"Vacation ! " exclaimed Philador wiping his eyes and taking long look at huge ax the mountaineer carried over one shoulder, for he had quite evidently been chopping wood, you're joking ! "

"Joe King ! Why, I'm Joe King, but how did you guess ? " Regarding the little boy with twinkling eyes he continued, "I'm joking all the time That's my name ~" he waved up toward the mountain top, " my Kingdom King Uplanders, but tired of kinging it so came down here to work little fun "

" work is fun ? " asked Herby seriously

"Well, for king," admitted the mountain monarch frankly "Takes the kinks out of kinging You look like royal person your own self," he observed, eyeing Philador with sudden attention " wearing crown

"He's Prince," confided Herby mysteriously, "and unless we reach the Emerald City tonight, his kingdom utterly destroyed by monster "

"Then half ," offered Joe King promptly Philador help smiling generous offer

" just show us the quickest way over the mountains," he began eagerly, "it would lot , my father is back Ozure Isles, and more important than Then there's my mother ! "

"Tell me all," commanded Joe, sitting down on tree stump and drawing Phil side So Philador related the whole strange story and even told how the medicine man released from Mombi's enchantment When he had finished the King slapped his thigh and sprang briskly feet

"I'll ! " he declared promptly, and began ho-ing and hah-ing so sonorously that Phil-ador had both hands ears and Herby dodged behind tree draught

"Ho ! Ho ! Where ? Hi ! Hi ! Come back here you rascal High Boy ! Ho ! Boy, High Boy ! "

"Whom calling ? " faltered the little Prince, removing one hand ear

"My horse," panted the King, beginning to stamp, whistle and clap his hands And presently clash, clatter and scrape, and down the mountain slid the strangest steed Phil or the Medicine Man had ever beheld , perfectly frank , Giant Horse And doubtless never seen giant horse I'd better describe him at once , with, twice as large as an ordinary horse and of shiny purple His eyes were red and roguish, his mane white and flowing, while his tail was an umbrella Yes, it really was But his legs that were most remarkable High Boy had telescope legs, capable of stretching up or down When he slid into view, the front two were short hind two were long, he had the appearance of kangaroo thistle bush hung loosely corner mouth, and quite annoyed at being disturbed

"What's up ? " he snorted, rolling his eyes from one to another finally rested Medicine Man, he began to chew up the thistle bush with great rapidity Then, throwing back his head, he began to laugh as only high horse can

"Better give him laugh lozenge," muttered His Majesty, winking at Philador, and Herby, who really like being laughed at, tip-toed forward and slipped several lozenges down High Boy's throat

" help looking funny," he explained with great dignity "I'm made from funny mixture ! "

"Haw ! Haw ! " sniffed the Giant Horse, opening one eye " say ! That open front chest ! That cap ! He ! He ! You're enough horse laugh and stone lion roar ! Ho ! Ho ! Hah ! Hah ! "

"There, there ! " cautioned the King "We all have our peculiarities Herby's medicine man and just full of harmless remedies There, there now, do ! "

" ," coughed the Giant Horse " 't hah another hah ! "

Herby and Phil exchanged satisfied little nod , King, taking High Boy forelock, introduced him travelers

"High Boy, Prince Ozure Isles ! Prince, my horse ! " The Giant Horse pulled himself up and politely thrust out his hoof, which Philador shook with some nervousness Next Herby was presented and hastily munched laugh lozenge, so keep straight face during the proceedings

"High Boy will carry you quickly capital, won't you, old fellow ? "

High Boy nodded his head merrily and after several prances came over and stood beside the King His legs were now all same length, and as Philador wondered how they should ever mount upon his back there came series of clicks The horse's legs grew shorter and shorter, till its body almost touched the ground

"Hop on," directed Joe and, seizing his lunch basket, Philador hastened to obey Herby, holding his chest with both hands, climbed up after him King mounting last of all gave the signal to start Then up went High Boy's legs to an unbelievable height, up snapped his umbrella tail shading the travelers most comfortably and next instant they were galloping over the purple mountain as fast West Wind South Wind, too

And riding high horse has its advantages, let me tell you When climbing mountain it keeps its front legs short and its back legs long, its body is always on level quite fortunate, for Herby and Philador had trouble enough keeping their seats little Medicine Man was so jostled and bounced about nothing but groan

