Yankee in Oz Read online

  Dropping the basket on the foot of the marble steps, Jinnicky whirled around like a top, touching everything in sight, Tompy following along in breathless suspense. Yankee, using his own system, zig zagged left and right, sniffing desks, chairs, foot stools--rearing up on his hind legs to have a go at vases, lamps, and clocks. Finally elevating his nose, he let out an excited bark and went scampering down a long green carpeted hallway. Turning in at the first open door, he found himself in a small cozy sitting room. Chintz covered chairs stood invitingly about, on one an unfinished sweater, with knitting needles stuck in a ball of green yarn, hung over the arm. Beside the chair stood a small round table all set for tea. The cookies heaped in the emerald studded basket looked so tempting that Yankee, who always was hungry, helped himself to nine or ten, then jumping up on the chair drank half the cream in a small jade pitcher. Much refreshed, he then proceeded with his search. The clock ticking away in the corner and a loudly singing canary in a jeweled cage, held his attention momentarily, then he moved over to a long sofa that was placed along the wall at the back. After methodically sniffing each cushion, he leapt up to examine a curtained picture that was centered above it.

  "Why have a picture and then keep it covered up?" muttered the terrier with an incredulous sniff. "Must be an ugly uncle or something?" Jumping off the sofa he gave another quick glance around the room, then ran back to the throne room to see what luck Tompy and Jinnicky were having.

  "Find anything?" asked the Red Jinn as Yankee came loping toward them. Out of breath from his quick canter around the room, he was slouched on Ozma's throne, the picture of discouragement. Tompy, seated on one of the steps leading up to the throne, seemed equally down hearted.

  "Nothing," grunted the space dog, flinging himself down beside Tompy.

  "Badmannah must have swished Ozma and the Wizard off to some secret hiding place," decided Jinnicky. "That would mean he has stolen Ozma's belt. Oh, why didn't we look for that belt before we dropped him in the Nonestic Ocean?" he groaned. "Probably has it 'round his arm or is wearing it as a garter. And worse still!" he sputtered, jumping up in dismay. "If he still has the belt he can zip back here any minute!"

  "Oh, come now," protested Tompy. "He may not even have known about Ozma's belt and its magic power. If he had he would have wished those others to his cave instead of marching them there."

  "That's so," agreed Jinnicky, ready at this point to grasp at any straw.

  "Say," put in Yankee, rolling an eye up at the Jinn. "I did see a funny thing in a room back there. A big picture covered by a green curtain."

  "YANKEE! YANKEE! I love you!" cried Jinnicky. Springing off the throne and completely over the startled terrier, he went charging down the long hall so fast his fat little heels fairly twinkled.

  "Why all the fuss and stuff?" gulped Yankee scrambling to his feet. "What's so exciting about a curtained picture?"

  "You'll see! You'll see!" called Tompy, already halfway down the hall. Tompy had read enough Oz books to know that the curtains concealed one of the most valuable treasures in the whole castle. One had but to ask the picture to show a lost or missing person, or an absent one, and immediately that person would appear. As Tompy and Yankee burst into Ozma's sitting room, the Red Jinn was standing before the picture, lid in hand.

  "Ozma, Princess OZMA, dear, where are you?" he asked softly.

  "A television set!" gasped Yankee, who had spent many pleasant hours watching various programs with the men at the base. And, in a way, he was right. The curtains were drawn back and the picture's misty landscape was fading. In its place was a dark haired lovely girl--Princess Ozma of Oz herself. She was sitting disconsolately on a heap of silken rugs surrounded by huge sacks, jars, chests, and boxes, all the treasures, in fact, the thieving caveman had dragged up from kingdoms in the valley below.

  "She is not wearing her belt." worried Jinnicky, standing on tip toe to have a closer look.

  "But, after all, she is safe!" exclaimed Tompy in relief.

  "If you can call a cave belonging to Badmannah safe?" scoffed Yankee. "This must be the treasure cave Aunt Doffi told us about."

  "Of course, of course, but how did she get there without her magic belt? Oh, where in mustard IS that belt?" fumed the Red Jinn, only half realizing he was addressing the picture. Instantly Ozma and the treasure crammed cave melted from view to be replaced by one of the filigreed panels beside the royal throne in Ozma's palace. Yankee, by this time completely confused and mystified, jumped up on the sofa to press his nose close to the picture's glass.

