"Now then," breathed Peter, "let's all stand together and run like sixty "

" stand, how can we run ? " mumbled Grumpy, but no one answered the little bear, for instant the key turned lock, the door opened and in swept the arm of Kuma, stout club grasped in its hand Motioning , it whizzed down the hallway Scrapper, running in garden happening, received smart blow head Piecer, panting up the steps kitchen, was picked up bodily and dropped window

castle door, down the steps and garden rushed the three adventurers started down the road, crowd of Quilty men, on their way palace with fresh load of patches, stared at them in astonishment Then, suddenly realizing Queen was escaping, they rushed after her with yells and shouts of disapproval But the arm of Kuma laid about club, seeming everywhere at once, and with groans and screams the Quilties fell back Only three bolder ones continued the chase Over the most persistent pursuers Peter flung the Nap Sack and, as he fell snoring roadside, Grumpy sent the second flying into ditch Kuma's club soon disposed third and without further interruption they pelted down the crossroads of Patch

Always Kuma's hand flashed on ahead, making the way easy, taking down fence bars, opening gates, thrusting aside the branches of trees Quilties saw them cottage windows, but could get down doors the strange procession had passed by Scraps, being magically made and stuffed with cotton, tire, but Grumpy and Peter were soon panting with exhaustion remedy for even this, however Throwing down the club, Kuma's arm jerked first one and then the other air, carrying them by turns very edge little Kingdom

In small maple grove, several miles from Patch, they stopped to rest Peter still had hold of Kuma's hand and liked it longer, but gently disengaging itself, it patted him kindly shoulder, shook hands with Scraps and was gone it left no note and regretfully they watched it soar over the tree tops and disappear from view

"Well," gasped Peter, leaning back against tree, "we're out of Patch and where do we go now, Scraps ? " "South by east, and if I'm right, We'll reach the capital tonight ! " answered the Patchwork Girl cheerfully

"Oh, ," puffed Peter, taking long breath "Come on, let's start, I'm rested "

" the Kingdom of Patch will go to pieces in four days without you ? " grunted the little bear, pattering along beside Scraps

"Let it ! " cried Scraps, recklessly turning cartwheel "I'll not be Queen and work all day, I'm the Patchwork Girl of Oz, hurray ! "

CHAPTER 11

Scraps meets Sultan of Suds

WALKING slowly at first, and then more briskly, Peter companions hurried on direction Scraps had pointed out Grumpy was very helpful, for whenever they were in doubt, the little bear would climb tree and, after looking all around, would guide them best and widest roads that ran hither and thither pleasant land Winkies After his last climb, Grumpy had reported village ahead and, quite cheerfully, they trudged along under the banana trees that edged the roadway

"Even if Ruggedo has reached the Emerald City," remarked Scraps, waving to Winkie farmer at work fields, "we'll find some way to capture him Our wizard is very clever, boys Perhaps he has captured him already ! "

"But magic cloak, Ruggedo invisible," answered Peter gravely, "all but the patch, and no one will know that he he's still in Zamagoochie Ozma to send me back to Philadelphia, Scraps ? "

" ! " chuckled the Patchwork Girl, skipping mere mention little Queen "Ozma can do anything "

"Well, she sends me back game," sighed Peter "It's only three days off and I'm pitcher And take Grumpy back for mascot Would you like our mascot, Grumpy ? "

"It doesn't sound safe," mumbled Grumpy, wiggling his nose very fast " mascot, Peter ? "

"Oh, kind of pet to bring one luck," explained the little boy " come to all the games all the cake and peanuts " Grumpy considered the matter for , then, dropping on all fours, shook his head

"I belong to Scraps," he announced, looking up admiringly Patchwork Girl "I'm her pet Besides, I'll never leave Oz "

" ? " asked Peter in surprise

"Oh, because-" Rearing up hind legs, Grumpy waved his paw solemnly "In your country, Peter, only be bear, but in Oz, I'm bear and person, too That's why it's more fun an animal in Oz than person Look at me," he exclaimed compla-cently " do everything boy can do and everything bear can do, so, , fun ! , for instance ? " Drawing himself up into ball, Grumpy started rolling down grassy slope side road

"Ho ! Ho ! " laughed Scraps, running after Grumpy, "he has you there, Peter "

"Yes, but we shouldn't have turned off the road," objected Peter, hurrying Patch-work Girl "Stop ! Scraps, stop ! "

