se to keep out of danger than to venture in, but at that time I
was alone, and now I have two powerful friends to protect me."

So, when he had finished his breakfast, they all set out along the path
that led to Loonville.

"It is a place I have never heard of before," remarked the Scarecrow, as
they approached a dense forest. "The inhabitants may be people, of some
sort, or they may be animals, but whatever they prove to be, we will
have an interesting story to relate to Dorothy and Ozma on our return."

The path led into the forest, but the big trees grew so closely together
and the vines and underbrush were so thick and matted that they had to
clear a path at each step in order to proceed. In one or two places the
Tin Man, who went first to clear the way, cut the branches with a blow
of his axe. Woot followed next, and last of the three came the
Scarecrow, who could not have kept the path at all had not his comrades
broken the way for his straw-stuffed body.

Presently the Tin Woodman pushed his way through some heavy underbrush,
and almost tumbled headlong into a vast cleared space in the forest. The
clearing was circular, big and roomy, yet the top branches of the tall
trees reached over and formed a complete dome or roof for it. Strangely
enough, it was not dark in this immense natural chamber in the woodland,
for the place glowed with a soft, white light that seemed to come from
some unseen source.

In the chamber were grouped dozens of queer creatures, and these so
astonished the Tin Man that Woot had to push his metal body aside, that
he might see, too. And the Scarecrow pushed Woot aside, so that the
three travelers stood in a row, staring with all their eyes.

The creatures they beheld were round and ball-like; round in body, round
in legs and arms, round in hands and feet and round of head. The only
exception to the roundness was a slight hollow on the top of each head,
making it saucer-shaped instead of dome-shaped. They wore no clothes on
their puffy bodies, nor had they any hair. Their skins were all of a
light gray color, and their eyes were mere purple spots. Their noses
were as puffy as the rest of them.

"Are they rubber, do you think?" asked the Scarecrow, who noticed that
the creatures bounded, as they moved, and seemed almost as light as air.

"It is difficult to tell what they are," answered Woot, "they seem to be
covered with warts."

The Loons--for so these folks were called--had been d