The Patchwork Girl entered last of all, for Toto
kept close beside his little mistress.

A few steps beyond the mouth of the opening it
was pitch dark. "You won't lose your way, though,"
said the Horner, "for there's only one way to go.
The mine's mine and I know every step of the way.
How's that for a joke, eh? The mine's mine." Then
he chuckled gleefully as they followed him
silently down the steep slant. The hole was just
big enough to permit them to walk upright,
although the Scarecrow, being much the taller of
the party, often had to bend his head to keep from
hitting the top.

The floor of the tunnel was difficult to walk
upon because it had been worn smooth as glass, and
pretty soon Scraps, who was some distance behind
the others, slipped and fell head foremost. At
once she began to slide downward, so swiftly that
when she came to the Scarecrow she knocked him off
his feet and sent him tumbling against Dorothy,
who tripped up Ojo. The boy fell against the
Horner, so that all went tumbling down the slide
in a regular mix-up, unable to see where they were
going because of the darkness.

Fortunately, when they reached the bottom the
Scarecrow and Scraps were in front, and the others
bumped against them, so that no one was hurt. They