This sudden arrival was a queer looking man,dressed all in garments so shaggy that Betsy atfirst thought he must he some animal. But thestranger ended his fall in a sitting position andthen the girl saw it was really a man. He held anapple in his hand, which he had evidently beeneating when he fell, and so little was he jarredor flustered by the accident that he continued tomunch this apple as he calmly looked around him.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Betsy, approachinghim. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Shaggy Man," said he, takinganother bite of the apple. "Just dropped in for ashort call. Excuse my seeming haste."

"Why, I s'pose you couldn't help the haste,"said Betsy.

"No. I climbed an apple tree, outside; branchgave way and--here I am."

As he spoke the Shaggy Man finished his apple,gave the core to Hank--who ate it greedily --andthen stood up to bow politely to Betsy and theRoses.

The Royal Gardener had been frightened nearlyinto fits by the crash of glass and the fall ofthe shaggy stranger into the bower of Roses, butnow he peeped out from behind a bush and cried inhis squeaky voice:

"You're breaking the Law! You're breaking theLaw!"

Shaggy stared at him solemnly.

"Is the glass the Law in this country?" heasked.

"Breaking the glass is breaking the Law,"squeaked the Gardener, angrily. "Also, to intrudein any part of the Rose Kingdom is breaking theLaw."

"How do you know?" asked Shaggy.

"Why, it's printed in a book," said theGardener, coming forward and taking a small bookfrom his pocket. "Page thirteen. Here it is: 'Ifany stranger enters the Rose Kingdom he shall atonce be condemned by the Ruler and put to death.'So you see, strangers,' he continued triumphantly,"it's death for you all and your time has come!"

But just here Hank interposed. He had beenstealthily backing toward the Royal Gardener, whomhe disliked, and now the mule's heels shot out andstruck the little man in the middle. He doubled uplike the letter "U" and flew out of the door soswiftly--never touching the ground --that he wasgone before Betsy had time to wink.

But the mule's attack frightened the girl.

"Come," she whispered, approaching the ShaggyMan and taking his hand; "let's go somewhere else.They'll surely kill us if we stay here!"

"Don't worry, my dear," replied Shaggy, pattingthe child's head. "I'm not afraid of anything, solong as I have the Love Magnet."

"The Love Magnet! Why, what is that?" askedBetsy.

"It's a charming little enchantment that winsthe heart of everyone who looks upon it," wasthe reply. "The Love Magnet used to hang overthe gateway to the Emerald City, in the Landof Oz; but when I started on this journey ourbeloved Ruler, Ozma of Oz, allowed me to takeit with me."

"Oh!" cried Betsy, staring hard at him; "areyou really from the wonderful Land of Oz?"

"Yes. Ever been there, my dear?"

"No; but I've heard about it. And do you knowPrincess Ozma?"

"Very well indeed."

"And--and Princess Dorothy?"

"Dorothy's an old chum of mine," declaredShaggy.

"Dear me!" exclaimed Betsy. "And why didyou ever leave such a beautiful land as Oz?"

"On an errand," said Shaggy, looking sad andsolemn. "I'm trying to find my dear littlebrother."

"Oh! Is he lost?" questioned Betsy, feelingvery sorry for the poor man.

"Been lost these ten years, replied Shaggy,taking out a handkerchief and wiping a tear fromhis eye. "I didn't know it until lately, when Isaw it recorded in the magic Record Book ofthe Sorceress Glinda, in the Land of Oz. Sonow I'm trying to find him."

"Where was he lost?" asked the girlsympathetically.

"Back in Colorado, where I used to live before Iwent to Oz. Brother was a miner, and dug gold outof a mine. One day he went into his mine and nevercame out. They searched for him, but he was notthere. Disappeared entirely," Shaggy endedmiserably.

"For goodness sake! What do you s'pose became ofhim?" she asked.

"There is only one explanation," repliedShaggy, taking another apple from his pocketand eating it to relieve his misery. "The NomeKing probably got him."

"The Nome King! Who is he?"

"Why, he's sometimes called the Metal Monarch,and his name is Ruggedo. Lives in some undergroundcavern. Claims to own all the metals hidden in theearth. Don't ask my why."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't know. But this Ruggedo getswild with anger if anyone digs gold out of theearth, and my private opinion is that he capturedbrother and carried him off to his undergroundkingdom. No--don't ask me why. I see you'redying to ask me why. But I don't know."

"But--dear me!--in that case you will neverfind your lost brother!" exclaimed the girl.

"Maybe not; but it's my duty to try," answeredShaggy. "I've wandered so far without findinghim, but that only proves he is not where I'vebeen looking. What I seek now is the hiddenpassage to the underground cavern of the terribleMetal Monarch."

