hy, ev'ryone loves Ozma. There isn't
a person in the Land of Oz who would steal a single thing she owns."

"Huh!" replied the Patchwork Girl. "You don't know ev'ry person in the
Land of Oz."

"Why don't I?"

"It's a big country," said Scraps. "There are cracks and corners in it
that even Ozma doesn't know of."

"The Patchwork Girl's just daffy," declared Betsy.

"No; she's right about that," replied Dorothy thoughtfully. "There are
lots of queer people in this fairyland who never come near Ozma or the
Em'rald City. I've seen some of 'em myself, girls; but I haven't seen
all, of course, and there _might_ be some wicked persons left in Oz,
yet, though I think the wicked witches have all been destroyed."

Just then the Wooden Sawhorse dashed into the courtyard with the Wizard
of Oz on his back.

"Have you found Ozma?" cried the Wizard when the Sawhorse stopped beside
them.

"Not yet," said Dorothy. "Doesn't Glinda know where she is?"

"No. Glinda's Book of Records and all her magic instruments are gone.
Someone must have stolen them."

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Dorothy, in alarm. "This is the biggest steal I
ever heard of. Who do you think did it, Wizard?"

"I've no idea," he answered. "But I have come to get my own bag of magic
tools and carry them to Glinda. She is so much more powerful than I that
she may be able to discover the truth by means of my magic, quicker and
better than I could myself."

"Hurry, then," said Dorothy, "for we're all getting terr'bly worried."

The Wizard rushed away to his rooms but presently came back with a long,
sad face.

"It's gone!" he said.

"What's gone?" asked Scraps.

"My black bag of magic tools. Someone must have stolen it!"

They looked at one another in amazement.

[Illustration]

"This thing is getting desperate," continued the Wizard. "All the
magic that belongs to Ozma, or to Glinda, or to me, has been stolen."

"Do you suppose Ozma could have taken them, herself, for some purpose?"
asked Betsy.

"No, indeed," declared the Wizard. "I suspect some enemy has stolen Ozma
and, for fear we would follow and recapture her, has taken all our magic
away from us."

"How dreadful!" cried Dorothy. "The idea of anyone wanting to injure our
dear Ozma! Can't we do _any_thing to find her, Wizard?"

"I'll ask Glinda. I must go straight back to her and tell her that my
magic tools have also disappeared. The good Sorceress will be greatly
shocked, I know."

With thi