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contrasting colors and removable heads that inspired the poor prisoners with

horror, and made them long to escape.

But the creatures led their captives away from the rocks and the road, down

the hill by a side path until they came before a low mountain of rock that

looked like a huge bowl turned upside down. At the edge of this mountain

was a deep gulf--so deep that when you looked into it there was nothing but

blackness below. Across the gulf was a narrow bridge of rock, and at the

other end of the bridge was an arched opening that led into the mountain.

Over this bridge the Scoodlers led their prisoners, through the opening into

the mountain, which they found to be an immense hollow dome lighted by

several holes in the roof. All around the circular space were built rock houses,

set close together, each with a door in the front wall. None of these houses

was more than six feet wide, but the Scoodlers were thin people sidewise and

did not need much room. So vast was the dome that there was a large space

in the middle of the cave, in front of all these houses, where the creatures

might congregate as in a great hall.

It made Dorothy shudder to see a huge iron kettle suspended by a stout chain

in the middle of the place, and underneath the kettle a great heap of kindling

wood and shavings, ready to light.

What's that?" asked the shaggy man, drawing back as they approached this

place, so that they were forced to push him forward.

The Soup Kettle!" yelled the Scoodlers, and then they shouted in the next

breath:

We're hungry!"

Button-Bright, holding Dorothy's hand in one chubby fist and Polly's hand in

the other, was so affected by this shout that he began to cry again, repeating

the protest:

Don't want to be soup, I don't!"

Never mind," said the shaggy man, consolingly; "I ought to make enough

soup to feed them all, I'm so big; so I'll ask them to put me in the kettle first."

All right," said Button-Bright, more cheerfully.

The Road to Oz