"And now," concluded the little girl, finishing off the last toast, "we're going straight Emerald City Where going ? "

"Why we're going Emerald City too ! " burst out Snip, "and maybe Dorothy can find Pajuka and warn Ozma ! "

"Warn Ozma ? " cried Dorothy, jumping up in hurry "Why, the matter ? "

"Better tell her," advised the tailor gravely, while Humpy edged close little button boy and looked earnestly up into his face

"We'll," began Snip, feeling bit shy presence of person as important as Princess Dorothy of Oz, "Mombi is trying the lost King of Oz and turn Ozma to piano Pajuka, he's goose, I mean Prime Minister, and he's trying the find the King too, and don't get Emerald City first that old witch will steal all the magic and capture everybody "

"Why regular thriller," puffed the dummy, pushing back his crown "Witches, geese, lost kings and everything Oh, I'm enjoying this picture immensely Couldn't I fall lost king, Dorothy ? "

" you were the King, yourself, at first," explained Snip, "but , if Dorothy found you in America, you couldn't possibly be the King of Oz Besides, I don't believe Mombi would turn the King to dummy, ? "

"Oh, anything can happen pictures," said Humpy carelessly

No one had time Humpy not in picture, for Dorothy, shuddering mere mention of old Mombi, insisted on Snip telling all over again just how he had discovered the witch's wicked plans This Snip did, strange conversation between Pajuka and Mombi castle kitchen of Kimbaloo encounter Blanks escape tired tailor of Oz When part story where Mombi had flung him down the well, Humpy fell over backwards and Dorothy gasped with indignation

"Oh, we'll have to hurry, we'll have to hurry ! " exclaimed the little girl, clasping her hands anxiously, "for if Mombi reaches the Emerald City first something dreadful will happen I'm glad the King of Oz is alive, but I'm not going Ozma turned to piano Oh dear ! Oh dear ! Why doesn't Kabumpo hurry back ? "

"Hadn't we better start anyway ? " asked Snip, who was growing more and more worried about Pajuka sure Mombi meant rid goose she found the King "Let's go without the elephant," he proposed eagerly

"No, we'd better wait," advised Dorothy, "for Kabumpo can travel hundred times faster than , and hundred times faster than Mombi can

"While waiting," suggested Tora, who carefully threading his needle, "I'll mend your frock, my dear any more buttons, Snip ? "

Snip felt pockets and brought out handful of gold and silver buttons and as Dorothy stood shading her eyes and keeping an anxious lookout for Kabumpo, Tora sewed them neatly in place

"It must mighty queer, growing up all at once," observed the old tailor, biting off his thread and giving the little girl an affectionate pat shoulder

" ," answered Dorothy, groaning recollection " 't imagine what happened , but then everything's very queer lately "

With her frock neatly buttoned, Dorothy began more like herself She thanked Tora sweetly and smilingly invited him them something about himself

"Yes, do," urged Snip, coming to stand beside her

"Well," sighed the old man, sticking his needle back lapel and taking off his specs, "there's not much I'm tailor, readily see How I got to Blankenburg, I don't know, but there I've been for gives me rheumatism of it But it's all over now When we reach this marvelous city you two young people speak of, set up shop and live happily ever afterward "

"What ? With those ears ? " shouted Humpy, falling up against tree "Oh, I don't believe it ! "

"Hush," begged Dorothy and, turning apologetically tailor, she whispered earnestly: "You really mustn't mind Humpy his head is stuffed with hair and it makes him kind of ridiculous " The tailor chuckled under his breath and Snip giggled outright

Just moment Kabumpo, magnificent pearls and velvet robes, swung ponderously into view

"Dorothy,"trumpeted the Elegant Elephant, stopping good twenty feet little group and elevating his trunk haughtily, " you doing with those shabby fellows ? Don't you realize you're Princess tailor ! Great Grump ! expect me to associate with tailor ? "

"But gaze upon his ears," cried Humpy, waving his cloak triumphantly at Tora "They wag, wiggle and fly off And we're hunting king, witch and goose Hurry up, you elegant old thing, you picture "

"No we don't, we'll go on by ourselves " Snip looked angrily at Kabumpo and, taking Tora's arm, began to walk off

"Oh wait ! " gasped Dorothy, more embarrassed by Kabumpo's rudeness than dummy's ridiculousness "Kabumpo doesn't mean that He's really awfully jolly get him better "

"Don't bother, my dear," Tora smiled, little sadly Reaching up off both his ears and put them quietly into his pocket "I never listen to unpleasant conversations," explained the old man simply

"Good-bye," said Snip, bowing rather stiffly to Dorothy " reach the Emerald City before , Ozma about her father "

"Now please don't go," begged Dorothy "Wait ! Wait ! " In great distress she dashed over Elegant Elephant and poured out the whole story lost King 'of Oz and of Mombi's wickedness

