"Mercy ! " stuttered the little girl, turning him over gingerly "He's not alive at all; he's stuffed Why he's only dummy "

Half relieved and half disappointed, she gazed bland face fallen king handsomely painted face, which even the brook mud entirely spoil, and topped by splendid silver wig But what on earth did it all mean ? If Dorothy in Oz she found it more understandable, for strange things are always happening in Oz But in America ! Dorothy puzzle it out Sitting down on fallen tree she stared dummy in perfect astonishment How had she come here herself ? How was she back Emerald City ? Who were the wild green riders, and why had they flung the dummy over the cliff ?

" ," sighed Dorothy at last, looking pensively long green figure stretched so solemnly at her feet, " you were alive and then maybe

"Maybe what ? " wheezed the dummy, raising his head about an inch and blinking at her curiously "Say, who pulled me brook ? "

Dorothy gave little scream and then, recovering herself and swallowing hard, answered breathlessly, " ! "

"Well, I'm supposed dead," puffed the dummy reproachfully "Try that through your hair, can't you ? I've just been thrown over the cliff revolutionists You shouldn't have rescued me, little girl spoil the picture camera man anywhere about ? "

"Camera ? " gasped Dorothy faintly, "Oh, I don't know " It since Dorothy in America, and there very few moving pictures in those old days Kansas farm But Trot, who had come to Oz from San Francisco, had told Dorothy lot screen stars and moving picture stunts As she recalled Trot's stories, Dorothy clapped her hands Smiling dummy she said, " ! You're moving picture dummy, aren't you ? "

"Right the first time," said the dummy, as he raised his head another inch and smiled approvingly at Dorothy "I take all the risks," he explained complacently "I fall stars Now this star was foolish old King, but the last star I fell for was shooting star-a cow-boy, thrown from horse under stampeding herd of steers," he mused dreamily, "and had entirely remade

"But you had better run along now, little girl I'm supposed dead It doesn't hurt," he observed graciously, as Dorothy continued to stare at him in amazement "I've died hundred times and know all Run along now, like good child " Lowering his head, he settled down resignedly mud and stared stolidly up sky

"Well, prefer dead," began Dorothy bit stiffly, "I'll go But why want to lie there mud, sun is shining and everything so nice and interesting, I don't see You're not dead at all You're as alive as ! "

The dummy sat bolt upright at Dorothy's words and started to pinch himself curiously "Why so ," he puffed, rubbing his nose thoughtfully stuffed and pudgy finger "Sit down again my dear, until I get used idea of it, ? It feels very odd and dangerous ! " He shook one leg, then the other and rose unsteadily feet

"Hurrah ! " cried Dprothy "Why I believe walk Here, lean " She thrust stick dummy's hand and after few uncertain wobblings, he began to pace briskly up and down, his green velvet cloak slapping merrily at his heels Dorothy was so interested progress that she almost forgot how ridiculous for dummy alive, but as he lowered himself carefully log beside her, she began to wonder again how it had all happened

"Were you ever alive before ? " asked Dorothy curiously

The dummy shook his head "If talking and walking around like being alive, then I never have," said the dummy positively "What shall now ? "

"Why anything you like," laughed Dorothy, beginning to enjoy herself

"But dummy can only do as he's told," sighed the stuffed king doubtfully "And who my dear ? run off movies ? " He looked at Dorothy critically from all sides "Not bad at all," he murmured approvingly "They'll you, I'm sure Just stay here with me and presently come in truck and collect us Yes, that's the ticket, we'll wait until collected "

"Well, I'm not ticket," giggled Dorothy," and I don't want collected or go movies either I'm going straight back to Oz, "

"Oz ? " queried the dummy, pressing his finger forehead " place or tonic ? "

"It's place," sputtered Dorothy "Oh dear, wouldn't Ozma be surprised you ! , you're awfully like Scraps Scarecrow "

