eve it is a real army at all. If Ugu
the Shoemaker had so many people living with him, I'm sure the Czarover
of Herku would have mentioned the fact to us."

"They're only girls!" laughed Scraps.

"Girls are the fiercest soldiers of all," declared the Frogman. "They
are more brave than men, and they have better nerves. That is probably
why the magician uses them for soldiers and has sent them to oppose us."

No one argued this statement, for all were staring hard at the line of
soldiers, which now, having taken a defiant position, remained
motionless.

"Here is a trick of magic new to me," admitted the Wizard after a time.
"I do not believe the army is real, but the spears may be sharp enough
to prick us, nevertheless, so we must be cautious. Let us take time to
consider how to meet this difficulty."

While they were thinking it over, Scraps danced closer to the line of
girl soldiers. Her button eyes sometimes saw more than did the natural
eyes of her comrades, and so after staring hard at the magician's army,
she boldly advanced and danced right through the threatening line! On
the other side, she waved her stuffed arms and called out, "Come on,
folks. The spears can't hurt you." said the Wizard gaily. "An optical
illusion, as I thought. Let us all follow the Patchwork Girl." The
three little girls were somewhat nervous in attempting to brave the
spears and battle axes, but after the others had safely passed the
line, they ventured to follow. And when all had passed through the
ranks of the girl army, the army itself magically disappeared from view.

All this time our friends had been getting farther up the hill and
nearer to the wicker castle. Now, continuing their advance, they
expected something else to oppose their way, but to their astonishment
nothing happened, and presently they arrived at the wicker gates, which
stood wide open, and boldly entered the domain of Ugu the Shoemaker.

CHAPTER 22

IN THE WICKER CASTLE

No sooner were the Wizard of Oz and his followers well within the
castle entrance when the big gates swung to with a clang and heavy bars
dropped across them. They looked at one another uneasily, but no one
cared to speak of the incident. If they were indeed prisoners in the
wicker castle, it was evident they must find a way to escape, but their
first duty was to attend to the errand on which they had come and seek
the Royal Ozma, whom they believed to be a prisoner of t