ard and Dorothy and
Button-Bright and Trot. No one was obliged to drive the Sawhorse, so
there were no reins to his harness; one had only to tell him which way
to go, fast or slow, and he understood perfectly.
It was about this time that a shaggy little black dog who had been lying
asleep in Dorothy's room in the palace woke up and discovered he was
lonesome. Everything seemed very still throughout the great building and
Toto--that was the little dog's name--missed the customary chatter of
the three girls. He never paid much attention to what was going on
around him and, although he could speak, he seldom said anything; so the
little dog did not know about Ozma's loss or that everyone had gone in
search of her. But he liked to be with people, and especially with his
own mistress, Dorothy, and having yawned and stretched himself and found
the door of the room ajar he trotted out into the corridor and went
down the stately marble stairs to the hall of the palace, where he met
Jellia Jamb.
[Illustration]
"Where's Dorothy?" asked Toto.
"She's gone to the Winkie Country," answered the maid.
"When?"
"A little while ago," replied Jellia.
Toto turned and trotted out into the palace garden and down the long
driveway until he came to the streets of the Emerald City. Here he
paused to listen and, hearing sounds of cheering, he ran swiftly along
until he came in sight of the Red Wagon and the Woozy and the Lion and
the Mule and all the others. Being a wise little dog, he decided not to
show himself to Dorothy just then, lest he be sent back home; but he
never lost sight of the party of travelers, all of whom were so eager to
get ahead that they never thought to look behind them.
When they came to the gates in the city wall the Guardian of the Gates
came out to throw wide the golden portals and let them pass through.
"Did any strange person come in or out of the city on the night before
last, when Ozma was stolen?" asked Dorothy.
"No, indeed, Princess," answered the Guardian of the Gates.
"Of course not," said the Wizard. "Anyone clever enough to steal all the
things we have lost would not mind the barrier of a wall like this, in
the least. I think the thief must have flown through the air, for
otherwise he could not have stolen from Ozma's royal palace and Glinda's
far-away castle in the same night. Moreover, as there are no airships in
Oz and no way for airships from the outside world to get into this
coun
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