"Well," said Betsy doubtfully, "it strikes methat if you ever manage to get there the MetalMonarch will make you, too, his prisoner."

"Nonsense!" answered Shaggy, carelessly."You mustn't forget the Love Magnet."

"What about it?" she asked.

"When the fierce Metal Monarch sees the LoveMagnet, he will love me dearly and do anything Iask."

"It must be wonderful," said Betsy, with awe.

"It is," the man assured her. "Shall I show itto you?"

"Oh, do!" she cried; so Shaggy searched in hisshaggy pocket and drew out a small silver magnet,shaped like a horseshoe.

The moment Betsy saw it she began to like theShaggy Man better than before. Hank also sawthe Magnet and crept up to Shaggy to rub hishead lovingly against the man's knee.

But they were interrupted by the Royal Gardener,who stuck his head into the greenhouse and shoutedangrily:

"You are all condemned to death! Your onlychance to escape is to leave here instantly."

This startled little Betsy, but the Shaggy Manmerely waved the Magnet toward the Gardener, who,seeing it, rushed forward and threw himself atShaggy's feet, murmuring in honeyed words:

"Oh, you lovely, lovely man! How fond I am ofyou! Every shag and bobtail that decorates you isdear to me--all I have is yours! But for goodness'sake get out of here before you die the death."

"I'm not going to die," declared Shaggy Man.

"You must. It's the Law," exclaimed theGardener, beginning to weep real tears. "It breaksmy heart to tell you this bad news, but the Lawsays that all strangers must be condemned by theRuler to die the death."

"No Ruler has condemned us yet," said Betsy.

"Of course not," added Shaggy. "We haven'teven seen the Ruler of the Rose Kingdom."

"Well, to tell the truth," said the Gardener, ina perplexed tone of voice, "we haven't any realRuler, just now. You see, all our Rulers grow onbushes in the Royal Gardens, and the last one wehad got mildewed and withered before his time. Sowe had to plant him, and at this time there is noone growing on the Royal Bushes who is ripe enoughto pick."

"How do you know?" asked Betsy.

"Why, I'm the Royal Gardener. Plenty ofroyalties are growing, I admit; but just now theyare all green. Until one ripens, I am supposed torule the Rose Kingdom myself, and see that itsLaws are obeyed. Therefore, much as I love you,Shaggy, I must put you to death."

"Wait a minute," pleaded Betsy. "I'd like tosee those Royal Gardens before I die."

"So would I," added Shaggy Man. "Take us there,Gardener."

"Oh, I can't do that," objected the Gardener.But Shaggy again showed him the Love Magnetand after one glance at it the Gardener couldno longer resist.

He led Shaggy, Betsy and Hank to the endof the great greenhouse and carefully unlockeda small door. Passing through this they cameinto the splendid Royal Garden of the RoseKingdom.

It was all surrounded by a tall hedge and withinthe enclosure grew several enormous rosebusheshaving thick green leaves of the texture ofvelvet. Upon these bushes grew the members of theRoyal Family of the Rose Kingdom--men, women andchildren in all stages of maturity. They allseemed to have a light green hue, as if unripe ornot fully developed, their flesh and clothingbeing alike green. They stood perfectly lifelessupon their branches, which swayed softly in thebreeze, and their wide open eyes stared straightahead, unseeing and unintelligent.

While examining these curious growing people,Betsy passed behind a big central bush and at onceuttered an exclamation of surprise and pleasure.For there, blooming in perfect color and shape,stood a Royal Princess, whose beauty was amazing.

"Why, she's ripe!" cried Betsy, pushing asidesome of the broad leaves to observe her moreclearly.

"Well, perhaps so," admitted the Gardener,who had come to the girl's side; "but she's a girl,and so we can't use her for a Ruler."

"No, indeed!" came a chorus of soft voices,and looking around Betsy discovered that all theRoses had followed them from the greenhouseand were now grouped before the entrance.

"You see," explained the Gardener, "the subjectsof Rose Kingdom don't want a girl Ruler. They wanta King."

"A King! We want a King!" repeated thechorus of Roses.

"Isn't she Royal?" inquired Shaggy, admiringthe lovely Princess.

"Of course, for she grows on a Royal Bush.This Princess is named Ozga, as she is a distantcousin of Ozma of Oz; and, were she but a man,we would joyfully hail her as our Ruler."

The Gardener then turned away to talk withhis Roses and Betsy whispered to her companion:"Let's pick her, Shaggy."

"All right," said he. "If she's royal, she hasthe right to rule this Kingdom, and if we pickher she will surely protect us and prevent ourbeing hurt, or driven away."

