esome.

"We must be nearly as high as the six colored suns, by this time," said
Dorothy. "I didn't know this mountain was so tall."

"We are certainly a good distance away from the Land of the Mangaboos,"
added Zeb; "for we have slanted away from it ever since we started."

But they kept steadily moving, and just as Jim was about tired out with
his long journey the way suddenly grew lighter, and Zeb put out the
lanterns to save the oil.

To their joy they found it was a white light that now greeted them, for
all were weary of the colored rainbow lights which, after a time, had
made their eyes ache with their constantly shifting rays. The sides of
the tunnel showed before them like the inside of a long spy-glass, and
the floor became more level. Jim hastened his lagging steps at this
assurance of a quick relief from the dark passage, and in a few moments
more they had emerged from the mountain and found themselves face to
face with a new and charming country.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 8.

THE VALLEY OF VOICES

By journeying through the glass mountain they had reached a delightful
valley that was shaped like the hollow of a great cup, with another
rugged mountain showing on the other side of it, and soft and pretty
green hills at the ends. It was all laid out into lovely lawns and
gardens, with pebble paths leading through them and groves of beautiful
and stately trees dotting the landscape here and there. There were
orchards, too, bearing luscious fruits that are all unknown in our
world. Alluring brooks of crystal water flowed sparkling between their
flower-strewn banks, while scattered over the valley were dozens of the
quaintest and most picturesque cottages our travelers had ever beheld.
None of them were in clusters, such as villages or towns, but each had
ample grounds of its own, with orchards and gardens surrounding it.

As the new arrivals gazed upon this exquisite scene they were enraptured
by its beauties and the fragrance that permeated the soft air, which
they breathed so gratefully after the confined atmosphere of the tunnel.
Several minutes were consumed in silent admiration before they noticed
two very singular and unusual facts about this valley. One was that it
was lighted from some unseen source; for no sun or moon was in the
arched blue sky, although every object was flooded with a clear and
perfect light. The second and even more singular fact was the absence of
any inhabitant of th