"
But they could not get to land. They had
no oars, nor even a pole to guide the raft with.
The logs which bore them floated in the middle
of the stream and were held fast in that position
by the strong current.
So they sat still and waited and, even while
they were wondering what could be done, the raft
slowed down, stopped, and began drifting the other
way--in the direction it had first followed. After
a time they repassed the Quadling house and the
man was still standing on the bank. He cried out
to them:
"Good day! Glad to see you again. I expect
I shall see you a good many times, as you go
by, unless you happen to swim ashore."
By that time they had left him behind and
were headed once more straight toward the
Winkie Country.
"This is pretty hard luck," said Ojo in a
discouraged voice. "The Trick River keeps
changing, it seems, and here we must float back
and forward forever, unless we manage in some way
to get ashore."
"Can you swim?" asked Dorothy.
"No; I'm Ojo the Unlucky."
"Neither can I. Toto can swim a little, but
that won't help us to get to shore."
"I don't know whether I could swim, or not,"
remarked Scraps; "but if I tried it I'd surely ruin
my lovely patches.
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