L.Frank Baum. The marvelous land of Oz -
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"I'll fix it!" said he, at length. He went into the wood and cut a
short length of limb from a young, stout tree. One end of this he
sharpened to a point, and then he dug a hole in the back of the Saw-Horse,
just behind its head. Next he brought a piece of rock from the road and
hammered the post firmly into the animal's back.
"Stop! Stop!" shouted the horse; "you're jarring me terribly."
"Does it hurt?" asked the boy.
"Not exactly hurt," answered the animal; "but it makes me quite
nervous to be jarred."
"Well, it's all over now" said Tip, encouragingly. "Now, Jack, be
sure to hold fast to this post and then you can't fall off and get
smashed."
So Jack held on tight, and Tip said to the horse:
"Get up."
The obedient creature at once walked forward, rocking from side to
side as he raised his feet from the ground.
Tip walked beside the Saw-Horse, quite content with this addition to
their party. Presently he began to whistle.
"What does that sound mean?" asked the horse.
"Don't pay any attention to it," said Tip. "I'm just whistling, and
that only means I'm pretty well satisfied."
"I'd whistle myself, if I could push my lips together," remarked
Jack. "I fear, dear father, that in some respects I am sadly lacking."
After journeying on for some distance the narrow path they were
following turned into a broad roadway, paved with yellow brick. By the
side of the road Tip noticed a sign-post that read:
"NINE MILES TO THE EMERALD CITY."
But it was now growing dark, so he decided to camp for the night by
the roadside and to resume the journey next morning by daybreak. He led
the SawHorse to a grassy mound upon which grew several bushy trees, and