The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-29
They Meet the Wooden Gargoyles

, and chins, small eyes and wide. grin.
ming mouths. Others had flat noses,
protruding eyes and ears that were
shaped like those of an elephant. There
were many types, indeed. scarcely two
being alike; but all were equally dis
agreeable in appearance. The tops of
their heads had no hair. but we're
| carved into variety of fantastic shapes
some having row of points or balls
around the top, other designs resem-
bling flowers or vegetables, and still
others having squares that looked like
waffles cut Criss-cross on their heads
| They all wore short wooden wings which
were fastened to their wooden bodies
by means Of wooden hinges with wood
en- screws. and with these wings they
flew swiftly and noiselessly here and
! there, their legs being Of little use
| to them.
This noiseless motion was one of the
| most peculiar things about the Gar
| gOyles, They made no sounds at all,
either in flying or trying to speak,
and they conversed mainly by means
of quick signals made with their wood
| any sound to be heard anywhere
| throughout the wooden country. The
| birds did not sing, nor did the cows
| moo; yet there was more than ordi-
| nary activity everywhere.
The group of these queer creatures
| WlilNI was uloSONGlCU CluSleltu near lne
stairs at first remained staring and mo-
| tionless, glazing with evil eyes at the
| intruders who had so suddenly ap-
peared in their land. In turn the Wiz
ard and the children, the horse and the
| kitten, examined the Gargoyles with
the same silent attention
There's going to be trouble, I'm
sure" remarked the horse. "Unhitcn
those tugs, Zeb. and set me free from
| the buggy, so | can fight comfortably"
"Jim's right" sighed the Wizard.
There's going to be trouble, and my
sword isn't stout enough to cut up
those wooden bodies-so I shall have
| to get out my revolvers"
He got his satchel from the buggy
and, opening it, took out two deadly
| looking revolvers that made the chill
dren shrink back in alarm just to look
What harm can the Gurgles do?"
asked Dorothy. They have no weap-
ons to hurt us with"
Each of their arms is a wooden
club" answered the little man. land
| m sure the creatures mean mischief,
by the looks Of their eyes. Even these
revolvers can merely succeed in dam
aging few of their wooden bodies,
and after that we will be at their
mercy"
But why fight at all, in that case?"
| asked the girl.
80 | may die with clear con-
science" returned the Wizard. gravely.
IT'S every mans duty to do the best
/ he knows how, and I'm going 10 do
! It,"
wish l had an axe" said Feb, who
by now had unhitched the horse
IF We had known we were coming
We might have brought along several
other useful things" responded the
| Wizard, But we dropped into this ad =
venture rather Unexpectedly.
The GarRoyles had backed away a
distance when they heard the sound
of talking for although our friends had
spoken III low tones, their words seemed
/ loud in the silence surrounding them.
] But as soon as the conversation ceased
the grinniug. ugly creatures arose in a
flock and flew swiftly toward the
strangers. their long arms stretched out
| before them like the howsprts OF a fleet
/ OF sail-boats, The horse had especially
/ attracted their notice because it was
/ the biggest and strangest creature
| they had ever seen; so 1t became the
! center of their first attack.
| Editors Note--Next week we shall
! hear in The Battle With tha Car
| goyles" what happened when the fierce
| wooden men attacked poor jim; and
| OF how the battle finally ended and
! what happened then TO Dorothy and
! the Wizard.)
' copyrighted by l.. Frank Baum for the
George Matthews Adams Service.)