"They sound rather awful," smiled the dummy, folding his cloak around him dubiously "Are they dummies too ? "

"No, but they're stuffed," explained Dorothy, leaning over to poke him experimentally chest "You talk very queerly wonder what stuffed with ! "

"Hair, ," yawned the dummy indifferently, and leaning over he picked up his crown and set it jauntily side head "I wouldn't go back Oz place if I were you," he advised earnestly "Stay here and you moving picture every day - exciting and adventurous stuff too "

"But what's the fun of looking at other folks having adventures," sniffed Dorothy "In Oz adventures ourselves, and in Oz I'm Princess and live in castle "

The dummy turned and looked at her respectfully "A Princess," he murmured in faint voice "Oh ! "

" any name ? " asked Dorothy, rather ashamed of her boast about being Princess

"Well, there's number back neck, but I don't think any name, answered the stuffed man uneasily "I'm just dummy, "

"But I wouldn't like you dummy," said Dorothy gently

"Well that's what ," insisted the stuffed king cheerfully, "a regular dummy "

Tiptoeing round back of him, Dorothy pulled out little tag back collar "202-B-E-l0-B-47," read the little girl "My what long number "

"Yes, isn't it," replied the dummy proudly "Couldn't you call me ? "

" never remember it," objected Dorothy "Let-me-see, call you Clifford cause you fell off cliff, or Cal, 'cause you in California ? , dreadfully humpy in spots Humpy ! Why I believe I'll call you Humpy ! " cried Dorothy, clapping her hands softly

"Oooh ! Ouch ! What's that ? " In sudden terror Dorothy clutched at her left shoe

"I don't care what you call me, but I'd call you very odd ! " said the dummy in alarm "You've grown foot while I've been looking at you People country are supposed to stay the same size," he muttered, edging away uneasily But Dorothy scarcely heard him frightful pain in her heart and both shoes pinched so terribly that she screamed aloud same instant all the buttons flew off the back her dress

" going to burst ? " asked the dummy anxiously

"Oh ! Oh ! I'm afraid so," gasped the little girl, clutching herself waist At each word she shot up another inch, for Dorothy, who had lived Fairy Land of Oz for many years, was suddenly growing up

In Oz, no one ever grows up, but in America Dorothy quite young lady and, removed magical influences magical land, she was growing all at once and finding it, as most rest of us do, an exceedingly uncomfortable business Her screams as she grew taller and taller were so piteous that Humpy fell off the log

"Help ! Help ! Help ! " wailed the dummy, beating his flimsy arms up and down leaves

"Oh ! Oh ! Oh ! " panted Dorothy desperately " 't stand this another minute I were back I were back ! "

Next moment not sound ravine, nor person, nor even dummy Only startled squirrel ran up and down the log, chattering with fright and annoyance Certainly he had seen two people log Well, where were they now ? He frisked his tail, he wiggled his nose and scratched his head anxiously Then, with little bounce, it up and went off to crack some nuts for supper

CHAPTER 11

Real Oz Adventure

"The last thing I remember," muttered the dummy thickly, "was little girl shooting up like fountain Now what happened ? " Dorothy raised her head and looked cautiously direction the voice was coming The dummy lay, face down, in heap of leaves and, without making any attempt to rise, went stuffily on conversation "I don't mind falling for stars, but being flung around like bean bag for person one size this minute and another size the next is all wrong I wonder where now ! "

"Here ," called Dorothy breathlessly, rolling out of pile of leaves other side of him "How s'pose we got here ? "

"Little again ! " groaned the dummy, just lifting his head long enough to look at her, and then letting it drop back leaves "Little again ! "

"Oh, am I ? " Dorothy jumped up in great excitement and began measuring herself as best Her stockings were stretched and torn, her dress was ripped in several seams and minus all buttons But outside she was her old, or rather her young, sweet self again

"Why back in Oz," sighed Dorothy, looking with deep relief at stretch of purple hills background " Gilliken Country "