The way taken by the adventurers led up hill anddown dale and wound here and there in a fashionthat seemed aimless. But always it drew nearer toa range of low mountains and Files said more thanonce that he was certain the entrance toRuggedo's cavern would be found among these ruggedhills.

In this he was quite correct. Far underneath thenearest mountain was a gorgeous chamber hollowedfrom the solid rock, the walls and roof of whichglittered with thousands of magnificent jewels.Here, on a throne of virgin gold, sat the famousNome King, dressed in splendid robes and wearing asuperb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby.

Ruggedo, the Monarch of all the Metals andPrecious Stones of the Underground World,was a round little man with a flowing whitebeard, a red face, bright eyes and a scowl thatcovered all his forehead. One would think, tolook at him, that he ought to be jolly; one mightthink, considering his enormous wealth, that heought to be happy; but this was not the case. TheMetal Monarch was surly and cross becausemortals had dug so much treasure out of theearth and kept it above ground, where all thepower of Ruggedo and his nomes was unable torecover it. He hated not only the mortals butalso the fairies who live upon the earth or aboveit, and instead of being content with the richeshe still possessed he was unhappy because he didnot own all the gold and jewels in the world.

Ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, inhis chair when suddenly he sat upright, uttereda roar of rage and began pounding upon a hugegong that stood beside him.

The sound filled the vast cavern and penetratedto many caverns beyond, where countless thousandsof nomes were working at their unending tasks,hammering out gold and silver and other metals, ormelting ores in great furnaces, or polishingglittering gems. The nomes trembled at the soundof the King's gong and whispered fearfully to oneanother that something unpleasant was sure tohappen; but none dared pause in his task,

The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushedaside and Kaliko, the King's High Chamberlain,entered the royal presence.

"What's up, Your Majesty?" he asked, with a wideyawn, for he had just wakened.

"Up?" roared Ruggedo, stamping his footviciously. "Those foolish mortals are up, that'swhat! And they want to come down."

"Down here?" inquired Kaliko.

"Yes!"

"How do you know?" continued the Chamberlain,yawning again.

"I feel it in my bones," said Ruggedo. "I canalways feel it when those hateful earth-crawlersdraw near to my Kingdom. I am positive, Kaliko,that mortals are this very minute on their wayhere to annoy me--and I hate mortals more than I docatnip tea!"

"Well, what's to be done?" demanded the nome.

"Look through your spyglass, and see wherethe invaders are," commanded the King.

So Kaliko went to a tube in the wall of rockand put his eye to it. The tube ran from thecavern up to the side of the mountain and turnedseveral curves and corners, but as it was a magicspyglass Kaliko was able to see through it justas easily as if it had been straight.

"Ho-hum," said he. "I see 'em, Your Majesty."

"What do they look like?" inquired the Monarch.

"That's a hard question to answer, for a queererassortment of creatures I never yet beheld,"replied the nome. "However, such a collection ofcuriosities may prove dangerous. There's a copperman, worked by machinery--"

"Bah! that's only Tik-Tok," said Ruggedo."I'm not afraid of him. Why, only the other dayI met the fellow and threw him down a well."

"Then some one must have pulled him out again,"said Kaliko. "And there's a little girl--"

"Dorothy?" asked Ruggedo, jumping up in fear.

"No; some other girl. In fact, there are severalgirls, of various sizes; but Dorothy is not withthem, nor is Ozma."

"That's good!" exclaimed the King, sighing inrelief.

Kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass.

"I see," said he, "an army of men from Oogaboo.They are all officers and carry swords. And thereis a Shaggy Man--who seems very harmless--and alittle donkey with big ears."

"Pooh!" cried Ruggedo, snapping his fingersin scorn. "I've no fear of such a mob as that. Adozen of my nomes can destroy them all in ajiffy."

"I'm not so sure of that," said Kaliko. "Thepeople of Oogaboo are hard to destroy, and Ibelieve the Rose Princess is a fairy. As forPolychrome, you know very well that the Rainbow'sDaughter cannot be injured by a nome."

"Polychrome! Is she among them?" asked the King.

"Yes; I have just recognized her."

"Then these people are coming here on nopeaceful errand," declared Ruggedo, scowlingfiercely. "In fact, no one ever comes here on apeaceful errand. I hate everybody, and everybodyhates me!"

"Very true," said Kaliko.

"I must in some way prevent these people fromreaching my dominions. Where are they now?"

"Just now they are crossing the Rubber Country,Your Majesty."

