“I wonder if Kaliko still thinks he is King!” wheezed Ruggedo, pattering along ahead of Peter. Kaliko had been appointed to rule in Ruggedo’s place and had been promoted from Royal Chamberlain to King of the Gnomes. “Ha! Ha!” laughed Ruggedo maliciously. “He’ll be as pleased as a Gundersnutch when he sees me back!” Peter answered nothing to this, for he was too interested in the underground world in which he found himself to pay much attention to the old gnome’s remarks. As they proceeded, a perfect network of passageways opened from the main tunnel, the sides, walls and ceilings gleaming with sparkling jewels. Thousands of gnomes with pick axes were busily at work digging out the gems and they did not even look up as Peter and Ruggedo passed them. Blazing rubies and emeralds set in tall stands lighted up the strange caverns and Peter’s heart began to pound with excitement as the passageway broadened out into a richly carpeted hallway. Presently they found themselves before a grilled golden door with a diamond knob. Without pausing, Ruggedo turned the knob, opened the door and simply rushed into his former throne room. On a huge round ruby, hollowed out to form a seat, a thin, nervous gnome sat reading a silver sheet about as thick as our morning papers. It was the Gnome Man’s Daily, and as Peter and Ruggedo burst noisily into the royal chamber, he dropped the silver sheet and looked up with an exclamation of alarm. “You!” gasped Kaliko, as if he could not believe his own senses. “Who else?” snickered Ruggedo, winking at Peter. “I’ll thank you for my crown, you robber. Take it right off your Kalikoko. Quick now! Hand it over!” “Ozma will never consent to this,” stammered Kaliko, holding to the crown with both hands. “Ozma has nothing to do with me now,” announced Ruggedo calmly. “I have magic stronger than Ozma’s and if you don’t hop off that throne, I’ll turn you to a ball and bounce you off!” Peter listened in amazement to Ruggedo’s boasts, but Kaliko seemed to believe every word. With quaking knees, he descended the steps of the throne and held out the crown to his former master. [Illustration] “Ha! Ha!” roared Ruggedo, snatching the crown and clapping it jauntily on the back of his head. “You’re enough to make an alligator laugh, Kaliko. So brave! So kingly! But don’t stand there gibbering like a dunce. If you are no longer King, you are still Royal Chamberlain, and this is Peter, future general of my armies!” Tripping merrily up the steps of the throne, Ruggedo waved toward the little boy. “We will shortly make a journey to the Emerald City,” he announced grandly, “but right now we desire refreshment. Lunch for two,” he commanded, putting his finger tips together and leaning back comfortably. “And, by the way,” he added as an afterthought, “there is a pirate ship on the beach. Have it unloaded and the treasure stored in the silver grotto. Then order me a dozen new suits and send in the Royal Wizard.”