Next morning as soon as the sun was up, Glinda flew back to hercastle, stopping on the way to instruct the Scarecrow and the TinWoodman, who were at that time staying at the college of Professor H.M. Wogglebug, T.E., and taking a course of his Patent Educational Pills.

On hearing of Ozma's loss, they started at once for theQuadling Country to search for her. As soon as Glinda had left theEmerald City, Tik-Tok and the Shaggy Man and Jack Pumpkinhead, who hadbeen present at the conference, began their journey into the GillikinCountry, and an hour later Ojo and Unc Nunkie joined Dr. Pipt andtogether they traveled toward the Munchkin Country. When all thesesearchers were gone, Dorothy and the Wizard completed their ownpreparations.

The Wizard hitched the Sawhorse to the Red Wagon, which would seatfour very comfortably. He wanted Dorothy, Betsy, Trot and thePatchwork Girl to ride in the wagon, but Scraps came up to themmounted upon the Woozy, and the Woozy said he would like to join theparty. Now this Woozy was a most peculiar animal, having a squarehead, square body, square legs and square tail. His skin was verytough and hard, resembling leather, and while his movements weresomewhat clumsy, the beast could travel with remarkable swiftness.His square eyes were mild and gentle in expression, and he was notespecially foolish. The Woozy and the Patchwork Girl were greatfriends, and so the Wizard agreed to let the Woozy go with them.

Another great beast now appeared and asked to go along. This was noneother than the famous Cowardly Lion, one of the most interestingcreatures in all Oz. No lion that roamed the jungles or plains couldcompare in size or intelligence with this Cowardly Lion, who--like allanimals living in Oz--could talk and who talked with more shrewdnessand wisdom than many of the people did. He said he was cowardlybecause he always trembled when he faced danger, but he had faceddanger many times and never refused to fight when it was necessary.This Lion was a great favorite with Ozma and always guarded her throneon state occasions. He was also an old companion and friend of thePrincess Dorothy, so the girl was delighted to have him join theparty.

"I'm so nervous over our dear Ozma," said the Cowardly Lion in hisdeep, rumbling voice, "that it would make me unhappy to remain behindwhile you are trying to find her. But do not get into any danger, Ibeg of you, for danger frightens me terribly."

"We'll not get into danger if we can poss'bly help it," promisedDorothy, "but we shall do anything to find Ozma, danger or no danger."

The addition of the Woozy and the Cowardly Lion to the party gaveBetsy Bobbin an idea, and she ran to the marble stables at the rear ofthe palace and brought out her mule, Hank by name. Perhaps no muleyou ever saw was so lean and bony and altogether plain looking as thisHank, but Betsy loved him dearly because he was faithful and steadyand not nearly so stupid as most mules are considered to be. Betsyhad a saddle for Hank, and he declared she would ride on his back, anarrangement approved by the Wizard because it left only four of theparty to ride on the seats of the Red Wagon--Dorothy and Button-Brightand Trot and himself.

An old sailor man who had one wooden leg came to see them off andsuggested that they put a supply of food and blankets in the Red Wagoninasmuch as they were uncertain how long they would be gone. Thissailor man was called Cap'n Bill. He was a former friend and comradeof Trot and had encountered many adventures in company with the littlegirl. I think he was sorry he could not go with her on this trip, butGlinda the Sorceress had asked Cap'n Bill to remain in the EmeraldCity and take charge of the royal palace while everyone else was away,and the one-legged sailor had agreed to do so.

They loaded the back end of the Red Wagon with everything they thoughtthey might need, and then they formed a procession and marched fromthe palace through the Emerald City to the great gates of the wallthat surrounded this beautiful capital of the Land of Oz. Crowds ofcitizens lined the streets to see them pass and to cheer them and wishthem success, for all were grieved over Ozma's loss and anxious thatshe be found again. First came the Cowardly Lion, then the PatchworkGirl riding upon the Woozy, then Betsy Bobbin on her mule Hank, andfinally the Sawhorse drawing the Red Wagon, in which were seated theWizard and Dorothy and Button-Bright and Trot. No one was obliged todrive the Sawhorse, so there were no reins to his harness; one hadonly to tell him which way to go, fast or slow, and he understoodperfectly.

It was about this time that a shaggy little black dog who had beenlying asleep in Dorothy's room in the palace woke up and discovered hewas 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.

"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 longdriveway until he came to the streets of the Emerald City. Here hepaused to listen, and hearing sounds of cheering, he ran swiftly alonguntil he came in sight of the Red Wagon and the Woozy and the Lion andthe Mule and all the others. Being a wise little dog, he decided notto show himself to Dorothy just then, lest he be sent back home, buthe never lost sight of the party of travelers, all of whom were soeager to get ahead that they never thought to look behind them. Whenthey came to the gates in the city wall, the Guardian of the Gatescame 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 beforelast 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 allthe things we have lost would not mind the barrier of a wall like thisin the least. I think the thief must have flown through the air, forotherwise he could not have stolen from Ozma's royal palace andGlinda's faraway castle in the same night. Moreover, as there are noairships in Oz and no way for airships from the outside world to getinto this country, I believe the thief must have flown from place toplace by means of magic arts which neither Glinda nor I understand."