From gentle slope, the hillside dropped suddenly downward and now could stop Faster and faster rolled Grumpy, faster and faster ran Scraps and Peter, catching at trees and bushes from falling Instead of grass, the ground beneath their feet grew smooth and slippery as ice and from an incline the hill turned to regular mountain side It reminded Peter time he had tried skiing and, after several frantic attempts his balance, he fell flat face and finished the slide stomach Scraps, too, after few wild spins and flourishes, sat down hard and, in state of breathless surprise, they reached the foot mountain Grumpy had travelled most way ear and was growling terribly own language covered with fine yellow powder and, as Scraps and Peter slid past, he began to lick his fur furiously But one taste was enough

"Soap ! " coughed the little bear, wrinkling up his nose "Yellow soap, too ! "

"No wonder so slippery," said Peter slowly "Now how are we going to climb up again ? "

"We're not ! " announced Scraps, rising to her feet with great difficulty "Might try to walk up looking glass Why, what funny trees ! "

"They're rubber," announced Grumpy, giving himself shake, "and every branch is spray

"A bath spray," marveled Peter, staring up snakelike mass of tubes overhead They had landed directly under rubber trees and, as Peter spoke, from every spray perfect shower of warm water sprinkled down upon them Covered with soap from their slide down the mountain, they were soon in fine lather, especially the little bear tried to dash out from under the rubber tree, they immediately slipped and fell, ground was green soap and even more slippery than Soap Mountain Spluttering with surprise and shock, they finally crawled on their hands and knees tree's range

"Water ! " groaned Scraps dolefully "Water makes my spirits sink, It's very bad , , I'll fade, perhaps I'll shrink "

"Don't shrink," begged Peter in alarm "Shake yourself, old girl " Balancing herself with difficulty, the Patchwork Girl began shaking herself vigorously and wringing out her skirts, while Peter, rubbing the soap own eyes, saw were in strange and amazing village, where everything was soap The houses were built of small, square cakes walks laid out in large blocks of green soap Turkish towel trees edged all the avenues and, stepping cautiously nearest one, Peter picked towel and wiped his dripping face Grumpy soon followed his example Then both went to help Scraps, who was feeling both damp and discouraged They were fanning her briskly with dry towels, when procession of villagers came skating down the main street

" 's how they manage it," whistled Peter, taking few skating steps himself how it

"More soap ? " grumbled Grumpy "Let's run ! "

"No, let's wait what ," whispered Peter

The villagers were quite close and Peter was amazed also were entirely made of soap They wore turbans and robes of turkish toweling and, with their arms tucked comfortably in their flowing sleeves, came skating toward the travellers were pink, some green, some white and others violet, were all size of ten-year-old children

"Hello ! " said Peter politely, first soapman came to an abrupt stop before him "How do ? " "As I please, mostly," retorted the soapman shortly, "but I'm afraid you won't do at all Who cut you out, anyway ? "

"Oh, fall down ! " advised Grumpy, picking up his towel and beginning to fan Scraps again "Fall down, why don't you ? "

"Who ? " sniffed the Patchwork Girl, wringing her hands They were still full of water

" Suds," answered the villager proudly "But you Sultan hard or soft ? " he asked, turning again to Peter

"Hard ! " cried the little boy, stamping his foot defiantly He regretted this action almost immediately, heel, slipping soap sidewalk, threw him down back head the Suds simply bubbled over with amusement and scorn Then one Sud seized him left arm, another right, and started skating down the street Looking over his shoulder, that Scraps and Grumpy were being treated same sudden fashion But soon he grew so interested surroundings that he almost forgot his indignation The cottages of smooth green and pink soap were really charming The gardens were full of soap-bubble bushes and vines bubbles, with their shining colors, sparkled and shimmered sunshine Fountains of perfume filled the air with fragrance and, besides the turkish towel and rubber trees, there were bushes covered with snowy powder puffs reached the stately green soap palace it began to snow and, catching flakes back hand, Peter discovered soap flake Hurrying them soap stone gates, the Suds pounded castle door immediately opened by tar soap slave in yellow robe and turban

"Take these interlopers to Shampoozle," said the Sud who had first spoken to Peter

"Whoozle ? " gasped the Patchwork Girl, shaking the soap flakes from her hair No one deigned to answer her question, but Sud's command two more slaves appeared and, bowing out the villagers, closed the castle door

"Follow me, interlopers," said the slave and, skimming expertly over the polished soap floor, he started down the royal hallway

"I suppose ," giggled Peter and, taking Grumpy's paw, began sliding slave The two other slaves slid gravely behind and, reached two royal purple soap doors, the first slave threw up his arm and cried impressively: