"

"Yes," replied Kaliko. "The Ugly One has been here for two or three
years, to my positive knowledge."

"But what could he find to eat?" inquired Betsy. "It's an awfully swell
place to live in, but one can't breakfast on rubies and di'monds, or
even gold."

"One doesn't need to, my dear," Kaliko assured her. "The Metal Forest
does not fill all of this great cavern, by any means. Beyond these gold
and silver trees are other trees of the real sort, which bear foods
very nice to eat. Let us walk in that direction, for I am quite sure we
will find Shaggy's brother in that part of the cavern, rather than in
this."

So they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbled paths, and at every
step they were more and more bewildered by the wondrous beauty of the
golden trees with their glittering foliage.

Suddenly they heard a scream. Jewels scattered in every direction as
some one hidden among the bushes scampered away before them. Then a
loud voice cried: "Halt!" and there was the sound of a struggle.

Chapter Twenty-One

A Bashful Brother

With fast beating hearts they all rushed forward and, beyond a group of
stately metal trees, came full upon a most astonishing scene.

There was Ruggedo in the hands of the officers of Oogaboo, a dozen of
whom were clinging to the old nome and holding him fast in spite of his
efforts to escape. There also was Queen Ann, looking grimly upon the
scene of strife; but when she observed her former companions
approaching she turned away in a shamefaced manner.

For Ann and her officers were indeed a sight to behold. Her Majesty's
clothing, once so rich and gorgeous, was now worn and torn into shreds
by her long crawl through the tunnel, which, by the way, had led her
directly into the Metal Forest. It was, indeed, one of the three secret
passages, and by far the most difficult of the three. Ann had not only
torn her pretty skirt and jacket, but her crown had become bent and
battered and even her shoes were so cut and slashed that they were
ready to fall from her feet.

The officers had fared somewhat worse than their leader, for holes were
worn in the knees of their trousers, while sharp points of rock in the
roof and sides of the tunnel had made rags of every inch of their once
brilliant uniforms. A more tattered and woeful army never came out of a
battle, than these harmless victims of the rocky passage. But it had
seemed their only means of escape from the cruel Nome King; so