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Show i . mm Kjerful SforiG8QZ"4 1 The Astonishing Flight of the Gump I Many were thp doubtful looks cast upon the heap of miscellaneous material mater-ial that now cluttered the roof, and finally the Scarecrow shook his head and remarked: "Well, if friend Nick can manuTac-ture. manuTac-ture. from this, mess of rubbish, a i hmt thai will fly through the air and carry us to safety, then r will acknowledge acknow-ledge him to be a better mechanic than I suspected." But the Tin Woodman seemed at first by no means sure of his powers, and only after polishing his forehead vigorously with the chamois-leather did he resolve to undertake the task "The first thing required for the machine" ma-chine" said he, "Is a big enough bodv to carry the entire party. This sofa Is the biggest thing we have and might be used-or a body But, should the machine ever tip sideways, we would all slide off and fall into the ground 1 "Why not use two sofas?" asked Tip 'There's another one just like this down stairs." '"That Is a ven sensible suggestion," sugges-tion," exclaimed thp Tin Woodman "You must fetch the other sofa at once." So Tip and the Saw-Horse managed with much labor, to get the second sofa to the roof; and when the two were placed together, edse to ed"e (the backs and ends formed a protecting protect-ing rampart all around the seats. "Excellehtr" cried the Scarecrow "We can ride within this Bnug nest quite at our ease." The two sofa; w ere now hound firmly togethei with topes and clotheslines clothes-lines and then Nick ('hopper fasten '1 the (Jump's head to one end. j' "That will show which is thr front end of the Thing," said he, greatly i pleased with the Idea " nd. teall ", I if vou examine it critically, the Gump J looks very well as a figure head These I great palm-leaves, for which I have I endangered my life seven times, mu?t serve us as wings." Vre they strong enough'" asued the boy. "They are as strong as anything we can pet annwered the Woodman; "and although they are not In proportion propor-tion to the Thing's body, we are not j in a position to be particular ' So he fastened the palm-leaves to the sofas, two on each side Said the Wogle-Bug, with consider able admiration 'The Thine is now complete, and only needs to be brought to life " "Stop a moment'" exclaimed Jack. "Are vou not going to use my broom?" 'What for"' asked the Scan now. "Why. it can he fastened to the ! back end for a tail," answered he Pumpkinhead. "Surely you would not call the Thing complete without a tail." "Hm'" said the Tin Woodman. 1 do not see the use of a tail. We are not trjing to copy m beast, or a fish, or a bird. All we ask of the Thing is to carry us through the air " "Perhaps, after the Thing is brought to life, it can use a tail to steer with," suggested the Scarecrow "For if it flies through the air it will not be un like a bird, and I've noticed that all! birds have tails, winch the) use '..t a rudder while flying." "Very well," answered Nick, "the broom shall be used lor a tail." ; nd he fastened ii firmly to the back end of the sofa body. Tip took the pepper-box from bis pocket. "The thing looks very big," said he, anxiously; 'and 1 am not sure thai there is enough powder left to bring all of it to life. But I'll make it go as lar as possible." "Put most on the wings." said Nick Chopper, "for they must be made as strong as possible." "And don't forget the head!" ex-Claimed ex-Claimed the Woggle-Bug. "Or the tail, added Jack Pumpkin-' head "Do be quiet." said Tip uervoustj 'You must give me a chance to work the magic chaim in the proper n.an-ner. n.an-ner. ' Very carefully he began sprinkling the Thing with the precious powder ESach of the four wings was firs! I i'1 I ly covered with a layer, then the sofas so-fas were sprinkled, and the broom I given a slight coating. "The head! The head' Don't. I beg j of you, forget the head!" cried the I Woggle-Bug, excitedly. ' There's only a Httle of the powder ! left." announced Tip, looking within 1 the box. "And it seems to me it Is ! more important to bring the legs of ! the sofas to life than the head.' "Not so," decided the Scarecrow. j "Every thing must hae a head to direct di-rect in; and since this creature is to fly, and not walk, it is really unimpor- tant whether its legs are alive or not." So Tip abided by this decision and sprinkled the dump's head with the remainder of the powder. "'Now. ' said he. "keep silence while I work i he charm ! " Having heard old Mdmbi pronounce 'the magic words, and having also succeeded suc-ceeded in bringing the Saw-Horse to life. Tip did not hesitate an instnni in speaking the three cabalistic word3, each accompanied by the peculiar gesture ges-ture of the hands It was a grave and impressive ceremony. cere-mony. As he finished the incantation the Thing shuddered throughout its huge bulk, the dump gave the r reech ing cry that is familiar to those animals, ani-mals, and then the four wings beg'in flopping furiously Tip managed to grasp a chimne. pise he would have been blown off ihv roof by the terrible breeze raised by the wings. The Scarecrow, being light in weight, was caught up bodily and borne through the air until Tip luckily seized him by one leg and held hiin fast The Woggle-Bug ia rial upon the roof and so escaped barm and the Tin Woodman whose weight of iin anchored an-chored him firmly, threw both nrrns around Jack Pumpkinhead and man-aged man-aged to Bave bim, The Saw-Horse toppled top-pled over upon his back and lay with his legs waving helplessly above him. And QQW, while , were struggling to recover themselves the Thing rose slowly