“Sure we must!” agreed Dorothy, and she whispered to Betsy and Trot: “I’d rather starve somewhere else than in this city, and—who knows?—we may run across somebody who eats reg’lar food and will give us some.”

So, when the ride was finished, in spite of the protests of the High Coco-Lorum they insisted on continuing their journey.

“It will soon be dark,” he objected.

“We don’t mind the darkness,” replied the Wizard.

“Some wandering Herku may get you.”

“Do you think the Herkus would hurt us?” asked Dorothy.

“I cannot say, not having the honor of their acquaintance. But they are said to be so strong that, if they had any other place to stand upon, they could lift the world.”

“All of them together?” asked Button-Bright wonderingly.

“Any one of them could do it,” said the High Coco-Lorum.

“Have you heard of any magicians being among them?” asked the Wizard, knowing that only a magician could have stolen Ozma in the way she had been stolen.

“I am told it is quite a magical country,” declared the High Coco-Lorum, “and magic is usually performed by magicians. But I have never heard that they have any invention or sorcery to equal our wonderful auto-dragons.”

They thanked him for his courtesy and, mounting their own animals, rode to the farther side of the city and right through the Wall of Illusion out into the open country.

“I’m glad we got away so easily,” said Betsy. “I didn’t like those queer-shaped people.”

“Nor did I,” agreed Dorothy. “It seems dreadful to be lined with sheets of pure gold and have nothing to eat but thistles.”

“They seemed happy and contented, though,” remarked the little Wizard, “and those who are contented have nothing to regret and nothing more to wish for.”

Chapter 10

Toto Loses Something

For a while the travelers were constantly losing their direction, for beyond the thistle fields they again found themselves upon the turning lands, which swung them around in such a freakish manner that first they were headed one way and then another. But by keeping the City of Thi constantly behind them the adventurers finally passed the treacherous turning lands and came upon a stony country where no grass grew at all. There were plenty of bushes, however, and although it was now almost dark the girls discovered some delicious yellow berries growing upon the bushes, one taste of which set them all to picking as many as they could find. The berries relieved their pangs of hunger, for a time, and as it now became too dark to see anything they camped where they were.