try that next then," proposed the Wizard.

He scraped the embers of the burned powder out of the basin and Glinda
again filled the golden cup from the drawer and placed it on top the
steel pillar. Aurah lighted it with her taper and Ozma bent over the
basin and murmured the long drawn syllable: "Oh-h-h!"

Instantly the island trembled and with a weird groaning noise it moved
upward--slowly, very slowly, but with a steady motion, while all the
company stood by in awed silence. It was a wonderful thing, even to
those skilled in the arts of magic, wizardry and sorcery, to realize
that a single word could raise that great, heavy island, with its
immense glass Dome.

"Why, we're way above the lake now!" exclaimed Dorothy from the window,
when at last the island ceased to move.

"That is because we lowered the level of the water," explained Glinda.

They could hear the Skeezers cheering lustily in the streets of the
village as they realized that they were saved.

"Come," said Ozma eagerly, "let us go down and join the people."

"Not just yet," returned Glinda, a happy smile upon her lovely face,
for she was overjoyed at their success. "First let us extend the bridge
to the mainland, where our friends from the Emerald City are waiting."

It didn't take long to put more powder in the basin, light it and utter
the syllable "EE!" The result was that a door in the basement opened
and the steel bridge moved out, extended itself joint by joint, and
finally rested its far end on the shore of the lake just in front of
the encampment.

"Now," said Glinda, "we can go up and receive the congratulations of
the Skeezers and of our friends of the Rescue Expedition."

Across the water, on the shore of the lake, the Patchwork Girl was
waving them a welcome.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Glinda's Triumph

Of course all those who had joined Glinda's expedition at once crossed
the bridge to the island, where they were warmly welcomed by the
Skeezers. Before all the concourse of people Princess Ozma made a
speech from a porch of the palace and demanded that they recognize her
as their lawful Ruler and promise to obey the laws of the Land of Oz.
In return she agreed to protect them from all future harm and declared
they would no longer be subjected to cruelty and abuse.

This pleased the Skeezers greatly, and when Ozma told them they might
elect a Queen to rule over them, who in turn would be subject to Ozma
of Oz, they voted for