"Is Ozma REALLY hole ? " asked Dorothy

"No," said the little Pink Bear

This surprised everybody Even the Bear King was now puzzled contradictory statements oracle

"Where IS she ? " asked the King

"Here, among you," answered the little Pink Bear

"Well," said Dorothy, "this beats me entirely ! I guess the little Pink Bear has gone crazy "

"Perhaps," called Scraps, who was rapidly turning "cartwheels" all around the perplexed group, "Ozma is invisible "

" ! " cried Betsy account "

"Well, I've noticed that people can speak, even 've been made invisible," said the Wizard And then he looked all around him and said in solemn voice, "Ozma, here ? "

no reply Dorothy asked the question, too, and so did Button-Bright and Trot and Betsy, but none received any reply at all

"It's strange, it's terrible strange ! " muttered Cayke the Cookie Cook " sure little Pink Bear always tells the truth "

"I still believe honesty," said the Frogman, and this tribute so pleased the Bear King that these last speakers grateful looks, but still gazed sourly others

"Come of it," remarked the Wizard, "Ozma couldn't be invisible, for fairy, and fairies made invisible against their will , be imprisoned magician or enchanted or transformed, of her fairy powers, but Ugu render her invisible by any magic at his command "

"I wonder if she's been transformed into Button-Bright ? " said Dorothy nervously Then she looked steadily boy and asked, " Ozma ? Tell me truly ! "

Button-Bright laughed

"You're getting rattled, Dorothy," he replied "Nothing ever enchants ME If I were Ozma, I'd have tumbled into that hole ? "

"Anyhow," said the Wizard, "Ozma would never try to deceive her friends or prevent them from recognizing her in whatever form she happened The puzzle is still puzzle, so go on wicker castle and question the magician himself Since he who stole our Ozma, Ugu one tell us where her "

CHAPTER 21

MAGIC AGAINST MAGIC

The Wizard's advice was good, so again they started direction low mountain crest the wicker castle built They gradually advancing uphill, so now the elevation seemed more like round knoll than mountaintop However, the sides knoll were sloping and covered with green grass, so stiff climb before them yet Undaunted, they plodded on and had almost reached the knoll suddenly observed surrounded by circle of flame At first, the flames barely rose above the ground, but presently they grew higher and higher until circle of flaming tongues of fire taller than any heads quite surrounded the hill the wicker castle stood approached the flames, the heat was so intense drove them back again

" never do ! " exclaimed the Patchwork Girl "I catch fire very easily "

"It won't do either," grumbled the Sawhorse, prancing rear

"I also strongly object to fire," said the Bear King, following the Sawhorse to safe distance and hugging the little Pink Bear paws

"I suppose the foolish Shoemaker imagines these blazes will stop us," remarked the Wizard with smile of scorn for Ugu "But able to inform you merely simple magic trick which the robber stole from Glinda the Good, and by good fortune how to destroy these flames as how them Will some one of you kindly match ? "

the girls carried no matches, nor did the Frogman or any animals But Button-Bright, after searching carefully through his pockets, which contained all sorts of useful and useless things, finally produced match and handed it Wizard, who tied it end of branch which he tore from small tree growing near them Then the little Wizard carefully lighted the match, and running forward thrust it nearest flame Instantly, the circle of fire began to die away, and soon vanished completely leaving the way clear

"That was funny ! " laughed Button-Bright

"Yes," agreed the Wizard, "it seems odd that little match could destroy such great circle of fire, but when Glinda invented this trick, she believed no one would ever think of match being remedy for fire I suppose even Ugu doesn't know how we managed to quench the flames barrier, for only Glinda and the secret Glinda's Book of Magic which Ugu stole told how to flames, but not how them out "

They now formed in marching order and proceeded to advance up the slope hill, but gone far when before them rose wall of steel, the surface of thickly covered with sharp, gleaming points resembling daggers The wall completely surrounded the wicker castle, and its sharp points prevented anyone from climbing it Even the Patchwork Girl ripped to pieces if she dared attempt it "Ah ! " exclaimed the Wizard cheerfully, "Ugu is now using one own tricks against me But more serious Barrier of Fire, because the only way to destroy the wall is other side of it "

"How can that ? " asked Dorothy

The Wizard looked thoughtfully around his little party, face grew troubled "It's pretty high wall," he sadly remarked "I'm pretty sure the Cowardly Lion leap over it "

"I'm sure , too ! " said the Lion with shudder of fear "If I foolishly tried such leap, caught on those dreadful spikes "

" , sir," said the Frogman with bow Wizard " an uphill jump as being high jump, but I'm considered something of jumper by my friends Yip Country, and I believe good, strong leap will carry me other side "

"I'm sure it would," agreed the Cookie Cook

"Leaping, , is froglike accomplishment," continued the Frogman modestly, "but please tell me what when I reach the

"You're brave creature," said the Wizard admiringly "Has anyone pin ? "

Betsy had one, which she gave him "All do," said the Wizard Frogman, giving him the pin, "is to stick this other side wall "

"But the wall is of steel ! " exclaimed the big frog

" , it steel, but do as I tell you Stick the pin wall, and disappear "

The Frogman took off his handsome coat and carefully folded it and laid it grass Then he removed his hat and laid it together gold-headed cane beside the coat He then went back way and made three powerful leaps in rapid succession The first two leaps took him wall, third leap carried him well over it, amazement of all For short time, he disappeared from their view, but when he had obeyed the Wizard's injunction and had thrust the pin wall, the huge barrier vanished and showed them the form Frogman, who now went to where his coat lay and put it on again

" ," said the delighted Wizard

"That most wonderful leap I ever saw, and it has saved us from defeat by our enemy now hurry on castle before Ugu the Shoemaker thinks up some other means to stop us "

" surprised him ," declared Dorothy

"Yes indeed The fellow knows lot of magic--all tricks and some own," replied the Wizard "So if half as clever as he , trouble yet "

He had scarcely spoken these words when out gates wicker castle marched regiment of soldiers, clad in gay uniforms and all bearing long, pointed spears and sharp battle axes These soldiers were girls, uniforms were short skirts of yellow and black satin, golden shoes, bands of gold across their foreheads and necklaces of glittering jewels Their jackets were scarlet, braided with silver cords There were hundreds girl-soldiers, were more terrible than beautiful, being strong and fierce in appearance They formed circle all around the castle and faced outward, their spears pointed toward the invaders, and their battle axes held over their shoulders, ready to strike , our friends halted at once, for they expected this dreadful array of soldiery The Wizard seemed puzzled, companions exchanged discouraged looks

"I'd no idea Ugu had such an army ," said Dorothy "The castle doesn't look big enough to hold them all "

"It isn't," declared the Wizard

"But they all marched out of it "

"They seemed to, but I don't believe real army at all If Ugu the Shoemaker had people living , I'm sure the Czarover of Herku mentioned the fact "

"They're only girls ! " laughed Scraps

"Girls are the fiercest soldiers of all," declared the Frogman " more brave than men, and better nerves probably why the magician uses them for soldiers and has sent them to oppose us "

No one argued this statement, for all were staring hard line of soldiers, which now, having taken defiant position, remained motionless

" trick of magic new ," admitted the Wizard after time " believe the army is real, but the spears sharp enough to prick us, nevertheless, so cautious take time to consider how to meet this difficulty "