"Half the Kingdom Princess' hand ! " snorted the old soldier in fury "I'll snap off his whiskers ! I'll pound him to snow flakes ! "

Gathering himself together, Grampa prepared to jump back to Isa Poso But Tatters, flinging the hand Princess as far as , seized Grampa around the waist And well that , for already great stretch of tumbling waters iceberg island

"He has no more honor than sword-fish ! " spluttered Grampa, breaking away Prince "I've never been so insulted in my life ! "

"Where golden ship ? " demanded an indignant voice "Where are the diamonds ? What done Princess ? "

Dropping with thud that sent shower of ice splinters air, the weather cock planted himself before Grampa He looking all over Isa Poso for Chin Chilly and had arrived just his friends sailing off iceberg

"Oh, Bill ! " cried Urtha, giving the iron bird an impulsive hug, " you were lost ! "

"Where golden ship ? Where are the diamonds ? " insisted the weather cock, slipping out of Urtha's embrace

"Oh, go crack yourself some icicles," mut-tered the old soldier crossly like reminded cheerful prophecy "Go crack yourself some icicles, Bill, that's all the diamonds you'll get "

"There isn't any ship-nor any diamonds-nor anything ! " said Tatters, wrapping the skin old thread bear more tightly about him and staring drearily over the tossing waters Nonestic Ocean

"But you don't have to marry the Princess," Urtha reminded him softly, "and even isn't golden ship couldn't we dance and be happy ? "

"Well, don't dance, we'll freeze," fumed Grampa, beginning to stamp up and down "We'll freeze anyway," he predicted gloomily "Look pleasant, my boy freeze as attractively as possible They'll carve us monument on block of ice, : 'Frozen line of duty ! '

Tatters coughed plaintively and began to tramp sadly up and down after Grampa

"Don't freeze," begged the little flower fairy, clasping her hands in distress and keeping step down-hearted adventurers "Why, where's that funny bottle ? " she asked suddenly

"The medicine ! What done wizard's medicine ? " crowed the weather cock, flapping his wings Now had happened old soldier eruption that he had entirely forgotten Gorba's cure for everything But at Urtha's words he snatched it out and, there, listed under colds, chills, frost bites and exposure, Grampa found remedy for their troubles

"You've saved our lives, my dear," sighed the old soldier, measuring out four drops for Tatters on spoonful of snow And everything was better , for Grampa Prince swallowed the marvelous mixture they began to tingle with warmth and even an iceberg long be cheerless with little fairy like Urtha aboard Everywhere she stepped gay posies blossomed and soon there were circles and circles bobbing bright sunshine Urtha and Bill feel the cold, and as Grampa and Tatters were now frost proof, their whole outlook changed The huge iceberg was sliding along choppy waves at high speed sensation was pleasant but highly exhilarating

" are we going ? " asked the old soldier, sitting down recklessly on cake of ice

"East," announced the weather cock, after twirling around three times like top

"That's good," sighed Grampa, "for East of us lies Oz nearer we come to Oz, the farther we get from Isa Poso "

"I never it again ! And is sample of your Princesses, I'll be like you, Grampa, and never marry," said the Prince, taking seat beside the old soldier " , myself, that find my father's head, we'd better just go home anyway work hard gingham gardens, raise bigger crops and-"

"And I'll ," smiled Urtha, drifting about over the ice like an old-fashioned bouquet and filling the frosty air with lovely fragrance

"But the fortune," objected Bill, staring Prince in horror " the fortune "

"That's right," agreed the old soldier, remem-bering Mrs Sew-and-Sew's words about refur-nishing the castle "We mustn't give up yet, just because we've bumped into some odd and chilly places Just wait- lots of Princesses in Oz, and fortunes too ! "

"Well I prefer fairies," sighed Tatters, with smile at Urtha

"Look ! " cried the little flower girl delightedly "Let's pretend a' silver ship and there-" as spray of crystal drops dashed over the side iceberg-" the diamonds ! Let's dance ! " She looked so coaxing and so cunning that Tatters sprang up impulsively two went skipping, sliding and twirling all over the ice until they were dancing on perfect carpet of flowers

"Teach her the Ragbad quadrille," called Grampa " 're going back with fortune, there'll be high old times red castle and Urtha will want the dances the same other girls Wait, I'll play it

Seizing his drum sticks, the old soldier broke spirited measures Ragbad quadrille and soon Tatters and Urtha were bowing and gliding, turning three times left and four right, pretending partners with dozen imaginary courtiers-all troubles and dangers forgotten

