in my patches," suggested Scraps, and Ojo tried it,
but without any effect.

"The charm you need is a needle and thread," said the Shaggy Man. "But
do not worry, my dear; those holes do not look badly, at all."

"They'll let in the air, and I don't want people to think I'm airy, or
that I've been stuck up," said the Patchwork Girl.

"You were certainly stuck up until we pulled out those quills," observed
Ojo, with a laugh.

So now they went on again and coming presently to a pond of muddy water
they tied a heavy stone to the bundle of quills and sunk it to the
bottom of the pond, to avoid carrying it farther.

SCRAPS AND THE SCARECROW

CHAP. 13

[Illustration]

From here on the country improved and the desert places began to give
way to fertile spots; still no houses were yet to be seen near the road.
There were some hills, with valleys between them, and on reaching the
top of one of these hills the travelers found before them a high wall,
running to the right and the left as far as their eyes could reach.
Immediately in front of them, where the wall crossed the roadway, stood
a gate having stout iron bars that extended from top to bottom. They
found, on coming nearer, that this gate was locked with a great padlock,
rusty through lack of use.

"Well," said Scraps, "I guess we'll stop here."

"It's a good guess," replied Ojo. "Our way is barred by this great wall
and gate. It looks as if no one had passed through in many years."

"Looks are deceiving," declared the Shaggy Man, laughing at their
disappointed faces, "and this barrier is the most deceiving thing in all
Oz."

"It prevents our going any farther, anyhow," said Scraps. "There is no
one to mind the gate and let people through, and we've no key to the
padlock."

[Illustration]

"True," replied Ojo, going a little nearer to peep through the bars of
the gate. "What shall we do, Shaggy Man? If we had wings we might fly
over the wall, but we cannot climb it and unless we get to the Emerald
City I won't be able to find the things to restore Unc Nunkie to life."

"All very true," answered the Shaggy Man, quietly; "but I know this
gate, having passed through it many times."

"How?" they all eagerly inquired.

"I'll show you how," said he. He stood Ojo in the middle of the road and
placed Scraps just behind him, with her padded hands on his shoulders.
After the Patchwork Girl came the Woozy, who held a part of her skirt in
his mouth. Then,