angers. The Diamond Palace is my home, and I
like it. So I don't care a quack whether YOU like it or not."

"Oh, but I do!" exclaimed Dorothy. "It's lovely on the outside, but--"
Then she stopped speaking, for the Lonesome Duck had entered his palace
through the little door without even saying good-bye. So Dorothy
returned to her friends and they resumed their journey.

"Do you think, Wizard, the Duck was right in saying no magic can rescue
Trot and Cap'n Bill?" asked the girl in a worried tone of voice.

"No, I don't think the Lonesome Duck was right in saying that,"
answered the Wizard, gravely, "but it is possible that their
enchantment will be harder to overcome than I expected. I'll do my
best, of course, and no one can do more than his best."

That didn't entirely relieve Dorothy's anxiety, but she said nothing
more, and soon, on turning the bend in the river, they came in sight of
the Magic Isle.

"There they are!" exclaimed Dorothy eagerly.

"Yes, I see them," replied the Wizard, nodding. "They are sitting on
two big toadstools."

"That's queer," remarked the Glass Cat. "There were no toadstools
there when I left them."

"What a lovely flower!" cried Dorothy in rapture, as her gaze fell on
the Magic Plant.

"Never mind the Flower, just now," advised the Wizard. "The most
important thing is to rescue our friends."

By this time they had arrived at a place just opposite the Magic Isle,
and now both Trot and Cap'n Bill saw the arrival of their friends and
called to them for help.

"How are you?" shouted the Wizard, putting his hands to his mouth so
they could hear him better across the water.

"We're in hard luck," shouted Cap'n Bill, in reply. "We're anchored
here and can't move till you find a way to cut the hawser."

"What does he mean by that?" asked Dorothy.

"We can't move our feet a bit!" called Trot, speaking as loud as she
could.

"Why not?" inquired Dorothy.

"They've got roots on 'em," explained Trot.

It was hard to talk from so great a distance, so the Wizard said to the
Glass Cat:

"Go to the island and tell our friends to be patient, for we have come
to save them. It may take a little time to release them, for the Magic
of the Isle is new to me and I shall have to experiment. But tell them
I'll hurry as fast as I can."

So the Glass Cat walked across the river under the water to tell Trot
and Cap'n Bill not to worry, and the Wizard at once opened his black
bag and