“How perfectly pomiferous!” cried Peg Amy, with an awkward jump. “I’m alive! Why, I’m alive all over!” She moved one arm, then the other and turned her head stiffly from side to side. “I can walk!” cried Peg. “I can walk; I can skip; I can run!” Here Peg began running around the cave, her joints squeaking merrily at every step. At Peg’s first move Ruggedo had jumped back of a rock, his every spike standing on end. Too late he realized his mistake. This huge wooden creature clattering around the cave was positively dangerous. Why, she might easily pound him to bits. Why on earth had he meddled with the magic rays and why under the earth should a wooden doll come to life? He waited till Peg had run to the farthest end of the cave; then he dashed to the magic casket and scrambled the bottles, the Trick Tea Set and the flasks back into place and started for the door that led to the secret passage as fast as his crooked little legs would carry him. But he was not fast enough, for Peg heard and like a flash was after him. “Stop! Go away!” screamed Ruggedo. “Why, it’s the old gnome!” cried the Wooden Doll in surprise. “The wicked old gnome who used to shake me all the time. Why, how small he is! I could pick him up with one hand!” She made a snatch at Ruggedo. “Go away!” shrieked Ruggedo, ducking behind a rock. “Go away—there’s a dear girl,” he added coaxingly. “I didn’t shake you much—not too much, you know!” Peg Amy put a wooden finger to her forehead and regarded him attentively. “I remember,” she murmured thoughtfully. “You found a magic box, and you’re going to harm Ozma and try to conquer Oz. I must get that box!” Reaching around the rock she seized Ruggedo by the arm. In a panic, he jerked away. “Help! Help!” cried the gnome King, darting off toward the other end of the cave. “Help! Help!” In his little rock room Wag stirred uneasily. Then, as Ruggedo’s cries grew louder, he bounced erect and almost cracked his skull on the low ceiling. Hardly knowing what he was doing he rushed at the door only to knock himself almost senseless against the top, for of course he did not realize he had expanded into a giant rabbit. But as the cries from the other room became louder and louder he got up and rubbing his head in a dazed fashion he somehow crowded himself through the door and hopped into the cave. When he saw Peg Amy chasing Ruggedo, Wag fell back against the wall. “My wocks and hoop soons!” stuttered the rabbit. “She is alive! And he’s shrunk!” Wag’s voice rose triumphantly. “I’m going to pound his curly toes off!” he shouted. With this he joined merrily in the chase. “I’ll catch him!” he called, “I’ll catch him, Peg, my dear, and make him pay for all the shakings he has given you. I’ll pound his curly toes off!” “Oh, Wag! Don’t do that,” cried the Wooden Doll, stopping short. “I didn’t mind the shakings and gnomes don’t know any better!”