Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29

w iIhc DIE uoRS anu pTeteIiueu " ~ W
sleep on the sands; but neither Dorothy
nor Billna were fooled by this trick,
SO they remained in security among the
rocks and paid no attention to their
cunning enemies
Finally the hen, futtering over the
mound exclaimed why, here's
path"
So Dorothy at once clambered to
where Bilina sat, and there. sure
enough, was a smooth path cut be-
tween the rocks. 1t seemed to wind
around the mound from top 10 bottom
like a corkscrew, twisting here and
there between the rough powders but
always remaining level and easy to
walk upon.
Indeed Dorothy wondered at first why
the Wheelers did not roll up this path;
but when she followed it to the foot OF the
mound she found that several big pieces
OF rock had been placed directly across
the end of the way, thus preventing any
one outside from seeing it and also
preventing the Wheelers from using it
tc climb up the mound
Then Dorothy walked back up the
path, and followed il until she came to
the very top OF the hill where solitary
round rock stood that was bigger than
any of the others surrounding it. The
path came to an end just beside this
great rock. and for moment it puzzled
the girl TO know why the path had been
made at all. But the hen. who had been
gravely following her around and was
was now perched upon a point Of rock
behind Dorothy. suddenly remarked;
at looks something like door,
doesn't it,"
What looks like a door," inquired
the child
why, that crack in the rock, just
facing you" replied Billina. whose little
round eyes were very sharp and seemed
to see everything. at runs up one side
and down the other. and across the top
and the bottom"
What does"
"Why the crack. So think it must
be a door of rock, although do not see
any hinges"
Sn, yes, balu i)oTolIH, low oDse'N-
ing for the first time the crack in the
rock And isn't this key hole. Bill
lima" pointing to a round, deep hole at
one side Of the door.
''Of course. II we only had the key,
now. we could unlock it and see what is
there" replied the yellow hen. Maybe
it's a treasure chamber full of diamonds
and rubies, or heaps of shining gold,
Or
'"That reminds me-" said Dorothy, "of
the golden key ] picked up on the shore
Do you think that it would fit this key
hole. Bllina?'
''Try it and see" suggested the hen.
So Dorothy searched in the pocket
of her dress and found the golden key.
And when she had put it into the hole
Of the rock and turned it a sudden
sharp snap was heard then. with a
solemn creak that made the shivers run
down the childs back. the face of the
rock fell outward. like a door on hinges.
and revealed a small dark chamber just
inside.
Good gracious - cried Dorothy
shrinking back as far as the narrow
path would let her.
For standing within the narrow
chamber Of rock was the form Of a man
or, at least. it seemed like a man in
the dim light. He was only about as
tall as Dorothy herself. and his body
was round as a ball and made. out of
FURNISHED copper. Also his head and
limbs were copper, and these were
jointed or hinged to his body in a pc
culiar way, with metal caps over the
joints. like the armor worn by knights
in days Of old. He stood perfectly STILL
and where the light struck upon his
form it glittered as IL made of pure
gold.
Don't be frightened" called Billina
from her perch. 1T isn't alive"
II see it isn't" replied the girl,
drawing long breath.
ITS only made out of copper. like
the old kettle in the barnyard at
home" continued the hen, turning
her head first to one side and then to
the other. SO that both her little
round eyes could examine the object
"Once," said Dorothy, IT knew a
man made out Of tin who was a
woodman, named Nick Chopper. He
was as alive as we are. cause he
was born real man, and got his tin