Button-Bright took the shaggy man's hand willingly; for the shaggy manhad the Love Magnet, you know, which was the reason Button-Bright hadloved him at once. They started on, with Dorothy on one side, and Totoon the other, the little party trudging along more cheerfully than youmight have supposed. The girl was getting used to queer adventures,which interested her very much. Wherever Dorothy went Toto was sureto go, like Mary's little lamb. Button-Bright didn't seem a bitafraid or worried because he was lost, and the shaggy man had no home,perhaps, and was as happy in one place as in another.

Before long they saw ahead of them a fine big arch spanning theroad, and when they came nearer they found that the arch wasbeautifully carved and decorated with rich colors. A row of peacockswith spread tails ran along the top of it, and all the feathers weregorgeously painted. In the center was a large fox's head, and the foxwore a shrewd and knowing expression and had large spectacles over itseyes and a small golden crown with shiny points on top of its head.

While the travelers were looking with curiosity at this beautifularch there suddenly marched out of it a company of soldiers--only thesoldiers were all foxes dressed in uniforms. They wore green jacketsand yellow pantaloons, and their little round caps and their highboots were a bright red color. Also, there was a big red bow tiedabout the middle of each long, bushy tail. Each soldier was armedwith a wooden sword having an edge of sharp teeth set in a row, andthe sight of these teeth at first caused Dorothy to shudder.

A captain marched in front of the company of fox-soldiers, his uniformembroidered with gold braid to make it handsomer than the others.

Almost before our friends realized it the soldiers had surroundedthem on all sides, and the captain was calling out in a harsh voice:

"Surrender! You are our prisoners."

"What's a pris'ner?" asked Button-Bright.

"A prisoner is a captive," replied the fox-captain, strutting up anddown with much dignity.

"What's a captive?" asked Button-Bright.

"You're one," said the captain.

That made the shaggy man laugh

"Good afternoon, captain," he said, bowing politely to all the foxesand very low to their commander. "I trust you are in good health, andthat your families are all well?"

The fox-captain looked at the shaggy man, and his sharp features grewpleasant and smiling.

"We're pretty well, thank you, Shaggy Man," said he; and Dorothy knewthat the Love Magnet was working and that all the foxes now loved theshaggy man because of it. But Toto didn't know this, for he beganbarking angrily and tried to bite the captain's hairy leg where itshowed between his red boots and his yellow pantaloons.

"Stop, Toto!" cried the little girl, seizing the dog in her arms."These are our friends."

"Why, so we are!" remarked the captain in tones of astonishment."I thought at first we were enemies, but it seems you are friendsinstead. You must come with me to see King Dox."

"Who's he?" asked Button-Bright, with earnest eyes.

"King Dox of Foxville; the great and wise sovereign who rules overour community."

"What's sov'rin, and what's c'u'nity?" inquired Button-Bright.

"Don't ask so many questions, little boy."

"Why?"

"Ah, why indeed?" exclaimed the captain, looking at Button-Brightadmiringly. "If you don't ask questions you will learn nothing.True enough. I was wrong. You're a very clever little boy, come tothink of it--very clever indeed. But now, friends, please come withme, for it is my duty to escort you at once to the royal palace."

The soldiers marched back through the arch again, and with themmarched the shaggy man, Dorothy, Toto, and Button-Bright. Oncethrough the opening they found a fine, big city spread out beforethem, all the houses of carved marble in beautiful colors. Thedecorations were mostly birds and other fowl, such as peacocks,pheasants, turkeys, prairie-chickens, ducks, and geese. Over eachdoorway was carved a head representing the fox who lived in thathouse, this effect being quite pretty and unusual.

As our friends marched along, some of the foxes came out on theporches and balconies to get a view of the strangers. These foxeswere all handsomely dressed, the girl-foxes and women-foxes wearinggowns of feathers woven together effectively and colored in brighthues which Dorothy thought were quite artistic and decidedly attractive.

Button-Bright stared until his eyes were big and round, and he wouldhave stumbled and fallen more than once had not the shaggy man graspedhis hand tightly. They were all interested, and Toto was so excitedhe wanted to bark every minute and to chase and fight every fox hecaught sight of; but Dorothy held his little wiggling body fast in herarms and commanded him to be good and behave himself. So he finallyquieted down, like a wise doggy, deciding there were too many foxes inFoxville to fight at one time.

By-and-by they came to a big square, and in the center of the squarestood the royal palace. Dorothy knew it at once because it had overits great door the carved head of a fox just like the one she had seenon the arch, and this fox was the only one who wore a golden crown.

There were many fox-soldiers guarding the door, but they bowed to thecaptain and admitted him without question. The captain led themthrough many rooms, where richly dressed foxes were sitting onbeautiful chairs or sipping tea, which was being passed around byfox-servants in white aprons. They came to a big doorway covered withheavy curtains of cloth of gold.

