mbed to the top of the mountain.
Ozma lighted their way with her wand and they kept on without relaxing
their speed until they reached the bottom. Then they ran to the right
and turned the corner of the invisible wall just as the Su-dic and his
followers rushed out of the arched entrance and looked around in an
attempt to discover the fugitives.

Ozma now knew they were safe, so she told Dorothy to stop and both of
them sat down on the grass until they could breathe freely and become
rested from their mad flight.

As for the Su-dic, he realized he was foiled and soon turned and
climbed his stairs again. He was very angry--angry with Ozma and angry
with himself--because, now that he took time to think, he remembered
that he knew very well the art of making people invisible, and visible
again, and if he had only thought of it in time he could have used his
magic knowledge to make the girls visible and so have captured them
easily. However, it was now too late for regrets and he determined to
make preparations at once to march all his forces against the Skeezers.

"What shall we do next?" asked Dorothy, when they were rested.

"Let us find the Lake of the Skeezers," replied Ozma. "From what that
dreadful Su-dic said I imagine the Skeezers are good people and worthy
of our friendship, and if we go to them we may help them to defeat the
Flatheads."

"I s'pose we can't stop the war now," remarked Dorothy reflectively, as
they walked toward the row of palm trees.

"No; the Su-dic is determined to fight the Skeezers, so all we can do
is to warn them of their danger and help them as much as possible."

"Of course you'll punish the Flatheads," said Dorothy.

"Well, I do not think the Flathead people are as much to blame as their
Supreme Dictator," was the answer. "If he is removed from power and his
unlawful magic taken from him, the people will probably be good and
respect the laws of the Land of Oz, and live at peace with all their
neighbors in the future."

"I hope so," said Dorothy with a sigh of doubt

The palms were not far from the mountain and the girls reached them
after a brisk walk. The huge trees were set close together, in three
rows, and had been planted so as to keep people from passing them, but
the Flatheads had cut a passage through this barrier and Ozma found the
path and led Dorothy to the other side.

Beyond the palms they discovered a very beautiful scene. Bordered by a
green lawn was a great la