ntation.

This chant they repeated again and again, swaying their arms gently
from side to side, and in a few minutes the watchers behind them
noticed that the lake had begun to recede from the shore. Before long
the highest point of the dome appeared above the water. Gradually the
water fell, making the dome appear to rise. When it was three or four
feet above the surface Glinda gave the signal to stop, for their work
had been accomplished.

The blackened submarine was now entirely out of water, but Uncle Henry
and Cap'n Bill managed to push it into the lake. Glinda, the Wizard,
Ervic and the Adepts got into the boat, taking with them a coil of
strong rope, and at the command of the Sorceress the craft cleaved its
way through the water toward the part of the Dome which was now visible.

"There's still plenty of water for the fish to swim in," observed the
Wizard as they rode along. "They might like more but I'm sure they can
get along until we have raised the island and can fill up the lake
again."

The boat touched gently on the sloping glass of the Dome, and the
Wizard took some tools from his black bag and quickly removed one large
pane of glass, thus making a hole large enough for their bodies to pass
through. Stout frames of steel supported the glass of the Dome, and
around one of these frames the Wizard tied the end of a rope.

"I'll go down first," said he, "for while I'm not as spry as Cap'n Bill
I'm sure I can manage it easily. Are you sure the rope is long enough
to reach the bottom?"

"Quite sure," replied the Sorceress.

So the Wizard let down the rope and climbing through the opening
lowered himself down, hand over hand, clinging to the rope with his
legs and feet. Below in the streets of the village were gathered all
the Skeezers, men, women and children, and you may be sure that Ozma
and Dorothy, with Lady Aurex, were filled with joy that their friends
were at last coming to their rescue.

The Queen's palace, now occupied by Ozma, was directly in the center of
the Dome, so that when the rope was let down the end of it came just in
front of the palace entrance. Several Skeezers held fast to the rope's
end to steady it and the Wizard reached the ground in safety. He hugged
first Ozma and then Dorothy, while all the Skeezers cheered as loud as
they could.

The Wizard now discovered that the rope was long enough to reach from
the top of the Dome to the ground when doubled, so he tied a chair to