"Blunderoo ! " breathed Peter softly Then snatching at Ruggedo's coat-tails forced him to stop

"Let's go aboard ! " puffed Peter "I'll bet we'll find all sorts of useful things Oh Jimminee ! Look ! It's pirate ship ! "

Peter pointed gold skull and cross bones below the ship's name, his voice trembling with eagerness Even Ruggedo's eyes began to snap and sparkle with excitement

" mean treasure chests," muttered the old gnome greedily rusty chain ladder hanging over the ship's side and, seizing the lowest rung, Peter swung himself up and in no time had reached the ship's deck How long it had lain bottom sea was hard , but the planks were water soaked and rotten and everything was crumbling with rust and decay Gnome King dropped down beside Peter, thunderous explosion shook the boards beneath their feet

"Another one ! " roared Ruggedo, clapping his hands over his ears

"Another what ? " shouted Peter, who was not what had happened first place

"Sea quake ! " quavered the gnome, cowering back against the ship's cabin And Ruggedo was right For moment longer the strange stretch of sea bed quivered surface waves Then, with splash, grind and rumble, it went crashing back bottom hungry waves Nonestic Ocean tossed and tumbled over the place where it

Now the same terrific shock that hurled the sea land back depths ocean dislodged the crumbling old pirate wreck and hurled it high air With shattering smack it smote the churning waters, rocked violently backward and forward, finally righting itself

"Well, I'll be scuppered ! " Letting go ring cabin door he had clung during the whole excitement, Ruggedo slid down to sitting position deck Peter, with one arm hooked ship's railing, was so surprised himself alive that speak for several moments

"Well ! " he coughed finally, " boat ! "

" hadn't come aboard we'd bottom sea ," shuddered Ruggedo, as Peter sank down beside him "I believe you've brought me good luck, boy, and when I reach my kingdom I'll make you general of all my armies "

"Thanks," murmured Peter, smiling faintly, "but I'll have getting back to Philadelphia My grandfather worried, besides I'm captain baseball team and there's big game on soon

"Would you rather be captain of baseball team than an army ? " asked Ruggedo, staring little boy in real amazement He didn't know just what baseball team was, but felt compare army of gnomes

" ," answered Peter, in matter of fact voice, "but 're going anywhere we'll have to steer the ship " The sun had sunk down sea and growing darker and darker Stepping carefully along the rail, ship was still plunging and pitching terribly, Peter made careful survey But the rudder was gone, the masts crumbled to mere stumps and not vestige sails remained

"We'll have to drift," called Peter resignedly Scarcely hearing him, the old gnome nodded Already hundred plans were skimming through his wicked little head-plans to reinstate himself as Metal Monarch, revenge himself upon Ozma and Dorothy and destroy once and for all the Emerald City of Oz The tides Nonestic Ocean were very strong, and that sooner or later carried shores of Ev, under the surface lay his own vast dominions Directly across the Deadly Desert from Ev, lay Oz, and when he reached his own kingdom some means of crossing the desert devised

While Ruggedo was planning all this, Peter was busily exploring the ship liked to descend hold pirate vessel, but already too dark to venture down, and as very hungry, he began to look around for something to eat Fortunately the decks were still full of wiggling sea creatures that had failed back water sea quake Peter threw most overboard, keeping only three tiny fish dinner These he killed, cleaned and scaled pocket knife and, borrowing Ruggedo's pipe which quite miraculously had stayed lit, kindled small fire in an iron pot and broiled them most satisfactorily

Ruggedo refused to share Peter's dinner, crunching up instead handful of pebbles he had pocket moon rose the sea grew calmer and, riding up and down the silvered waves, the strange ship mates sat conversing together Delighted off the lonely island, impressed by Peter's enterprise and spirit, Ruggedo had grown almost friendly He listened quite pleasantly, while Peter told how the balloon bird had carried him off and then turn related bit own history He first explained little boy how Dorothy had captured his magic belt, which seemed his most treasured possession, and how she had given it to Ozma Pulling away at his pipe, he spoke many efforts to recover his property, but always, it seemed, through no fault own, he defeated After his last attempt he related how Ozma had banished him lonely island where Peter had found him

"Well, why bother belt ? " asked Peter, little sleepily, gnome paused to knock the ashes pipe " all the riches you say , ruler over five hundred thousand gnomes, why do this belt ? "