"This reminds me of old times," said Grampa, stopping at last from lack of breath "And you'll never be wall-flower, my dear ! " chuckled the old soldier, wagging his finger little fairy

"Let's play scrum," proposed Tatters, who was perfectly breathless too

"Oh let's ! " cried Urtha So Grampa obligingly unfastened his game leg, Prince and little flower girl were soon deep mysteries queer old game of scrum, Bill keeping score ice old soldier, with half closed eyes, thinking good old days when lad and hero to all the pretty girls in Ragbad

"First peaceful moment we've had since we left the old country," mused Grampa and, reaching down, he picked up his pipe and tobacco Tatters had removed them game leg started to play Absently Grampa filled his pipe from pouches-the blue pouch he had taken from Vaga, the bandit All it had lain forgotten in Grampa's game leg Without realizing that he had used the robber's tobacco, Grampa felt for match same moment Urtha and Tatters finished their fifth game of scrum and, closing up the game leg, they buckled it back in place

"Now tell me all about Ragbad," begged Urtha, leaning against Grampa's knee This Tatters was only too delighted , young Pnnce was heartily homesick and, as be in Ragbad, talking next best thing So little Urtha all about his pigeons Redsmith and Pudge's tower-where clear out into Jinxland-and fun he and Grampa had old castle and of Mrs Sew-and-Sew's garden The old soldier nodded and at last, taking up his pipe, he began to smoke began, for third puff simply astonishing thing happened Bill vanished instanter [and how quick ] Tatters turned to great black crow, Urtha to crow of vari-colored feathers, and Grampa, himself, to an old crow with game leg

"Help ! " cawed the old soldier, dropping the pipe bill and beginning to hop wildly over the ice

"Daisies and dahlias, fly ! " twittered Urtha, circling aloft "Come on Tatters and try it ! "

"He's crow ! " shrieked Grampa "I'm crow, you're crow ! What's happened and where's Bill ? "

"Here ," screamed frightened voice But though they stared and stared see nothing at all-for Bill had turned to cock's crow, which can only be heard and not seen

"Poor Bill, there's nothing left but his crow," cawed Grampa

"It's magic," gasped Tatters

"It's that pesky wizard," added the old soldier, stamping his game foot and ruffling up all his feathers, for Grampa realize he'd smoked Vaga's tobacco

"But now that we're crows fly ? " asked Urtha merrily She seem to mind her feathers at all "Let's fly back to Oz ! "

"Why, so ! " cried Tatters "All the way over the Nonestic Ocean and sandy desert, straight Emerald City itself Someone's helping us, Grampa," finished the Prince of Ragbad, fluttering air

"Wish they'd mind their own business," croaked Grampa crossly "Being crow is no help But come on fly while Bill, you lead the way that you keep us pointed East and crow every , , so hear where

"All right," agreed the weather cock readily, and tell flutter iron wings puzzled bird had gotten under way

"Here I go name of Bill ! " he crowed loudly

"Invisi-Bill ! " chortled the old soldier, rising air "Come on crows ! "

Tatters quickly followed Grampa and after Tatters flew Urtha, higher and higher and higher, until the iceberg became only tiny speck, bobbing up and down blue waters Nonestic Ocean

For time the adventurers flew in silence, pondering the strange events that had crowded upon them few hours "Invisi-Bill" continued to lead the way, Grampa, Prince Tatters and Urtha winging after him

CHAPTER 14

On Monday Mountain

"GOOD SLEEP, how did you enjoy your morning ? " asked Percy Vere brightly

"Pretty well," smiled Dorothy, sitting up with little yawn "How did you enjoy your sleep ? "

" rock in my bed," said the Forgetful Poet thoughtfully, "and then I got trying of word to rhyme with schnetzel "

"How about pretzel ? " suggested Dorothy, smiling little to herself Forgetful Poet's earnestness "And schnetzel ? " Dorothy smiled sweetly

"It's green mocking bird," explained Percy Vere, tossing back his hair, "and it does live on pretzels My dear, wonderful mind "

"Woof ! " interrupted Toto He up for hours and wanted his breakfast The three travellers forced the night deep forest runaway had brought them The Forgetful Poet had piled up soft couch of boughs and leaves for Dorothy and Toto, but had flung himself carelessly under tree However, it took more than hard bed to dash Percy's spirits and, after running up and down few paces the stiffness out bones, he began to sing top voice, filling words he forgot comical made-up ones that Dorothy help laughing