"No Glinda's Book of Records and all her magic instruments are gone Someone stolen them "

"Goodness me ! "exclaimed Dorothy in alarm " biggest steal I ever heard of Who did it, Wizard ? "

"I've no idea," he answered

"But come my own bag of magic tools and carry them to Glinda more powerful than I that she to discover the truth magic quicker and better than myself "

"Hurry, then," said Dorothy, "for we've all gotten terr'bly worried "

The Wizard rushed away rooms but presently came back with long, sad face "It's gone ! "

"What's gone ? " asked Scraps

"My black bag of magic tools Someone stolen it ! "

They looked at one another in amazement

"This thing is getting desperate," continued the Wizard "All the magic that belongs to Ozma or to Glinda or stolen "

" suppose Ozma taken them, herself, for some purpose ? " asked Betsy

"No indeed," declared the Wizard "I suspect some enemy has stolen Ozma and for fear follow and recapture her has taken all our magic away "

"How dreadful ! " cried Dorothy "The idea of anyone wanting to injure our dear Ozma ! Can't ANYthing her, Wizard ? "

"I'll ask Glinda go straight back to her and tell her that my magic tools have also disappeared The good Sorceress greatly shocked, "

, he jumped back Sawhorse again, quaint steed, which never tired, dashed away at full speed The three girls were disturbed in mind Even the Patchwork Girl seemed to great calamity had overtaken them all Ozma was fairy of considerable power, and all the creatures in Oz three mortal girls outside world looked upon her as their protector and friend The idea beautiful girl Ruler's being overpowered by an enemy and dragged from her splendid palace captive was too astonishing to comprehend at first Yet what other explanation mystery could there be ?

"Ozma wouldn't go away willingly, without know ," asserted Dorothy, "and she wouldn't steal Glinda's Great Book of Records or the Wizard's magic, 'cause get them just by asking for 'em I'm sure some wicked person all this "

"Someone Land of Oz ? " asked Trot

"

No one could get across the Deadly Desert, , and no one but an Oz person could know Magic Picture Book of Records Wizard's magic or where they were kept, and so to steal the whole outfit before stop 'em It someone who lives Land of Oz "

"But who--who--who ? " asked Scraps "That's the question Who ? "

"If ," replied Dorothy severely, "we wouldn't be standing here doing nothing "

Just then two boys entered the courtyard and approached the group of girls One boy was dressed fantastic Munchkin costume--a blue jacket and knickerbockers, blue leather shoes and blue hat with high peak and tiny silver bells dangling from its rim--and Ojo the Lucky, who had once come Munchkin Country of Oz and now lived Emerald City The other boy was an American from Philadelphia and had lately found his way to Oz company of Trot and Cap'n Bill His name was Button-Bright; , everyone called him name and knew no other Button-Bright was not quite as big Munchkin boy, but he wore the same kind of clothes, only they were of different colors two came girls, arm in arm, Button-Bright remarked, "Hello, Dorothy They say Ozma is lost "

"WHO says so ? " she asked

"Ev'rybody's talking City," he replied

"I wonder how the people found it out," Dorothy asked

" ," said Ojo "Jellia Jamb told them She asking everywhere if anyone has seen Ozma "

"That's too bad," observed Dorothy, frowning

"Why ? " asked Button-Bright

"There wasn't any use making all our people unhappy till we were dead certain that Ozma can't be found "

"Pshaw," said Button-Bright, "it's nothing lost I've been lost lots of times "

"That's true," admitted Trot, who knew boy had habit of getting lost and then finding himself again, "but it's diff'rent with Ozma She's the Ruler of all this big fairyland, and we're 'fraid reason she's lost is because somebody has stolen her away "

"Only wicked people steal," said Ojo " of any wicked people in Oz, Dorothy ? "

