Show I ort of f sand 1 Copyright ht io 1006 by L I Baum bY permission ot of the tho Rem Reilly Co HE birds flew and made great THE T speed and in V about b urs from the tho Hmo timo timothey they an an Island appeared just ahead ot of thorn them Whereupon John aid ald to bird that boro him bim V Iet us top stop here so wc e can examine the Island and andeo eo how wo like It This cord Is cutting Into my gin gingerbread body and Id like to stop atop for a time timo anyway Very well answered the bird and wh when n they over the centre 0 of tho Island tho grad gradually nally and alighted upon the tho John V untied the from his liI wit and also assisted Chick V find Para Drum Bruin to reo themselves The Tho hear was not Injured at aU all but the cord tad had Worn a straight line lIno around Johns body although not very deep and andin V in omo way the gingerbread man had bad lost another ot Of othis his lozenge buttons The Tho place they had bad alighted was V grass and nd surrounded surrounded by groves groves of 01 trees This like lUto a fine no country said Chick gazing Around Its better than our old island Islan anyway remarked Para Bruin V aut ut just as ho he the tho uttered shrill l and flew quickly lIckly Into the thc air and our ur friends turned in time to see SeO a 0 most cur curious ous creature come from the grove and approach thorn them It had somewhat Ute the like Uke likeness ness of oC a man yet wa as too over oer to bo mistaken for a human although It WaS as certainly alive Its bod body was a huge punching bas bag and Its h head ad was a football For togs it had two ot of those got golf clubs caned called putters rs and one of o its arms was a tennis racket and the other a all club This was curious enough in all con but the tho face was more curious yet For the o ayes es were W ro rol l balI and the noie nOHe a square billiard chalk and its mouth L L mere merc slit in the football where the Sho lacing had come l n altogether this oil a most stir sur appearance and while John Dough nril Para Bruin at 1 It in amazement Chick boldly asked Who are aro you ou Sport Is m my name and my nature rc answered the tho winking ono one o o and grinning untIl unlit its queer mouth curled up tip at be th corners of the slit Sport remarked remark d the tho rub rubber bar ber boar gravely ls Is some bIng amusing so 50 I am sure you ou misnamed pre V VOh Oh youre a balloon re returned reV V turned Sport kicking at the bear car with one ot ol 1111 iI V teet the kids n a and the others n a bun bunIm bunIm Im not n a bun exclaimed John ohn Yea you arc Cros bun too Hot bU bun Cool Coo off ft neath him was the form of the dreadful who had called himself Sport The bird obeyed poised in the air and at once the tho bear curled elf Into a ball let go the tho cord and 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 ur up into the tho air bounded the tho bear again and ca caught once more the cord that was attach d to the flamingos foot Well done done called the Ch Cherub rub while the pirates and bandits were vere rushing to assist the helpless Sport That was a noble deed my good Paral said the tho gingerbread man manOh man manOh Oh lma im a bouncer all right answered tho bear proudly But now let us got get away from this awful place lace as soon as possible V So the tho flamingoes flew fiew swiftly across the sea with them and John Do Dough gh found that he sailed moro more easily while clutching the foot than when the cord had been fastened around his bOdy Chick also ro rode e with perfect comfort but Para Bruin was obliged to wrap the cord several times round his fat paw to prevent it from sUpping slipping out of his grasp V 7 11 i U tf ll V b bV bI I V V G GI Gk k i ic I c o S SC C V f r 1 1 0 i C V V It 4 4 f V Vl l I t to this speech but butChick butChick John was too angry to replY I In Chick said to the tho creature oud better jj n If youre going to bo be so 50 with people ot of associate leave us We Vo dont care caro to our sort sorto V to dare don dont t caro Sport IIo Ho hot ho ha ba ha laughed aroZ are areo associate eh Do you oU know whore you No o said Chick and I don dont t e care re retired pirates and andt by I VoU this island Is Inhabited that lands hero horo pay ay a t bandits who make every ono one ransom or else I short stopped Or else what asked John as Sport and gave gao another horrid wink V VOr Or dee olse they boll ell cm in oil for three days was the reply u cant pay a ransom Well said the boar wo we certain but Im not afraid of being boiled In oil 1 Via ViaU m practically Indestructible U It alarmed much But Im not nuth cried John would ruin my gingerbread to bo be boiled in oU oil and Chick would certainly get overheated Im im afraid 1 It t Would melt your rubber too my dear Para Jara Would ItZ it asked tho bear with a start Then let us get away from this island a 1 Dy By all agreed John Dough And the tho sooner the tho b better declared Chick J But as they turned to look for tor the the creature creaturo who called began bogan pounding his body with his arm the sound a crowd of men inca ran out ot of groves o of treos and quickly surrounded the rubber bear and Chick and n man mall hsc men had hea heavy y boards hooked noses and pIercing black eyes eres and they wore ret sashes tied around theIr waists und and laced leggings and blue hail Uan nel nd shirts open at the tho throats and in their belts were stuck man many daggers and knives and pistols U Whoop they screeched yelling like liko and their leader who was uglier looking than an any o of Ills followers cried out Avast there thero my hearties oros a chanco for tor either u a line ransOm or a pot ot of boiling Then hen Its thu oU oil said ara alu Brian despondently for we have havo no ransom yu may as well start the tho bonfire remarked Chick V Jut John Dough stepped up to the pirate ando and VV V V asked V V VV V Hooi much ransom do you OU require answered the chief youre not worth much yourself and the tho chU childs s too small to count but a 0 fine bear ear like lIko that Is 15 worth ten OLe or OLea ora a sparkling jewel jowel jewell l 1 will give you a sparkling jewel jowel for him as a ransom sahl John Johns provided you OU will then lermit us usi to depart In peace i All right agreed the tho pirate hand over the spar and you may go goo o JOhn borrowed a dagger from the tho chief chIc and picked out ot of his body ono one or of the tho three diamonds which the inventor had given him In tho Isle of It gUttered glittered most beautifully in the sunlight and the thet t of the pirate also V 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 the tho diamond In his dirty hand ho said Well Where are the other j You agreed t accept this one as our ransom an answered answered the gIngerbread man You misunderstood me I said three declared the tho pirate and turnIng to his men ho he shouted I sa say three boys You did You said three sparklers crIed the tho r V Al tired pirates and bandits In a loud chorus So John with 0 0 a sigh ot of regret picked the tho other two dIamonds out of his bodY and save gave thom them to the chief VV I Now said the tho I 1 will vIll allow you to go Dut where hero you yon Can go to is a mystery to rue me for you OU ar aron are on an Island top cried another man as they turned to depart Y YO got to settle Bettle wIth mo me now Im the bandit c chIt to and I also demand a ransom V VV V dU lI have given shen tho pirate chief chlof aU all the diamonds I II jad I sa said John Then Thc you OU shall surely boll boil in oil shouted the tho ban kilt scowling tearfully fearfully them my men and way away with them to the fiery furnace V But just then came a 0 flutter of wings and the four flew down and along lust just over the J heads eads ot of the tho prIsoners Instantly the bear Clutched the end or of a cord and was drawn upward rd by one ot of the birds John Dough grasped the loot ot of another fla flamIngo mIngo with ith his right hand and was also raised high above th the heads of the astonished pirates and bandits while ChIck coolly sat withIn the tho loop of string dan clan gUnK tram from the two remaining birds and sailed Into the tho ISky iky with admirable gr e Meantime the robbers shook their fists and yelled at the tho escaped prisoners In a frenzy ot of helpless rage Walt s It minute Par Bruin called to the flamingo was carryIng hIm for tor he that just be ber V r V 1 I |