to their wooden bodies
by means of wooden hinges with wooden screws, and with these wings they
flew swiftly and noiselessly here and there, their legs being of little
use to them.

This noiseless motion was one of the most peculiar things about the
Gargoyles. They made no sounds at all, either in flying or trying to
speak, and they conversed mainly by means of quick signals made with
their wooden fingers or lips. Neither was there any sound to be heard
anywhere throughout the wooden country. The birds did not sing, nor
did the cows moo; yet there was more than ordinary activity everywhere.

The group of these queer creatures which was discovered clustered near
the stairs at first remained staring and motionless, glaring with evil
eyes at the intruders who had so suddenly appeared in their land. In
turn the Wizard and the children, the horse and the kitten, examined
the Gargoyles with the same silent attention.

"There's going to be trouble, I'm sure," remarked the horse. "Unhitch
those tugs, Zeb, and set me free from the buggy, so I can fight
comfortably."

"Jim's right," sighed the Wizard. "There's going to be trouble, and my
sword isn't stout enough to cut up those wooden bodies--so I shall have
to get out my revolvers."

He got his satchel from the buggy and, opening it, took out two deadly
looking revolvers that made the children shrink back in alarm just to
look at.

"What harm can the Gurgles do?" asked Dorothy. "They have no weapons
to hurt us with."

"Each of their arms is a wooden club," answered the little man, "and
I'm sure the creatures mean mischief, by the looks of their eyes. Even
these revolvers can merely succeed in damaging a few of their wooden
bodies, and after that we will be at their mercy."

"But why fight at all, in that case?" asked the girl.

"So I may die with a clear conscience," returned the Wizard, gravely.
"It's every man's duty to do the best he knows how; and I'm going to do
it."

"Wish I had an axe," said Zeb, who by now had unhitched the horse.

"If we had known we were coming we might have brought along several
other useful things," responded the Wizard. "But we dropped into this
adventure rather unexpectedly."

The Gargoyles had backed away a distance when they heard the sound of
talking, for although our friends had spoken in low tones their words
seemed loud in the silence surrounding them. But as soon as the
conversation ceased, the grinning, ugly creatur