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Presently the path wound over a little hill. In a valley that lay beyond the hill

was a tiny cottage surrounded by flower beds and fruit trees. On the shady

porch of the cottage they saw, as they approached, a pleasant faced woman

sitting amidst a group of children, to whom she was telling stories. The

children quickly discovered the strangers and ran toward them with

exclamations of astonishment, so that Trot and her friends became the center

of a curious group, all chattering excitedly. Cap'n Bill's wooden leg seemed to

arouse the wonder of the children, as they could not understand why he had

not two meat legs. This attention seemed to please the old sailor, who patted

the heads of the children kindly and then, raising his hat to the woman, he

inquired:

Can you tell us, madam, just what country this is?"

She stared hard at all three of the strangers as she replied briefly: "Jinxland."

Oh!" exclaimed Cap'n Bill, with a puzzled look. "And where is Jinxland,

please?"

In the Quadling Country," said she.

What!" cried Trot, in sudden excitement. "Do you mean to say this is the

Quadling Country of the Land of Oz?"

To be sure I do," the woman answered. "Every bit of land that is surrounded

by the great desert is the Land of Oz, as you ought to know as well as I do; but

I'm sorry to say that Jinxland is separated from the rest of the Quadling

Country by that row of high mountains you see yonder, which have such

steep sides that no one can cross them. So we live here all by ourselves, and

are ruled by our own King, instead of by Ozma of Oz."

I've been to the Land of Oz before," said Button-Bright, "but I've never been

here."

Did you ever hear of Jinxland before?" asked Trot.

No," said Button-Bright.

It is on the Map of Oz, though," asserted the woman, "and it's a fine country,

I assure you. If only," she added, and then paused to look around her with a

frightened expression. "If only--" here she stopped again, as if not daring to go

on with her speech.

If only what, ma'am?" asked Cap'n Bill.

The Scarecrow of Oz