AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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The next moment a broad-leaved plant was jerked from the ground where it
grew and held suspended in the air before the Wizard.

[Illustration: ESCAPING THE INVISIBLE BEARS.]

"Sir," said the voice, "you must rub these leaves upon the soles of
all your feet, and then you will be able to walk upon the water without
sinking below the surface. It is a secret the bears do not know, and we
people of Voe usually walk upon the water when we travel, and so escape
our enemies."

"Thank you!" cried the Wizard, joyfully, and at once rubbed a leaf upon
the soles of Dorothy's shoes and then upon his own. The girl took a leaf
and rubbed it upon the kitten's paws, and the rest of the plant was
handed to Zeb, who, after applying it to his own feet, carefully rubbed
it upon all four of Jim's hoofs and then upon the tires of the
buggy-wheels. He had nearly finished this last task when a low growling
was suddenly heard and the horse began to jump around and kick viciously
with his heels.

"Quick! To the water, or you are lost!" cried their unseen friend, and
without hesitation the Wizard drew the buggy down the bank and out upon
the broad river, for Dorothy was still seated in it with Eureka in her
arms. They did not sink at all, owing to the virtues of the strange
plant they had used, and when the buggy was in the middle of the stream
the Wizard returned to the bank to assist Zeb and Jim.

The horse was plunging madly about, and two or three deep gashes
appeared upon its flanks, from which the blood flowed freely.

"Run for the river!" shouted the Wizard, and Jim quickly freed himself
from his unseen tormenters by a few vicious kicks and then obeyed. As
soon as he trotted out upon the surface of the river he found himself
safe from pursuit, and Zeb was already running across the water toward
Dorothy.

As the little Wizard turned to follow them he felt a hot breath against
his cheek and heard a low, fierce growl. At once he began stabbing at
the air with his sword, and he knew that he had struck some substance
because when he drew back the blade it was dripping with blood. The
third time that he thrust out the weapon there was a loud roar and a
fall, and suddenly at his feet appeared the form of a great red bear,
which was nearly as big as the horse and much stronger and fiercer. The
beast was quite dead from the sword thrusts, and after a glance at its
terrible claws and sharp teeth the little man turned in a panic and
rushed out upon the water, for other menacing growls told him more bears
were near.

On the river, however, the adventurers seemed to be perfectly safe.
Dorothy and the buggy had floated slowly down stream with the current of
the water, and the others made haste to join her. The Wizard opened his
satchel and got out some sticking-plaster with which he mended the cuts
Jim had received from the claws of the bears.

"I think we'd better stick to the river, after this," said Dorothy. "If
our unknown friend hadn't warned us, and told us what to do, we would
all be dead by this time."

"That is true," agreed the Wizard, "and as the river seems to be flowing
in the direction of the Pyramid Mountain it will be the easiest way for
us to travel."

Zeb hitched Jim to the buggy again, and the horse trotted along and drew
them rapidly over the smooth water. The kitten was at first dreadfully
afraid of getting wet, but Dorothy let her down and soon Eureka was
frisking along beside the buggy without being scared a bit. Once a
little fish swam too near the surface, and the kitten grabbed it in her
mouth and ate it up as quick as a wink; but Dorothy cautioned her to be
careful what she ate in this valley of enchantments, and no more fishes
were careless enough to swim within reach.

After a journey of several hours they came to a point where the river
curved, and they found they must cross a mile or so of the Valley before
they came to the Pyramid Mountain. There were few houses in this part,
and few orchards or flowers; so our friends feared they might encounter
more of the savage bears, which they had learned to dread with all their
hearts.

"You'll have to make a dash, Jim," said the Wizard, "and run as fast as
you can go."

"All right," answered the horse; "I'll do my best. But you must remember
I'm old, and my dashing days are past and gone."

All three got into the buggy and Zeb picked up the reins, though Jim
needed no guidance of any sort. The horse was still smarting from the
sharp claws of the invisible bears, and as soon as he was on land and
headed toward the mountain the thought that more of those fearsome
creatures might be near acted as a spur and sent him galloping along in
a way that made Dorothy catch her breath.

Then Zeb, in a spirit of mischief, uttered a growl like that of the
bears, and Jim pricked up his ears and fairly flew. His boney legs moved
so fast they could scarcely be seen, and the Wizard clung fast to the
seat and yelled "Whoa!" at the top of his voice.

"I--I'm 'fraid he's--he's running away!" gasped Dorothy.

