ersation.

"No," said Tiktok.

"Then," continued the Tin Woodman, "I regret to say that you are greatly
inferior to my friend the Scarecrow, and to myself. For we are both
alive, and he has brains which do not need to be wound up, while I have
an excellent heart that is continually beating in my bosom."

"I con-grat-u-late you," replied Tiktok. "I can-not help be-ing your
in-fer-i-or for I am a mere ma-chine. When I am wound up I do my du-ty
by go-ing just as my ma-chin-er-y is made to go. You have no i-de-a how
full of ma-chin-er-y I am."

"I can guess," said the Scarecrow, looking at the machine man curiously.
"Some day I'd like to take you apart and see just how you are made."

"Do not do that, I beg of you," said Tiktok; "for you could not put me
to-geth-er a-gain, and my use-ful-ness would be de-stroyed."

"Oh! are you useful?" asked the Scarecrow, surprised.

"Ve-ry," said Tiktok.

"In that case," the Scarecrow kindly promised, "I won't fool with your
interior at all. For I am a poor mechanic, and might mix you up."

"Thank you," said Tiktok.

Just then Ozma re-entered the room, leading Dorothy by the hand and
followed closely by the Princess Langwidere.

[Illustration]

The Hungry Tiger

[Illustration]

The first thing Dorothy did was to rush into the embrace of the
Scarecrow, whose painted face beamed with delight as he pressed her form
to his straw-padded bosom. Then the Tin Woodman embraced her--very
gently, for he knew his tin arms might hurt her if he squeezed too
roughly.

These greetings having been exchanged, Dorothy took the key to Tiktok
from her pocket and wound up the machine man's action, so that he could
bow properly when introduced to the rest of the company. While doing
this she told them now useful Tiktok had been to her, and both the
Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman shook hands with the machine once more and
thanked him for protecting their friend.

Then Dorothy asked: "Where is Billina?"

"I don't know," said the Scarecrow. "Who is Billina?"

"She's a yellow hen who is another friend of mine," answered the girl,
anxiously. "I wonder what has become of her?"

"She is in the chicken house, in the back yard," said the Princess. "My
drawing-room is no place for hens."

Without waiting to hear more Dorothy ran to get Billina, and just
outside the door she came upon the Cowardly Lion, still hitched to the
chariot beside the great Tiger. The Cowardly Lion had a big bow o