"My bottles smashed to bits," he chattered anxiously " hear them knocking about ? " Philador certainly did, but was so excited and interested strange steed merry master be properly sympathetic

"Look ! " he cried breathlessly, "We're almost top and there's purple city and castle high up clouds "

"That's Up Town ! " cried Joe King, pridefully "And tip top place , isn't it, Highty, old boy ? " " high way up low way down, And there, the town ! " he roared lustily "And here on my mountain top ! Where high times Whoa ! High Boy Stop ! "

The Giant Horse, with joyous neigh, did stop, for they were right city gates No one came to admit them so High Boy raised himself up and looked over the wall

"Open name law ! " he snorted impatiently "The King and two strangers are without ! "

CHAPTER 10

High Times Up Town

AT HIGH BOY'S loud call, two Uplander Guards in purple kilts came running to open the gates They were as tall and comical as their King and bowed deeply swung back the golden bars High Boy was haste to enter lower himself sufficiently, King's head was knocked severely top arch

"Look what you're doing ! " spluttered his Majesty, returning the salute guards and waving for two small pages to approach

"Pray announce us Queen," he commanded grandly "Here are the right brave and puissant Prince Ozure Isles friend and companion, the Medicine Man of Oz ! "

The pages immediately raised their golden trumpets and blew three shrill blasts, and while Philador secretly wondered what puissant might mean, called loudly: "His High and Mighty Majesty, the King ! His Brave and Puissant Highness the Prince Ozure Isles Medicine Man of Oz ! "

"How about me ? " whinnied High Boy, shaking his mane and prancing along so skittishly that Herby threw his arms 'round Philador from falling off

" High Horse ! " shouted the pages joyously, at which the irrepressible beast rose hind legs and bowed left and right The Uplanders, who had run to doors and windows pages' loud cries, clapped and cheered, first King, next visitors and lastly for High Boy himself, till the noise and confusion was simply tremendous Whenever High Boy saw one friends leaning from an upper window, he'd stretch up his telescope legs

"Hello Mary ! " snort, nudging the little girl or whoever it chanced soft nose "Hello Jim ! " Then down drop to greet an old gentleman in basement doorway, his three riders had an exceedingly up and down time of it

But even so Philador managed lot of Up Town The streets strange mountain city were narrow and steep, the houses tall and towered There were glimpses of gardens back, gardens sweet with hyacinth and lilac, and open spaces between, grew the tallest grass Philador had ever imagined purple haze hung air castle, rising majestically top town, seemed to rest on an airy embankment of clouds In almost no time, they were courtyard castle itself, the pages tooting away for dear life dozen King's retainers rushed out and Philador, gazing upward, saw lovely lady in lavender lace dress leaning over the balcony She wore an amethyst crown and he guessed at once that be the Queen

"Hi ! Hi ! Hyacinth ! " Lengthening his legs till his body was on level balcony, High Boy rested his head affectionately Queen's shoulder "Did you miss me ? " he whinnied hoarsely

" ! ! " smiled Her Highness, nodding pleasantly to Herby and Phil

The King, with great grunt, had immediately flung himself off High Boy's back, little Prince and Medicine Man made haste him On closer inspection Philador found Queen Hyacinth even lovelier than she had seemed courtyard Although her nose and mouth tipped upward like the King's, she was so gay and pretty little prince almost wished she were his own Lady mother and mind at all when she kissed him on both cheeks Herby blushed with pleasure Queen shook his hand and held himself stiffly his pills from rattling

While two Uplander Footmen drew out high chairs visitors and fetched tall glasses of grape juice, Joe King told Her Majesty the strange story adventures When Hyacinth heard how Mombi had stolen Philador's mother, she kissed him again, then hurrying castle ordered the royal cook tremendous feast travelers High Boy, resting his chin balcony rail, had listened with close attention whole recital Now with tremulous sigh he began to lower himself courtyard

"Goodbye, old Toz ! " roguishly Medicine Man "See you again, Princeling, but now the tall grass is calling me "

"Does he eat tall grass ? " asked Philador, looking over the balcony with great interest as High Boy galloped away

" ! That's what makes him so tall What did you suppose high horse ate ? " asked the King merrily

Leading the visitors castle he left them in sumptuous dressing room with amethyst mirrors and brushes and gorgeous silk hangings Philador was glad enough to wash off the dust and brush his hair, but Herby spent most time rearranging the bottles and boxes medicine chest