  "What is it? A secret panel or something?" asked Tompy.

  "No, NO!" Jinnicky could bardly conceal his delight. "It's Ozma's safe, see that small jade knob in the center, so--HO--the magic belt has been safe in the safe all the time. Ozma was not wearing it when Badmannah rushed into her palace, or she could have settled him in short order."

  "And better still!" cried Tompy. "Since Badmannah does not have the magic belt, he'll have to stay at the bottom of the sea and all we have to do is get Ozma out of that cave."

  "So--here we go again!" sniffed Yankee, prancing after his two comrades and more than pleased at the prospect of rescuing another princess.

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  Chapter 17: Badmannah'S Treasure Cave

  BADMANNAH'S treasure cave was not hard to find. In fact, it was quite close to the first cave. Its entrance was blocked by a similar rocky slab.

  "Now, how in Ev did Ozma ever land in this cave?" pondered Jinnicky. "But never mind, we'll soon know the how and why of it. Will you do the honors, or shall I?" "I will!" announced Tompy, now sure that he remembered the exact number of taps he had used to open the other cave. Pulling out his sticks he rattled off a succession of taps on the stony slab. To the consternation of them all, nothing happened. Then, Jinnicky, taking the sticks beat out the same number of ra tah tah tahs. Again, nothing happened. After three more tries the little wizard was so angry he hammered on the door with both fists, then jumped back and gave it a tremendous kick. Then, howling with pain, he hopped around on one foot.

  "Oh, my toe! I've broken my toe!" he waved piteously.

  Yankee and Tompy scarcely heard him, for either the blows or the kick had done the trick. Slowly and majestically the stone slab swung inward and without a backward look both dashed into the cave. Ozma, alarmed by the taps and thumps and sudden opening of the door, sprang up and thinking it was Badmannah glanced desperately around for a place to conceal herself. Imagine her relief at the appearance of a good looking boy and dog. Tompy barely had time to introduce himself and Yankee, before the Red Jinn, finding himself alone and the cave entrance wide open came limping in to join them.

  "Why, Jinnicky, what are YOU doing on this awful mountain?" cried Ozma. She had met the famous Red Jinn when he, Randy, and Kabumpo had rescued the royal family of Pumperdink and was so overjoyed to see him she flung both arms around his neck.

  "Small matter of saving a princess," explained the space dog, wishing she would pay some attention to him. "He kicked open that stone door to do it, too!"

  "YOU didn't!" Ozma stepped back to stare incredulously at the Jinn.

  "But I did!" With a grimace, Jinnicky looked ruefully down at his toe. "And now that it's open, let's shake the dust of this miserable cave from our heels before that slab slams shut again. I have only one foot left and may need that later."

  Ozma, as you can imagine, had had quite enough of the dismal cave and with Jinnicky limping along on one side, Tompy running on the other, and Yankee, galantly holding up her train, they left with more speed than ceremony. Once outside, the little ruler of all the Ozians cast a frightened glance around for signs of the wicked caveman.

  "He is at the bottom of the Nonestic Ocean," stated Jinnicky solemnly, "and entirely due to the quick thinking of this Yankee dog and clever action of this smart American boy."

  "Then, you all helped me!" Ozma's warm smile set Tompy's heart a-jump, Yan
kee's tail a-wag, and Jinnicky's round face to glowing like a full moon. "And you two must have come all the way from the United States," marveled Ozma bending over to touch the American flags on the space dog's harness, "just as Dorothy, Trot, and Betsy Bobbin did!"

  "Would you care to hear our story?" asked Yankee eagerly.

  "Oh, yes, yes, but not right now. First we must find the others. Where are they all?" With a worried frown Ozma turned to Jinnicky while Yankee with a resigned sigh looked off into space.

  "Your people are quite safe, my dear," answered the Red Jinn, "Though at the moment slightly invisible. But, it is a long long story, so do let's return to your castle where we can sit down and talk in comfort." Jinnicky's toe already was talking to him, announcing in angry throbs that he had better get off of it and as soon as possible.

  "Yes, that might be best," agreed Ozma, then, for the first time glimpsing the ugly crack in the Red Jinn's jug, she gave a little cry of distress. "Oh MY! My goodness!" she moaned. "You've broken your jar on that wretched door."

