Speedy In Oz by L Frank Baum

Author:L Frank Baum [Baum, L Frank]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Message from Radj the Red

“We blew a little of course,“Murmured the Wizard, noting the Speedy’s alarmed expression.

“The island is overr your head there, to the right.”

“But, but how are we going to get back?”

panted Speedy, with a shuddering look at the waters below. “Why, why we’re falling straight into the sea.”

“Not into it,” corrected the Wizard Placidly, “But we’ll probably hang over it for a while until we are picked up I must say this umbrella works splendidly~splendidly.”

Speedy could not share the Wizard’s enthusiasm, so he did not trust himself to answer. He could just make out two craggy islands far below, with a high sea snarling and foaming against their rocky shores.

These islands were possibly three miles apart and sometimes the wind swept them toward one and sometimes toward the other.

“We’ll probably come down between them and be dashed to pieces on the rocks,” concluded poor Speedy, marvelling at the vast calm and unconcern of the Wizard as they swung to and fro and side by side over the lashing sea.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be picked up any moment now. Waddy gave him an encouraging wink.

“But who would pick us up?” shouted Speedy, raising his voice above the roaring water pounding on the rocks, now not too far below. Instead of answering, Waddy jerked his head back and to the left.

A dark cloud was curving swiftly down upon them-no, not a cloud, but Umbrella Island, itself.

“Do you think they’ll reach us in time?” called Speedy, with a desperate swallow.

“That depends on who is at the wheel,” called Waddy, without any change of expression. If it’s the King-” Waddy shrugged his shoulders and rolled up his eyes. “But if it is Kachewka or Ram-boula or the Captain of the Guard we have a real chance. I told you somebody would cruise along soon and if we don’t go any lower, everything will be simply sinoobrious.”

“Well, I hope to huckleberries they see us,” blurted out Speedy, rather provoked at Waddy’s indifference to their danger. “They might come down right on top of us and push us into the sea.”

“Quite possibly,” agreed the Wizard, easing his great weight from one hand to the other. At the moment it seemed not only possible but highly probable. The island had descended so rapidly it was now scarcely twenty feet above their heads, cutting off the sun and threatening to drop down and oblit-erate them. But as Speedy prepared himself to be blotted out, it swooped sharply to the right and they could distinguish not only the figures, but also the faces of their friends.

With a grunt of relief, Waddy noted that Barn-boula was at the steering wheel. Pansy sat on his shoulder, a small telescope in one claw, while with the other she directed him capably in the proper direction. Crowds of Umbrellians hung over the railing that ran round the island and, at the foot of the King’s garden, Gureeda, mounted on the top of the golden fence, waved both hands frantically. Beside her, Terrybubble loomed up like a lighthouse, his eyes rolling with distress and astonishment.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.