he tore from a small tree growing near
them. Then the little Wizard carefully lighted the match, and running
forward thrust it into the nearest flame. Instantly, the circle of
fire began to die away, and soon vanished completely leaving the way
clear for them to proceed.

"That was funny!" laughed Button-Bright.

"Yes," agreed the Wizard, "it seems odd that a little match could
destroy such a great circle of fire, but when Glinda invented this
trick, she believed no one would ever think of a match being a remedy
for fire. I suppose even Ugu doesn't know how we managed to quench the
flames of his barrier, for only Glinda and I know the secret. Glinda's
Book of Magic which Ugu stole told how to make the flames, but not how
to put them out."

They now formed in marching order and proceeded to advance up the slope
of the hill, but had not gone far when before them rose a wall of
steel, the surface of which was thickly covered with sharp, gleaming
points resembling daggers. The wall completely surrounded the wicker
castle, and its sharp points prevented anyone from climbing it. Even
the Patchwork Girl might be ripped to pieces if she dared attempt it.
"Ah!" exclaimed the Wizard cheerfully, "Ugu is now using one of my own
tricks against me. But this is more serious than the Barrier of Fire,
because the only way to destroy the wall is to get on the other side of
it."

"How can that be done?" asked Dorothy.

The Wizard looked thoughtfully around his little party, and his face
grew troubled. "It's a pretty high wall," he sadly remarked. "I'm
pretty sure the Cowardly Lion could not leap over it."

"I'm sure of that, too!" said the Lion with a shudder of fear. "If I
foolishly tried such a leap, I would be caught on those dreadful
spikes."

"I think I could do it, sir," said the Frogman with a bow to the
Wizard. "It is an uphill jump as well as being a high jump, but I'm
considered something of a jumper by my friends in the Yip Country, and
I believe a good, strong leap will carry me to the other side."

"I'm sure it would," agreed the Cookie Cook.

"Leaping, you know, is a froglike accomplishment," continued the
Frogman modestly, "but please tell me what I am to do when I reach the
other side of the wall."

"You're a brave creature," said the Wizard admiringly. "Has anyone a
pin?"

Betsy had one, which she gave him. "All you need do," said the Wizard
to the Frogman, giving him the pin, "is to stick this