Show r J is spot JP O not of IP Ir l I CopyriGht 1906 by L Baum Baim by permission oZ ot the tho Reilly Ca birds flew close doso and Lind made mado great THE T peed and In about three h urs from the they thoy started an island appeared just ahead ot of them Whereupon John raid aid to the bird that bore him Let us top stop here so wo we cnn can examine the Island and seo co how liow wo We like IL ft This cord is cutting Into my gin gingerbread body and Id like to top stop for tor a time timo anyway Very well answered the bird and when they Were Vere over the c o oi the tho Island the flamingoes grad gradually gradually and alighted upon the John untied the cord coid from his and also assisted assist d Chick and Pare Para Drum Bruin to free freo themselves The Tho bear was not injured at an all but the tho cord had worn a straight line around Johns body although not very deep and in way the tho gingerbread man had lost another of lila lozenge buttons The place they had al alIghted was grass and r d surrounded surrounded by groves of trees This looks lUce a fine country said Chick gazing around Its hotter botter than our old Island anyway remarked Para Bruin I But Thit lust just as ho he spoke the tho uttered shrill and hew Into the thc air and our friends turned In time to see sea 0 most curious creature come from the tho grove ove I and approach thorn Jt it had somewhat the like noss or of a ma man n yet ot wan vas too ever eer tl to ho bo mistaken for a 3 human being although It Was certainly alive Its body n a huge punching bag and Its head bead was a football For logs legs It had two of those golf golt clubs called putters and one of its racket and arms was as a tennis the other a baseball club This was ns curIous enough In all ull Con e but the tho face Was more curious yet ct For the eyes ces Were golf olf balls and the tho nOfe noC a square squarer pf r billiard chalk and its mouth L mere merc slit in the football whore where the had come raken altogether this old presented a most sur ur and while appearance John Dough Para Bruin at It in Chick boldly asked Who ho are aro you ou Sport Is m my name and my nat nature te answered the tho cr creature winking one yo and grinning until its que queer or mouth up at be th corners of the slit Sport remarked the rub rubber bar ber boar gravely mis Is some amusing so 50 I am sure you u pre iro misnamed Oh youre a balloon re returned returned turned Sport kicking at the tho boar bear with ono one or of 1111 teet utho tho kIds a and the others a bun bunIm bunIm Im not a 0 bunt exclaimed d John Indignantly Yes you are Cross bun too Hot cross bun Cool oft off p T 4 C CI I IIA pj J JI I RV 1 7 wr wrt g t r 1 t tr r i i Y pt 1 4 C l 4 D Ira t e ei C i r old chap and look to this speech but butChick John us too angry to reply Chick Chiok said to the creature disagreeable oud better It If ouro going to bo be so youre wIth people ot of leave us We Vo dont care to associate your sort t tHo to don dont t care caro 0 l Ho hot ho ha ha hal laughed Sport Whore y you are areNo ehl eh Do you oU know No said Chick and I dont care retired pirates and by this Island Is that lands hero here pay ay a bandits who make mako everyone every one or else olse heavy ransom short Or else what asked John as Sport stopped and gave another horrid wink three days Was oil for tor Or else they boll boil en cn In the tho reply Well VoU said the bear wo cant pay a ran ransom om beIng boiled in oU oil Im Impractically im impractIcally certain but Im not afraid of practically indestructible alarmed flIt It much But Im m not cried John to bo be In oil and would ruin my gingerbread afraid It overheated Im Chick would certainly get Would molt your our rubber too my dear Pam Fara bear with a start Then Would IU It asked tho from this Island oncel let us got away BY all agreed John Dough lough And the tho sooner the tho better declared Chick But as they turned to look for the the tho creature creaturo who called himself port began bogan pounding his lits body body with his arm the sound a crowd of men ran out or of groves of trees and quickly surrounded the rubber bear and Chick and h man manlus 1 lus men had bad heavy boards beards hooked booked noses and piercing black e eyes Qs and they wore ruC reC sashes tied I wound tho their waists and