Tip
was so anxious to rejoin his
man Jack and the Saw-Horse that
he walked a full half the distance
to the Emerald City without stopping
to rest. Then he discovered that
he was hungry and the crackers
and cheese he had provided for
the Journey had all been eaten.
While wondering what he should
do in this emergency he came
upon a girl sitting by the roadside.
She wore a costume that struck
the boy as being remarkably brilliant:
her silken waist being of emerald
green and her skirt of four distinct
colors -- blue in front, yellow
at the left side, red at the
back and purple at the right
side. Fastening the waist in
front were four buttons -- the
top one blue, the next yellow,
a third red and the last purple.
The splendor of this dress
was almost barbaric; so Tip was
fully justified in staring at
the gown for some moments before
his eyes were attracted by the
pretty face above it. Yes, the
face was pretty enough, he decided;
but it wore an expression of
discontent coupled to a shade
of defiance or audacity.
While the boy stared the girl
looked upon him calmly. A lunch
basket stood beside her, and
she held a dainty sandwich in
one hand and a hard-boiled egg
in the other, eating with an
evident appetite that aroused
Tip's sympathy.
He was just about to ask a
share of the luncheon when the
girl stood up and brushed the
crumbs from her lap.
"There!" said she; "it
is time for
me to go. Carry
that basket
for me and help yourself to its
contents if you are hungry."
Tip seized the basket eagerly
and began to eat, following for
a time the strange girl without
bothering to ask questions. She
walked along before him with
swift strides, and there was
about her an air of decision
and importance that led him to
suspect she was some great personage.
Finally, when he had satisfied
his hunger, he ran up beside
her and tried to keep pace with
her swift footsteps -- a very
difficult feat, for she was much
taller than he, and evidently
in a hurry.
"Thank you very much for the
sandwiches," said Tip, as he
trotted along. "May I ask your
name?"
"I am General Jinjur," was
the brief reply.
"Oh!" said the boy surprised. "What
sort of a General?"
"I command the Army of Revolt
in this war," answered the General,
with unnecessary sharpness.
"Oh!" he again exclaimed. "I
didn't know there was a war."
"You were not supposed to know
it," she returned, "for we have
kept it a secret; and considering
that our army is composed entirely
of girls," she added, with some
pride, "it is surely a remarkable
thing that our Revolt is not
yet discovered."
"It is, indeed," acknowledged
Tip. "But where is your army?"
"About a mile from here," said
General Jinjur. "The forces have
assembled from all parts of the
Land of Oz, at my express command.
For this is the day we are to
conquer His Majesty the Scarecrow,
and wrest from him the throne.
The Army of Revolt only awaits
my coming to march upon the Emerald
City."
"Well!" declared Tip, drawing
a long breath, "this is certainly
a surprising thing! May I ask
why you wish to conquer His Majesty
the Scarecrow?"
"Because the Emerald City has
been ruled by men long enough,
for one reason," said the girl.
"Moreover,
the City glitters
with beautiful gems, which might
far better be used for rings,
bracelets and necklaces; and
there is enough money in the
King's treasury to buy every
girl in our Army a dozen new
gowns. So we intend to conquer
the City and run the government
to suit ourselves."
Jinjur spoke these words with
an eagerness and decision that
proved she was in earnest.
"But war is a terrible thing," said
Tip, thoughtfully.
"This war will be pleasant," replied
the girl, cheerfully.
"Many of you will be slain!" continued
the boy, in an awed voice.
"Oh, no", said Jinjur. "What
man would oppose a girl, or dare
to harm her? And there is not
an ugly face in my entire Army."
Tip laughed.
"Perhaps you are right," said
he. "But the Guardian of the
Gate is considered a faithful
Guardian, and the King's Army
will not let the City be conquered
without a struggle."
"The Army is old and feeble," replied
General Jinjur, scornfully. "His
strength has all been used to
grow whiskers, and his wife has
such a temper that she has already
pulled more than half of them
out by the roots. When the Wonderful
Wizard reigned the Soldier with
the Green Whiskers was a very
good Royal Army, for people feared
the Wizard. But no one is afraid
of the Scarecrow, so his Royal
Army don't count for much in
time of war."
After this conversation they
proceeded some distance in silence,
and before long reached a large
clearing in the forest where
fully four hundred young women
were assembled. These were laughing
and talking together as gaily
as if they had gathered for a
picnic instead of a war of conquest.