"Good! Are your magnetic rubber wires in workingorder?"

"I think so," replied Kaliko. "Is it your RoyalWill that we have some fun with these invaders?"

"It is," answered Ruggedo. "I want to teachthem a lesson they will never forget."

Now, Shaggy had no idea that he was in aRubber Country, nor had any of his companions.They noticed that everything around them wasof a dull gray color and that the path uponwhich they walked was soft and springy, yet theyhad no suspicion that the rocks and trees wererubber and even the path they trod was made ofrubber.

Presently they came to a brook where sparklingwater dashed through a deep channel and rushedaway between high rocks far down the mountainside.Across the brook were stepping-stones, so placedthat travelers might easily leap from one toanother and in that manner cross the water to thefarther bank.

Tik-Tok was marching ahead, followed by hisofficers and Queen Ann. After them came BetsyBobbin and Hank, Polychrome and Shaggy, and lastof all the Rose Princess with Files. The ClockworkMan saw the stream and the stepping stones and,without making a pause, placed his foot upon thefirst stone.

The result was astonishing. First he sankdown in the soft rubber, which then reboundedand sent Tik-Tok soaring high in the air, wherehe turned a succession of flip-flops and alightedupon a rubber rock far in the rear of the party.

General Apple did not see Tik-Tok bound, soquickly had he disappeared; therefore he alsostepped upon the stone (which you will guess wasconnected with Kaliko's magnetic rubber wire) andinstantly shot upward like an arrow. General Conecame next and met with a like fate, but the othersnow noticed that something was wrong and with oneaccord they halted the column and looked backalong the path.

There was Tik-Tok, still bounding from onerubber rock to another, each time rising a lessdistance from the ground. And there was GeneralApple, bounding away in another direction, histhree-cornered hat jammed over his eyes and hislong sword thumping him upon the arms and head asit swung this way and that. And there, also,appeared General Cone, who had struck a rubberrock headforemost and was so crumpled up that hisround body looked more like a bouncing-ball thanthe form of a man.

Betsy laughed merrily at the strange sight andPolychrome echoed her laughter. But Ozga wasgrave and wondering, while Queen Ann becameangry at seeing the chief officers of the Army ofOogaboo bounding around in so undignified amanner. She shouted to them to stop, but theywere unable to obey, even though they wouldhave been glad to do so. Finally, however, theyall ceased bounding and managed to get upontheir feet and rejoin the Army.

"Why did you do that?" demanded Ann, who seemedgreatly provoked.

"Don't ask them why," said Shaggy earnestly. "Iknew you would ask them why, but you ought not todo it. The reason is plain. Those stones arerubber; therefore they are not stones. Those rocksaround us are rubber, and therefore they are notrocks. Even this path is not a path; it's rubber.Unless we are very careful, your Majesty, we areall likely to get the bounce, just as your poorofficers and Tik-Tok did."

"Then let's be careful," remarked Files, whowas full of wisdom; but Polychrome wanted totest the quality of the rubber, so she begandancing. Every step sent her higher and higherinto the air, so that she resembled a big butterflyfluttering lightly. Presently she made a greatbound and bounded way across the stream,landing lightly and steadily on the other side.

"There is no rubber over here," she called tothem. "Suppose you all try to bound over thestream, without touching the stepping-stones."

Ann and her officers were reluctant to undertakesuch a risky adventure, but Betsy at once graspedthe value of the suggestion and began jumping upand down until she found herself bounding almostas high as Polychrome had done. Then she suddenlyleaned forward and the next bound took her easilyacross the brook, where she alighted by the sideof the Rainbow's Daughter.

"Come on, Hank!" called the girl, and thedonkey tried to obey. He managed to boundpretty high but when he tried to bound acrossthe stream he misjudged the distance and fellwith a splash into the middle of the water.

"Hee-haw!" he wailed, struggling toward thefar bank. Betsy rushed forward to help him out,but when the mule stood safely beside her shewas amazed to find he was not wet at all.

"It's dry water," said Polychrome, dipping herhand into the stream and showing how the waterfell from it and left it perfectly dry.

"In that case," returned Betsy, "they can allwalk through the water."

She called to Ozga and Shaggy to wade across,assuring them the water was shallow and would notwet them. At once they followed her advice,avoiding the rubber stepping stones, and made thecrossing with ease. This encouraged the entireparty to wade through the dry water, and in a fewminutes all had assembled on the bank and renewedtheir journey along the path that led to the NomeKing's dominions.