"No," she replied

"They're here, though," cried Scraps, dancing up and then circling around the group "Ozma's stolen; someone in Oz stole her; only wicked people steal; so someone in Oz is wicked ! "

no denying the truth statement The faces of all were now solemn and sorrowful " is sure," said Button-Bright after time, "if Ozma stolen, someone ought her and punish the thief "

" lot of thieves," suggested Trot gravely, "and fairy country they don't seem any soldiers or policemen "

" one soldier," claimed Dorothy

"He has green whiskers and gun Major-General, but no one is afraid of either his gun or his whiskers, 'cause he's so tender-hearted that he wouldn't hurt fly "

"Well, soldier is soldier," said Betsy, "and perhaps he'd hurt wicked thief if he wouldn't hurt fly Where is he ? "

"He went fishing about and hasn't come back yet," explained Button-Bright

"Then 't see that of much use trouble," sighed little Trot "But p'raps Ozma, fairy, can get away thieves without any help from anyone "

"She able to," answered Dorothy reflectively, "but if she had the power to , it isn't likely she'd have let herself be stolen So the thieves must even more powerful in magic than our Ozma "

no denying this argument, and although they talked the matter over all the rest day, they were unable to decide how Ozma stolen against her will or who had committed the dreadful deed Toward evening the Wizard came back, riding slowly Sawhorse because discouraged and perplexed Glinda came later in her aerial chariot drawn by twenty milk-white swans, and she also seemed worried and unhappy More of Ozma's friends joined them, evening they all had big talk together " ," said Dorothy, "we ought to start out right away in search dear Ozma It seems cruel to live comf'tably in her palace while pris'ner power of some wicked enemy "

"Yes," agreed Glinda the Sorceress, "someone ought to search for her go myself, because work hard to create some new instruments of sorcery rescue our fair Ruler But find her meantime and let me know who has stolen her, enable me to rescue her much more quickly "

"Then we'll start tomorrow morning," decided Dorothy "Betsy and Trot and I won't waste another minute "

"I'm not sure you girls will make good detectives," remarked the Wizard, "but I'll go to protect you from harm and my advice All my wizardry, alas, is stolen, so now really no more wizard than any of you, but try to protect you from any enemies meet "

"What harm could happen in Oz ? " inquired Trot

"What harm happened to Ozma ? " returned the Wizard

" an Evil Power abroad fairyland, able to steal Ozma and her Magic Picture, but Glinda's Book of Records and all her magic, and my black bag containing all my tricks of wizardry, then that Evil Power may yet cause us considerable injury Ozma is fairy, and so is Glinda, so no power can kill or destroy them, but you girls are all mortals and so are Button-Bright and I, so watch out for ourselves "

"Nothing can kill me," said Ojo the Munchkin boy

" true," replied the Sorceress, "and it well to divide the searchers into several parties, may cover all the land of Oz more quickly So send Ojo and Unc Nunkie and Dr Pipt Munchkin Country, which well acquainted with; send the Scarecrow Tin Woodman Quadling Country, for fearless and brave and never tire; and Gillikin Country, where many dangers lurk, send the Shaggy Man brother, with Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead Dorothy may make up her own party and travel Winkie Country All of inquire everywhere for Ozma and try to discover where hidden "

They thought this very wise plan and adopted it without question In Ozma's absence, Glinda the Good most important person in Oz, and all were glad under her direction

CHAPTER 6

THE SEARCH PARTY

Next morning sun was up, Glinda flew back to her castle, stopping way to instruct the Scarecrow Tin Woodman, who were staying college of Professor H M Wogglebug, T E , and taking course Patent Educational Pills

On hearing of Ozma's loss, they started at once Quadling Country to search for her Glinda had left the Emerald City, Tik-Tok Shaggy Man and Jack Pumpkinhead, who present conference, began their journey Gillikin Country, and an hour later Ojo and Unc Nunkie joined Dr Pipt and together they traveled toward the Munchkin Country When all these searchers were gone, Dorothy Wizard completed their own preparations