ople," said the Tin Woodman,
despondently. "If you had allowed me to arm and drill my Winkies, we
might have put up a good fight and destroyed many of our enemies before
we were conquered."

"The Munchkins are good fighters, too," said Omby Amby; "and so are the
Gillikins."

"But I do not wish to fight," declared Ozma, firmly. "No one has the
right to destroy any living creatures, however evil they may be, or to
hurt them or make them unhappy. I will not fight, even to save my
kingdom."

"The Nome King is not so particular," remarked the Scarecrow. "He
intends to destroy us all and ruin our beautiful country."

"Because the Nome King intends to do evil is no excuse for my doing the
same," replied Ozma.

"Self-preservation is the first law of nature," quoted the Shaggy Man.

"True," she said, readily. "I would like to discover a plan to save
ourselves without fighting."

That seemed a hopeless task to them, but realizing that Ozma was
determined not to fight, they tried to think of some means that might
promise escape.

"Couldn't we bribe our enemies, by giving them a lot of emeralds and
gold?" asked Jack Pumpkinhead.

"No, because they believe they are able to take everything we have,"
replied the Ruler.

"I have thought of something," said Dorothy.

"What is it, dear?" asked Ozma.

"Let us use the Magic Belt to wish all of us in Kansas. We will put
some emeralds in our pockets, and can sell them in Topeka for enough to
pay off the mortgage on Uncle Henry's farm. Then we can all live
together and be happy."

"A clever idea!" exclaimed the Scarecrow.

"Kansas is a very good country. I've been there," said the Shaggy Man.

"That seems to me an excellent plan," approved the Tin Woodman.

"No!" said Ozma, decidedly. "Never will I desert my people and leave
them to so cruel a fate. I will use the Magic Belt to send the rest of
you to Kansas, if you wish, but if my beloved country must be destroyed
and my people enslaved I will remain and share their fate."

"Quite right," asserted the Scarecrow, sighing. "I will remain with
you."

"And so will I," declared the Tin Woodman and the Shaggy Man and Jack
Pumpkinhead, in turn. Tiktok, the machine man, also said he intended
to stand by Ozma. "For," said he, "I should be of no use at all in
Kan-sas."

"For my part," announced Dorothy, gravely, "if the Ruler of Oz must not
desert her people, a Princess of Oz has no right to run away, either.
I'