girl
gave the angry kitten such a severe cuff that it jumped down again
without daring to scratch.

"How horrid of you, Eureka!" cried Dorothy. "Is that the way to treat my
friends?"

"You have queer friends, seems to me," replied the kitten, in a surly
tone.

"Seems to me the same way," said Billina, scornfully, "if that beastly
cat is one of them."

"Look here!" said Dorothy, sternly. "I won't have any quarrelling in the
Land of Oz, I can tell you! Everybody lives in peace here, and loves
everybody else; and unless you two, Billina and Eureka, make up and be
friends, I'll take my Magic Belt and wish you both home again,
_immejitly_. So, there!"

They were both much frightened at the threat, and promised meekly to be
good. But it was never noticed that they became very warm friends, for
all of that.

And now the Tin Woodman arrived, his body most beautifully
nickle-plated, so that it shone splendidly in the brilliant light of the
room. The Tin Woodman loved Dorothy most tenderly, and welcomed with joy
the return of the little old Wizard.

"Sir," said he to the latter, "I never can thank you enough for the
excellent heart you once gave me. It has made me many friends, I assure
you, and it beats as kindly and lovingly today as it ever did."

"I'm glad to hear that," said the Wizard. "I was afraid it would get
moldy in that tin body of yours."

"Not at all," returned Nick Chopper. "It keeps finely, being preserved
in my air-tight chest."

Zeb was a little shy when first introduced to these queer people; but
they were so friendly and sincere that he soon grew to admire them very
much, even finding some good qualities in the yellow hen. But he became
nervous again when the next visitor was announced.

"This," said Princess Ozma, "is my friend Mr. H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E.,
who assisted me one time when I was in great distress, and is now the
Dean of the Royal College of Athletic Science."

"Ah," said the Wizard; "I'm pleased to meet so distinguished a
personage."

"H. M.," said the Woggle-Bug, pompously, "means Highly Magnified; and T.
E. means Thoroughly Educated. I am, in reality, a very big bug, and
doubtless the most intelligent being in all this broad domain."

"How well you disguise it," said the Wizard. "But I don't doubt your
word in the least."

"Nobody doubts it, sir," replied the Woggle-Bug, and drawing a book from
its pocket the strange insect turned its back on the company and sat
down in a