So Ozma followed her, and they passed up the stairs that led to the room in the tower.

While they were gone Ozma’s followers remained in the drawing-room, and the Scarecrow was leaning against a form that he had mistaken for a copper statue when a harsh, metallic voice said suddenly in his ear: 

“Get off my foot, please.  You are scratch-ing my pol-ish.”

“Oh, excuse me!” he replied, hastily drawing back.  “Are you alive?”

“No,” said Tiktok, “I am on-ly a ma-chine.  But I can think and speak and act, when I am pro-per-ly wound up.  Just now my ac-tion is run down, and Dor-o-thy has the key to it.”

“That’s all right,” replied the Scarecrow.  “Dorothy will soon be free, and then she’ll attend to your works.  But it must be a great misfortune not to be alive.  I’m sorry for you.”

“Why?” asked Tiktok.

“Because you have no brains, as I have,” said the Scarecrow.

“Oh, yes, I have,” returned Tiktok.  “I am fit-ted with Smith & Tin-ker’s Im-proved Com-bi-na-tion Steel Brains.  They are what make me think.  What sort of brains are you fit-ted with?”

“I don’t know,” admitted the Scarecrow.  “They were given to me by the great Wizard of Oz, and I didn’t get a chance to examine them before he put them in.  But they work splendidly and my conscience is very active.  Have you a conscience?”

“No,” said Tiktok.

“And no heart, I suppose?” added the Tin Woodman, who had been listening with interest to this conversation.

“No,” said Tiktok.

“Then,” continued the Tin Woodman, “I regret to say that you are greatly inferior to my friend the Scarecrow, and to myself.  For we are both alive, and he has brains which do not need to be wound up, while I have an excellent heart that is continually beating in my bosom.”

“I con-grat-u-late you,” replied Tiktok.  “I can-not help be-ing your in-fer-i-or for I am a mere ma-chine.  When I am wound up I do my du-ty by go-ing just as my ma-chin-er-y is made to go.  You have no i-de-a how full of ma-chin-er-y I am.”

“I can guess,” said the Scarecrow, looking at the machine man curiously.  “Some day I’d like to take you apart and see just how you are made.”

“Do not do that, I beg of you,” said Tiktok; “for you could not put me to-geth-er a-gain, and my use-ful-ness would be de-stroyed.”

“Oh! are you useful?” asked the Scarecrow, surprised.

“Ve-ry,” said Tiktok.

“In that case,” the Scarecrow kindly promised, “I won’t fool with your interior at all.  For I am a poor mechanic, and might mix you up.”

“Thank you,” said Tiktok.

Just then Ozma re-entered the room, leading Dorothy by the hand and followed closely by the Princess Langwidere.

8.  The Hungry Tiger

The first thing Dorothy did was to rush into the embrace of the Scarecrow, whose painted face beamed with delight as he pressed her form to his straw-padded bosom.  Then the Tin Woodman embraced her—­very gently, for he knew his tin arms might hurt her if he squeezed too roughly.