They had left the Emerald City just at sunrise and
the Sawhorse traveled very swiftly over the roads
towards the north, but in a few hours the wooden animal
had to slacken his pace because the farm houses had
become few and far between and often there were no
paths at all in the direction they wished to follow. At
such times they crossed the fields, avoiding groups of
trees and fording the streams and rivulets whenever
they came to them. But finally they reached a broad
hillside closely covered with scrubby brush, through
which the wagon could not pass.
"It will be difficult even for you and me to get
through without tearing our dresses," said Ozma, "so we
must leave the Sawhorse and the Wagon here until our
return."
"That's all right," Dorothy replied, "I'm tired
riding, anyhow. Do you s'pose, Ozma, we're anywhere
near the Skeezer Country?"
"I cannot tell, Dorothy dear, but I know we've been
going in the right direction, so we are sure to find it
in time."
The scrubby brush was almost like a grove of small
trees, for it reached as high as the heads of the two
girls, neither of whom was very tall. They were obliged
to thread their way in and out, until Dorothy was
afraid they would get lost, and finally they were
halted by a curious thing that barred their further
progress.
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