AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"It's every man's duty to do the best he knows how; and I'm going to do
it."

"Wish I had an axe," said Zeb, who by now had unhitched the horse.

"If we had known we were coming we might have brought along several
other useful things," responded the Wizard. "But we dropped into this
adventure rather unexpectedly."

The Gargoyles had backed away a distance when they heard the sound of
talking, for although our friends had spoken in low tones their words
seemed loud in the silence surrounding them. But as soon as the
conversation ceased the grinning, ugly creatures arose in a flock and
flew swiftly toward the strangers, their long arms stretched out before
them like the bowsprits of a fleet of sail-boats. The horse had
especially attracted their notice, because it was the biggest and
strangest creature they had ever seen; so it became the center of their
first attack.

But Jim was ready for them, and when he saw them coming he turned his
heels toward them and began kicking out as hard as he could. Crack!
crash! bang! went his iron-shod hoofs against the wooden bodies of the
Gargoyles, and they were battered right and left with such force that
they scattered like straws in the wind. But the noise and clatter seemed
as dreadful to them as Jim's heels, for all who were able swiftly turned
and flew away to a great distance. The others picked themselves up from
the ground one by one and quickly rejoined their fellows, so for a
moment the horse thought he had won the fight with ease.

But the Wizard was not so confident.

"Those wooden things are impossible to hurt," he said, "and all the
damage Jim has done to them is to knock a few splinters from their noses
and ears. That cannot make them look any uglier, I'm sure, and it is my
opinion they will soon renew the attack."

"What made them fly away?" asked Dorothy.

"The noise, of course. Don't you remember how the Champion escaped them
by shouting his battle-cry?"

"Suppose we escape down the stairs, too," suggested the boy. "We have
time, just now, and I'd rather face the invis'ble bears than those
wooden imps."

"No," returned Dorothy, stoutly, "it won't do to go back, for then we
would never get home. Let's fight it out."

"That is what I advise," said the Wizard. "They haven't defeated us yet,
and Jim is worth a whole army."

But the Gargoyles were clever enough not to attack the horse the next
time. They advanced in a great swarm, having been joined by many more of
their kind, and they flew straight over Jim's head to where the others
were standing.

The Wizard raised one of his revolvers and fired into the throng of his
enemies, and the shot resounded like a clap of thunder in that silent
place.

Some of the wooden beings fell flat upon the ground, where they quivered
and trembled in every limb; but most of them managed to wheel and escape
again to a distance.

Zeb ran and picked up one of the Gargoyles that lay nearest to him. The
top of its head was carved into a crown and the Wizard's bullet had
struck it exactly in the left eye, which was a hard wooden knot. Half of
the bullet stuck in the wood and half stuck out, so it had been the jar
and the sudden noise that had knocked the creature down, more than the
fact that it was really hurt. Before this crowned Gargoyle had recovered
himself Zeb had wound a strap several times around its body, confining
its wings and arms so that it could not move. Then, having tied the
wooden creature securely, the boy buckled the strap and tossed his
prisoner into the buggy. By that time the others had all retired.

[Illustration]




CHAPTER 12.

A WONDERFUL ESCAPE


For a while the enemy hesitated to renew the attack. Then a few of them
advanced until another shot from the Wizard's revolver made them
retreat.

"That's fine," said Zeb. "We've got 'em on the run now, sure enough."

"But only for a time," replied the Wizard, shaking his head gloomily.
"These revolvers are good for six shots each, but when those are gone we
shall be helpless."

The Gargoyles seemed to realize this, for they sent a few of their band
time after time to attack the strangers and draw the fire from the
little man's revolvers. In this way none of them was shocked by the
dreadful report more than once, for the main band kept far away and
each time a new company was sent into the battle. When the Wizard had

"It's every man's duty to do the best he knows how; and I'm going to do

it."

"Wish I had an axe," said Zeb, who by now had unhitched the horse.

"If we had known we were coming we might have brought along several

other useful things," responded the Wizard. "But we dropped into this

adventure rather unexpectedly."

The Gargoyles had backed away a distance when they heard the sound of

talking, for although our friends had spoken in low tones their words

seemed loud in the silence surrounding them. But as soon as the

conversation ceased the grinning, ugly creatures arose in a flock and

flew swiftly toward the strangers, their long arms stretched out before

them like the bowsprits of a fleet of sail-boats. The horse had

especially attracted their notice, because it was the biggest and

strangest creature they had ever seen; so it became the center of their

first attack.

But Jim was ready for them, and when he saw them coming he turned his

heels toward them and began kicking out as hard as he could. Crack!

crash! bang! went his iron-shod hoofs against the wooden bodies of the

Gargoyles, and they were battered right and left with such force that

they scattered like straws in the wind. But the noise and clatter seemed

as dreadful to them as Jim's heels, for all who were able swiftly turned

and flew away to a great distance. The others picked themselves up from

the ground one by one and quickly rejoined their fellows, so for a

moment the horse thought he had won the fight with ease.

But the Wizard was not so confident.

"Those wooden things are impossible to hurt," he said, "and all the

damage Jim has done to them is to knock a few splinters from their noses

and ears. That cannot make them look any uglier, I'm sure, and it is my

opinion they will soon renew the attack."

"What made them fly away?" asked Dorothy.

"The noise, of course. Don't you remember how the Champion escaped them

by shouting his battle-cry?"

"Suppose we escape down the stairs, too," suggested the boy. "We have

time, just now, and I'd rather face the invis'ble bears than those

wooden imps."

"No," returned Dorothy, stoutly, "it won't do to go back, for then we

would never get home. Let's fight it out."

"That is what I advise," said the Wizard. "They haven't defeated us yet,

and Jim is worth a whole army."

But the Gargoyles were clever enough not to attack the horse the next

time. They advanced in a great swarm, having been joined by many more of

their kind, and they flew straight over Jim's head to where the others

were standing.

The Wizard raised one of his revolvers and fired into the throng of his

enemies, and the shot resounded like a clap of thunder in that silent

place.

Some of the wooden beings fell flat upon the ground, where they quivered

and trembled in every limb; but most of them managed to wheel and escape

again to a distance.

Zeb ran and picked up one of the Gargoyles that lay nearest to him. The

top of its head was carved into a crown and the Wizard's bullet had

struck it exactly in the left eye, which was a hard wooden knot. Half of

the bullet stuck in the wood and half stuck out, so it had been the jar

and the sudden noise that had knocked the creature down, more than the

fact that it was really hurt. Before this crowned Gargoyle had recovered

himself Zeb had wound a strap several times around its body, confining

its wings and arms so that it could not move. Then, having tied the

wooden creature securely, the boy buckled the strap and tossed his

prisoner into the buggy. By that time the others had all retired.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 12.

A WONDERFUL ESCAPE

For a while the enemy hesitated to renew the attack. Then a few of them

advanced until another shot from the Wizard's revolver made them

retreat.

"That's fine," said Zeb. "We've got 'em on the run now, sure enough."

"But only for a time," replied the Wizard, shaking his head gloomily.

"These revolvers are good for six shots each, but when those are gone we

shall be helpless."

The Gargoyles seemed to realize this, for they sent a few of their band

time after time to attack the strangers and draw the fire from the

little man's revolvers. In this way none of them was shocked by the

dreadful report more than once, for the main band kept far away and

each time a new company was sent into the battle. When the Wizard had