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"But a warning means danger," protested Woot the Wanderer, "and I believe

it sensible to keep out of danger whenever we can."

They made no reply to this speech for a while. Then said the Scarecrow:

"I have escaped so many dangers, during my lifetime, that I am not much

afraid of anything that can happen."

Nor am I!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman, swinging his glittering axe around

his tin head, in a series of circles. "Few things can injure tin, and my axe is

a powerful weapon to use against a foe. But our boy friend," he continued,

looking solemnly at Woot, "might perhaps be injured if the people of

Loonville are really dangerous; so I propose he waits here while you and I,

Friend Scarecrow, visit the forbidden City of Loonville."

"Don't worry about me," advised Woot, calmly. "Wherever you wish to go, I

will go, and share your dangers. During my wanderings I have found it more

wise to keep out of danger than to venture in, but at that time I was alone,

and now I have two powerful friends to protect me."

So, when he had finished his breakfast, they all set out along the path that

led to Loonville.

"It is a place I have never heard of before," remarked the Scarecrow, as they

approached a dense forest. "The inhabitants may be people, of some sort, or

they may be animals, but whatever they prove to be, we will have an

interesting story to relate to Dorothy and Ozma on our return."

The path led into the forest, but the big trees grew so closely together and

the vines and underbrush were so thick and matted that they had to clear a

path at each step in order to proceed. In one or two places the Tin Man, who

went first to clear the way, cut the branches with a blow of his axe. Woot

followed next, and last of the three came the Scarecrow, who could not have

kept the path at all had not his comrades broken the way for his straw-

stuffed body.

Presently the Tin Woodman pushed his way through some heavy

underbrush, and almost tumbled headlong into a vast cleared space in the

forest. The clearing was circular, big and roomy, yet the top branches of the

tall trees reached over and formed a complete dome or roof for it. Strangely

enough, it was not dark in this immense natural chamber in the woodland,

for the place glowed with a soft, white light that seemed to come from some

unseen source.

The Tin Woodman of Oz