So on they went directly toward the city, which seemed only couple of miles distant But had traveled mile, it suddenly disappeared again Once more they paused, somewhat discouraged, but in moment the button eyes of Scraps again discovered the city, only just behind them direction they had come "Goodness gracious ! " cried Dorothy "There's surely something wrong city s'pose it's on wheels, Wizard ? "

"It may not be city at all," he replied, looking toward it with speculative glance

"What COULD it be, then ? "

"Just an illusion "

"What's that ? " asked Trot

"Something and don't see "

" 't believe that," said Button-Bright " only saw it, mistaken, but if it and hear it, too, it there "

"Where ? " asked the Patchwork Girl

"Somewhere near us," he insisted

back, I suppose," said the Woozy with sigh

So back they turned and headed walled city until it disappeared again, only to reappear right They were constantly getting nearer , however, so they kept their faces turned toward it as it flitted here and there to all points compass Presently the Lion, who was leading the procession, halted abruptly and cried out, "Ouch ! "

"What's the matter ? " asked Dorothy

"Ouch -- Ouch ! ~ repeated the Lion, and leaped backward so suddenly that Dorothy nearly tumbled back same time Hank the Mule yelled "Ouch ! ""Ouch ! Ouch ! " repeated the Lion and leaped backward so suddenly that Dorothy nearly tumbled back same time, Hank the Mule yelled "Ouch ! " almost as loudly Lion had done, and he also pranced backward few paces

"It's the thistles," said Betsy

"They prick their legs "

Hearing this, all looked down, and sure enough the ground was thick with thistles, which covered the plain point where they stood way walls mysterious city No pathways through them seen at all; here the soft grass ended growth of thistles began "They're the prickliest thistles I ever felt," grumbled the Lion "My legs smart yet from their stings, though I jumped as quickly as "

" new difficulty," remarked the Wizard in grieved tone "The city has stopped hopping around, true, but how are we over this mass of prickers ? "

" 't hurt ME," said the thick-skinned Woozy, advancing fearlessly and trampling thistles

"Nor me," said the Wooden Sawhorse

"But the Lion Mule cannot stand the prickers," asserted Dorothy, "and 't leave them behind "

"Must we all go back ? " asked Trot

"Course not ! " replied Button-Bright scornfully "Always when there's trouble, there's way out of it find it "

" the Scarecrow was here," said Scraps, standing on her head Woozy's square back "His splendid brains would soon show us how to conquer this field of thistles "

"What's the matter with YOUR brains ? " asked the boy

"Nothing," she said, making flip-flop thistles and dancing among them without feeling their sharp points " tell you in half minute how over the thistles if to "

"Tell us, Scraps ! " begged Dorothy

"I don't want to wear my brains out with overwork," replied the Patchwork Girl

"Don't you love Ozma ? And don't her ? " asked Betsy reproachfully

"Yes indeed," said Scraps, walking on her hands as an acrobat does circus

"Well, 't find Ozma unless we get past these thistles," declared Dorothy

Scraps danced around them times without reply Then she said, "Don't look at me, you stupid folks Look at those blankets "

The Wizard's face brightened at once

"Why didn't blankets before ? "

"Because you haven't magic brains," laughed Scraps "Such brains are common sort that grow in your heads, like weeds in garden I'm sorry people born alive "

But the Wizard was not listening to her He quickly removed the blankets back Sawhorse and spread thistles, just next the grass The thick cloth rendered the prickers harmless, so the Wizard walked over this first blanket and spread the second one farther on, direction phantom city "These blankets," said he, "are Lion Mule to walk upon The Sawhorse Woozy can walk thistles "

So the Lion Mule walked over the first blanket and stood second one until the Wizard had picked up the one they had passed over and spread it in front , advanced one and waited while the one behind them was again spread in front " slow work," said the Wizard, "but get us city after while "

"The city is good half mile away yet," announced Button-Bright

"And awful hard work Wizard," added Trot

"Why couldn't the Lion ride Woozy's back ? " asked Dorothy "it's big, flat back, Woozy's mighty strong Perhaps the Lion wouldn't fall off "

" try it like," said the Woozy Lion " take you city in jiffy and then come back for Hank "

"I'm--I'm afraid," said the Cowardly Lion twice as big Woozy

"Try it," pleaded Dorothy

"And take tumble thistles ? "asked the Lion reproachfully But Woozy came close to him, the big beast suddenly bounded upon its back and managed to balance himself there, although forced to hold his four legs so close together that in danger of toppling over The great weight monster Lion seem to affect the Woozy, who called rider, "Hold on tight ! " and ran swiftly over the thistles toward the city The others stood blanket and watched the strange sight anxiously , the Lion couldn't "hold on tight" because nothing to hold to, and he swayed from side to side likely off any moment Still, he managed to stick Woozy's back until they were close walls city, when he leaped ground Next moment the Woozy came dashing back at full speed

"There's little strip of ground next the wall where no thistles," them when he had reached the adventurers once more "Now then, friend Hank, see ride Lion did "

" others first," proposed the Mule So the Sawhorse Woozy made couple of trips over the thistles city walls and carried all the people in safety, Dorothy holding little Toto in her arms The travelers then sat in group on little hillock just outside the wall and looked great blocks of gray stone and waited Woozy to bring Hank The Mule was very awkward, legs trembled so badly that more than once they thought tumble off, but finally he reached them in safety, entire party was now reunited More than that, they had reached the city that had eluded them for and in so strange manner

"The gates around the other side," said the Wizard " follow the curve wall until we reach an opening "

" ? " asked Dorothy

" guess that," he replied "Suppose we go left One direction is as good as another " They formed in marching order and went around the city wall left It wasn't big city, as said, but way around it outside the high wall was quite walk, became aware But around it our adventurers went without finding any sign of gateway or other opening had returned little mound they had started, they dismounted animals and again seated themselves grassy mound

"It's mighty queer, isn't it ? " asked Button-Bright

" SOME way people out and in," declared Dorothy " s'pose flying machines, Wizard ? "

"No," he replied, "for case flying all over the Land of Oz, and not done that Flying machines are unknown here it more likely people use ladders over the walls "

"It an awful climb over that high stone wall," said Betsy

"Stone, ? " Scraps, who was again dancing wildly around, for she never tired and could never keep still for long

"Course it's stone," answered Betsy scornfully "Can't ? "

"Yes," said Scraps, going closer " the wall, but 't FEEL it " And then, with her arms outstretched, she did very queer thing She walked right wall and disappeared

"For goodness sake ! " Dorothy, amazed, as indeed they all were

CHAPTER 9

THE HIGH COCO-LORUM OF THI

And now the Patchwork Girl came dancing wall again "Come on ! " she called "It isn't there

There isn't any wall at all "

"What ? No wall ? " exclaimed the Wizard