  "Oh, no," Tompy corrected her quickly. "He broke that rescuing another princess. You're the second princess we have rescued today."

  "Another princess!" exclaimed Ozma, clasping and unclasping her hands.

  "That's right," Jinnicky wagged his head from side to side. "Cracked my jug for one and broke my toe for the other, but it was worth it!"

  "Why, you poor brave wonderful dears!" Overcome by such devotion, the little princess tried to embrace all three at once. Then more eager than ever to hear the whole story, seized Tompy by one hand, Jinnicky by the other, and with Yankee again proudly bearing her train hurried back to the emerald studded castle. There seated on her throne, with Tompy and the Jinn ensconced in comfortable chairs and Yankee stretched out at her feet, she implored them to tell her all that had happened since they arrived on Upandup Mountain.

  "Not till you tell us how you came to be in that cave," said Jinnicky. With feet propped up on a cushioned stool he looked expectantly at the pretty princess.

  "It all happened very quickly," began Ozma leaning forward. "I was up in the North Tower room going through an old trunk to find a costume to wear to Jack Pumpkinhead's party. All at once, and with no warning whatever, this whole castle rose up into the air and went sailing across the sky. It was traveling so fast, I could see nothing but a blue blur when I hurried over to the window. And it all was done so smoothly, not a picture fell or one piece of furniture overturned. Before I had grown used to that, we landed with a big thump on top of this horrid mountain."

  "Upandup's the name, your Highness," put in Yankee with a knowing wag of his head.

  "Loud screams and shouts were coming up from below," continued Ozma with a quick nod at Yankee, "so I started to run down the steps as fast as I could. But it was too late. When I reached the throne room, this dreadful mountaineer was lashing about with a great net driving everybody ahead of him. As I ran over to the safe for my magic belt, he turned around and saw me, so I did the only thing I could do without my belt."

  "And what was that?" inquired Jinnicky edging forward on his chair.

  "Before he could swing his net again or come after me, I swallowed the wishing pill I always carry with me and wished us all to some safe place."

  "But where was the Wizard? What had he been doing?" demanded the Red Jinn indignantly.

  "Why weren't the others in the cave with you?" burst out Tompy, who had been listening in spellbound silence to Ozma's story.

  "Quite simple," drawled Yankee, before Ozma could answer. "The Wizard is probably off on a trip somewhere, the treasure cave is probably the only safe place on this mountain, so the wish carried Ozma there. The others were not transported with her because they already were in Badmannah's power." As usual, Yankee was right. When Ozma recovered from her surprise at the space dog's clever deductions, she explained that the Wizard was, indeed, on a trip, visiting Glinda, the Good Sorceress of the South.

  "And so, even though he knows it is against the law of Oz, Badmannah has been practicing magic on Upandup Mountain." Ozma shook her head sadly.

  "Well, I should snicker te-wicker!" squealed Yankee, jumping up to touch her knee with his paw. "Bad, bad magic. Did you know that impudent rascal dragged you up here in his net to be his cave keeper? He intended to live in this castle himself and told us so. And before he kidnapped you he kidnapped Princess Doffi of Wackajammy, and dog knows what he had stolen from people below and stored in that treasure cave!"

  "Yes, I know," sighed Ozma resting one hand on Yankee's head, "and if you had not come to find me, I'd still be sitting in that cave. But how did you all happen to be on this mountain?"

  Thinking it unkind to keep her in suspense any longer, the Red Jinn proceeded to tell her of his meeting with Tompy and the bull terrier, their discovery and rescue of Princess Doffi, and some of their hair raising experiences with Badmannah the Terrible. By this time he was so hoarse that Tompy and Yankee, taking turns, went on with the story. Tompy hardly could conceal his pride as he explained how Yankee had nosed out the invisible courtiers in the robber's chest, how he had become invisible and been restored by the Red Jinn, how he afterwards managed to capture the drag net from the wicked caveman. Yankee insisted on telling how Tompy had cast the net, caught the reckless robber, and how the net on Jinnicky's command had carried Badmannah to the bottom of the Nonestic Ocean. Now, little remained to be told except their search through the palace and the part the magic picture had played in her discovery.