On they went, and before the gates closed behind them, Toto managed tododge through them. The country surrounding the Emerald City wasthickly settled, and for a while our friends rode over nicely pavedroads which wound through a fertile country dotted with beautifulhouses, all built in the quaint Oz fashion. In the course of a fewhours, however, they had left the tilled fields and entered theCountry of the Winkies, which occupies a quarter of all the territoryin the Land of Oz but is not so well known as many other parts ofOzma's fairyland. Long before night the travelers had crossed theWinkie River near to the Scarecrow's Tower (which was now vacant) andhad entered the Rolling Prairie where few people live. They askedeveryone they met for news of Ozma, but none in this district had seenher or even knew that she had been stolen. And by nightfall they hadpassed all the farmhouses and were obliged to stop and ask for shelterat the hut of a lonely shepherd. When they halted, Toto was not farbehind. The little dog halted, too, and stealing softly around theparty, he hid himself behind the hut.

The shepherd was a kindly old man and treated the travelers with muchcourtesy. He slept out of doors that night, giving up his hut to thethree girls, who made their beds on the floor with the blankets theyhad brought in the Red Wagon. The Wizard and Button-Bright also sleptout of doors, and so did the Cowardly Lion and Hank the Mule. ButScraps and the Sawhorse did not sleep at all, and the Woozy could stayawake for a month at a time if he wished to, so these three sat in alittle group by themselves and talked together all through the night.

In the darkness, the Cowardly Lion felt a shaggy little form nestlingbeside his own, and he said sleepily, "Where did you come from, Toto?"

"From home," said the dog. "If you roll over, roll the other way soyou won't smash me."

"Does Dorothy know you are here?" asked the Lion.

"I believe not," admitted Toto, and he added a little anxiously, "Doyou think, friend Lion, we are now far enough from the Emerald Cityfor me to risk showing myself, or will Dorothy send me back because Iwasn't invited?"

"Only Dorothy can answer that question," said the Lion. "For my part,Toto, I consider this affair none of my business, so you must act asyou think best." Then the huge beast went to sleep again, and Totosnuggled closer to the warm, hairy body and also slept. He was a wiselittle dog in his way, and didn't intend to worry when there wassomething much better to do.

In the morning the Wizard built a fire, over which the girls cooked avery good breakfast. Suddenly Dorothy discovered Toto sitting quietlybefore the fire, and the little girl exclaimed, "Goodness me, Toto!Where did YOU come from?"

"From the place you cruelly left me," replied the dog in a reproachfultone.

"I forgot all about you," admitted Dorothy, "and if I hadn't, I'dprob'ly left you with Jellia Jamb, seeing this isn't a pleasure tripbut stric'ly business. But now that you're here, Toto, I s'poseyou'll have to stay with us, unless you'd rather go back again. Wemay get ourselves into trouble before we're done, Toto."

"Never mind that," said Toto, wagging his tail."I'm hungry,Dorothy."

"Breakfas'll soon be ready, and then you shall have your share,"promised his little mistress, who was really glad to have her dog withher. She and Toto had traveled together before, and she knew he was agood and faithful comrade.

When the food was cooked and served, the girls invited the oldshepherd to join them in the morning meal. He willingly consented,and while they ate he said to them, "You are now about to pass througha very dangerous country, unless you turn to the north or to the southto escape its perils."

"In that case," said the Cowardly Lion, "let us turn, by all means,for I dread to face dangers of any sort."

"What's the matter with the country ahead of us?"inquired Dorothy.

"Beyond this Rolling Prairie," explained the shepherd, "are theMerry-Go-Round Mountains, set close together and surrounded by deepgulfs so that no one is able to get past them. Beyond theMerry-Go-Round Mountains it is said the Thistle-Eaters and the Herkuslive."

"What are they like?" demanded Dorothy.

"No one knows, for no one has ever passed the Merry-Go-RoundMountains," was the reply, "but it is said that the Thistle-Eatershitch dragons to their chariots and that the Herkus are waited upon bygiants whom they have conquered and made their slaves."

"Who says all that?" asked Betsy.

"It is common report," declared the shepherd."Everyone believes it."

"I don't see how they know," remarked little Trot, "if no one has beenthere."

"Perhaps the birds who fly over that country brought the news,"suggested Betsy.

"If you escaped those dangers," continued the shepherd, "you mightencounter others still more serious before you came to the next branchof the Winkie River. It is true that beyond that river there lies afine country inhabited by good people, and if you reached there, youwould have no further trouble. It is between here and the west branchof the Winkie River that all dangers lie, for that is the unknownterritory that is inhabited by terrible, lawless people."

"It may be, and it may not be," said the Wizard. "We shall know whenwe get there."

"Well," persisted the shepherd, "in a fairy country such as ours,every undiscovered place is likely to harbor wicked creatures. Ifthey were not wicked, they would discover themselves and by comingamong us submit to Ozma's rule and be good and considerate, as are allthe Oz people whom we know."

"That argument," stated the little Wizard, "convinces me that it isour duty to go straight to those unknown places, however dangerousthey may be, for it is surely some cruel and wicked person who hasstolen our Ozma, and we know it would be folly to search among goodpeople for the culprit. Ozma may not be hidden in the secret placesof the Winkie Country, it is true, but it is our duty to travel toevery spot, however dangerous, where our beloved Ruler is likely to beimprisoned."

"You're right about that," said Button-Bright approvingly. "Dangersdon't hurt us. Only things that happen ever hurt anyone, and a dangeris a thing that might happen and might not happen, and sometimes don'tamount to shucks.

I vote we go ahead and take our chances."

They were all of the same opinion, so they packed up and said goodbyeto the friendly shepherd and proceeded on their way.