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When the braided man had completed this strange tale Dorothy nearly
laughed, because it was all so absurd; but the Wizard tapped his
forehead significantly, to indicate that he thought the poor man was
crazy. So they politely bade him good day, and went back to the outer
cavern to resume their journey.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER 11.
THEY MEET THE WOODEN GARGOYLES
Another breathless climb brought our adventurers to a third landing
where there was a rift in the mountain. On peering out all they could
see was rolling banks of clouds, so thick that they obscured all else.
But the travellers were obliged to rest, and while they were sitting on
the rocky floor the Wizard felt in his pocket and brought out the nine
tiny piglets. To his delight they were now plainly visible, which proved
that they had passed beyond the influence of the magical Valley of Voe.
"Why, we can see each other again!" cried one, joyfully.
"Yes," sighed Eureka; "and I also can see you again, and the sight
makes me dreadfully hungry. Please, Mr. Wizard, may I eat just one of
the fat little piglets? You'd never miss _one_ of them, I'm sure!"
"What a horrid, savage beast!" exclaimed a piglet; "and after we've been
such good friends, too, and played with one another!"
"When I'm not hungry, I love to play with you all," said the kitten,
demurely; "but when my stomach is empty it seems that nothing would fill
it so nicely as a fat piglet."
"And we trusted you so!" said another of the nine, reproachfully.
"And thought you were respectable!" said another.
"It seems we were mistaken," declared a third, looking at the kitten
timorously, "no one with such murderous desires should belong to our
party, I'm sure."
"You see, Eureka," remarked Dorothy, reprovingly, "you are making
yourself disliked. There are certain things proper for a kitten to eat;
but I never heard of a kitten eating a pig, under _any_ cir'stances."
"Did you ever see such little pigs before?" asked the kitten. "They are
no bigger than mice, and I'm sure mice are proper for me to eat."
"It isn't the bigness, dear; its the variety," replied the girl. "These
are Mr. Wizard's pets, just as you are my pet, and it wouldn't be any
more proper for you to eat them than it would be for Jim to eat you."
"And that's just what I shall do if you don't let those little balls of
pork alone," said Jim, glaring at the kitten with his round, big eyes.
"If you injure any one of them I'll chew you up instantly."
The kitten looked at the horse thoughtfully, as if trying to decide
whether he meant it or not.
"In that case," she said, "I'll leave them alone. You haven't many teeth
left, Jim, but the few you have are sharp enough to make me shudder. So
the piglets will be perfectly safe, hereafter, as far as I am
concerned."
"That is right, Eureka," remarked the Wizard, earnestly. "Let us all be
a happy family and love one another."
Eureka yawned and stretched herself.
"I've always loved the piglets," she said; "but they don't love me."
"No one can love a person he's afraid of," asserted Dorothy. "If you
behave, and don't scare the little pigs, I'm sure they'll grow very fond
of you."
The Wizard now put the nine tiny ones back into his pocket and the
journey was resumed.
"We must be pretty near the top, now," said the boy, as they climbed
wearily up the dark, winding stairway.
"The Country of the Gurgles can't be far from the top of the earth,"
remarked Dorothy. "It isn't very nice down here. I'd like to get home
again, I'm sure."
No one replied to this, because they found they needed all their breath
for the climb. The stairs had become narrower and Zeb and the Wizard
often had to help Jim pull the buggy from one step to another, or keep
it from jamming against the rocky walls.
At last, however, a dim light appeared ahead of them, which grew clearer
and stronger as they advanced.
"Thank goodness we're nearly there!" panted the little Wizard.