.

"You'll have to make a dash, Jim," said the Wizard, "and run as fast as
you can go."

"All right," answered the horse; "I'll do my best. But you must
remember I'm old, and my dashing days are past and gone."

All three got into the buggy and Zeb picked up the reins, though Jim
needed no guidance of any sort. The horse was still smarting from the
sharp claws of the invisible bears, and as soon as he was on land and
headed toward the mountain the thought that more of those fearsome
creatures might be near acted as a spur and sent him galloping along in
a way that made Dorothy catch her breath.

Then Zeb, in a spirit of mischief, uttered a growl like that of the
bears, and Jim pricked up his ears and fairly flew. His boney legs
moved so fast they could scarcely be seen, and the Wizard clung fast to
the seat and yelled "Whoa!" at the top of his voice.

"I--I'm 'fraid he's--he's running away!" gasped Dorothy.

"I KNOW he is," said Zeb; "but no bear can catch him if he keeps up
that gait--and the harness or the buggy don't break."

Jim did not make a mile a minute; but almost before they were aware of
it he drew up at the foot of the mountain, so suddenly that the Wizard
and Zeb both sailed over the dashboard and landed in the soft
grass--where they rolled over several times before they stopped.
Dorothy nearly went with them, but she was holding fast to the iron
rail of the seat, and that saved her. She squeezed the kitten, though,
until it screeched; and then the old cab-horse made several curious
sounds that led the little girl to suspect he was laughing at them all.

10. The Braided Man of Pyramid Mountain

The mountain before them was shaped like a cone and was so tall that
its point was lost in the clouds. Directly facing the place where Jim
had stopped was an arched opening leading to a broad stairway. The
stairs were cut in the rock inside the mountain, and they were broad
and not very steep, because they circled around like a cork-screw, and
at the arched opening where the flight began the circle was quite big.
At the foot of the stairs was a sign reading:

WARNING. These steps lead to the Land of the Gargoyles. DANGER! KEEP
OUT.

"I wonder how Jim is ever going to draw the buggy up so many stairs,"
said Dorothy, gravely.

"No trouble at all," declared the horse, with a contemptuous neigh.
"Still, I don't care to drag any passengers. You'll all have to walk."

"Suppose the stair