ng first this way and
then that, until they came to an open square in the center of which was
a big glass palace having a central dome and four tall spires on each
corner.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 3.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE WIZARD

The doorway of the glass palace was quite big enough for the horse and
buggy to enter, so Zeb drove straight through it and the children found
themselves in a lofty hall that was very beautiful. The people at once
followed and formed a circle around the sides of the spacious room,
leaving the horse and buggy and the man with the star to occupy the
center of the hall.

"Come to us, oh, Gwig!" called the man, in a loud voice.

Instantly a cloud of smoke appeared and rolled over the floor; then it
slowly spread and ascended into the dome, disclosing a strange personage
seated upon a glass throne just before Jim's nose. He was formed just as
were the other inhabitants of this land and his clothing only differed
from theirs in being bright yellow. But he had no hair at all, and all
over his bald head and face and upon the backs of his hands grew sharp
thorns like those found on the branches of rose-bushes. There was even a
thorn upon the tip of his nose and he looked so funny that Dorothy
laughed when she saw him.

The Sorcerer, hearing the laugh, looked toward the little girl with
cold, cruel eyes, and his glance made her grow sober in an instant.

"Why have you dared to intrude your unwelcome persons into the secluded
Land of the Mangaboos?" he asked, sternly.

"'Cause we couldn't help it," said Dorothy.

"Why did you wickedly and viciously send the Rain of Stones to crack and
break our houses?" he continued.

"We didn't," declared the girl.

"Prove it!" cried the Sorcerer.

"We don't have to prove it," answered Dorothy, indignantly. "If you had
any sense at all you'd known it was the earthquake."

"We only know that yesterday came a Rain of Stones upon us, which did
much damage and injured some of our people. Today came another Rain of
Stones, and soon after it you appeared among us."

"By the way," said the man with the star, looking steadily at the
Sorcerer, "you told us yesterday that there would not be a second Rain
of Stones. Yet one has just occurred that was even worse than the first.
What is your sorcery good for if it cannot tell us the truth?"

"My sorcery does tell the truth!" declared the thorn-covered man. "I
said there would be but one Rain of Stones. This