nd the Cowardly
Lion, feeling a little solemn themselves, started toward the Emerald
City.

"My, but it's growing dark," said Dorothy after they had gone several
miles. "I believe it's going to storm."

Scarcely had she finished speaking before there was a terrific crash
of thunder. The Cowardly Lion promptly sat down. Off of his back
bounced the sandwich box and into the sandwich box rolled Dorothy,
head first.

"How terribly upsetting," coughed the Cowardly Lion.

"I should say it was!" Dorothy crawled indignantly out of the hat box
and began wiping the butter from her nose. "You've simply ruined the
supper!"

"It was my heart," explained the Cowardly Lion sorrowfully. "It
jumped so hard that it upset me, but climb on my back again, and I'll
run very fast to some place of shelter."

"But where are you?" Dorothy asked in real alarm, for it had grown
absolutely dark.

"Here," quavered the Cowardly Lion, and guided by his voice, Dorothy
stumbled over to him and climbed again on his back. One crash of
thunder followed another, and at each crash the Cowardly Lion leapt
forward a bit faster until they fairly flew through the dark.

"It won't take us long to reach the Emerald City at this rate!"
called Dorothy, but the wind tossed the words far behind her, and
seeing that conversation was impossible, she clung fast to the lion's
mane and began thinking about the Scarecrow. The thunder continued at
frequent intervals, but there was no rain, and after they had been
running for what seemed to Dorothy hours and hours, a sudden terrific
bump sent her flying over the lion's head into a bush. Too breathless
to speak, she felt herself carefully all over. Then, finding that she
was still in one piece, she called to the Cowardly Lion. She could
hear him moaning and muttering about his heart.

"Any bones broken?" she asked anxiously.

"Only my head," groaned the lion dismally. Just then the darkness
lifted as suddenly as it had fallen, and Dorothy saw him leaning
against a tree with his eyes closed. There was a big bump on his
head. With a little cry of sympathy, Dorothy hurried toward him, when
all at once something strange about their surroundings struck her.

"Why, where are we?" cried the little girl, stopping short. The
lion's eyes flew open, and forgetting all about his bump, he looked
around in dismay. No sign of the Emerald City anywhere. Indeed, they
were in a great, dim forest, and considering the number of tre