laced leggings and nad blue han hannd nel nd shirts ovon at the tho throats and in their belts were many daggers and knives ana pistolS they screeched yelling like liko indians anti and their leader who was uglier looking than any o of hum followers cried out Avast AnIt there thelO my hearties 5 Heros resa a chance for either u Imo Uno or u a pot of boiling Then Its tile oU oil said sald ura Bruin Brum for lor we no ransom yu You may as well start the bonfire remarked Chick ut John Dough stepped up to the pirate chief chiet and asked how Uch much ransom om do you ou require the chief youre not worth much and the thu 8 toe toa small to count but a fine bear like that Is worth ten or ora U a s sparkling juweL joweL 1 will wAll give you p n sparkling jewel for him as a ransom JOhn you will then permit us to depart In peace All right agreed the pirate pirLte hand over the spar I kier and you ou may go goo goso so o John borrowed a dagger from the chief chlof and picked out ot of his body ono one or of the three diamonds which the tho inventor had given him In the tho Isle Islo or of It glittered most beautifully in the tho sunlight and the tho thol l ot of the pirate also gUttered glittered with greed For lie he had bad noticed two other scars on Johns gingerbread body similar to the ono one the diamond had bad been picked out ot of Taking raking the tho diamond In his dirty hand ho said sald Well ell where are the tho other j wels You agreed tt t accept thIs one as our ransom an the gingerbread man You misunderstood me I said three declared the tho pirate irato and turning to Ills his men ho he hou ed Didn say three boYs You did You said three sparklers crIed the r rd Al I tired pirates and bandits In a loud chorus So John with Uh a 0 sigh of regret picked the tho other tw two diamonds diamonda out of his bO body 1 and gave them to the chief Non said tile the pIrate I vill allow you to go Dut where you yon can go to Is a mystery to me mc for you ou ar aron are on nn an island fI top cried another man as they turned to depart y Yuyo vo got ot to settle with mo me now Im the bandit ct chief and ana I 1 also demand demond n a ransom i halve have given the tho pirate chief chlo aU all the dIamonds I h had a d sa said d John Then Thee OU hall surely bolt boil In oil shouted the ban scowling tearfullY fearfully Seize them my men and away with them to the tho fiery furnace But just then came Go a flutter ot of wings and the tour four flow down and along just over the heads of the tho prisoners Instantly the bear clutched the end or of acord a cord and was as drawn upward by one of the birds John Dough grasped the toot foot of another fla mingo with his right hand and was also raised hIgh above thet the heads of the astonished pirates and bandits while Ch Chick ck coolly sat within the tho loop ot of string dan front the two remaining birds and sailed Into the ky grace Meantime the robbers shook theIr fists and yelled at the escaped prisoners in a frenzy of helpless rage Watt Wait a minute Para Par Bruin called to the flamingo whIch was WU carrying him ter fer that just be ba bat 1 1 t 1 noath neath him Was the tho form torm of the dreadful perso who lio had called himself Sport The Tho bird obeyed remainIng poised in the air and aDd at once the tho bear curled himself Into a ball let go the tho cord and tell fell downward toward the ground The ball ot of rubber rapidly descending struck the surprised Sport and smashed him flat upon the tho ground Then UT ur Into the tho air bounded the bear again and caught ca ht once more the cord that was attached to the flamingos foot fooL Well done called the tho Cherub while the pirates and bandits were rushing to assist the helpless Sport That was a noble deed my good ParaU Paral said tile the gingerbread ad man manOh man manOh Oh Im a bouncer all right answered the tho bear proudly But now lot let us get away from irom this awful Ilace as soon as aa possible So the flew swiftly across the sea with thorn them and nd John Dough found that he sailed more easilY while hUe clutching the birds foot than when th thO cord cora had been fastened around his body Chick also rode wIth perfect comfort but Para Pam BruIn was obliged to wrap the cord several times round his tat fat paw to prevent It from slipping out of his grasp |