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with astonishment, too stunned and shocked to return the gay greetings of
the nonchalant young Gilliken riding the load. Kabumpo, sampling stray
wisps as he ran and peering out comically from under the hay, enjoyed to
the utmost the sensation he was causing.
"Make a wish, my boy," he shouted exuberantly. "It's awfully lucky to wish
on the first load of hay."
"Then I wish we would reach the Red Jinn's castle before night," decided
Randy. "And wouldn't Jinnicky laugh if he could see us now? Did you leave a
pearl for the hay, Kabumpo?"
"Certainly," retorted the elephant, speaking rather stuffily through the
haystack. "We're travelers, not thieves. Hi! What's ahead, my lad? This
load has shifted a bit over my left eye, and I can scarcely see out of my
right."
"A dry river bed," called Randy, bouncing up and down with the keenest
enjoyment. "Go slow, old Push-the-Foot, or you'll lose your lunch."
"Not on your life!" puffed the Elegant Elephant. "I'll stop and eat it
first. HoC4"
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"Hay foot, straw foot, any foot will do,
Down the bank and up the bank, and now, how is the view?"
"Elegant," breathed Randy, grinning to himself at Kabumpo's verses. "More
fields, meadows, forests, everything!"
"But even so, I smell sulphur!" Kabumpo moved his trunk slowly from side to
side. "Something's burning, my lad, and close at hand, too."
"Why, it's a HORSE!" Randy's voice cracked from the sheer shock of the
thing. "And coming straight for us, too. Wait! Stop! Hold on! No, maybe
you'd better run. Great Gillikens, it's smoking!"
"A pipe?" inquired Kabumpo, trying to see through the fringe of hay that was
obscuring his vision. "And what if it is? Am I, the Elegant Elephant of Oz,
to run from a mere and miserable equine?"
"But this horse," squealed Randy, sliding head first off the haystack, "this
horse is different. Oh, really, REALLY, Kabumpo, I think we'd better run."
"Never!" Pushing the hay off his forehead with his trunk, Kabumpo looked
fiercely out, then, with a start that dislodged half the load, he began
running off as rapidly as he could, dragging Randy along by the tail of his
coat.
CHAPTER 7
THE PRINCESS OF ANUTHER PLANET
Even so, Kabumpo was not fast enough, and as the immense black charger with
its tail and mane curling like smoke, its fiery nostrils flashing flames a
foot long, came galloping upon them, Randy flung himself face down on the
ground to escape its burning breath. The most terrifying thing about the
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black steed was the complete silentness of its coming. Its metal-shod feet
struck the earth without making a sound, giving Kabumpo such a sense of
unreality he could not believe it was true, or move another step. In
consequence, as the enormous animal swirled to a halt before them, a dozen
darting flames from its nostrils set fire to the load of hay on his back,
enveloping him in a hot and exceedingly dangerous bonfire.
Now thoroughly aroused, Kabumpo leapt this way and that, and Randy,
unmindful of his own danger, jumped up and tried to beat out the fire with
his cloak. But the hay blazed and crackled, and the Elegant Elephant would
certainly have been roasted like a potato had he not reared up on his hind
legs and let the whole burning burden slide from his back. Scorched and
infuriated, his royal robes burned and blackened, Kabumpo backed into a
handy brook and sat down, from which position he glared with positive
hatred at his prancing adversary. But a complete change had come over this
strange and unbelievable steed; his nostrils no longer spurted flames, and
as Randy plumped down beside Kabumpo, deciding this was the safest spot for
both of them, the lordly creature dropped to its knees and touched its
forehead three times to the earth.
"Away, away! You big meddlesome menace!" panted the Elegant Elephant,
throwing up his trunk. "Begone, you good-for-nothing hay burner!"
"But, Kabumpo," pleaded Randy as the horse, paying no attention to the
Elegant Elephant's angry screeches, began throwing little puffs of red
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