"Don't talk so loud," begged Kiki, uneasily "Some one else might hear what saying "

After supper they took walk together, former Nome King said:

" the Shaggy Man, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Dorothy, and Ozma and all the other Oz people ? "

"No," replied the boy, " never been away from Mount Munch until I flew over the Deadly Desert the other day shape of hawk "

"Then you've never seen the Emerald City of Oz ? "

"Never "

"Well," said the Nome, " all the Oz people, and guess love them All during my wanderings brooded on how revenged on them Now that I've met you way to conquer the Land of Oz and be King there myself, better than being King Nomes "

"How ? " inquired Kiki Aru, wonderingly

"Never mind how first place, I'll make bargain Tell me the secret of how to perform transformations pocketful of jewels, the biggest and finest that I possess "

"No," said Kiki, who realized that to share his power with another dangerous to himself

"I'll TWO pocketsful of jewels," said the Nome

"No," answered Kiki

"I'll every jewel I possess "

"No, no, no ! " said Kiki, who was beginning frightened

"Then," said the Nome, with wicked look boy, "I'll tell the inn-keeper that you stole that gold piece and you put in prison "

Kiki laughed threat

"Before ," said he, " transform myself into lion and tear him to pieces, or into bear and eat him up, or into fly and fly away where find me "

" really do such wonderful transformations ? " asked the old Nome, looking at him curiously

" ," declared Kiki transform you into stick of wood, in flash, or into stone, and leave you here roadside "

"The wicked Nome shivered little when he heard that, but it made him long more than ever to possess the great secret After while :

"I'll tell you what I'll do help me to conquer Oz and to transform the Oz people, my enemies, into sticks or stones, by telling me your secret, I'll agree YOU the Ruler of all Oz, your Prime Minister that are obeyed "

"I'll help ," said Kiki, "but I won't tell you my secret "

The Nome was so furious refusal that he jumped up and down with rage and spluttered and choked before control his passion But the boy was not at all frightened He laughed wicked old Nome, which made him more furious than ever

"Let's give up the idea," he proposed, when Ruggedo had quieted somewhat "I don't know the Oz people you mention and so my enemies 've kicked you out of your kingdom, that's your affair--not mine "

"Wouldn't you like king splendid fairyland ? " asked Ruggedo

"Yes, ," replied Kiki Aru; "but king yourself, and quarrel over it "

"No," said the Nome, trying to deceive him "I don't care King of Oz, come it over I don't even care to live country What first is revenge conquer Oz, I'll get enough magic then to conquer my own Kingdom Nomes, and I'll go back and live in my underground caverns, which are more home-like top earth So here's my proposition: Help me conquer Oz and get revenge, and help me get the magic away from Glinda Wizard, and I'll let you be King of Oz forever afterward "

"I'll think it over," answered Kiki, is all say that evening

night when all Inn were asleep but himself, old Ruggedo the Nome rose softly couch and went room of Kiki Aru the Hyup, and searched everywhere magic tool that performed his transformations , no such tool, and although Ruggedo searched in all the boy's pockets, nothing magical whatever So he went back bed and began to doubt that Kiki could perform transformations

Next morning :

" travel to-day ? "

" visit the Rose Kingdom," answered the boy

" long journey," declared the Nome

" transform myself into bird," said Kiki, "and so fly Rose Kingdom in an hour "

"Then transform me, also, into bird, go ," suggested Ruggedo "But, case, fly together Land of Oz, what it looks like "

Kiki thought this over Pleasant as were the countries he had visited, he heard everywhere Land of Oz was more beautiful and delightful The Land of Oz was his own country, too, and if any possibility becoming its King, know something

While Kiki the Hyup thought, Ruggedo the Nome was also thinking This boy possessed marvelous power, and although very simple in some ways, determined not to part secret However, if Ruggedo could get him to transport the wily old Nome to Oz, which reach in no other way, he might then induce the boy his advice and enter plot for revenge, which he had already planned wicked heart

" wizards and magicians in Oz," remarked Kiki, after time " discover us, transformations "

"Not careful," Ruggedo assured him "Ozma has Magic Picture, she whatever she wishes ; but Ozma will know nothing going to Oz, and so she will not command her Magic Picture to show where or what doing Glinda the Good has Great Book called the Book of Records, in magically written everything that people do Land of Oz, just the instant it "

"Then," said Kiki, " no use our attempting to conquer the country, for Glinda would read in her book all that , and as her magic is greater than mine, soon put stop to our plans "

" 'people,' didn't I ? " retorted the Nome "The book doesn't make record of what birds do, or beasts It only tells the doings of people So, fly country as birds, Glinda won't know anything "

"Two birds couldn't conquer the Land of Oz," asserted the boy, scornfully

"No; that's true," admitted Ruggedo, and then he rubbed his forehead and stroked his long pointed beard and thought some more

"Ah, now the idea ! " he declared "I suppose transform us into beasts as birds ? "

" "

"And make bird beast, and beast bird again, without taking human form in between ? "

"Certainly," said Kiki " transform myself or others into anything talk There's magic word be spoken in connection transformations, and as beasts and birds and dragons and fishes can talk in Oz, become any to However, if I transformed myself into tree, always remain tree, because then utter the magic word the transformation "

" ; ," said Ruggedo, nodding his bushy, white head until the point hair waved back and forth like pendulum "That fits in with my idea, exactly Now, listen, and I'll explain my plan We'll fly to Oz as birds and settle in thick forests Gillikin Country There transform us into powerful beasts, and as Glinda doesn't keep any track doings of beasts act without being discovered "

"But how can two beasts raise an army to conquer the powerful people of Oz ? " inquired Kiki

"That's easy But not an army of PEOPLE, mind you quickly discovered And while in Oz you never resume our human forms until we've conquered the country and destroyed Glinda, and Ozma, Wizard, and Dorothy, and all the rest, and so have nothing more to fear "

" impossible to kill anyone Land of Oz," declared Kiki

"It isn't necessary to kill the Oz people," rejoined Ruggedo

"I'm afraid I don't understand you," objected the boy " happen Oz people, and what sort of an army could we get together, except of people ? "

"I'll tell you The forests of Oz are full of beasts , far-away places, are savage and cruel, and would gladly follow leader as savage as themselves never troubled the Oz people much, because they had no leader to urge them on, but tell them to conquer Oz and as reward transform all the beasts into , and let them live houses and enjoy all the good things; and transform all the people of Oz into beasts of various sorts, and to live forests jungles splendid idea, admit, and it's so easy that we won't have any trouble at all to carry it through to success "

"Will the beasts consent, ? " asked the boy