"
At once the boat backed off the sandy beach, turned
its prow and moved swiftly over the water.
"Very good -- very good indeed!" cried the Wizard,
when the boat slowed up at the shore opposite from that
whence they had departed. "Even Coo-ee-oh, with all
her witchcraft, could do no better."
The Sorceress now said to the boat:
"Close up, submerge and carry us to the basement door
of the sunken island -- the door from which you emerged
at the command of Queen Coo-ee-oh."
The boat obeyed. As it sank into the water the top
sections rose from the sides and joined together over
the heads of Glinda and the Wizard, who were thus
enclosed in a water-proof chamber. There were four
glass windows in this covering, one on each side and
one on either end, so that the passengers could see
exactly where they were going. Moving under water more
slowly than on the surface, the submarine gradually
approached the island and halted with its bow pressed
against the huge marble door in the basement under the
Dome. This door was tightly closed and it was evident
to both Glinda and the Wizard that it would not open to
admit the underwater boat unless a magic word was
spoken by them or someone from within the basement of
the island.
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