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direction they had taken, fully determined to catch them, in time, and to

punish them terribly for spying upon her witchcraft.

When Pon and Trot had run so far that they were confident they had made

good their escape, they sat down near the edge of a forest to get their breath

again, for both were panting hard from their exertions. Trot was the first to

recover speech, and she said to her companion:

My! wasn't it terr'ble?"

The most terrible thing I ever saw," Pon agreed.

And they froze Gloria's heart; so now she can't love you any more."

Well, they froze her heart, to be sure," admitted Pon, "but I'm in hopes I can

melt it with my love."

Where do you s'pose Gloria is?" asked the girl, after a pause.

She left the witch's house just before we did. Perhaps she has gone back to

the King's castle," he said.

I'm pretty sure she started off in a diff'rent direction," declared Trot. "I looked

over my shoulder, as I ran, to see how close the witches were, and I'm sure I

saw Gloria walking slowly away toward the north."

Then let us circle around that way," proposed Pon, "and perhaps we shall

meet her."

Trot agreed to this and they left the grove and began to circle around toward

the north, thus drawing nearer and nearer to old Blinkie's house again. The

Wicked Witch did not suspect this change of direction, so when she came to

the grove she passed through it and continued on.

Pon and Trot had reached a place less than half a mile from the witch's house

when they saw Gloria walking toward them. The Princess moved with great

dignity and with no show of haste whatever, holding her head high and

looking neither to right nor left.

Pon rushed forward, holding out his arms as if to embrace her and calling her

sweet names. But Gloria gazed upon him coldly and repelled him with a

haughty gesture. At this the poor gardener's boy sank upon his knees and hid

his face in his arms, weeping bitter tears; but the Princess was not at all

moved by his distress. Passing him by, she drew her skirts aside, as if

The Scarecrow of Oz