"Dear me ! " exclaimed Dorothy, rubbing her nose, which had struck something hard, although she what ; "this isn't as easy as it looks What has stopped us, Ozma ? magic of some sort ? "

Ozma was feeling around, her bands outstretched before her

"Yes, dear, magic," she replied "The Flatheads had way from their mountain top plain below, but enemies from rushing up the stairs to conquer them, built, at small distance entrance wall of solid stone, the stones being held in place by cement, and then they made the wall invisible "

"I wonder why that ? " mused Dorothy "A wall would keep folks out anyhow, whether it seen or not, so there wasn't any use making it invisible Seems it better left it solid, for then no one seen the entrance behind it Now anybody the entrance, as And prob'bly anybody that tries up the stairs gets bumped, as "

Ozma made no reply at once Her face was grave and thoughtful

" the reason for making the wall invisible," she said after while "The Flatheads use the stairs for coming down and going up If solid stone wall them from reaching the plain themselves be imprisoned wall So they had to leave some place around the wall, and, wall was visible, all strangers or enemies would find the place around it and then the wall useless So the Flatheads cunningly made their wall invisible, believing that everyone who saw the entrance mountain would walk straight toward it, as , and find it impossible any farther I suppose the wall is really high and thick, and can't be broken through, so those who find it in their way are obliged away again "

"Well," said Dorothy, "if there's way around the wall, where ? "

" find it," returned Ozma, and began feeling her way along the wall Dorothy followed and began discouraged when Ozma had walked nearly quarter of mile away entrance But now the invisible wall curved in toward the side mountain and suddenly ended, leaving just space enough wall mountain for an ordinary person through

The girls went in, single file, and Ozma explained were now behind the barrier and could go back entrance They met no further obstructions

"Most people, Ozma, wouldn't have figured this thing out the way ," remarked Dorothy "If I'd been alone the invisible wall surely stumped me "

Reaching the entrance they began to mount the stone stairs They went up ten stairs and then down five stairs, following passage cut rock The stairs were just wide enough two girls to walk abreast, arm in arm bottom five stairs the passage turned right, ascended ten more stairs, only top flight five stairs leading straight down again Again the passage turned abruptly, left, and ten more stairs led upward

The passage was now quite dark, for they were heart mountain and all daylight shut out turns passage However, Ozma drew her silver wand from her bosom great jewel at its end gave out lustrous, green-tinted light which lighted the place well enough their way plainly

Ten steps up, five steps down, and turn, or that That program, and Dorothy figured were only gaining five stairs upward each trip made

"Those Flatheads funny people," she said to Ozma "They don't seem anything in bold straightforward manner In making this passage they forced everyone to walk three times as far as is necessary And this trip is just as tiresome Flatheads to other folks "

" true," answered Ozma; "yet clever arrangement their being surprised by intruders Every time we reach the tenth step of flight, the pressure feet stone makes bell ring on top mountain, to warn the Flatheads coming "

"How that ? " demanded Dorothy, astonished

"I've heard the bell we started," Ozma told her " hear it, , but when holding my wand in my hand hear sounds great distance off "

" hear anything on top mountain 'cept the bell ? " inquired Dorothy

"Yes The people are calling to one another in alarm and many footsteps are approaching the place where reach the flat top mountain "

This made Dorothy feel somewhat anxious "I'd thought we were going to visit just common, ordinary people," she remarked, "but they're pretty clever, it seems, know some kinds of magic, too dangerous, Ozma P'raps we'd better stayed at home "

Finally the upstairs-and-downstairs passage seemed coming to an end, for daylight again appeared ahead two girls and Ozma replaced her wand bosom of her gown The last ten steps brought them surface, where they found themselves surrounded by such throng of queer people that for time they halted, speechless, and stared faces that confronted them

Dorothy knew at once why these mountain people were called Flatheads Their heads were really flat on top, as cut off just above the eyes and ears Also the heads were bald, with no hair on top at all, ears were big and stuck straight out, noses were small and stubby, while the mouths Flatheads were well shaped and not unusual Their eyes were perhaps their best feature, being large and bright and deep violet in color

The costumes Flatheads were all made of metals dug from their mountain Small gold, silver, tin and iron discs, size of pennies, and very thin, were cleverly wired together and made knee trousers and jackets men and skirts and waists women The colored metals were skillfully mixed stripes and checks of various sorts, so costumes were quite gorgeous and reminded Dorothy of pictures she had seen of Knights of old clothed armor

Aside from their flat heads, these people really bad looking The men were armed with bows and arrows and had small axes of steel stuck in their metal belts They wore no hats nor ornaments

Chapter Six

Flathead Mountain

saw intruders on their mountain were only two little girls, the Flatheads grunted with satisfaction and drew back, permitting them what the mountain top looked like shaped like saucer, so houses and other buildings -- all made of rocks -- seen over the edge by anyone standing plain below

But now big fat Flathead stood girls and in gruff voice demanded:

" you doing here ? Have the Skeezers sent you to spy upon us ? "

" Princess Ozma, Ruler of all the Land of Oz "

"Well, I've never heard Land of Oz, so what you claim," returned the Flathead

" Land of Oz -- part of it, anyway," exclaimed Dorothy "So Princess Ozma rules you Flathead people, as all the other people in Oz "

The man laughed, and all the others who stood around laughed, too Some one crowd called:

"She'd better not tell the Supreme Dictator about ruling the Flatheads Eh, friends ? "

"No, indeed ! " they all answered in positive tones

" your Supreme Dictator ? " answered Ozma

" I'll let him tell you that himself," answered the man who had first spoken " broken our laws by coming here; and whoever the Supreme Dictator must fix your punishment Come along with me "

He started down path and Ozma and Dorothy followed him without protest, wanted the most important person queer country The houses they passed seemed pleasant enough and each had little yard were flowers and vegetables Walls of rock separated the dwellings, and all the paths were paved with smooth slabs of rock This seemed their only building material utilized it cleverly for every purpose

Directly center great saucer stood larger building which the Flathead informed the girls palace Supreme Dictator He led them through an entrance hall into big reception room, where they sat upon stone benches and awaited the coming Dictator Pretty soon he entered from another room -- rather lean and rather old Flathead, dressed much like the others strange race, and only distinguished sly and cunning expression face He kept his eyes half closed and looked slits at Ozma and Dorothy, who rose to receive him

" the Supreme Dictator Flatheads ? " inquired Ozma

"Yes, that's me," , rubbing his hands slowly together "My word is law I'm the head Flatheads flat headland "

" Princess Ozma of Oz, and come Emerald City to --"

"Stop minute," interrupted the Dictator, and turned man who had brought the girls there "Go away, Dictator Felo Flathead ! " he commanded "Return to your duty and guard the Stairway look strangers " The man bowed and departed, and Dorothy asked wonderingly:

"Is he Dictator, too ? "

" ," answer "Everybody dictator of something or other They're all office holders That's what keeps them contented But I'm the Supreme Dictator of all, and I'm elected once year democracy, , where the people are allowed to vote for their rulers others would like Supreme Dictator, but as law that always to count the votes myself, always elected "

" ? " asked Ozma