"I _know_ he is," said Zeb; "but no bear can catch him if he keeps up

The next moment a broad-leaved plant was jerked from the ground where it

grew and held suspended in the air before the Wizard.

[Illustration: ESCAPING THE INVISIBLE BEARS.]

"Sir," said the voice, "you must rub these leaves upon the soles of

all your feet, and then you will be able to walk upon the water without

sinking below the surface. It is a secret the bears do not know, and we

people of Voe usually walk upon the water when we travel, and so escape

our enemies."

"Thank you!" cried the Wizard, joyfully, and at once rubbed a leaf upon

the soles of Dorothy's shoes and then upon his own. The girl took a leaf

and rubbed it upon the kitten's paws, and the rest of the plant was

handed to Zeb, who, after applying it to his own feet, carefully rubbed

it upon all four of Jim's hoofs and then upon the tires of the

buggy-wheels. He had nearly finished this last task when a low growling

was suddenly heard and the horse began to jump around and kick viciously

with his heels.

"Quick! To the water, or you are lost!" cried their unseen friend, and

without hesitation the Wizard drew the buggy down the bank and out upon

the broad river, for Dorothy was still seated in it with Eureka in her

arms. They did not sink at all, owing to the virtues of the strange

plant they had used, and when the buggy was in the middle of the stream

the Wizard returned to the bank to assist Zeb and Jim.

The horse was plunging madly about, and two or three deep gashes

appeared upon its flanks, from which the blood flowed freely.

"Run for the river!" shouted the Wizard, and Jim quickly freed himself

from his unseen tormenters by a few vicious kicks and then obeyed. As

soon as he trotted out upon the surface of the river he found himself

safe from pursuit, and Zeb was already running across the water toward

Dorothy.

As the little Wizard turned to follow them he felt a hot breath against

his cheek and heard a low, fierce growl. At once he began stabbing at

the air with his sword, and he knew that he had struck some substance

because when he drew back the blade it was dripping with blood. The

third time that he thrust out the weapon there was a loud roar and a

fall, and suddenly at his feet appeared the form of a great red bear,

which was nearly as big as the horse and much stronger and fiercer. The

beast was quite dead from the sword thrusts, and after a glance at its

terrible claws and sharp teeth the little man turned in a panic and

rushed out upon the water, for other menacing growls told him more bears

were near.

On the river, however, the adventurers seemed to be perfectly safe.

Dorothy and the buggy had floated slowly down stream with the current of

the water, and the others made haste to join her. The Wizard opened his

satchel and got out some sticking-plaster with which he mended the cuts

Jim had received from the claws of the bears.

"I think we'd better stick to the river, after this," said Dorothy. "If

our unknown friend hadn't warned us, and told us what to do, we would

all be dead by this time."

"That is true," agreed the Wizard, "and as the river seems to be flowing

in the direction of the Pyramid Mountain it will be the easiest way for

us to travel."

Zeb hitched Jim to the buggy again, and the horse trotted along and drew

them rapidly over the smooth water. The kitten was at first dreadfully

afraid of getting wet, but Dorothy let her down and soon Eureka was

frisking along beside the buggy without being scared a bit. Once a

little fish swam too near the surface, and the kitten grabbed it in her

mouth and ate it up as quick as a wink; but Dorothy cautioned her to be

careful what she ate in this valley of enchantments, and no more fishes

were careless enough to swim within reach.

After a journey of several hours they came to a point where the river

curved, and they found they must cross a mile or so of the Valley before

they came to the Pyramid Mountain. There were few houses in this part,

and few orchards or flowers; so our friends feared they might encounter

more of the savage bears, which they had learned to dread with all their

hearts.

"You'll have to make a dash, Jim," said the Wizard, "and run as fast as

you can go."

"All right," answered the horse; "I'll do my best. But you must remember

I'm old, and my dashing days are past and gone."

All three got into the buggy and Zeb picked up the reins, though Jim

needed no guidance of any sort. The horse was still smarting from the

sharp claws of the invisible bears, and as soon as he was on land and

headed toward the mountain the thought that more of those fearsome

creatures might be near acted as a spur and sent him galloping along in

a way that made Dorothy catch her breath.

Then Zeb, in a spirit of mischief, uttered a growl like that of the

bears, and Jim pricked up his ears and fairly flew. His boney legs moved

so fast they could scarcely be seen, and the Wizard clung fast to the

seat and yelled "Whoa!" at the top of his voice.

"I--I'm 'fraid he's--he's running away!" gasped Dorothy.

"I _know_ he is," said Zeb; "but no bear can catch him if he keeps up