| 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| 1 | 31 | 61 | 92 | 122 |
|
www.freeclassicebooks.com
12. The Deadly Desert Crossed
"
Oh, that's too bad!" cried Dorothy; "I wanted to thank Johnny Dooit for all his
kindness to us."
"
He hasn't time to listen to thanks," replied the shaggy man; "but I'm sure he
knows we are grateful. I suppose he is already at work in some other part of
the world."
They now looked more carefully at the sand-boat, and saw that the bottom
was modeled with two sharp runners which would glide through the sand.
The front of the sand-boat was pointed like the bow of a ship, and there was a
rudder at the stern to steer by.
It had been built just at the edge of the desert, so that all its length lay upon
the gray sand except the after part, which still rested on the strip of grass.
"
Get in, my dears," said the shaggy man; "I'm sure I can manage this boat as
well as any sailor. All you need do is sit still in your places."
Dorothy got in, Toto in her arms, and sat on the bottom of the boat just in
front of the mast. Button-Bright sat in front of Dorothy, while Polly leaned
over the bow. The shaggy man knelt behind the mast. When all were ready he
raised the sail half-way. The wind caught it. At once the sand-boat started
forward--slowly at first, then with added speed. The shaggy man pulled the
sail way up, and they flew so fast over the Deadly Desert that every one held
fast to the sides of the boat and scarcely dared to breathe.
The sand lay in billows, and was in places very uneven, so that the boat
rocked dangerously from side to side; but it never quite tipped over, and the
speed was so great that the shaggy man himself became frightened and began
to wonder how he could make the ship go slower.
"
It we're spilled in this sand, in the middle of the desert," Dorothy thought to
herself, "we'll be nothing but dust in a few minutes, and that will be the end of
us."
But they were not spilled, and by-and-by Polychrome, who was clinging to the
bow and looking straight ahead, saw a dark line before them and wondered
what it was. It grew plainer every second, until she discovered it to be a row
of jagged rocks at the end of the desert, while high above these rocks she
could see a tableland of green grass and beautiful trees.
6
8
Page
Quick Jump
|