When the chief nomes assembled before their newKing they joyfully saluted him and promised toobey his commands. But, when Kaliko questionedthem, none knew the way to the Metal Forest,although all had assisted in its making. So theKing instructed them to search carefully for oneof the passages and to bring him the news as soonas they had found it.

Meantime Quox had managed to back out of therocky corridor and so regain the open air and hisold station on the mountain-side, and there he layupon the rocks, sound asleep, until the next day.The others of the party were all given as goodrooms as the caverns of the nomes afforded, forKing Kaliko felt that he was indebted to them forhis promotion and was anxious to be as hospitableas he could.

Much wonderment had been caused by the absolutedisappearance of the sixteen officers of Oogabooand their Queen. Not a nome had seen them, norwere they discovered during the search for thepassages leading to the Metal Forest. Perhaps noone was unhappy over their loss, but all werecurious to know what had become of them.

On the next day, when our friends went to visitthe dragon, Quox said to them: "I must now bid yougood-bye, for my mission here is finished and Imust depart for the other side of the world,where I belong."

"Will you go through the Tube again?" askedBetsy.

"To be sure. But it will be a lonely trip thistime, with no one to talk to, and I cannot inviteany of you to go with me. Therefore, as soon as Islide into the hole I shall go to sleep, and whenI pop out at the other end I will wake up athome."

They thanked the dragon for befriending them andwished him a pleasant journey. Also they senttheir thanks to the great Jinjin, whose justcondemnation of Ruggedo had served their interestsso well. Then Quox yawned and stretched himselfand ambled over to the Tube, into which he slidhead-foremost and disappeared.

They really felt as if they had lost a friend,for the dragon had been both kind and sociableduring their brief acquaintance with him; but theyknew it was his duty to return to his own country.So they went back to the caverns to renew thesearch for the hidden passages that led to theforest, but for three days all efforts to findthem proved in vain.

It was Polychrome's custom to go every day tothe mountain and watch for her father, theRainbow, for she was growing tired with wanderingupon the earth and longed to rejoin her sisters intheir sky palaces. And on the third day, while shesat motionless upon a point of rock, whom shouldshe see slyly creeping up the mountain butRuggedo!

The former King looked very forlorn. His clotheswere soiled and torn and he had no sandals uponhis feet or hat upon his head. Having left hiscrown and sceptre behind when he fled, the oldnome no longer seemed kingly, but more like abeggerman.

Several times had Ruggedo crept up to themouth of the caverns, only to find the six eggsstill on guard. He knew quite well that he mustaccept his fate and become a homeless wanderer,but his chief regret now was that he had neglectedto fill his pockets with gold and jewels. He wasaware that a wanderer with wealth at his commandwould fare much better than one who was a pauper,so he still loitered around the caverns wherein heknew so much treasure was stored, hoping for achance to fill his pockets.

That was how he came to recollect the MetalForest.

"Aha!" said he to himself, "I alone know the wayto that Forest, and once there I can fill mypockets with the finest jewels in all the world."

He glanced at his pockets and was grieved tofind them so small. Perhaps they might beenlarged, so that they would hold more. He knew ofa poor woman who lived in a cottage at the foot ofthe mountain, so he went to her and begged her tosew pockets all over his robe, paying her with thegift of a diamond ring which he had worn upon hisfinger. The woman was delighted to possess sovaluable a ring and she sewed as many pockets onRuggedo's robe as she possibly could.

Then he returned up the mountain and, aftergazing cautiously around to make sure he wasnot observed, he touched a spring in a rock andit swung slowly backward, disclosing a broadpassageway. This he entered, swinging the rockin place behind him.

However, Ruggedo had failed to look as carefullyas he might have done, for Polychrome was seatedonly a little distance off and her clear eyesmarked exactly the manner in which Ruggedo hadreleased the hidden spring. So she rose andhurried into the cavern, where she told Kaliko andher friends of her discovery.

"I've no doubt that that is a way to the MetalForest," exclaimed Shaggy. "Come, let us followRuggedo at once and rescue my poor brother!"

They agreed to this and King Kaliko calledtogether a band of nomes to assist them bycarrying torches to light their way.

"The Metal Forest has a brilliant light of itsown," said he, "but the passage across the valleyis likely to be dark."

Polychrome easily found the rock and touched thespring, so in less than an hour after Ruggedo hadentered they were all in the passage and followingswiftly after the former King.

"He means to rob the Forest, I'm sure," saidKaliko; "but he will find he is no longer of anyaccount in this Kingdom and I will have my nomesthrow him out."

"Then please throw him as hard as you can," saidBetsy, "for he deserves it. I don't mind anhonest, out-an'-out enemy, who fights square; butchanging girls into fiddles and ordering 'em putinto Slimy Caves is mean and tricky, and Ruggedodoesn't deserve any sympathy. But you'll have tolet him take as much treasure as he can get in hispockets, Kaliko."

"Yes, the Jinjin said so; but we won't miss itmuch. There is more treasure in the Metal Forestthan a million nomes could carry in theirpockets."

It was not difficult to walk through thispassage, especially when the torches lighted theway, so they made good progress. But it proved tobe a long distance and Betsy had tired herselfwith walking and was seated upon the back of themule when the passage made a sharp turn and awonderful and glorious light burst upon them. Thenext moment they were all standing upon the edgeof the marvelous Metal Forest.

It lay under another mountain and occupied agreat domed cavern, the roof of which was higherthan a church steeple. In this space theindustrious nomes had built, during many years oflabor, the most beautiful forest in the world. Thetrees--trunks, branches and leaves--were all ofsolid gold, while the bushes and underbrush wereformed of filigree silver, virgin pure. The treestowered as high as natural live oaks do and wereof exquisite workmanship.

On the ground were thickly strewn precious gemsof every hue and size, while here and there amongthe trees were paths pebbled with cut diamonds ofthe clearest water. Taken all together, moretreasure was gathered in this Metal Forest than iscontained in all the rest of the world--if weexcept the land of Oz, where perhaps its value isequalled in the famous Emerald City.

Our friends were so amazed at the sight that fora while they stood gazing in silent wonder. ThenShaggy exclaimed.

"My brother! My dear lost brother! Is he indeeda prisoner in this place?"

"Yes," replied Kaliko. "The Ugly One has beenhere for two or three years, to my positiveknowledge."

"But what could he find to eat?" inquiredBetsy. "It's an awfully swell place to live in, butone can't breakfast On rubies and di'monds, oreven gold."

"One doesn't need to, my dear," Kaliko assuredher. "The Metal Forest does not fill all of thisgreat cavern, by any means. Beyond these gold andsilver trees are other trees of the real sort,which bear foods very nice to eat. Let us walk inthat direction, for I am quite sure we will findShaggy's brother in that part of the cavern,rather than in this."

So they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbledpaths, and at every step they were more and morebewildered by the wondrous beauty of the goldentrees with their glittering foliage.

Suddenly they heard a scream. Jewels scatteredin every direction as some one hidden among thebushes scampered away before them. Then a loudvoice cried: "Halt!" and there was the sound of astruggle.