e to go. Ahead was a big rock lying against the side of the
mountain, and this blocked the way completely.

"There wouldn't be a path, though, if it didn't go somewhere," said the
Scarecrow, wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.

"This is somewhere, isn't it?" asked the Patchwork Girl, laughing at
the bewildered looks of the others.

"The path is locked, the way is blocked,
Yet here we've innocently flocked;
And now we're here it's rather queer
There's no front door that can be knocked."

"Please don't, Scraps," said Ojo. "You make me nervous."

"Well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little rest, for that's a drea'ful
steep path."

As she spoke she leaned against the edge of the big rock that stood in
their way. To her surprise it slowly swung backward and showed behind
it a dark hole that looked like the mouth of a tunnel.

"Why, here's where the path goes to!" she exclaimed.

"So it is," answered the Scarecrow. "But the question is, do we want to
go where the path does?"

"It's underground; right inside the mountain," said Ojo, peering into
the dark hole. "Perhaps there's a well there; and, if there is, it's
sure to be a dark one."

"Why, that's true enough!" cried Dorothy with eagerness. "Let's go in,
Scarecrow; 'cause, if others have gone, we're pretty safe to go, too."

Toto looked in and barked, but he did not venture to enter until the
Scarecrow had bravely gone first. Scraps followed closely after the
straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped inside the tunnel.
As soon as all of them had passed the big rock, it slowly turned and
filled up the opening again; but now they were no longer in the dark,
for a soft, rosy light enabled them to see around them quite distinctly.

It was only a passage, wide enough for two of them to walk
abreast--with Toto in between them--and it had a high, arched roof.
They could not see where the light which flooded the place so
pleasantly came from, for there were no lamps anywhere visible. The
passage ran straight for a little way and then made a bend to the right
and another sharp turn to the left, after which it went straight again.
But there were no side passages, so they could not lose their way.

After proceeding some distance, Toto, who had gone on ahead, began to
bark loudly. They ran around a bend to see what was the matter and
found a man sitting on the floor of the passage and leaning his back
against the wall. He had probably been