exclaimed Dorothy.

[Illustration: "WELL I B'LIEVE YOU WONT!" EXCLAIMED DOROTHY]

"It will do you no good to refuse," continued the Princess; "for I
need your head for my collection, and in the Land of Ev my will is law.
I never have cared much for No. 26, and you will find that it is very
little worn. Besides, it will do you just as well as the one you're
wearing, for all practical purposes."

"I don't know anything about your No. 26, and I don't want to," said
Dorothy, firmly. "I'm not used to taking cast-off things, so I'll just
keep my own head."

"You refuse?" cried the Princess, with a frown.

"Of course I do," was the reply.

"Then," said Langwidere, "I shall lock you up in a tower until you
decide to obey me. Nanda," turning to her maid, "call my army."

Nanda rang a silver bell, and at once a big fat colonel in a bright red
uniform entered the room, followed by ten lean soldiers, who all looked
sad and discouraged and saluted the princess in a very melancholy
fashion.

"Carry that girl to the North Tower and lock her up!" cried the
Princess, pointing to Dorothy.

"To hear is to obey," answered the big red colonel, and caught the child
by her arm. But at that moment Tiktok raised his dinner-pail and pounded
it so forcibly against the colonel's head that the big officer sat down
upon the floor with a sudden bump, looking both dazed and very much
astonished.

"Help!" he shouted, and the ten lean soldiers sprang to assist their
leader.

There was great excitement for the next few moments, and Tiktok had
knocked down seven of the army, who were sprawling in every direction
upon the carpet, when suddenly the machine paused, with the dinner-pail
raised for another blow, and remained perfectly motionless.

"My ac-tion has run down," he called to Dorothy. "Wind me up, quick."

She tried to obey, but the big colonel had by this time managed to get
upon his feet again, so he grabbed fast hold of the girl and she was
helpless to escape.

"This is too bad," said the machine. "I ought to have run six hours
lon-ger, at least, but I sup-pose my long walk and my fight with the
Wheel-ers made me run down fast-er than us-u-al."

"Well, it can't be helped," said Dorothy, with a sigh.

"Will you exchange heads with me?" demanded the Princess.

"No, indeed!" cried Dorothy.

"Then lock her up," said Langwidere to her soldiers, and they led
Dorothy to a high tower at the north of the palace and locked her
secur