of the sunshine to come in
between the two mountains. And before long they heard the "thump!
thump! thump!" of the giant's hammer upon the road.

"How may we pass the monstrous man of iron?" asked the Queen, anxious
for the safety of her children. But Dorothy solved the problem by a
word to the magic belt.

The giant paused, with his hammer held motionless in the air, thus
allowing the entire party to pass between his cast-iron legs in safety.

19. The King of Ev

If there were any shifting, rock-colored Nomes on the mountain side
now, they were silent and respectful, for our adventurers were not
annoyed, as before, by their impudent laughter. Really the Nomes had
nothing to laugh at, since the defeat of their King.

On the other side they found Ozma's golden chariot, standing as they
had left it. Soon the Lion and the Tiger were harnessed to the
beautiful chariot, in which was enough room for Ozma and the Queen and
six of the royal children.

Little Evring preferred to ride with Dorothy upon the Sawhorse, which
had a long back. The Prince had recovered from his shyness and had
become very fond of the girl who had rescued him, so they were fast
friends and chatted pleasantly together as they rode along. Billina
was also perched upon the head of the wooden steed, which seemed not to
mind the added weight in the least, and the boy was full of wonder that
a hen could talk, and say such sensible things.

When they came to the gulf, Ozma's magic carpet carried them all over
in safety; and now they began to pass the trees, in which birds were
singing; and the breeze that was wafted to them from the farms of Ev
was spicy with flowers and new-mown hay; and the sunshine fell full
upon them, to warm them and drive away from their bodies the chill and
dampness of the underground kingdom of the Nomes.

"I would be quite content," said the Scarecrow to Tiktok, "were only
the Tin Woodman with us. But it breaks my heart to leave him behind."

"He was a fine fel-low," replied Tiktok, "al-though his ma-ter-i-al was
not ve-ry du-ra-ble."

"Oh, tin is an excellent material," the Scarecrow hastened to say; "and
if anything ever happened to poor Nick Chopper he was always easily
soldered. Besides, he did not have to be wound up, and was not liable
to get out of order."

"I some-times wis