I must now tell you what had become of Button-Brightsince he wandered away in the morning and got lost. Thissmall boy, as perhaps you have discovered, was almost asdestitute of nerves as the Scarecrow. Nothing everastonished him much; nothing ever worried him or made himunhappy. Good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with aquiet smile, never complaining, whatever happened. Thiswas one reason why Button-Bright was a favorite with allwho knew him -- and perhaps it was the reason why he sooften got into difficulties, or found himself lost.

To-day, as he wandered here and there, over hill anddown dale, he missed Trot and Cap'n Bill, of whom he wasfond, but nevertheless he was not unhappy. The birds sangmerrily and the wildflowers were beautiful and the breezehad a fragrance of new-mown hay

"The only bad thing about this country is its King," hereflected; "but the country isn't to blame for that."

A prairie-dog stuck its round head out of a mound ofearth and looked at the boy with bright eyes.

"Walk around my house, please," it said, "and then youwon't harm it or disturb the babies."

"All right," answered Button-Bright, and took care notto step on the mound. He went on, whistling merrily,until a petulant voice cried:

"Oh, stop it! Please stop that noise. It gets on mynerves."

Button-Bright saw an old gray owl sitting in the crotchof a tree, and he replied with a laugh: "All right, oldFussy," and stopped whistling until he had passed out ofthe owl's hearing. At noon he came to a farmhouse wherean aged couple lived. They gave him a good dinner andtreated him kindly, but the man was deaf and the womanwas dumb, so they could answer no questions to guide himon the way to Pon's house. When he left them he was justas much lost as he had been before.

Every grove of trees he saw from a distance he visited,for he remembered that the King's castle was near a groveof trees and Pon's hut was near the King's castle; butalways he met with disappointment. Finally, passingthrough one of these groves, he came out into the openand found himself face to face with the Ork.

"Hello!" said Button-Bright. "Where did you come from?"

"From Orkland," was the reply. "I've found my owncountry, at last, and it is not far from here, either. Iwould have come back to you sooner, to see how you aregetting along, had not my family and friends welcomed myreturn so royally that a great celebration was held in myhonor. So I couldn't very well leave Orkland again untilthe excitement was over."

"Can you find your way back home again?" asked the boy.

"Yes, easily; for now I know exactly where it is. Butwhere are Trot and Cap'n Bill?"

Button-Bright related to the Ork their adventures sinceit had left them in Jinxland, telling of Trot's fear thatthe King had done something wicked to Cap'n Bill, and ofPon's love for Gloria, and how Trot and Button-Bright hadbeen turned out of the King's castle. That was all thenews that the boy had, but it made the Ork anxious forthe safety of his friends.

"We must go to them at once, for they may need us," hesaid.

"I don't know where to go," confessed Button-Bright."I'm lost."

"Well, I can take you back to the hut of the gardener'sboy," promised the Ork, "for when I fly high in the air Ican look down and easily spy the King's castle. That washow I happened to spy you, just entering the grove; so Iflew down and waited until you came out."

"How can you carry me?" asked the boy.

"You'll have to sit straddle my shoulders and put yourarms around my neck. Do you think you can keep fromfalling off?"

"I'll try," said Button-Bright. So the Ork squatteddown and the boy took his seat and held on tight. Thenthe skinny creature's tail began whirling and up theywent, far above all the tree-tops.

After the Ork had circled around once or twice, itssharp eyes located the towers of the castle and away itflew, straight toward the place. As it hovered in theair, near by the castle, Button-Bright pointed out Pon'shut, so they landed just before it and Trot came runningout to greet them.

Gloria was introduced to the Ork, who was surprisedto find Cap'n Bill transformed into a grasshopper.

"How do you like it?" asked the creature.

"Why, it worries me good deal," answered Cap'n Bill,perched upon Trot's shoulder. "I'm always afraid o' bein'stepped on, and I don't like the flavor of grass an'can't seem to get used to it. It's my nature to eatgrass, you know, but I begin to suspect it's an acquiredtaste."

"Can you give molasses?" asked the Ork.

"I guess I'm not that kind of a grasshopper," repliedCap'n Bill. "But I can't say what I might do if I wassqueezed -- which I hope I won't be."

"Well," said the Ork, "it's a great pity, and I'd liketo meet that cruel King and his Wicked Witch and punishthem both severely. You're awfully small, Cap'n Bill, butI think I would recognize you anywhere by your woodenleg."

Then the Ork and Button-Bright were told all aboutGloria's frozen heart and how the Scarecrow had come fromthe Land of Oz to help them. The Ork seemed ratherdisturbed when it learned that the Scarecrow had gonealone to conquer King Krewl.

"I'm afraid he'll make a fizzle of it," said the skinnycreature, "and there's no telling what that terrible Kingmight do to the poor Scarecrow, who seems like a veryinteresting person. So I believe I'll take a hand in thisconquest myself."

"How?" asked Trot.

"Wait and see," was the reply. "But, first of all, Imust fly home again -- back to my own country -- so ifyou'll forgive my leaving you so soon, I'll be off atonce. Stand away from my tail, please, so that the windfrom it, when it revolves, won't knock you over."

They gave the creature plenty of room and away it wentlike a flash and soon disappeared in the sky.

"I wonder," said Button-Bright, looking solemnly afterthe Ork, "whether he'll ever come back again."

"Of course he will!" returned Trot. "The Ork's a prettygood fellow, and we can depend on him. An' mark my words,Button-Bright, whenever our Ork does come back, there'sone cruel King in Jinxland that'll wish he hadn't."