Tik-Tok of Oz | Page 7

salt and pepper.
"The Rak!" shouted Private Files, and with a howl of despair the
sixteen officers fell to the ground, writhing and moaning in anguish.
Queen Ann sat down upon a rock and faced the cloud more bravely,
although her heart was beating fast. As for Files, he calmly loaded his
gun and stood ready to fight the foe, as a soldier should.
They were now in absolute darkness, for the cloud which covered the
sky and the setting sun was black as ink. Then through the gloom
appeared two round, glowing balls of red, and Files at once decided
these must be the monster's eyes.

He raised his gun, took aim and fired.
There were several bullets in the gun, all gathered from an excellent
bullet-tree in Oogaboo, and they were big and hard. They flew toward
the monster and struck it, and with a wild, weird cry the Rak came
fluttering down and its huge body fell plump upon the forms of the
sixteen officers, who thereupon screamed louder than before.
"Badness me!" moaned the Rak. "See what you've done with that
dangerous gun of yours!"
"I can't see," replied Files, "for the cloud formed by your breath
darkens my sight!"
"Don't tell me it was an accident," continued the Rak, reproachfully, as
it still flapped its wings in a helpless manner. "Don't claim you didn't
know the gun was loaded, I beg of you!"
"I don't intend to," replied Files. "Did the bullets hurt you very badly?"
"One has broken my jaw, so that I can't open my mouth. You will
notice that my voice sounds rather harsh and husky, because I have to
talk with my teeth set close together. Another bullet broke my left wing,
so that I can't fly; and still another broke my right leg, so that I can't
walk. It was the most careless shot I ever heard of!"
"Can't you manage to lift your body off from my commanding
officers?" inquired Files. "From their cries I'm afraid your great weight
is crushing them."
"I hope it is," growled the Rak. "I want to crush them, if possible, for I
have a bad disposition. If only I could open my mouth, I'd eat all of you,
although my appetite is poorly this warm weather."
With this the Rak began to roll its immense body sidewise, so as to
crush the officers more easily; but in doing this it rolled completely off
from them and the entire sixteen scrambled to their feet and made off as
fast as they could run.

Private Files could not see them go but he knew from the sound of their
voices that they had escaped, so he ceased to worry about them.
"Pardon me if I now bid you good-bye," he said to the Rak. "The
parting is caused by our desire to continue our journey. If you die, do
not blame me, for I was obliged to shoot you as a matter of
self-protection."
"I shall not die," answered the monster, "for I bear a charmed life. But I
beg you not to leave me!"
"Why not?" asked Files.
"Because my broken jaw will heal in about an hour, and then I shall be
able to eat you. My wing will heal in a day and my leg will heal in a
week, when I shall be as well as ever. Having shot me, and so caused
me all this annoyance, it is only fair and just that you remain here and
allow me to eat you as soon as I can open my jaws."
"I beg to differ with you," returned the soldier firmly. "I have made an
engagement with Queen Ann of Oogaboo to help her conquer the world,
and I cannot break my word for the sake of being eaten by a Rak."
"Oh; that's different," said the monster. "If you've an engagement, don't
let me detain you."
So Files felt around in the dark and grasped the hand of the trembling
Queen, whom he led away from the flapping, sighing Rak. They
stumbled over the stones for a way but presently began to see dimly the
path ahead of them, as they got farther and farther away from the
dreadful spot where the wounded monster lay. By and by they reached
a little hill and could see the last rays of the sun flooding a pretty valley
beyond, for now they had passed beyond the cloudy breath of the Rak.
Here were huddled the sixteen officers, still frightened and panting
from their run. They had halted only because it was impossible for
them to run any farther.
Queen Ann gave them a severe scolding for their cowardice, at the

same time praising Files for his courage.
"We are wiser than he, however," muttered General