When Kaliko again looked through his magicspyglass he exclaimed:

"Bad luck, Your Majesty! All the invaders havepassed the Rubber Country and now are fastapproaching the entrance to your caverns."

Ruggedo raved and stormed at the news and hisanger was so great that several times, as hestrode up and down his jeweled cavern, he pausedto kick Kaliko upon his shins, which were sosensitive that the poor nome howled with pain.Finally the King said:

"There's no help for it; we must drop theseaudacious invaders down the Hollow Tube."

Kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at hismaster wonderingly.

"If you do that, Your Majesty," he said, "youwill make Tititi-Hoochoo very angry.

"Never mind that," retorted Ruggedo. "Tititi-Hoochoo lives on the other side of the world, sowhat do I care for his anger?"

Kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan.

"Remember his terrible powers," he pleaded, "andremember that he warned you, the last time youslid people through the Hollow Tube, that if youdid it again he would take vengeance upon you."

The Metal Monarch walked up and down in silence,thinking deeply.

"Of two dangers," said he, it is wise to choosethe least. What do you suppose these invaderswant?"

"Let the Long-Eared Hearer listen to them,"suggested Kaliko.

"Call him here at once!" commanded Ruggedoeagerly.

So in a few minutes there entered the cavern anome with enormous ears, who bowed low before theKing.

"Strangers are approaching," said Ruggedo, "andI wish to know their errand. Listen carefully totheir talk and tell me why they are coming here,and what for."

The nome bowed again and spread out hisgreat ears, swaying them gently up and downand back and forth. For half an hour he stoodsilent, in an attitude of listening, while both theKing and Kaliko grew impatient at the delay. Atlast the Long-Eared Hearer spoke:

"Shaggy Man is coming here to rescue hisbrother from captivity," said he.

"Ha, the Ugly One!" exclaimed Ruggedo. "Well,Shaggy Man may have his ugly brother, for all Icare. He's too lazy to work and is always gettingin my way. Where is the Ugly One now, Kaliko?"

"The last time Your Majesty stumbled overthe prisoner you commanded me to send him tothe Metal Forest, which I did. I suppose he isstill there."

"Very good. The invaders will have a hardtime finding the Metal Forest," said the King,with a grin of malicious delight, "for half thetime I can't find it myself. Yet I created theforest and made every tree, out of gold andsilver, so as to keep the precious metals in asafe place and out of the reach of mortals. Buttell me, Hearer, do the strangers want anythingelse?"

"Yes, indeed they do!" returned the nome. "TheArmy of Oogaboo is determined to capture all therich metals and rare jewels in your kingdom, andthe officers and their Queen have arranged todivide the spoils and carry them away."

When he heard this Ruggedo uttered a bellow ofrage and began dancing up and down, rolling hiseyes, clicking his teeth together and swinging hisarms furiously. Then, in an ecstasy of anger heseized the long ears of the Hearer and pulled andtwisted them cruelly; but Kaliko grabbed up theKing's sceptre and rapped him over the knuckleswith it, so that Ruggedo let go the ears and beganto chase his Royal Chamberlain around the throne.

The Hearer took advantage of this opportunity toslip away from the cavern and escape, and afterthe King had tired himself out chasing Kaliko hethrew himself into his throne and panted forbreath, while he glared wickedly at his defiantsubject.

"You'd better save your strength to fight theenemy," suggested Kaliko. "There will be aterrible battle when the Army of Oogaboo getshere."

"The Army won't get here," said the King,still coughing and panting. "I'll drop 'em downthe Hollow Tube--every man Jack and everygirl Jill of 'em!"

"And defy Tititi-Hoochoo?" asked Kaliko.

"Yes. Go at once to my Chief Magician andorder him to turn the path toward the HollowTube, and to make the tip of the Tube invisible,so they'll all fall into it."

Kaliko went away shaking his head, for hethought Ruggedo was making a great mistake, Hefound the Magician and had the path twisted sothat it led directly to the opening of the HollowTube, and this opening he made invisible.

Having obeyed the orders of his master, theRoyal Chamberlain went to his private room andbegan to write letters of recommendation ofhimself, stating that he was an honest man a goodservant and a small eater.

"Pretty soon," he said to himself, "I shall haveto look for another job, for it is certain thatRuggedo has ruined himself by this recklessdefiance of the mighty Tititi-Hoochoo. And inseeking a job nothing is so effective as a letterof recommendation."