"It's not a picture at all," answered the little girl a bit crossly. "It's real. I told you we have lots of adventures in Oz. Well, this is a real adventure." "Really!" smiled the dummy, straightening his crown. "Well, if we're not in a picture we ought to be. I'll bet we looked ridiculous running forward backward. I say, if it isn't a funny reel it's real funny and I hope you'll admit that, Miss Dorothy." "Are you sure there's nothing in your head but hair?" asked the little girl suspiciously. Humpy took off his crown and smoothed his silver wig solemnly. "I don't think so," he said. "Why do you ask?" "Well," Dorothy gave a little chuckle in spite of herself, "you just made a joke and you thought about writing back. You sound kinda smart to me." "You're wrong," sighed Humpy, gravely replacing his crown. "I'm only a hair-brained dummy, but I like being alive and I like having you for my star and after this--" Humpy shook his fist angrily at the still muttering woodsmen--"after this I'll take all the knocks and hard falls for you. Then maybe, if you tried hard, you might grow to like me a little?" "Why, I like you already, you dear, generous old thing." Jumping up, Dorothy gave Humpy an impulsive hug. Then, picking a large tomato, she ate it hungrily. It seemed a long time since she had breakfasted with the Forgetful Poet in Perhaps City. "We'd better start on now," said the little girl, finishing off the tomato with a long sigh of satisfaction. "We're in the Gilliken Country and if we walk fast we may reach the Emerald City before night comes." "All right, Miss Star." Picking up a crooked branch to balance himself, Humpy stepped out cheerfully and, talking of one thing and another, they journeyed for more than an hour through the pleasant fields and lanes, causing no small wonder to the Gilliken farmers whom they passed on the way, for Dorothy in her torn stockings and frock and the dummy in his regal robes and crown made a strange pair, even for Oz. Without explaining themselves at all, the two hurried on, never stopping until they came to a broad purple river. Humpy looked inquiringly at Dorothy and Dorothy with a puzzled little sigh sat down upon the river bank. "I'm sure we ought to cross this river," said Dorothy thoughtfully, "but how?" Humpy put one finger in the water. "Do you want me to fall in for you?" asked the dummy obligingly. "Well, I don't see what good that would do," frowned Dorothy. "Let me see!" Dorothy looked reflectively at her toes, so of course she saw nothing but her boots, but Humpy looked off across the river, and so it was Humpy who saw them first. "Oh, look!" stuttered the dummy, grasping Dorothy by the sleeve. "Here comes another adventure, Miss Star!" Jumping up in alarm, Dorothy saw a curious company scooting about upon the surface of the water. At the very same moment they saw Dorothy, and came skating and sliding across the river like a swarm of giant water bugs.