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I know. At least, it SEEMS to be steel, but do as I tell you. Stick the pin into

the wall, and it will disappear."

The Frogman took off his handsome coat and carefully folded it and laid it on

the grass. Then he removed his hat and laid it together with his gold-headed

cane beside the coat. He then went back a way and made three powerful

leaps in rapid succession. The first two leaps took him to the wall, and the

third leap carried him well over it, to the amazement of all. For a short time,

he disappeared from their view, but when he had obeyed the Wizard's

injunction and had thrust the pin into the wall, the huge barrier vanished and

showed them the form of the Frogman, who now went to where his coat lay

and put it on again.

We thank you very much," said the delighted Wizard.

That was the most wonderful leap I ever saw, and it has saved us from defeat

by our enemy. Let us now hurry on to the castle before Ugu the Shoemaker

thinks up some other means to stop us."

We must have surprised him so far," declared Dorothy.

Yes indeed. The fellow knows a lot of magic--all of our tricks and some of his

own," replied the Wizard. "So if he is half as clever as he ought to be, we shall

have trouble with him yet."

He had scarcely spoken these words when out from the gates of the wicker

castle marched a regiment of soldiers, clad in gay uniforms and all bearing

long, pointed spears and sharp battle axes. These soldiers were girls, and the

uniforms were short skirts of yellow and black satin, golden shoes, bands of

gold across their foreheads and necklaces of glittering jewels. Their jackets

were scarlet, braided with silver cords. There were hundreds of these girl-

soldiers, and they were more terrible than beautiful, being strong and fierce in

appearance. They formed a circle all around the castle and faced outward,

their spears pointed toward the invaders, and their battle axes held over their

shoulders, ready to strike. Of course, our friends halted at once, for they had

not expected this dreadful array of soldiery. The Wizard seemed puzzled, and

his companions exchanged discouraged looks.

I'd no idea Ugu had such an army as that," said Dorothy. "The castle doesn't

look big enough to hold them all."

It isn't," declared the Wizard.

The Lost Princess of Oz