Forgetting the necessity for caution, Peter gave shriek of excitement and, falling upon his knees opening, reached eagerly down magic box To fit the key lock and open the casket work of but moment bit disappointed what looked like package of grey gauze, small uncut emerald and an ivory box with few directions lid Placing the smaller objects floor beside him, Peter unrolled the grey package It proved long, misty cape, and collar was tiny tag stitched in green

"The Flying Cloak of Invisibility," announced the tag "Renders wearer invisible and takes him wheresoever he desires

With sharp exclamation of delight, Peter arose and was about to fling the magic cloak around him when snatched roughly from behind It old Gnome King, For several minutes he peering over Peter's shoulder and had also read the legend green tag

"Take me Emerald City ! " shouted Ruggedo, wrapping himself misty folds gray garment Too startled to even try to recover his property, Peter stood blinking old gnome But he neither disappeared nor whirled off in cloud of silver dust, as Peter had expected him , nothing happened to him at all

"What kind of miserable mumpish magician made this ? " stormed Ruggedo, dragging off the cloak and holding it light

"Well, you had no business it first place," burst out Peter angrily " the magic casket cloak is mine ! What good would it , , had carried you Emerald City ? " he continued more calmly " left all this treasure behind and had no one to capture your belt' "

"That's so," admitted Ruggedo, sitting down cloak lap "If I had gone taken all the jewels "

"You bet " Folding his arms Peter stared sternly down mean little gnome "Why can't you play fair ? " he demanded indignantly

"Well, weren't you going to fly back to Philadelphia and leave me ? " asked Ruggedo triumphantly "Hah ! Hah ! You're no better than That's why I like you," he finished maliciously

Peter blushed little Gnome King's shrewd guess He going to wish himself back to Philadelphia, but pretending not to care, he swept up the other treasures magic box and put them into his pocket " keep the cloak, keep these ! " he announced firmly, "and why the cloak won't work, too ! "

"Why ? " of himself, Ruggedo's voice trembled with eagerness

"Oh-because ! " Smiling provokingly and whistling careless tune, Peter climbed up the ladder Ruggedo was after him in flash

"Tell me ! " begged the gnome most coaxing voice "Don't you magic cloak fly into Ozma's palace and recover my belt without being detected And when ," he promised earnestly, "I'll transport you immediately back to Philadelphia - you and all the gold pieces "

"Promise ? " Ruggedo nodded so vigorously his hair blew backward and forward seven times

"All right then," agreed Peter, leaning against the rail Blunderoo "It won't fly because it's torn " Holding the cloak up, Ruggedo saw that Peter was right large hole back and rent reaching collar hem

"Huh, my gnomes can soon mend that," boasted Ruggedo in relief, "and then let Miss Ozma of Oz look to her crown ! I'll fly Emerald City, steal my belt, and I'll turn her to canary and clap her into gold cage I'll clap them all into cages ! " roared Ruggedo, beginning to bounce up and down like rubber ball "There won't be one emerald left other, when I get through Banish me for five years ! Take away my Kingdom ! I'll show them ! "

Forgetting all about Peter, the old Gnome King stamped, shrieked and threatened till the little boy in disgust retired other side ship easily have taken the cloak away from Ruggedo, but wisely decided to wait " ever do reach this Kingdom cloak is properly mended I'll take it myself, fly Emerald City and warn Ozma Gnome King is free," resolved Peter, staring dreamily tumbling blue waves "And once Emerald City, Ozma will surely send me back to 'Philadelphia magic belt " Having settled all this satisfaction, the little boy pulled out the other possessions of Soob, the Sorcerer The emerald was covered with strange markings, but Peter could make nothing , so he put it back into his pocket and opened the ivory box

" of extreme danger, plant these," advised pink slip on top box "These" proved two onions, or they looked like onions Peter had hoped something exciting, like wishing ring, and putting the onions back, he closed the box with little sigh Then, clasping his hands behind his head, he fell to thinking pirates and wondering why there were no bones on board

" taken small boats and escaped Blunderoo sank," concluded Peter and, having disposed question, began wondering what his friends in Philadelphia were doing sorry indeed his grandfather worried by his absence, but help feeling little important commotion it causing "They've probably called police by now," mused Peter, and he hoped that when his grandfather gave his picture reporters remember to mention that Peter was Captain . P Baseball Team In fancy, the large headlines morning papers news final return did get out

'Young Philadelphia Boy Finds Treasure Ship and Saves the Emerald City of Oz ! ' That wouldn't be bad," thought Peter, and was going over mind just how describe the sea quake other strange adventures when loud screech from Ruggedo called him side ship

"Land ! " shouted the Gnome King, with an excited wave toward the west And land Rolling gently in tide, the Blunderoo was approaching long shallow beach

"We'll probably go aground," exclaimed Peter, looking anxiously over the side "It's good thing the waves any larger What country suppose , Rug ? " Ruggedo staring intently ahead and now jumped three feet air

"Why, it's Ev ! " croaked the Gnome King, hoarse with delight "Ev ! Ev ! Ev ! The most beautiful country My country, Peter ! "

"Looks like wilderness ," puffed the little boy, but even Peter felt strangely elated and gay He really believed the old gnome's story vast dominions, but if Ev, been telling the truth "I don't see any castle ! " he murmured, leaning far out over the rail

"Underground ! " panted Ruggedo "Caverns ! Caves ! Labyrinths and everything Wait till them, Peter You'll never want back to Philadelphia again Wait ! "

CHAPTER 7

Kalico Falls as King Gnomes

EVERY wash and slap waves sent the battered old hull Blunderoo nearer to shore and, at last, with tired groan, it stuck its nose sand and, listing over sideways, came to creaky stop

" the cloak ? " asked Peter, one leg already over the rail Ruggedo held up the small gray package, but looked doubtfully foaming waves below

"How are we going beach ? " he frowned uneasily

"Lived here all your life and can't swim ? " exclaimed Peter "Great goldfish ! Come on, I'll ," he added impatiently, gnome continued to stare uncertainly down water Hurrying down the ladder, Peter dropped easily sea, and after good bit of coaxing, Ruggedo slipped in after him Taking firm hold gnome's long whiskers and with Ruggedo sputtering and sizzling like hot coal in dish pan, Peter struck out for shore soon shallow enough to wade and in exactly three minutes time the Blunderoo grounded, they stood barren shores of Ev

Forgetting his discomfort, for gnomes like water about as cats, the metal monarch began to run as fast as his crooked legs would carry him toward group of little hills Looking round without much enthusiasm dreary waste of sand and cactus, Peter followed more slowly His only plan was sharp watch over Ruggedo and, cloak was repaired, it away and fly Emerald City