5. Dorothy Opens the Dinner Pail

           "NowTiktok,"saidDorothy,"thefirstthingtobedoneistofindawayforustoescapefromtheserocks.TheWheelersaredownbelow,youknow,andthreatentokillus."

           "Thereisnorea-sontobea-fraidoftheWheel-ers,"saidTiktok,thewordscomingmoreslowlythanbefore.

           "Whynot?"sheasked.

           "Be-causetheyareag-g-g--gr-gr-r-r-"

           Hegaveasortofgurgleandstoppedshort,wavinghishandsfranticallyuntilsuddenlyhebecamemotionless,withonearmintheairandtheotherheldstifflybeforehimwithallthecopperfingersofthehandspreadoutlikeafan.

           "Dearme!"saidDorothy,inafrightenedtone."Whatcanthematterbe?"

           "He’srundown,Isuppose,"saidthehen,calmly."Youcouldn’thavewoundhimupverytight."

           "Ididn’tknowhowmuchtowindhim,"repliedthegirl;"butI’lltrytodobetternexttime."

           Sheranaroundthecoppermantotakethekeyfromthepegatthebackofhisneck,butitwasnotthere.

           "It’sgone!"criedDorothy,indismay.

           "What’sgone?"askedBillina.

           "Thekey."

           "Itprobablyfelloffwhenhemadethatlowbowtoyou,"returnedthehen."Lookaround,andseeifyoucannotfinditagain."

           Dorothylooked,andthehenhelpedher,andbyandbythegirldiscoveredtheclock-key,whichhadfallenintoacrackoftherock.

           AtonceshewoundupTiktok’svoice,takingcaretogivethekeyasmanyturnsasitwouldgoaround.Shefoundthisquiteatask,asyoumayimagineifyouhaveevertriedtowindaclock,butthemachineman’sfirstwordsweretoassureDorothythathewouldnowrunforatleasttwenty-fourhours.