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D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r the safety of the community. The High Royal Jack Pott tells me you are vagrants and must be perma- nently pinned down. Consequently, you are pinched." "I'm warning you not to attempt anything like that. If you do, we may rip ourselves loose and you'll have a lot of rips to look after!" Bucky spoke with a slow determination. "Perhaps you are right. I'm only pointing out what the King commands you to do!" said the copper, rat- tling his copper badge and releasing his own safety catch. The sharp point of it snapped out straight, like the blade of a sword. The policeman stepped forward. "I see the point of your jabber now," smiled Bucky, "But don't try to badger us with a copper's badge!" "Obey me before I fill you full of pin holes, like this. . ." the policeman swished the safety pin as he rushed forward and sank the pin-point into the wooden nose of the whale. "Just cool off a little before pushing your point too far," advised the boy. "Your silly talk makes me so tired," said the pin, trying to pull his point out of the board. "I'm tired of listening to you and tired of looking at you." Bucky spoke with vigor: "That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you. . . you are very tired. .. oh, so tired that you need a long rest. Don't bother to arrest us... you take a rest yourself. Lie quietly down and go to sleep. Give yourself a long rest." The pin fastened his safety catch: "Promise to be very quiet and wait while I am a-resting myself," he said rather hesitantly. King Teapott burst into a rage: "You pinhead snoozer !" he cried. "Why let them put such notions into your bent pinhead!" "Don't ask me such crack-pot questions," snapped the policeman, wearily, folding himself up and sinking into a comfortable spot where immediately he fell asleep. Without another word, the whale began to swim, and they left the King fuming and sputtering on the bank. "Ahoy, old chum," whispered Bucky. "I'm glad that copper didn't get his hairpins in my hair. Our sugges- tion knocked him off his pins. Okay, Okay!" "If your suggestion hadn't, our wind would have," valiantly announced the Flummux. She stopped when she recalled that the Thunderbugs might be offended a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r at this thought and she burst into the only tune she knew, making up the words as she went along: "The zip of the breeze That blew from the North Only made the whale sneeze And so forth, and so forth..." "Excuse me, young lady, that's quite enough of that," dryly remarked Davy as he plowed steadily ahead. Evening fell. A low whirring of wings surrounded them, bringing a thousand little lights to guide Davy on his course. They were the grateful Thunderbugs returning, filled with the hope of another treat of more pie. CHAPTER 15 Slippery Going THEIR appeal sounded too much like hungry boys I begging for bread, so Bucky brought out many pies to satisfy them for a while at least. The course of the river now led them into a dense forest, but as they drifted along, the growth of trees was interrupted at intervals by gaps and gorges where the bare stone walls of towering mountains crowded them on either side. The whale was completely covered by the giant lightning bugs. Inside the cupboard, Bucky examined the supply of pies. Never had he seen so many pies stacked up, one on another, doing nothing. All so per- feetly baked, so crisp and fragrant----no wonder the hungry Thunderbugs came back for more. With both arms loaded, Bucky returned to the deck. At sight of the generous meal in store for them, the fire-flies turned on their brightest lights. Because of this brilliance Davy was able to churn ahead through the darkness without the slightest hesitation. At first he had no suspicion of danger, but at one turn he noticed a group of outlaw sorcerers and their helpers gathered in some kind of confab. This made him nerv- oils, and his shivering threw many of the Thunderbugs into the water. They scrambled back again, and Davy made no explanation of his terror, not wanting to spoil their feasting on his deck where Bucky and the a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r Gabooches were handing out pie after pie. All through the night, while the bugs ate joyously, the big-hearted whale often quivered with alarm, scared almost out of his seven senses by the hobgoblin fingers that darted from the deep shadows made by the overhanging trees. Of all imaginable places for travelers to come to harm, this river was the most dangerous, for here mountain sorcerers and maraud- ing witches hid behind the rocks waiting for their victims. Time after time that night a powerful and wicked witch was about to seize them, then hesitated -and drew back. Before she could muster up enough courage to try again, the huge fire-fish had passed her hide-out The appearance of the wooden whale was indeed terrifying as he sped down the dark, sinister river at breakneck speed, his whole form a mass of brilliant, blinding light. Except for this, the bands of meddle- some outlaws who lived on either side of the stream would have been quick to stop the adventurers and force them into slavery but, even when the ravines were so narrow that it took all of Davy's ability to pass over the foul rifts and tumbling falls, the hostile bands drew back in fear. Davy alone realized the creepy hidden danger; he alone saw the inquisitive glaring eyes of the huge prowling spy-ders waiting in their cobwebs of mys- tery. He saw long, protruding noses capped by metal hooks get ready to strike and then draw back quickly when the flaming light almost blinded the creature. Many of them were so filled with terror that all they could do was to slink away to their caldrons and ovens. Through all this dangerous and terrifying night, never once was Davy molested and never did he reveal, either by word or look, the anxieties he went through during the dark hours. The breaking of day found the Gabooches still feed- ing the Thunderbugs although most of the cupboards were empty now. Even the crumpets were gone; not even the hole in a doughnut remained. Of course this gave them more closet space and also reduced the weight of the cargo, so Bucky encouraged the bright bugs to eat all the pies that they could hold. "Make a clean job of it; clear up every one. It gives us twice the cabin space and Davy sits much lighter on the water," he said. The sky was filled with a glow of gold. In the distance, a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r vast fields of yellow corn could be seen. A quick ex- amination of the map in the lining of the pirate's coat showed them that they were deep in the land of the Winkies. "Thank goodness we are out of those merciless woods," chirped the Flummux. "Couldn't you and your brothers blow down a witch?" asked Davy, teasingly. "Never had a good chance," she answered, blithely, "but I would gladly try, any day." Davy didn't say a word, but he skimmed lightly over the river, putting every ounce of his strength toward hastening the day when they would reach the safety and happiness awaiting them in the Emerald City. Every impatient snap of his tail sent them humming along. Presently he had reached his utmost speed and everyone aboard was thrilled to travel so fast, then- slap-bang-more trouble. Same old trick---no water in the river. Though the water was gone, Davy continued to slide along the river bed at the same terrific speed. Strangely enough, he kept on sliding. With the first shock, all the Thunderbugs flew away, some carrying pies under their arms. Davy was becoming accustomed to these sudden [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |