wiftly through the beautiful Land
of Oz to the edge of the Deadly Desert that separated their fairyland
from the Nome Country.

Even Dorothy and the clever Wizard would not have dared to cross this
desert without the aid of the Magic Carpet, for it would have quickly
destroyed them; but when the roll of carpet had been placed upon the
edge of the sands, leaving just enough lying flat for them to stand
upon, the carpet straightway began to unroll before them and as they
walked on it continued to unroll, until they had safely passed over the
stretch of Deadly Desert and were on the border of the Nome King's
dominions.

This journey had been accomplished in a few minutes, although such a
distance would have required several days' travel had they not been
walking on the Magic Carpet. On arriving they at once walked toward the
entrance to the caverns of the nomes.

The Wizard carried a little black bag containing his tools of wizardry,
while Dorothy carried over her arm a covered basket in which she had
placed a dozen eggs, with which to conquer the nomes if she had any
trouble with them.

[Illustration]

Eggs may seem to you to be a queer weapon with which to fight, but the
little girl well knew their value. The nomes are immortal; that is, they
do not perish, as mortals do, _unless they happen to come in contact
with an egg_. If an egg touches them--either the outer shell or the
inside of the egg--the nomes lose their charm of perpetual life and
thereafter are liable to die through accident or old age, just as all
humans are.

For this reason the sight of an egg fills a nome with terror and he will
do anything to prevent an egg from touching him, even for an instant.
So, when Dorothy took her basket of eggs with her, she knew that she was
more powerfully armed than if she had a regiment of soldiers at her
back.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The Wizard Finds an Enchantment

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 21

After Kaliko had failed in his attempts to destroy his guests, as has
been related, the Nome King did nothing more to injure them but treated
them in a friendly manner. He refused, however, to permit Inga to see or
to speak with his father and mother, or even to know in what part of the
underground caverns they were confined.

"You are able to protect your lives and persons, I freely admit," said
Kaliko; "but I firmly believe you have no power, either of magic or
otherwise, to take from me the ca