  "Oh MY! Poor Dorothy, Trot, and Betsy Bobbin. Poor Scraps and Jellia and Sir Hokus! We must let them all out of that dreadful chest at once. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Stopping just long enough to embrace her three rescuers, Ozma hurried over to her safe. "I must recall the Wizard right away.

  "It will not be necessary to recall the Wizard!" Jinnicky spoke rather stiffly. "Red magic is as powerful as green, my dear, and has worked rather well so far."

  "Wliy, so it has!" murmured Ozma, pausing uncertainly before the green panel. Yankee who was right beside her, now leaped up and with his paws on her shoulders whispered earnestly in her small ear.

  "Let Juggins finish the job he started," begged the space dog. "It'll mean a lot to little Wizzo."

  "Of course, it will," whispered Ozma as Yankee dropped to all fours. Pretending to have changed her mind she walked quickly back to her throne. "How thoughtless of me," smiled the little princess. "With you here, I will not need either my belt or the Wizard."

  "Three cheers for our Jinnicky!" cried Tompy tossing his cap in the air. "He'll have everyone out of that chest in a half beat."

  Taking up the Red Jinn's basket, he handed it over with a grin. In breathless suspense they watched as he pulled out his crystal ball and began tossing it from hand to hand. If I knew what red magic words he used, I would tell you, but those words are his secret. But I can tell you that instantly and one after the other, Ozma's friends and courtiers with thumps, bumps, slams, bangs, and bounces dropped down into the throne room.

  Sir Hokus and Tik-Tok made the most noise, the armor of the good knight clanking and rattling as he landed. The metal man. whose machinery had run down, hit the floor with a clang like a church bell. The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger descended with all four legs spread--gave a couple of bounces, then sat down with their tongues lolling out in sheer astonishment. Betsy Bobbin, Trot, and Dorothy floated lightly to a long sofa, Dorothy clutching Toto in her arms. This small Kansas terrier had been in so many curious adventures since his arrival in Oz that he took this one quite calmly. The Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl fell with soft plops, holding desperately to each other. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers came down on his chin, his long luxurious beard breaking the fall. Then the footmen, maids, and cook came tumbling along, and there they lay, sat, or sprawled in such comical attitudes that Tompy had to bury his face in Yankee's coat to keep from laughing out loud.

  "Everybody here? Everybody out?" panted Jinnicky, whose arms ac
hed from the continuous juggling. After a hurried glance around, Ozma reminded him of the glass cat. The Wizard had ridden off on the Sawhorse, so they both were accounted for. After the arrival of the short tempered feline, the Red Jinn dropped the crystal ball thankfully back into his basket. As none of the palace people knew what had been happening after Badmannah drove them into the cave, they all jumped up and began jabbering in low and high voices till Ozma clapped her hands for silence.

  "We are now safely back in our castle," she told them quickly, "but the castle still rests on the top of Upandup Mountain which belongs to Badmannah. You have seen and remember him, I'm sure?" At this, loud groans and angry roars filled the air. "But now, I'm happy to say," continued Ozma as soon as she could make herself heard, "Badmannah has been sent to the bottom of the Nonestic Ocean by our good friend Jinnicky with the help of this brave boy and his dog Yankee. All enchantments have been dispelled and we are about to return to our own capital." At this wonderful news, the whole company came rushing forward to thank Jinnicky, Tompy, and the valiant bull terrier.

  "Tell us more! Tell us more!" pleaded Dorothy dropping down on the arm of Ozma's throne. Betsy Bobbin, on her knees, was hugging Yankee within an inch of his life. Giving her an appreciative lick on the nose, Yankee managed to untangle himself before his ribs cracked and darting away began to mingle with the famous celebrities of Oz.

  "So you are the little fellow I have been hearing about," he murmured as Toto came pattering toward him.

  "Woof! Woof-gr-ough," answered Toto, pausing briefly on his way to the kitchen to finish the breakfast that had been so rudely interrupted.

  "What's the matter, can't you talk?" inquired the space dog in surprise.

  "In a country where all animals talk, I prefer to be different. I BARK," Toto informed him with a roguish sideway prance. "Goodbye, Lop-Ear!"

  "Does that answer your question?".rumbled the Cowardly Lion ambling over.