They were divided into four
companies, and Tip noticed that
all were dressed in costumes
similar to that worn by General
Jinjur. The only real difference
was that while those girls from
the Munchkin country had the
blue strip in front of their
skirts, those from the country
of the Quadlings had the red
strip in front; and those from
the country of the Winkies had
the yellow strip in front, and
the Gillikin girls wore the purple
strip in front. All had green
waists, representing the Emerald
City they intended to conquer,
and the top button on each waist
indicated by its color which
country the wearer came from.
The uniforms were Jaunty and
becoming, and quite effective
when massed together.
Tip thought this strange Army
bore no weapons whatever; but
in this he was wrong. For each
girl had stuck through the knot
of her back hair two long, glittering
knitting-needles.
General Jinjur immediately
mounted the stump of a tree and
addressed her army.
"Friends, fellow-citizens,
and girls!" she said; "we are
about to begin our great Revolt
against the men of Oz! We march
to conquer the Emerald City --
to dethrone the Scarecrow King
-- to acquire thousands of gorgeous
gems -- to rifle the royal treasury
-- and to obtain power over our
former oppressors!"
"Hurrah!" said
those who had
listened; but Tip thought most
of the Army was too much engaged
in chattering to pay attention
to the words of the General.
The command to march was now
given, and the girls formed themselves
into four bands, or companies,
and set off with eager strides
toward the Emerald City.
The boy followed after them,
carrying several baskets and
wraps and packages which various
members of the Army of Revolt
had placed in his care. It was
not long before they came to
the green granite walls of the
City and halted before the gateway.
The Guardian of the Gate at
once came out and looked at them
curiously, as if a circus had
come to town. He carried a bunch
of keys swung round his neck
by a golden chain; his hands
were thrust carelessly into his
pockets, and he seemed to have
no idea at all that the City
was threatened by rebels. Speaking
pleasantly to the girls, he said:
"Good
morning, my
dears! What
can I do for you?"
"Surrender instantly!" answered
General Jinjur, standing before
him and frowning as terribly
as her pretty face would allow
her to.
"Surrender!" echoed the man,
astounded. "Why, it's impossible.
It's against the law! I never
heard of such a thing in my life."
"Still, you must surrender!" exclaimed
the General, fiercely. "We are
revolting!"
"You don't look it," said
the Guardian,
gazing from
one to
another, admiringly.
"But we are!" cried Jinjur,
stamping her foot, impatiently; "and
we mean to conquer the Emerald
City!"
"Good gracious!" returned the
surprised Guardian of the Gates; "what
a nonsensical idea! Go home to
your mothers, my good girls,
and milk the cows and bake the
bread. Don't you know it's a
dangerous thing to conquer a
city?"
"We are not afraid!" responded
the General; and she looked so
determined that it made the Guardian
uneasy.
So he rang the bell for the
Soldier with the Green Whiskers,
and the next minute was sorry
he had done so. For immediately
he was surrounded by a crowd
of girls who drew the knitting-needles
from their hair and began Jabbing
them at the Guardian with the
sharp points dangerously near
his fat cheeks and blinking eyes.
The poor man howled loudly
for mercy and made no resistance
when Jinjur drew the bunch of
keys from around his neck.
Followed by her Army the General
now rushed
to the gateway, where she was
confronted by the Royal Army
of Oz -- which was the other
name for the Soldier with the
Green Whiskers.
"Halt!" he
cried, and
pointed his
long gun full
in the face
of the leader.
Some of the girls screamed
and ran back, but General Jinjur
bravely stood her ground and
said, reproachfully:
"Why,
how now? Would
you shoot a
poor, defenceless
girl?"
"No," replied the soldier. "for
my gun isn't loaded."
"Not
loaded?"
"No;
for fear of
accidents.
And I've forgotten
where I hid
the powder and shot to load it
with. But if you'll wait a short
time I'll try to hunt them up."
"Don't trouble yourself," said
Jinjur, cheerfully. Then she
turned to her Army and cried:
"Girls,
the gun isn't
loaded!"
"Hooray," shrieked
the rebels,
delighted at this good news,
and they proceeded to rush upon
the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
in such a crowd that it was a
wonder they didn't stick the
knitting-needles into one another.
But the Royal Army of Oz was
too much afraid of women to meet
the onslaught. He simply turned
about and ran with all his might
through the gate and toward the
royal palace, while General Jinjur
and her mob flocked into the
unprotected City.
In this way was the Emerald
City captured without a drop
of blood being spilled. The Army
of Revolt had become an Army
of Conquerors!
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