the basement
room where we are now and the other letting into the lake.

"When Coo-ee-oh used the boat in which she attacked the Flatheads, she
first commanded the basement door to open and with her followers she
got into the boat and made the top close over them. Then the basement
door being closed, the outer door was slowly opened, letting the water
fill the room to float the boat, which then left the island, keeping
under water."

"But how could she expect to get back again?" asked the Wizard.

"Why the boat would enter the room filled with water and after the
outer door was closed a word of command started a pump which pumped all
the water from the room. Then the boat would open and Coo-ee-oh could
enter the basement."

"I see," said the Wizard. "It is a clever contrivance, but won't work
unless one knows the magic words."

"Another part of this machinery," explained the white-haired Adept, "is
used to extend the bridge from the island to the mainland. The steel
bridge is in a room much like that in which the boats are kept, and at
Coo-ce-oh's command it would reach out, joint by joint, until its far
end touched the shore of the lake. The same magic command would make
the bridge return to its former position. Of course the bridge could
not be used unless the island was on the surface of the water."

"But how do you suppose Coo-ee-oh managed to sink the island, and make
it rise again?" inquired Glinda.

This the Adepts could not yet explain. As nothing more could be learned
from the basement they mounted the steps to the Queen's private suite
again, and Ozma showed them to a special room where Coo-ee-oh kept her
magical instruments and performed all her arts of witchcraft.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Magic Words

Many interesting things were to be seen in the Room of Magic, including
much that had been stolen from the Adepts when they were transformed to
fishes, but they had to admit that Coo-ee-oh had a rare genius for
mechanics, and had used her knowledge in inventing a lot of mechanical
apparatus that ordinary witches, wizards and sorcerers could not
understand.

They all carefully inspected this room, taking care to examine every
article they came across.

"The island," said Glinda thoughtfully, "rests on a base of solid
marble. When it is submerged, as it is now, the base of the island is
upon the bottom of the lake. What puzzles me is how such a great weight
can be lifted and suspended in