of a clock,
made him move; other machinery made him talk; still other machinery made
him think.

[Illustration]

Although so cleverly constructed, the Clockwork Man was far from
perfect. Three separate keys wound up his motion machinery, his speech
works, and his thoughts. One or more of these contrivances was likely to
run down at a critical moment, leaving poor Tiktok helpless. Also some
of his parts were wearing out, through much use, and just now his
thought machinery needed repair. The skillful little Wizard of Oz had
tinkered with Tiktok's thoughts without being able to get them properly
regulated, so he had advised the Clockwork Man to go to the Nome King
and secure a new set of springs, which would render his thoughts more
elastic and responsive.

"Be careful what you say to the Nome King," warned the Wizard. "He has a
bad temper and the least little thing makes him angry."

Tiktok promised, and the Wizard wound his machinery and set him walking
in the direction of the Nome King's dominions, just across the desert
from the Land of Oz. He ran down just as he reached the entrance to the
underground palace, and there Kaliko, the Nome King's Chief Steward,
found him and wound him up again.

"I want to see the King," said Tiktok, in his jerky voice.

"Well," remarked Kaliko, "it may be safe for a cast-iron person like you
to face his Majesty this morning; but you must announce yourself, for
should I show my face inside the jewel-studded cavern where the King is
now raving, I'd soon look like a dish of mashed potatoes, and be of no
further use to anyone."

"I'm not a-fraid," said Tiktok.

"Then walk in and make yourself at home," answered Kaliko, and threw
open the door of the King's cavern.

[Illustration]

Tiktok promptly walked in and faced the astonished Nome King, to whom
he said: "Good morn-ing. I want two new steel springs for my
thought-works and a new cog-wheel for my speech-pro-du-cer. How a-bout
it, your Maj-es-ty?"

The Nome King growled a menacing growl and his eyes were red with rage.

"How dare you enter my presence?" he shouted.

"I dare an-y-thing," said Tiktok. "I'm not a-fraid of a fat Nome."

[Illustration]

This was true, yet an unwise speech. Had Tiktok's thoughts been in good
working order he would have said something else. The angry Nome King
quickly caught up his heavy mace and hurled it straight at Tiktok. When
it struck the metal man's breast, the force of the blow burst