go to the
shore of the island, where I can talk to them and work to better
advantage. How did Trot and Cap'n Bill get to the island?"

"On a raft," answered the Glass Cat. "It's over there now on the
beach."

"I suppose you're not strong enough to bring the raft to this side, are
you?"

"No; I couldn't move it an inch," said the Cat.

"I'll try to get it for you," volunteered the Cowardly Lion. "I'm
dreadfully scared for fear the Magic Isle will capture me, too; but
I'll try to get the raft and bring it to this side for you."

"Thank you, my friend," said the Wizard.

So the Lion plunged into the river and swam with powerful strokes
across to where the raft was beached upon the island. Placing one paw
on the raft, he turned and struck out with his other three legs and so
strong was the great beast that he managed to drag the raft from off
the beach and propel it slowly to where the Wizard stood on the river
bank.

"Good!" exclaimed the little man, well pleased.

"May I go across with you?" asked Dorothy.

The Wizard hesitated.

"If you'll take care not to leave the raft or step foot on the island,
you'll be quite safe," he decided. So the Wizard told the Hungry Tiger
and the Cowardly Lion to guard the cage of monkeys until he returned,
and then he and Dorothy got upon the raft. The paddle which Cap'n Bill
had made was still there, so the little Wizard paddled the clumsy raft
across the water and ran it upon the beach of the Magic Isle as close
to the place where Cap'n Bill and Trot were rooted as he could.

Dorothy was shocked to see how small the prisoners had become, and Trot
said to her friends: "If you can't save us soon, there'll be nothing
left of us."

"Be patient, my dear," counseled the Wizard, and took the little axe
from his black bag.

"What are you going to do with that?" asked Cap'n Bill.

"It's a magic axe," replied the Wizard, "and when I tell it to chop, it
will chop those roots from your feet and you can run to the raft before
they grow again."

"Don't!" shouted the sailor in alarm. "Don't do it! Those roots are
all flesh roots, and our bodies are feeding 'em while they're growing
into the ground."

"To cut off the roots," said Trot, "would be like cutting off our
fingers and toes."

The Wizard put the little axe back in the black bag and took out a pair
of silver pincers.

"Grow--grow--grow!" he said to the pincers, and at once they grew and
extended until they reach