"Oh, I'm sorry ! " exclaimed the little girl

"Mis-ter Tin-ker," continued Tiktok, "made lad-der so tall that rest the end of it a-gainst the moon, while he stood high-est rung and picked the lit-tle stars to set points king's crown But when he got moon Mis-ter Tin-ker found it such love-ly place that he de-cid-ed to live there, so he pulled up the lad-der af-ter him and nev-er seen him since "

" been great loss country," said Dorothy, who was eating her custard pie

" ," acknowledged Tiktok "Also great loss For if get out of or-der know of an-y one a-ble to re-pair me, be-cause so com-pli-cat-ed no i-de-a how full of ma-chin-er-y "

" imagine it," said Dorothy, readily

"And now," continued the machine, " stop talk-ing and be-gin think-ing a-gain of way to es-cape rock " So he turned half way around, without being disturbed

"The best thinker I ever knew," said Dorothy yellow hen, "was scarecrow "

"Nonsense ! " snapped Billina

" true," declared Dorothy "I met him Land of Oz, and he traveled with me city great Wizard of Oz, so as some brains, head was only stuffed with straw But it seemed that he thought just before he got his brains as afterward "

" expect me all that rubbish Land of Oz ? " enquired Billina, who seemed little cross--perhaps because bugs were scarce

"What rubbish ? " asked the child, who was now finishing her nuts and raisins

"Why, your impossible stories about animals talk, and tin woodman alive, and scarecrow think "

" all there," said Dorothy, "for them "

"I don't believe it ! " cried the hen, with toss of her head

"That's 'cause you're so ign'rant," replied the girl, who was little offended at her friend Billina's speech

" Land of Oz," remarked Tiktok, turning toward them, "an-y-thing is pos-si-ble is won-der-ful fair-y coun-try "

"There, Billina ! what did ? " cried Dorothy And then she turned machine and asked in an eager tone: " the Land of Oz, Tiktok ? "

"No; but heard a-bout it," said the cop-per man " is on-ly sep-a-ra-ted Land of Ev by broad des-ert "

Dorothy clapped her hands together delightedly

"I'm glad ! " she exclaimed "It makes me quite happy so near my old friends The scarecrow you of, Billina, King Land of Oz "

"Par-don me the king now," said Tiktok

" when I left there," declared Dorothy

" ," said Tiktok, "but rev-o-lu-tion Land of Oz, Scare-crow was de-posed by sol-dier wo-man named Gen-er-al Jin-jur And then Jin-jur was de-posed by lit-tle girl named Oz-ma, who right-ful heir throne and now rules the land un-der the ti-tle of Oz-ma of Oz "

" news ," said Dorothy, thoughtfully "But I s'pose lots of things have happened since I left the Land of Oz I wonder what has become Scarecrow, and Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion And I wonder who this girl Ozma is, for I never heard of her before "

But Tiktok reply He had turned around again to resume his thinking

Dorothy packed the rest food back pail, so as not wasteful of good things, yellow hen forgot her dignity far enough to pick up all scattered crumbs, which she ate rather greedily, although she had so lately pretended to despise the things that Dorothy preferred as food

Tiktok approached them stiff bow

"Be kind e-nough to fol-low me," , " lead you a-way from here town of Ev-na, where more com-for-ta-ble, and al-so pro-tect you Wheel-ers "

"All right," answered Dorothy, promptly "I'm ready ! "

6 The Heads of Langwidere

They walked slowly down the path rocks, Tiktok going first, Dorothy following him, yellow hen trotting along last of all

foot path the copper man leaned down and tossed aside with ease the rocks that encumbered the way Then he turned to Dorothy and said:

"Let me car-ry your din-ner-pail "

She placed it right hand at once, copper fingers closed firmly over the stout handle

Then the little procession marched out level sands

three Wheelers who were guarding the mound saw them, they began to shout their wild cries and rolled swiftly toward the little group, to capture them or bar their way But foremost had approached near enough, Tiktok swung the tin dinner-pail and struck the Wheeler sharp blow over its head queer weapon Perhaps it hurt , but it made great noise, Wheeler uttered howl and tumbled over upon its side The next minute it scrambled to its wheels and rolled away as fast as it could go, screeching with fear same time

" you they were harm-less," began Tiktok; but before he more another Wheeler was upon them Crack ! went the dinner-pail against its head, knocking its straw hat dozen feet away; was enough Wheeler, also It rolled away first one, third wait pounded pail, but joined its fellows as quickly as its wheels would whirl

The yellow hen gave cackle of delight, and flying to perch upon Tiktok's shoulder, she said:

"Bravely done, my copper friend ! and wisely thought of, too Now free from those ugly creatures "

But just then large band of Wheelers rolled forest, and relying upon their numbers to conquer, they advanced fiercely upon Tiktok Dorothy grabbed Billina in her arms and held her tight, machine embraced the form little girl left arm, the better to protect her Then the Wheelers were upon them

Rattlety, bang ! bang ! went the dinner-pail in every direction, and it made clatter bumping against the heads Wheelers were much more frightened than hurt and fled in great panic All, , except their leader This Wheeler had stumbled against another and fallen flat upon his back, and before get his wheels under him to rise again, Tiktok had fastened his copper fingers neck gorgeous jacket foe and held him fast

"Tell your peo-ple a-way," commanded the machine

The leader Wheelers hesitated this order, so Tiktok shook him as terrier dog does rat, until the Wheeler's teeth rattled together with noise like hailstones on window pane Then, creature could get its breath, it shouted others to roll away, which they immediately did

"Now," said Tiktok, "you shall come and tell me what "

"You'll be sorry for treating me ," whined the Wheeler "I'm terribly fierce person "

"As ," answered Tiktok, " only ma-chine, and can-not feel sor-row or joy, no mat-ter what hap-pens But wrong your-self ter-ri-ble or fierce "

"Why so ? " asked the Wheeler

"Be-cause no one else thinks Your wheels make you help-less to in-jure an-y one For no fists and can not scratch or e-ven pull hair Nor an-y feet to kick with All do is to yell and shout, and hurt an-y one at all "

The Wheeler burst into flood of tears, to Dorothy's great surprise

"Now I and my people are ruined forever ! " he sobbed; "for discovered our secret Being so helpless, our only hope is people afraid of us, by pretending very fierce and terrible, and writing sand warnings to Beware the Wheelers Until now frightened everyone, but since discovered our weakness our enemies will fall upon us and make us very miserable and unhappy "

"Oh, no," exclaimed Dorothy, who was sorry this beautifully dressed Wheeler so miserable; "Tiktok will keep your secret, and so will Billina and I Only, promise not to frighten children any more, if near "

"I won't--indeed I won't ! " promised the Wheeler, ceasing to cry and becoming more cheerful "I'm not really bad, ; but to pretend terrible others from attacking us "

" ex-act-ly true," said Tiktok, starting to walk toward the path forest, and still holding fast prisoner, who rolled slowly along beside him "You and your peo-ple are full of mis-chief, and like to both-er those who fear you And of-ten im-pu-dent and dis-a-gree-a-ble, too But try to cure those faults tell any-one how help-less "

"I'll try, ," replied the Wheeler, eagerly "And , Mr Tiktok, for your kindness "