"Here, here!" begged the ship's cook, thumping her hard upon the back. Opening the bag of biscuits Roger had brought from the ship, Ato handed two to Tandy and began shoving the rest as fast as he could down the vast throat of the grief-stricken hippopotamus. After each biscuit, Nikobo choked and sobbed to herself, but on the whole, they seemed to comfort her, and when the Read Bird finally returned with the ax she watched almost cheerfully as Samuel Salt, with well-aimed blows, demolished Tandy's jungle cage. As the last side crashed down and without giving Tandy time to argue any further, Samuel Salt seized the boy firmly in both arms and set him down on the back of the hippopotamus. Then, giving Ato a hand up behind him, the Captain of the Crescent Moon sternly led the way to the edge of the island. Roger, waving an Oz flag, flew ahead screaming defiantly to the monkeys and parrots that infested the island, "WAY, WAY! Way for the Royal Discoverer of Oz! Way for the King of the Octagon Isle! Way for Nikobo, Little Daughter of the Biggenlittle River People. Way for Tazander Tazah, King and son of a King's son! WAY—ay—ayyyy!"
CHAPTER 7
Strange Specimens for Samuel Salt
With no one to challenge their going but the birds and monkeys, the little band made its way back to the sandy beach. Tandy, perhaps because he had been so long pent up in the silent jungle and because he was by nature a naturally sober and solemn little boy, said nothing. Not even the Crescent Moon, riding so proudly at her anchor, seemed to arouse any interest or enthusiasm in this strange young Ozamalander.
"Well, here we are!" exclaimed Ato, heartily thankful to be in sight of the ship again. "And I hope you'll not mind ferrying us out to the boat, Nikobo; those crocodiles still look hungry and I've no notion of being crocked for the rest of my life."
"Any time you say," grunted the hippopotamus, squeaking a listless greeting to a company of her own relatives who were rolling lazily about in the muddy river water.
"Avast and belay and what's the hurry?" Leaning his ax against a tree, Samuel moistened a finger and held it up. "The wind's against us, Mate, so we'll have to wait for the tide. Not only that, but Roger and I must survey the island and dig up some more interesting specimens to take back to the ship." After a long and rather quizzical look at Tandy, Samuel turned and swung along the beach, the Read Bird flapping joyously behind him.