When Tora had so unexpectedly taken off his ears Kahumpo's little eyes had fairly rolled head and now, as he listened to Dorothy's strange recital, they began to snap and sparkle with interest If Kabumpo enjoyed, being mixed up in royal adventure Finding the lost King of Oz very creditable thing, even for an elephant so elegant as himself It might even gain him an important position at court, thought Kabumpo craftily And what choice bit of news to carry home to Pumperdink-that Ozma was not the Queen at all, he, Kabumpo the Magnificent, had helped find the real monarch and present coronation Already his imagination leaped ahead important event

Concealing, pompous and provoking fashion, his real interest and excitement, Kabumpo set Dorothy upon his back and started in dignified and stately manner toward Tora and Snip

"I understand friends lost King of Oz," wheezed Kabumpo grandly, as up beside them " going on Emerald City ? Care to ride ? " he asked graciously as near an apology as Kabumpo ever got

"Hear ! Hear ! " spluttered the dummy, who was walking stiffly behind the tailor

Tora , as his ears were still pocket, but Snip, looking inquiringly up at Dorothy saw her motion earnestly for him to yield He decided to overlook the elephant's rudeness and gave Kabumpo signal to lift him up

"Did she say you were mutton boy ? " asked Kabumpo, as he placed Snip beside the little girl

"No, button boy," corrected Dorothy hastily, " Kingdom of Kimbaloo, "'

"Ah yes," grunted Kabumpo condescendingly, "I remember hearing of Kimbalo-a buttony sort of place across the mountains from Pumperdink "

Snip was about to retort with something short and sassy, when Kabumpo lifted up the tailor and as Tora seemed terribly alarmed suddenness transit air, Snip helped him to settle comfortably instead of talking He just got Tora firmly seated to catch Humpy, whom the Elegant Elephant tossed aloft as carelessly as bale of hay

"All ready ? " boomed Kabumpo importantly "Well, then here we go " And before anyone could answer off, moving swiftly and surely as battleship waving billows of wheat

"What did you find for lunch ? " called Humpy curiously Snip and Tora hadn't breath anything, and Dorothy was too worried about Ozma to want But Kabumpo, instead of answering, threw up his trunk, sending forth such volley of shrill bellows that Snip's hair rose on end ears in Tora's pocket gave terrified bounce Humpy chuckled, as he listened shrill trumpeting Elegant Elephant He had thought of joke !

"Ah, he has eaten trumpet vine," mused the dummy dreamily, noise died away But it ceased for only moment, for trumpeting was Kabumpo's way of clearing path for himself and, determined to reach the capitol before Mombi, the witch, he travelled as never before and, clinging to and to Kabumpo's harness and robe, the four riders made the best worst journey they had ever taken

CHAPTER 16

Humpy Hailed As King

KABUMPO would never have stopped until he reached the Emerald City itself, had it not been mountain Rushing like an express train from small dim wood, the Elegant Elephant came unexpectedly upon steep wall of rock With snort of surprise he stopped so sharply that everyone party went sailing over his head Humpy,' who was lightest, sailed farthest and, landing first, made splendid cushion for Snip and Dorothy on Tora, fortunately, plumped into patch of gooseberry bushes, no one was really hurt

"Didn't I well ? " asked the dummy, as Dorothy and Snip jumped up "Falling's my specialty and falling , Princess," he rose and made Dorothy an exceedingly shaky bow, "falling , is real pleasure "

"Well I'm kinda glad fall first," gasped the little girl, running to help Snip pull Tora bushes

"Did I understand Dorothy was Kabumpo ? " inquired the dummy, addressing himself blandly Elegant Elephant Kabumpo nodded without taking his eyes mass of jagged stone ahead

"Well, that accounts bumpo I understand perfectly now," continued Humpy conversationally, as he picked up his crown and set it solemnly head "But , , old rascal ! " He wagged his finger playfully Elegant Elephant

"Old rascal ! Old rascal ! " sputtered Kabumpo, swinging round in fury "How dare you talk like that, you good for nothing son of sofa, you hair brained piece of night shirt ! "

"Well, stuffed with hair, but you're stuffed with hay and I don't see much difference except," Humpy backed rapidly out of Kabumpo's reach, "except person who stuffed you didn't finish the job You're full of wrinkles," he announced judicially

Kabumpo made swing dummy trunk and then, thinking better of it, turned angrily away and, mumbling and wheezing under his breath, began to move majestically toward the rocky barrier Seeing that no more fun was had out of him, Humpy hurried over tailor, who was walking unsteadily between Dorothy and Snip He had put ears and was listening attentively little girl's remarks Elegant Elephant Dorothy was telling how faithfully Kabumpo had served his master, the Prince of Pumperdink

"It so, it so," muttered Tora, gazing great beast doubtfully, "but he seems trifle abrupter, almost dangerous ! "