The Bridgemen were tall, blue eyed, handsome and happy. Men and women alike wore short trousers and blouses of silver cloth and carried pikes that served both as weapons and alpenstocks. The bridges, while delicate as fine lace in construction, were supple and strong as steel. The material mined from the mountains themselves was like silver and crystal combined, a new strong and glittering metal, samples of which Samuel happily thrust into his pocket. "Sounds like magic," said Tandy, who had been listening closely to Alberif's description of life on Peakenspire. "It _is_ magic of a kind," answered the Prince with a pleased little nod. "And the air here is so light and sparkling we never tire, grow old or have illness of any kind, so that my people are always light hearted and happy, spending most of their time in dancing and singing." "I see," murmured Samuel Salt, "er--and hear," he added quickly as the wild, joyous cries of Alberif's yodelers made every window in the palace rattle. "I'll certainly make a note of all this and report Peakenspire Island to Queen Ozma as the most interesting discovery of the voyage." "I am highly honored!" Alberif bowed stiffly. "Highly honored! HI dee Aye de OH--hhhhh!" Jumping into the air, the Prince of the Peaks kicked his heels together from sheer exuberance. "Wait," he told them cheerfully, "and I'll get you some fruit and vegetable vines to take back with you." Tandy and Samuel could not help grinning as Alberif rushed off. To tell the truth, there was something so light and exhilarating about the mountain air they found it difficult to walk calmly themselves. As the Prince returned Samuel felt a loud and uncontrollable yodel rising in his own throat, and seizing Tandy's arm, he bade Alberif a hasty and hearty adieu. Bidding him keep a sharp lookout for the airships from Oz, and loaded down with crystals and vines, the two explorers climbed into the basket and were swung swiftly down to the deck of the _Crescent Moon_. Roger, flying under his own power and yodeling like a native, arrived soon after. With Oz flags flying from all bridges and the Mountaineers calling out rousing and melodious farewells, Samuel inflated his balloon sails and the ship soared gracefully aloft, circled the island three times and then dropped lightly down upon the surface of the sea. The _Mountain Lass_ in charge of Alberif's husky crew lay just off shore and there she would have to stay till Samuel sent a set of balloon sails to lift her back to the Lake among the peaks. Nikobo, who'd been swimming anxiously round and round, gave a bellow of relief as she spied the _Crescent Moon_. "I thought you'd been captured and destroyed!" wheezed the hippopotamus, scrambling hastily aboard her raft. "Next time you fly off, take me aboard or give me a balloon sail too. I'm so full of salt water I'm perfectly pickled and somebody'll have to scrape the barnacles off my hide."