ing quietly by the roadside. They needed no
food, for their wooden bodies never became hungry; nor did they sleep,
because they never tired. At daybreak they continued their journey and
soon reached the forest.

Jack now examined the map Ozma had given him and found the right path to
take, which the Sawhorse obediently followed. Underneath the trees all
was silent and gloomy and Jack beguiled the way by whistling gayly as
the Sawhorse trotted along.

[Illustration]

The paths branched so many times and in so many different ways that the
Pumpkinhead was often obliged to consult Ozma's map, and finally the
Sawhorse became suspicious.

"Are you sure you are right?" it asked.

"Of course," answered Jack. "Even a Pumpkinhead whose brains are seeds
can follow so clear a map as this. Every path is plainly marked, and
here is a cross where the children are."

Finally they reached a place, in the very heart of the forest, where
they came upon the lost boy and girl. But they found the two children
bound fast to the trunk of a big tree, at the foot of which they were
sitting.

When the rescuers arrived, the little girl was sobbing bitterly and the
boy was trying to comfort her, though he was probably frightened as
much as she.

"Cheer up, my dears," said Jack, getting out of the saddle. "I have come
to take you back to your parents. But why are you bound to that tree?"

"Because," cried a small, sharp voice, "they are thieves and robbers.
That's why!"

"Dear me!" said Jack, looking around to see who had spoken. The voice
seemed to come from above.

A big grey squirrel was sitting upon a low branch of the tree. Upon the
squirrel's head was a circle of gold, with a diamond set in the center
of it. He was running up and down the limbs and chattering excitedly.

[Illustration]

"These children," continued the squirrel, angrily, "robbed our
storehouse of all the nuts we had saved up for winter. Therefore, being
King of all the Squirrels in this forest, I ordered them arrested and
put in prison, as you now see them. They had no right to steal our
provisions and we are going to punish them."

"We were hungry," said the boy, pleadingly, "and we found a hollow tree
full of nuts, and ate them to keep alive. We didn't want to starve when
there was food right in front of us."

"Quite right," remarked Jack, nodding his pumpkin head. "I don't blame
you one bit, under the circumstances. Not a bit."

Then he began to untie t