But once she came back more sedately, to say:
"There's a city a little way off."
"I 'spected that," returned Dorothy; "for the fox-people warned us
there was one on this road. It's filled with stupid beasts of some
sort, but we musn't be afraid of 'em 'cause they won't hurt us."
"All right," said Button-Bright; but Polychrome didn't know whether it
was all right or not.
"It's a big city," she said, "and the road runs straight through it."
"Never mind," said the shaggy man; "as long as I carry the Love
Magnet every living thing will love me, and you may be sure I shan't
allow any of my friends to be harmed in any way."
This comforted them somewhat, and they moved on again. Pretty soon
they came to a signpost that read:
"HAF A MYLE TO DUNKITON."
"Oh," said the shaggy man, "if they're donkeys, we've nothing to fear
at all."
"They may kick," said Dorothy, doubtfully.
"Then we will cut some switches, and make them behave," he replied.
At the first tree he cut himself a long, slender switch from one of
the branches, and shorter switches for the others.
"Don't be afraid to order the beasts around," he said; "they're used
to it."
Before long the road brought them to the gates of the city. There was
a high wall all around, which had been whitewashed, and the gate just
before our travelers was a mere opening in the wall, with no bars
across it.
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