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near to them that Pon could have put out a hand and touched his sweetheart,

had he dared to.

Blinkie's house had eight sides, with a door and a window in each side. Smoke

was coming out of the chimney and as the guards brought Gloria to one of the

doors it was opened by the old witch in person. She chuckled with evil glee

and rubbed her skinny hands together to show the delight with which she

greeted her victim, for Blinkie was pleased to be able to perform her wicked

rites on one so fair and sweet as the Princess.

Gloria struggled to resist when they bade her enter the house, so the soldiers

forced her through the doorway and even the King gave her a shove as he

followed close behind. Pon was so incensed at the cruelty shown Gloria that

he forgot all caution and rushed forward to enter the house also; but one of

the soldiers prevented him, pushing the gardener's boy away with violence

and slamming the door in his face.

Never mind," said Trot soothingly, as Pon rose from where he had fallen. "You

couldn't do much to help the poor Princess if you were inside. How

unfortunate it is that you are in love with her!"

True," he answered sadly, "it is indeed my misfortune. If I did not love her, it

would be none of my business what the King did to his niece Gloria; but the

unlucky circumstance of my loving her makes it my duty to defend her."

I don't see how you can, duty or no duty," observed Trot.

No; I am powerless, for they are stronger than I. But we might peek in

through the window and see what they are doing."

Trot was somewhat curious, too, so they crept up to one of the windows and

looked in, and it so happened that those inside the witch's house were so busy

they did not notice that Pon and Trot were watching them.

Gloria had been tied to a stout post in the center of the room and the King

was giving the Wicked Witch a quantity of money and jewels, which Googly-

Goo had provided in payment. When this had been done the King said to her:

Are you perfectly sure you can freeze this maiden's heart, so that she will no

longer love that low gardener's boy?"

Sure as witchcraft, your Majesty," the creature replied.

The Scarecrow of Oz