Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson

On the other side of the spiked gate rose a curious cliff city. There / was a great court in the center surrounded by a mass of jagged rocks / and from the rocks narrow cliff dwellings had been crudely hewn and / cut. Crooked, carved steps led down into the courtyard and every / rock and inch of wall space was covered with roughly drawn heads and / frowning faces, while set on stone poles at regular intervals were / hundreds of goblin lanterns. A bluish green smoke hung in the air / and every minute or so it would rise and form into the words "Scare / City! Scare City! Scare City! " so that altogether the whole effect was / exceedingly grim and unpleasant. So much so, in fact that Peter and / Jack turned to flee. But the arm that had pulled them through the gate, / held them fast.

"Pause! " commanded a harsh voice. "Pause! Pale and behold the Chief / Scarer! " Swallowing hard, Peter took an unwilling look at the gate / keeper. He was about six feet tall and his head seemed to be face all / round, with eyes on every side and noses that stuck out like spikes in / every direction. As Peter, with a little shiver, turned away, he began / to speak again. "You! " rumbled the Chief Scarer, pointing a skinny / finger at Jack, "are a perfect fright! But you," contemptuously he / looked Peter up and down, "you would not even scare a baby. How dare / you come here with that soft white pudding face? " Now Peter, as you / can well imagine was thoroughly frightened, but the words of the gate / keeper made him angry and anger made him bold. Stamping his foot and / drawing his face into a terrible scowl, Peter stuck out his tongue.