English
Whentheycametothemountainitprovedtobearugged,toweringchunkofdeepgreenglass,andlookeddismalandforbiddingintheextreme.
Halfwayupthesteepwasayawningcave,blackasnightbeyondthepointwheretherainbowraysofthecoloredsunsreachedintoit.
TheMangaboosdrovethehorseandthekittenandthepigletsintothisdarkholeandthen,havingpushedthebuggyinafterthem—foritseemedsomeofthemhaddraggeditallthewayfromthedomedhall—theybegantopilebigglassrockswithintheentrance,sothattheprisonerscouldnotgetoutagain.
“Thisisdreadful!”groanedJim.“Itwillbeabouttheendofouradventures,Iguess.”
“IftheWizardwashere,”saidoneofthepiglets,sobbingbitterly,“hewouldnotseeussufferso.”
“WeoughttohavecalledhimandDorothywhenwewerefirstattacked,”addedEureka.
“Butnevermind;bebrave,myfriends,andIwillgoandtellourmasterswhereyouare,andgetthemtocometoyourrescue.”
Themouthoftheholewasnearlyfilledupnow,butthekittengavealeapthroughtheremainingopeningandatoncescamperedupintotheair.
TheMangaboossawherescape,andseveralofthemcaughtuptheirthornsandgavechase,mountingthroughtheairafterher.
Eureka,however,waslighterthantheMangaboos,andwhiletheycouldmountonlyaboutahundredfeetabovetheearththekittenfoundshecouldgonearlytwohundredfeet.
SosheranalongovertheirheadsuntilshehadleftthemfarbehindandbelowandhadcometothecityandtheHouseoftheSorcerer.
TheresheenteredinatDorothy’swindowinthedomeandarousedherfromhersleep.
AssoonasthelittlegirlknewwhathadhappenedsheawakenedtheWizardandZeb,andatoncepreparationsweremadetogototherescueofJimandthepiglets.
TheWizardcarriedhissatchel,whichwasquiteheavy,andZebcarriedthetwolanternsandtheoilcan.
Dorothy’swickersuitcasewasstillundertheseatofthebuggy,andbygoodfortunetheboyhadalsoplacedtheharnessinthebuggywhenhehadtakenitofffromJimtoletthehorseliedownandrest.
Sotherewasnothingforthegirltocarrybutthekitten,whichsheheldclosetoherbosomandtriedtocomfort,foritslittleheartwasstillbeatingrapidly.
SomeoftheMangaboosdiscoveredthemassoonastheylefttheHouseoftheSorcerer;butwhentheystartedtowardthemountainthevegetablepeopleallowedthemtoproceedwithoutinterference,yetfollowedinacrowdbehindthemsothattheycouldnotgobackagain.
BeforelongtheynearedtheBlackPit,whereabusyswarmofMangaboos,headedbytheirPrincess,wasengagedinpilingupglassrocksbeforetheentrance.
“Stop,Icommandyou!”criedtheWizard,inanangrytone,andatoncebeganpullingdowntherockstoliberateJimandthepiglets.
Insteadofopposinghiminthistheystoodbackinsilenceuntilhehadmadeagood-sizedholeinthebarrier,whenbyorderofthePrincesstheyallsprangforwardandthrustouttheirsharpthorns.
Dorothyhoppedinsidetheopeningtoescapebeingpricked,andZebandtheWizard,afterenduringafewstabsfromthethorns,weregladtofollowher.
AtoncetheMangaboosbeganpilinguptherocksofglassagain,andasthelittlemanrealizedthattheywereallabouttobeentombedinthemountainhesaidtothechildren:
“Mydears,whatshallwedo?Jumpoutandfight?”
“What’stheuse?”repliedDorothy.“I’dassoondiehereaslivemuchlongeramongthesecruelandheartlesspeople.”
“That’sthewayIfeelaboutit,”remarkedZeb,rubbinghiswounds.“I’vehadenoughoftheMangaboos.”
“Allright,”saidtheWizard;“I’mwithyou,whateveryoudecide.Butwecan’tlivelonginthiscavern,that’scertain.”
Noticingthatthelightwasgrowingdimhepickeduphisninepiglets,pattedeachonelovinglyonitsfatlittlehead,andplacedthemcarefullyinhisinsidepocket.
Zebstruckamatchandlightedoneofthelanterns.
Theraysofthecoloredsunswerenowshutoutfromthemforever,forthelastchinkshadbeenfilledupinthewallthatseparatedtheirprisonfromtheLandoftheMangaboos.
“Howbigisthishole?”askedDorothy.
“I’llexploreitandsee,”repliedtheboy.
Sohecarriedthelanternbackforquiteadistance,whileDorothyandtheWizardfollowedathisside.
Thecaverndidnotcometoanend,astheyhadexpecteditwould,butslantedupwardthroughthegreatglassmountain,runninginadirectionthatpromisedtoleadthemtothesideoppositetheMangaboocountry.
“Itisn’tabadroad,”observedtheWizard,“andifwefollowedititmightleadustosomeplacethatismorecomfortablethanthisblackpocketwearenowin.
Isupposethevegetablefolkwerealwaysafraidtoenterthiscavernbecauseitisdark;butwehaveourlanternstolighttheway,soIproposethatwestartoutanddiscoverwherethistunnelinthemountainleadsto.”
Theothersagreedreadilytothissensiblesuggestion,andatoncetheboybegantoharnessJimtothebuggy.
WhenallwasinreadinessthethreetooktheirseatsinthebuggyandJimstartedcautiouslyalongtheway,ZebdrivingwhiletheWizardandDorothyeachheldalightedlanternsothehorsecouldseewheretogo.
Sometimesthetunnelwassonarrowthatthewheelsofthebuggygrazedthesides;thenitwouldbroadenoutaswideasastreet;butthefloorwasusuallysmooth,andforalongtimetheytraveledonwithoutanyaccident.
Jimstoppedsometimestorest,fortheclimbwasrathersteepandtiresome.
“Wemustbenearlyashighasthesixcoloredsuns,bythistime,”saidDorothy.“Ididn’tknowthismountainwassotall.”
“WearecertainlyagooddistanceawayfromtheLandoftheMangaboos,”addedZeb;“forwehaveslantedawayfromiteversincewestarted.”
Buttheykeptsteadilymoving,andjustasJimwasabouttiredoutwithhislongjourneythewaysuddenlygrewlighter,andZebputoutthelanternstosavetheoil.
Totheirjoytheyfounditwasawhitelightthatnowgreetedthem,forallwerewearyofthecoloredrainbowlightswhich,afteratime,hadmadetheireyesachewiththeirconstantlyshiftingrays.
Thesidesofthetunnelshowedbeforethemliketheinsideofalongspy-glass,andthefloorbecamemorelevel.
Jimhastenedhislaggingstepsatthisassuranceofaquickrelieffromthedarkpassage,andinafewmomentsmoretheyhademergedfromthemountainandfoundthemselvesfacetofacewithanewandcharmingcountry.
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