"Because my most magic possession," explained Ruggedo impatiently " magic belt one can change people into any shape or form whatsoever and transport them where one desires And don't that as Ozma belt, in her power ? "

"I suppose so," yawned Peter, but he couldn't help reflecting, from what he had read of Ozma and what he already knew of Ruggedo, magic belt was far safer little fairy ruler of Oz

"Why did Dorothy take it first place ? " he inquired drowsily

"Just because to transform her and few useless Oz people into ornaments palace," complained Ruggedo in grieved voice

"Oh ! " murmured Peter and, chuckling little to himself, curled into more comfortable position The deck was hard and wet, but Peter, thinking over the strange events day, even notice now, he had believed usual things of life, like grandfathers, school, baseball, circuses, vaca-tions in summer, plenty of friends and fun To suddenly be confronted by balloon birds, gnomes, fairy kingdoms and sea quakes was terribly confusing Peter tried his best to figure it all out but, lulled motion ship monotonous drone of Ruggedo's voice, he finally fell into deep slumber

CHAPTER 6

Ruggedo Discovers Pirate's Treasure

WHEN Peter awakened, the sun was already high heavens sea glittering, dancing expanse of blue Stretching his arms joyously, Peter bounded feet, not even minding the little stiffness long sleep on deck The ship was rolling along comfortably current, and Ruggedo was nowhere in sight Tiptoeing over cabin, Peter peered window, but not there

"He's gone below, I guess," decided Peter, and started down the broken ladder that led ship's hold The port holes, stil1 overgrown with moss and sea weed, let in only dim, green light but, even so, Peter walls were hung with rusty swords and muskets, while all Sides stood old iron sea chests and boxes and rotting sacks, spilling out their gleaming contents of gold md silver coins largest sea chest, crouched the old Gnome King crooning happily to himself and running his fingers sparkling jewels that filled the chest very top

"Well ! " exclaimed Peter, pausing with both hands hips, " find ! " " it first ! it first ! " babbled Ruggedo "They're mine, Peter, all mine ! the gold pieces," he finished jealously Disgusted greedy old gnome, Peter shrugged his shoulders The gold pieces seemed more desirable anyway Giving no further attention to Ruggedo, he sank down before bulging sacks and began planning what do treasure First, build splendid club house team, with hot and cold showers, and next buy himself gang motorcycles, ponies and canoes ! His grandfather new automobile and twenty-five pair of specs, so he'd always have one pair handy -Clasping his knees and fixing his eyes dreamily beamed ceiling, Peter fell into such pleasant reveries nearly 10 o'clock before he as thought of breakfast Then he suddenly realized dreadfully thirsty and went hurrying up the ladder in search of water and provisions " some left," muttered Peter anxiously, "something in tins or bottles salt water hasn't got into "

The cabin was mass of wreckage but opening was small narrow pantry that had evidently been the ship's galley The shelves had rotted and fallen floor Sand and shells sifted back and forth motion boat, but darkest corner Peter found heap of casks and tins Seizing square boxes and cask, Peter raced out on deck and after some trouble managed to uncork the strangely shaped vessel

Ah ! Water ! Sparkling, cold and clear ! Peter almost emptied the cask, then, knocking open box with piece of wreckage, it full of hard, salty ship's biscuits Smiling how long this breakfast waiting for him, Peter ate heartily, for hungry even stale biscuit tastes delicious Satisfied at last, the biscuits and cask below

Without even " ," Ruggedo gulped down the water and gobbled up the biscuits, which were hard enough to suit even him Then, wiping his mouth upon his ragged sleeve, he fell to fingering the pirate's jewels again, bending as lovingly over the sea chest as mother bends over cradle After several unsuccessful attempts to draw Ruggedo into conversation, Peter gave up and went poking around the great dim interior what else find Shreds that were once the pirates' coats clung nails wall and below nails Peter picked up small metal bound book Water had blurred all the first pages but, carrying it light, Peter found the last page quite legible It Pirate Chief's diary and, thrilled last bone, Peter pored over the pirate's final entry

"I, Polacky, the Plunderer," said the thin, angular writing, "did this day capture the Island of Ashangabad, taking islanders ten chests of gold, three bags of silver, the crown and jewels of state, together magic casket of Soob, the Sorcerer The treasure will I divide, but the magic appliances hold of mutiny or capture "