So Betsy and Shaggy each took an arm of thebeautiful Rose Princess and a little twist of herfeet set her free of the branch upon which shegrew. Very gracefully she stepped down fromthe bush to the ground, where she bowed lowto Betsy and Shaggy and said in a delightfullysweet voice: "I thank you."

But at the sound of these words the Gardener andthe Roses turned and discovered that the Princesshad been picked, and was now alive. Over everyface flashed an expression of resentment andanger, and one of the Roses cried aloud.

"Audacious mortals! What have you done?"

"Picked a Princess for you, that's all," repliedBetsy, cheerfully.

"But we won't have her! We want a King!"exclaimed a Jacque Rose, and another added with avoice of scorn: "No girl shall rule over us!"

The newly-picked Princess looked from one toanother of her rebellious subjects inastonishment. A grieved look came over herexquisite features.

"Have I no welcome here, pretty subjects?" sheasked gently. "Have I not come from my Royal Bushto be your Ruler?"

"You were picked by mortals, without ourconsent," replied the Moss Rose, coldly; "so werefuse to allow you to rule us."

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" criedthe Tea Rose.

"Just a second, please!" called Shaggy, takingthe Love Magnet from his pocket. "I guess thiswill win their love, Princess. Here--take it inyour hand and let the roses see it."

Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held itpoised before the eyes of her subjects; but theRoses regarded it with calm disdain.

"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy insurprise. "The Magnet never failed to workbefore!"

"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely."These Roses have no hearts."

"That's it," agreed the Gardener. "They'repretty, and sweet, and alive; but still they areRoses. Their stems have thorns, but no hearts."

The Princess sighed and handed the Magnetto the Shaggy Man.

"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!"commanded the Roses. "We will have no Ruler untila man-rose--a King--is ripe enough to pick."

"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You mustexcuse me, my dear Shaggy, for opposing yourwishes, but you and the others, including Ozga,must get out of Rose Kingdom immediately, if notbefore."

"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy,carelessly displaying the Magnet.

"I do. I dote on thee!" answered the Gardenerearnestly; "but no true man will neglect his dutyfor the sake of love. My duty is to drive you out,so--out you go!"

With this he seized a garden fork and beganjabbing it at the strangers, in order to force themto leave. Hank the mule was not afraid of thefork and when he got his heels near to theGardener the man fell back to avoid a kick.

But now the Roses crowded around the outcastsand it was soon discovered that beneath theirdraperies of green leaves were many sharp thornswhich were more dangerous than Hank's heels.Neither Betsy nor Ozga nor Shaggy nor the mulecared to brave those thorns and when they pressedaway from them they found themselves slowlydriven through the garden door into thegreenhouse. From there they were forced out at theentrance and so through the territory of theflower-strewn Rose Kingdom, which was not of verygreat extent.

The Rose Princess was sobbing bitterly; Betsywas indignant and angry; Hank uttered defiant"Hee-haws" and the Shaggy Man whistled softly tohimself.

The boundary of the Rose Kingdom was a deepgulf, but there was a drawbridge in one place andthis the Royal Gardener let down until theoutcasts had passed over it. Then he drew it upagain and returned with his Roses to thegreenhouse, leaving the four queerly assortedcomrades to wander into the bleak and unknowncountry that lay beyond.

"I don't mind, much," remarked Shaggy, as he ledthe way over the stony, barren ground. "I've gotto search for my long-lost little brother, anyhow,so it won't matter where I go."

"Hank and I will help you find your brother,"said Betsy in her most cheerful voice. "I'm so faraway from home now that I don't s'pose I'll everfind my way back; and, to tell the truth, it'smore fun traveling around and having adventuresthan sticking at home. Don't you think so, Hank?"

"Hee-haw!" said Hank, and the Shaggy Man thankedthem both.

"For my part," said Princess Ozga of Roseland,with a gentle sigh, "I must remain forever exiledfrom my Kingdom. So I, too, will be glad to helpthe Shaggy Man find his lost brother."

"That's very kind of you, ma'am," said Shaggy."But unless I can find the underground cavern ofRuggedo, the Metal Monarch, I shall never findpoor brother."

("This King was formerly named "Roquat," but after hedrank of the "Waters of Oblivion" he forgot his own nameand had to take another.)

"Doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquiredBetsy.

"Some one must know, of course," was Shaggy'sreply. "But we are not the ones. The only way tosucceed is for us to keep going until we find aperson who can direct us to Ruggedo's cavern."

"We may find it ourselves, without any help,"suggested Betsy. "Who knows?"

"No one knows that, except the person who'swriting this story," said Shaggy. "But we won'tfind anything--not even supper--unless we travelon. Here's a path. Let's take it and see where itleads to."