Beside this doorway stood a huge drum. The fox-captain went to thisdrum and knocked his knees against it-- first one knee and then theother--so that the drum said: "Boom-boom."

"You must all do exactly what I do," ordered the captain; so theshaggy man pounded the drum with his knees, and so did Dorothy and sodid Button-Bright. The boy wanted to keep on pounding it with hislittle fat knees, because he liked the sound of it; but the captainstopped him. Toto couldn't pound the drum with his knees and hedidn't know enough to wag his tail against it, so Dorothy pounded thedrum for him and that made him bark, and when the little dog barkedthe fox-captain scowled.

The golden curtains drew back far enough to make an opening, throughwhich marched the captain with the others.

The broad, long room they entered was decorated in gold withstained-glass windows of splendid colors. In the corner of the roomupon a richly carved golden throne, sat the fox-king, surrounded by agroup of other foxes, all of whom wore great spectacles over theireyes, making them look solemn and important.

Dorothy knew the King at once, because she had seen his head carved onthe arch and over the doorway of the palace. Having met with severalother kings in her travels, she knew what to do, and at once made alow bow before the throne. The shaggy man bowed, too, andButton-Bright bobbed his head and said "Hello."

"Most wise and noble Potentate of Foxville," said the captain,addressing the King in a pompous voice, "I humbly beg to report that Ifound these strangers on the road leading to your Foxy Majesty'sdominions, and have therefore brought them before you, as is my duty."

"So--so," said the King, looking at them keenly. "What brought youhere, strangers?"

"Our legs, may it please your Royal Hairiness," replied the shaggy man.

"What is your business here?" was the next question.

"To get away as soon as possible," said the shaggy man.

The King didn't know about the Magnet, of course; but it made him lovethe shaggy man at once.

"Do just as you please about going away," he said; "but I'd like toshow you the sights of my city and to entertain your party while youare here. We feel highly honored to have little Dorothy with us, Iassure you, and we appreciate her kindness in making us a visit. Forwhatever country Dorothy visits is sure to become famous."

This speech greatly surprised the little girl, who asked:

"How did your Majesty know my name?"

"Why, everybody knows you, my dear," said the Fox-King. "Don't yourealize that? You are quite an important personage since PrincessOzma of Oz made you her friend."

"Do you know Ozma?" she asked, wondering.

"I regret to say that I do not," he answered, sadly; "but I hope tomeet her soon. You know the Princess Ozma is to celebrate herbirthday on the twenty-first of this month."

"Is she?" said Dorothy. "I didn't know that."

"Yes; it is to be the most brilliant royal ceremony ever held in anycity in Fairyland, and I hope you will try to get me an invitation."

Dorothy thought a moment.

"I'm sure Ozma would invite you if I asked her," she said; "but howcould you get to the Land of Oz and the Emerald City? It's a good wayfrom Kansas."

"Kansas!" he exclaimed, surprised.

"Why, yes; we are in Kansas now, aren't we?" she returned.

"What a queer notion!" cried the Fox-King, beginning to laugh."Whatever made you think this is Kansas?"

"I left Uncle Henry's farm only about two hours ago; that's thereason," she said, rather perplexed.

"But, tell me, my dear, did you ever see so wonderful a city asFoxville in Kansas?" he questioned.

"No, your Majesty."

"And haven't you traveled from Oz to Kansas in less than half a jiffy,by means of the Silver Shoes and the Magic Belt?"

"Yes, your Majesty," she acknowledged.

"Then why do you wonder that an hour or two could bring you toFoxville, which is nearer to Oz than it is to Kansas?"

"Dear me!" exclaimed Dorothy; "is this another fairy adventure?"

"It seems to be," said the Fox-King, smiling.

Dorothy turned to the shaggy man, and her face was grave and reproachful.

"Are you a magician? or a fairy in disguise?" she asked. "Did youenchant me when you asked the way to Butterfield?"

The shaggy man shook his head.

"Who ever heard of a shaggy fairy?" he replied. "No, Dorothy, mydear; I'm not to blame for this journey in any way, I assure you.There's been something strange about me ever since I owned the LoveMagnet; but I don't know what it is any more than you do. I didn'ttry to get you away from home, at all. If you want to find your wayback to the farm I'll go with you willingly, and do my best to help you."

"Never mind," said the little girl, thoughtfully. "There isn't somuch to see in Kansas as there is here, and I guess Aunt Em won't beVERY much worried; that is, if I don't stay away too long."

"That's right," declared the Fox-King, nodding approval. "Becontented with your lot, whatever it happens to be, if you are wise.Which reminds me that you have a new companion on this adventure--helooks very clever and bright."

"He is," said Dorothy; and the shaggy man added:

"That's his name, your Royal Foxiness--Button-Bright."