he turned
the crank in the Little Pink Bear's side and inquired, "Did Ugu the
Shoemaker steal Ozma of Oz?"

"Yes," answered the Little Pink Bear.

"Then what did he do with her?" asked the King.

"Shut her up in a dark place," answered the Little Pink Bear.

"Oh, that must be a dungeon cell!" cried Dorothy, horrified. "How
dreadful!"

"Well, we must get her out of it," said the Wizard. "That is what we
came for, and of course we must rescue Ozma. But how?"

Each one looked at some other one for an answer, and all shook their
heads in a grave and dismal manner. All but Scraps, who danced around
them gleefully. "You're afraid," said the Patchwork Girl, "because so
many things can hurt your meat bodies. Why don't you give it up and go
home? How can you fight a great magician when you have nothing to
fight with?"

Dorothy looked at her reflectively.

"Scraps," said she, "you know that Ugu couldn't hurt you a bit,
whatever he did, nor could he hurt ME, 'cause I wear the Gnome King's
Magic Belt. S'pose just we two go on together and leave the others
here to wait for us."

"No, no!" said the Wizard positively. "That won't do at all. Ozma is
more powerful than either of you, yet she could not defeat the wicked
Ugu, who has shut her up in a dungeon. We must go to the Shoemaker in
one mighty band, for only in union is there strength."

"That is excellent advice," said the Lavender Bear approvingly.

"But what can we do when we get to Ugu?" inquired the Cookie Cook
anxiously.

"Do not expect a prompt answer to that important question," replied the
Wizard, "for we must first plan our line of conduct. Ugu knows, of
course, that we are after him, for he has seen our approach in the
Magic Picture, and he has read of all we have done up to the present
moment in the Great Book of Records. Therefore we cannot expect to
take him by surprise."

"Don't you suppose Ugu would listen to reason?" asked Betsy. "If we
explained to him how wicked he has been, don't you think he'd let poor
Ozma go?"

"And give me back my dishpan?" added the Cookie Cook eagerly.

"Yes, yes, won't he say he's sorry and get on his knees and beg our
pardon?" cried Scraps, turning a flip-flop to show her scorn of the
suggestion. "When Ugu the Shoemaker does that, please knock at the
front door and let me know."

The Wizard sighed and rubbed his bald head with a puzzled air. "I'm
quite sure Ugu will not be polite to us," said he, "so w