from the roof and mounted into the air "Here! dome back'" cried Tip In a frightened voice, as he rlunp; to the chimney with one hand and th Seare-crow Seare-crow with the other. "Come back at once, I command you!" It was now that the wisdom ot ih Scarecrrw, in bringing the head of the Thing to life instead of the legs, was proved beyond a doubt. For ihe Gump, already high in the air, turned its head at Tip's command until It could view the roof of the palace. "Come back!" shouted the hov.j again. And the Gump obeyed, slowly si.d gracefully Waving Its four wings In i the air until the Thing had settled! once more upon the roof and become still. "This." said the Gump, in a BQUeakyl voice not at all proportionate to the! size of its great body, "is the moati novel experience I have ever heard of. The last thing 1 remember distinctly J is walking through the forest and hear-inc hear-inc a loud noise. Something probably; killed me thn, and it. certainly j ou;;ht to hae been the end of me. Yet here I am, alive again, with four mon itrous wings and a body which I venture ven-ture to say would make any respectable respect-able animal or fowl weep with shame to own. hat does it all mean? Am I a Gump, or am I a juggernaut'" The c lea' ure. as it spoke, wiggled its hin whiskers in a very comical manner. "You're Just a Thing," answered Tip. ' with a Gump's head on it. And we have made you and brought you to lite so that you may carry us thrjuyh the air wherever we wish to go." 'Very good!" said the Thing. ' As I am not a Gump, I cannot have a Gump's pride or independent spin'. So 1 may as well become vour servant ser-vant as anything else My only satisfaction satis-faction is that I do noi seem to have a very strong constitution and am not likely to live long in a state of slavery." slav-ery." Pon t say that. 1 beg of you!" cried the Tin Woodman, whose excellent heart was strongly atfected by this sad speech. "Are ou not feeling well today"" to-day"" ' Oh, a for that." returned the Gump N "It lg my first day of existence- I I cannot judge whther I am reeling well or ill." And it waved its broom tall to and fro in a pensive manner 'Come, come'" said the Scarecrow kindly, "do try to be more cheerful y and take, lire as you find it We shall (I be kind masters, and will strive lo. I render your existence as pleasant possible Are you willing to ran v Si through the air wherever v, . wi-h tc iff go?" 'Certainly." answered the Gump. ''Jr greatly prefer to navigate the air l or should I trael on the earth and inept with one of my own species, mv embarrassment em-barrassment would be something aw-ful!" aw-ful!" "I can appreciate that," said the"! I Tin Woodman, svmpatheticallv. And .ft; continued the Thing,' I when I carefully look you over, my masters, none 0f you to n. , il sfrueted much more artistically than I am." Appearances are deceitful." -aid the Woggle-Bug. earnestly. "I am hoth Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Ed-' ucated." "Indeed"' murmured the Gump ini 1 differently. "And my brains are considered rer markably rare specimens." added the" Scarecrow, proudly "How strange"' remarked the Gump. Although I am of fin." said th:"' H Woodman, i own a heart altogether-" ihe warmest and most admirable lu'v I t he whole world." "I'm delighted io hear It " replied the Gump with a slight cough. My smile," said Jack Pumpkinrtpnd, "is worthy your best attention. It ig . always the same." "Semper idem," explainer the Wmt- I Jtle-Bug. pompously; and the Gump 'urned to stare at him "And 1," declared the Saw-Horse in,, an awkward pause, "am only remarlfr ; i able because I can't help it." "I am proud, indeed, to meet with such exceptional masters," said the Gump, in a careless tone "If I could" but secure so complete an introduction' H I to my Bel f, I would be more than saMa- -, tied." That will come In time," remarked"! H the Scarecrow. "To 'Know Thyself l?r j considered quite an accomplisbraenr -j which it has taken us who are yuiir - Ul elders, months to perfect. But now. ; he added, turning to the others, "lotus "lot-us gei aboard and start upon our jour--I ney." H "Where shall we go'.'" asked Tip, afi H he clambered to a seat on the sofaull H and assisted the Pumpkinhead io rcl-- H low him. In the South Country rules a veriJ j delightful Queen called Glinda the -j Good, who I am sure will gladly re'-"?. H celve us." said the Scarecrow, gettir.R j H into the Thing clumsily. Let us go to . I her and ask her advice." ' That i. cleverly thought of," jit II la red Nick ("hopper giving the Wos-gle-Bug a boost and then toppling (hp Saw-Horse into the rear end of the '. riihlnniH sfnlc "I knew (ilinria thp . Good, and believe she will prove i friend Indeed." ' Are we all ready?" asked the boy. "Yes," announced the Tin Woodman, Wood-man, seating himself beside the Scare:; H i crow ' Then " said Tip, addressing (he H Gump, ' be kind enough to fly wnh us H j to the Southward; and do not go high-' M I er than to escape the houses and treev". for it makes me dizsy to be up so far." "All right." answered the Gump ! briefly. It flopped its four wings and rose ! slowly Into the air; and then M!e our -little band of adventurers clung to the backs and aides of the sofas : for support, the Gump turned towaid the South and soared swiftly and ma- I jestlcallv away. Editor's Note Next Story "In the Jackdaw's Nest' in which the Gump i accidentally bumps against a project? , ing rock, when flying over a mountain-top, mountain-top, and upsets his passengers. They fall unhurt, Into a large jackdaw' nest and something thrilling happen I to them here! Read ihe next chapter I to find out what It is. |