He watched
this drop of oil with a fast-beating heart, and
feeling in his pocket brought out a tiny vial of
crystal, which he held secreted in his hand.
Presently the Tin Woodman changed his
position, and at once Ojo, to the astonishment
of all, dropped to the floor and held his crystal
vial under the Emperor's knee joint. Just then
the drop of oil fell, and the boy caught it in
his bottle and immediately corked it tight. Then,
with a red face and embarrassed manner, he rose
to confront the others.
"What in the world were you doing?" asked
the Tin Woodman.
"I caught a drop of oil that fell from your
knee-joint," confessed Ojo.
"A drop of oil!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman.
"Dear me, how careless my valet must have
been in oiling me this morning. I'm afraid I
shall have to scold the fellow, for I can't be
dropping oil wherever I go."
"Never mind," said Dorothy. "Ojo seems glad
to have the oil, for some reason."
"Yes," declared the Munchkin boy, "I am
glad. For one of the things the Crooked Magician
sent me to get was a drop of oil from a live man's
body. I had no idea, at first, that there was such
a thing; but it's now safe in the little crystal
vial."
"You are very welcome to it, indeed," said
the Tin Woodman.
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