clearing his throat
modestly.
"I doubt that. Somebody told you," said the Doubtful Dromedary
bitterly.
"Pon my honor," said Sir Hokus.
"I doubt it, I doubt it very much," persisted the Dromedary, wagging
his head sorrowfully.
"You seem to doubt everything!" Dorothy laughed in spite of herself,
and the Dromedary regarded her sulkily.
"He does," said the Camel. "It makes him very doubtful company. Now,
I like to be comfortable and happy, and you can't be if you're always
doubting things and people and places. Eh, my dear?"
"Where did you comfortable and doubtful parties come from?" asked the
Cowardly Lion. "Strangers here?"
"Well, yes," admitted the Camel, nibbling the branch of a tree.
"There was a terrific sandstorm, and after blowing and blowing and
blowing, we found ourselves in this little wood. The odd part of it
is that you talk in our language. Never knew a two-leg to understand
a word of Camelia before."
"You're not talking Camelia, you're talking Ozish," laughed Dorothy.
"All animals can talk here."
"Well, now, that's very comfortable, I must say," sighed the Camel,
"and if you'd just tell me where to go, it would be more comfortable
still."
"I doubt that," snapped the Dromedary. "They're no caravan."
"Where do you want to go?" asked the Cowardly Lion, ignoring the
Doubtful Dromedary.
"Anywhere, just so we keep moving. We're used to being told when to
start and stop, and life is mighty lonely without our Karwan Bashi,"
sighed the Comfortable Camel.
"Why, I didn't know you smoked!" exclaimed Dorothy in surprise. She
thought the camel was referring to a brand of tobacco.
"He means his camel driver," whispered Sir Hokus, eyeing the soft,
pillowed seat on the camel's back longingly. Besides the seat, great
sacks and bales of goods hung from its sides. The Doubtful Dromedary
was similarly loaded.
"Goodness!" exclaimed Dorothy. A sudden idea had struck her. "You
haven't anything to eat in those sacks, have you?"
"Plenty, my child--plenty!" answered the Camel calmly.
"Three cheers for the Comfortable Camel!" roared the Cowardly Lion,
while Sir Hokus, following the camel's directions, carefully
unfastened a large, woven basket from one of the sacks on its side.
"You may be my Karwan Bashi," announced the Comfortable Camel
judiciously as Sir Hokus paused for breath.
"Hear that, Lady Dot?" Sir Hokus swept the camel a bow and fairly
beamed with pleasure. Dorothy, meanwhile, had
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