"Stop ! Come back ! Help ! Help ! " shouted Carter Green, while Betsy jumped up and down with terror and astonishment But the pigeons ground continued to peck crumbs pigeon that had carried off the little Prince was as gone as yesterday

"Will it eat him ? " cried Betsy tearfully "Oh Carter, what shall now ? " And with Reddy Hungry Tiger both gone, things looked dark, indeed The Vegetable Man had no idea what nor how but, determined to comfort Betsy, he began talking so confidently and cheerfully that she soon dried her tears

"No harm can come to Reddy, for he still Rash rubies," he reminded her gaily "And all is wait here till someone opens the door wall Then we'll find the Hungry Tiger and Reddy and continue our journey to Oz "

pigeons had flown away, Carter rolled giant crumbs over little girl Breaking off the crust, bit stale, they found the inside soft and fresh and, while not exactly the breakfast she chosen, Betsy managed to satisfy her hunger Then, sitting down twisted roots of tulip tree, they waited impatiently doors of Immense City to open

But nothing kind happened, and morning wore away Carter grew terribly uneasy more anxious about Reddy Hungry Tiger than he cared to admit Afraid to leave the spot for fear the door would open while they were away, the two stared anxiously wall But weary business and more and more Betsy began to wonder why Ozma come to her assistance There were plenty of crumbs for Betsy's lunch and supper, but as night drew on and still no one came to open the door, Carter decided matters into his own hands Slowly plan was forming Vegetable Man's mind, and moon rose up over the tulip trees, he explained it carefully to Betsy Bobbin

"To-night," announced Carter in firm voice, " plant my feet close walls city In giant soil I ought to grow very rapidly and by morning should reach the top wall Then bend over and grow downward till I touch the ground other side "

"But become of me ? " cried Betsy, looking at Carter with frightened eyes

" grow with me," Vegetable Man calmly " take you in my arms and grow up together "

"Then what ? " asked the little girl doubtfully "How grow down again ? "

"I won't ! " answered the Vegetable Man resignedly, "but I'm not important, Betsy dear, and shall doubtless make some sort of useful vine or tree "

"I don't want you vine," wailed the little girl in dismay "Please don't be vine and leave me all alone "

"But think others," Carter pointed out gently "Once inside the city, the Hungry Tiger and Reddy and help Rash rubies manage to escape reach Oz perhaps Ozma way me transported and transplanted Emerald City I'd like near you, Betsy," sighed the Vegetable Man wistfully

In vain Betsy reasoned, argued and coaxed, Carter's mind was fully made up It grew darker and darker talked, and just lanterns flashed out Big Wig wall the Vegetable Man picked her up arms and ran over great barred door Standing as close wall as squeeze, Carter set Betsy shoulder and resolutely planted his feet soft earth and gazed up darkness

"Now then," chuckled Carter, assuming jaunty and care-free air to reassure the little girl, "I'm rooting , Betsy dear, and tomorrow we'll grow over the top "

But instant loud thump other side wall With screech, the door crunched open and giant foot was thrust through

"Betsy ! Betsy ! " bellowed terrible Big Wig voice "Where , Betsy ? "

Betsy Bobbin stared Vegetable Man, and he stared giant foot something familiar foot-but it ?

CHAPTER 14

The Airman of Oz

BETSY perfectly right in supposing Princess Ozma would soon discover her absence castle Dorothy had gone home Tin Woodman, so, , knew nothing , but when Betsy appear for breakfast Ozma immediately sent Jellia Jam, her small maid-in-waiting, upstairs to search for her Ozma, herself, hurried out garden, thinking Betsy gathering breakfast bouquet Shading her eyes, Ozma looked in every direction, but no sign of Betsy anywhere She was about to return castle when loud bump sounded just behind her Spinning about, Ozma saw the strangest sort of figure, sprawled over her favorite rose bush four times the size of regular man, the body something like tremendous sausage, with round, balloon-shaped head and pudgy arms and legs While Ozma was trying to determine what kind of being , the huge creature rose with bounce and came clumping toward her

" Zeph there were people bottom air ! " puffed the stranger gleefully " one now I'll take it straight back sky for proof "

Ozma had just time to notice that he wore heavy iron boots, when he bent over and, tucking her under his arm she package of sugar plums, kicked off one boot and then the other and soared, like balloon released from its string, straight up toward the sky all so unexpected and breath-taking for several minutes Ozma was perfectly paralyzed Then, glancing down and seeing her lovely castle fading to mere speck below, she began to squirm and struggle and pound with both hands arm of her captor

"Take me back ! Put me down ! " commanded Ozma, imperiously "How dare you carry me off like this ? " But her tiny fists made no impression great fellow constructed of some tough silken substance, and way he dented in when she poked him, Ozma concluded filled with air "Like balloon," thought the Princess "Oh, please ! Please stop ! " she called despairingly

The voice little fairy came wafting faintly airman and, with an interested sniff, Ozma from beneath his arm and held her on level nose The quick change made her exceedingly dizzy, and while she recovered herself he examined her most attentively swimming air all the time, feet in strange climbing motion, and their flight upward never slackened during the conversation that followed

"What pretty little creature ," mused the airman half aloud His voice was so kind face so round and jolly that Ozma took heart and began begging him to return her earth

" Princess," she explained earnestly, "and anything may happen to my Kingdom while away Something has happened already " Breathlessly she began disappearance of Betsy Bobbin and perils that might overtake her in magic country like Oz But the airman seemed more interested in Ozma's voice and appearance than in her story

"Why it's talking airish," he chuckled with pleased grin "And what splendid proof Princess when I deliver my lecture Cloud Country Gentlemen Fellow Airmen ! say, It has long been matter of dispute whether any life exists lower levels air, but now the question is settled for all time The earth is undoubtedly populated by small fragile Princesses like this " Here he paused and held Ozma up displaying her to an imaginary audience

"Oh ! Oh ! Please stop and listen ! " entreated Ozma Then she gave great gasp, for without warning the sky darkened and in their swift flight they barely escaped the gleaming point of star

"Don't be alarmed," murmured the airman, feeling the little fairy tremble grasp "Night has fallen The higher we go, the faster time flies daylight in That's advantages of high living," he continued comfortably "One grows up so quickly and time flies so fast we never are bored See, to-morrow already ! "

"To-morrow ! " wailed Ozma, blinking sudden sunlight that came flooding clouds "How dreadful ! Oh dear, Mr Balloon Man, do take me back to my castle "

"Atmos is my name," announced the airman bit stiffly, "Atmos Fere skyman, and take you back even if to, for left my diving boots earth You'll grow used up here," he assured her, and turning back began to float lazily toward long purple cloud, still holding Ozma aloft so more easily observe her

"A most interesting specimen," he muttered over and over, squinting little fairy approvingly

"I'm not specimen, I'm Princess ! " declared Ozma indignantly " wish to live sky Oh, dear ! Oh, my ! become of Oz while away ? "

"Now you're unreasonable," sighed Atmos reproachfully " become lecture if I let you go ? instant any air body would believe me when them there were living creatures bottom air ? proof and my proof, little Princess feel honored discovered by well-known explorer an air castle all to yourself lecture will only take few years of your time Hello, it's night again ! "

And sure enough Shivering darkness, Ozma began to fully realize the awful perils of her position It years before she saw her old friends lovely Emerald City again