“Where’d you come from?” gasped the Elegant Elephant. Without speaking, the Scarecrow waved his hand upward and rose unsteadily to his feet. Then, catching sight of Peg Amy and Pompadore, the Straw Man bowed politely. Meanwhile Wag, seeing that Kabumpo’s attention was diverted, began to sidle back toward Ruggedo. “Stop!” cried the Scarecrow, running after him. “Are you crazy? Don’t you know Ozma’s palace is on his head? Every time he moves everyone in the palace tumbles about. Was it you who stirred him up and made him spill me out of the window?” “I’ll wake him up some more, the wicked old scrabble-scratch,” muttered Wag, but Kabumpo jerked him back roughly. [Illustration: The Scarecrow waved his hand upward] “Great Grump!” choked the Elegant Elephant, shaking Wag in his exasperation. “Here we’ve come all this way to save Princess Ozma and now you want to upset everything.” “That’s the way to do it,” said the Scarecrow, rolling his eyes wildly. “Please stop it, Wag,” begged Peg Amy, throwing her wooden arms around the big rabbit’s neck, and as Pompa added his voice to Peg’s, Wag finally threw down his stick. “Who is that beautiful girl?” asked the Scarecrow of Kabumpo. The Elegant Elephant looked at the Straw Man sharply, to see that he was not poking fun at the Wooden Doll. Finding he was quite serious, he said proudly, “That’s Peg Amy, the best little body in Oz. She’s under my protection,” he added grandly. Just then Pompa and Peg came over and Wag, who had often seen the Scarecrow in the Emerald City, introduced them all. “Did I understand you to say you had come to rescue Ozma?” asked the Scarecrow, who could not keep his eyes off the Elegant Elephant. “Did I understand you to say Ozma’s palace was on Ruggedo’s head?” shuddered Kabumpo, glancing fearfully in the direction of the mountain. The Scarecrow nodded vigorously and told in a few words of their terrible journey to Ev and their present perilous position. How the palace had gotten on Ruggedo’s head, he admitted was a puzzle to him. Kabumpo and Pompadore listened with amazement, especially to the part where they had threatened Ruggedo with eggs. “And he’s kept still for two days just on account of eggs?” gasped the Elegant Elephant incredulously. “Well, no,” admitted the Scarecrow, wrinkling up his forehead. “A little man came flying through the air the first morning and bumped into the palace and instantly everyone except Scraps and me fell asleep. Ruggedo was put to sleep, too; we could hear him snoring.” “Why, it must have been the Sand Man,” breathed Peg Amy. “I have heard he lived near here.” “Are they asleep now?” asked Pompa, clutching the Scarecrow’s arm. How romantic—thought the Prince of Pumperdink—to rescue and waken a sleeping Princess!