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Oz would be destroyed. The only question remaining to solve was how to

get rid of this horde of intruders.

The Shaggy Man kindly pulled the Nome King out of the fountain and set

him upon his thin legs. Roquat was dripping wet, but he chattered and

laughed and wanted to drink more of the water. No thought of injuring

any person was now in his mind.

Before he left the tunnel he had commanded his fifty thousand Nomes to

remain there until he ordered them to advance, as he wished to give his

allies time to conquer Oz before he appeared with his own army. Ozma

did not wish all these Nomes to overrun her land, so she advanced to

King Roquat and taking his hand in her own said gently:

Who are you? What is your name?"

I don't know," he replied, smiling at her. "Who are you, my dear?"

My name is Ozma," she said; "and your name is Roquat."

Oh, is it?" he replied, seeming pleased.

Yes; you are King of the Nomes," she said.

Ah; I wonder what the Nomes are!" returned the King, as if puzzled.

They are underground elves, and that tunnel over there is full of them,"

she answered. "You have a beautiful cavern at the other end of the

tunnel, so you must go to your Nomes and say: 'March home!' Then

follow after them and in time you will reach the pretty cavern where you

live."

The Nome King was much pleased to learn this, for he had forgotten he

had a cavern. So he went to the tunnel and said to his army: 'March

home!' At once the Nomes turned and marched back through the tunnel,

and the King followed after them, laughing with delight to find his orders

so readily obeyed.

The Wizard went to General Guph, who was trying to count his fingers,

and told him to follow the Nome King, who was his master. Guph meekly

obeyed, and so all the Nomes quitted the Land of Oz forever.

But there were still the Phanfasms and Whimsies and Growleywogs

standing around in groups, and they were so many that they filled the

The Emerald City of Oz