"Hurrah!" roared the Hungry Tiger, overjoyed that his secret would now be kept safely.
"After the lecture," gasped Ozma faintly, "But that will be years and years by skytime?"
"Years and years," acknowledged Atmos, with a grin, and freeing himself from one boot soared a hundred feet into the air. "Look out below!" he called warningly, "Here comes the other one."
They had just time to dodge aside when the other iron boot came crashing to earth. "Good-bye!" shouted the airman in a faraway voice, "Good-bye, little Princess, I'll see you again, some time!"
"Good-bye!" called Ozma, sadly. Standing on tiptoe, the whole company strained their eyes to catch a last glimpse of their strange fellow adventurer. But Atmos and the two wicked Rashers had already disappeared above the clouds.
"Oh!" wailed Ozma suddenly, "How are we going to cross the Deadly Desert now?"
"Don't cross it," begged Reddy again, "Stay here. Please, stay here!"
"Maybe Dorothy or the Wizard will look in the Magic Picture," suggested Betsy hopefully. "Watch out Carter, you're taking root again."
With a little exclamation of annoyance, the Vegetable Man jerked himself loose and began to comfort the Princess of Oz.
"It was really the best thing that could have happened," he assured her eagerly. "With Irashi and Ippty out of the way, Reddy can rule his Kingdom in peace, and while those two rogues will not really suffer, they will be kept out of mischief for years to come."