wed as best she could, half climbing and half
tumbling up the rough and rugged steep.

She was none too soon, for the foremost Wheeler reached the hill a
moment after her; but while the girl scrambled up the rocks the creature
stopped short with howls of rage and disappointment.

Dorothy now heard the yellow hen laughing, in her cackling, henny way.

"Don't hurry, my dear," cried Billina. "They can't follow us among these
rocks, so we're safe enough now."

Dorothy stopped at once and sat down upon a broad boulder, for she was
all out of breath.

The rest of the Wheelers had now reached the foot of the hill, but it
was evident that their wheels would not roll upon the rough and jagged
rocks, and therefore they were helpless to follow Dorothy and the hen to
where they had taken refuge. But they circled all around the little
hill, so the child and Billina were fast prisoners and could not come
down without being captured.

Then the creatures shook their front wheels at Dorothy in a threatening
manner, and it seemed they were able to speak as well as to make their
dreadful outcries, for several of them shouted:

"We'll get you in time, never fear! And when we do get you, we'll tear
you into little bits!"

"Why are you so cruel to me?" asked Dorothy. "I'm a stranger in your
country, and have done you no harm."

"No harm!" cried one who seemed to be their leader. "Did you not pick
our lunch-boxes and dinner-pails? Have you not a stolen dinner-pail
still in your hand?"

"I only picked one of each," she answered. "I was hungry, and I didn't
know the trees were yours."

"That is no excuse," retorted the leader, who was clothed in a most
gorgeous suit. "It is the law here that whoever picks a dinner-pail
without our permission must die immediately."

"Don't you believe him," said Billina. "I'm sure the trees do not belong
to these awful creatures. They are fit for any mischief, and it's my
opinion they would try to kill us just the same if you hadn't picked a
dinner-pail."

"I think so, too," agreed Dorothy. "But what shall we do now?"

"Stay where we are," advised the yellow hen. "We are safe from the
Wheelers until we starve to death, anyhow; and before that time comes a
good many things can happen."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Tiktok the Machine Man

After an hour or so most of the band of Wheelers rolled back into the
forest, leaving only three of their number to guard the hill. These
cur