"Ex—explain yourselves!" choked the mountaineer at last. "I'm on a vacation but what are you on?"
"Vacation!" exclaimed Philador wiping his eyes and taking a long look at a huge ax the mountaineer carried over one shoulder, for he had quite evidently been chopping wood, "you're joking!"
"Joe King! Why, of course 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 you see and that—" he waved up toward the mountain top, "that is my Kingdom. I am King of the Uplanders, but I was tired of kinging it so came down here to work and have a little fun."
"Do you think work is fun?" asked Herby seriously.
"Well, it is for a king," admitted the mountain monarch frankly. "Takes the kinks out of kinging. You look like a royal person your own self," he observed, eyeing Philador with sudden attention. "I see you are wearing a crown."
"He's a Prince," confided Herby mysteriously, "and unless we reach the Emerald City to-night, his kingdom will be utterly destroyed by a monster."
"Then he can have half of mine," offered Joe King promptly. Philador could not help smiling at this generous offer.
"If you would just show us the quickest way over the mountains," he began eagerly, "it would help us a lot. You see my father is back on the Ozure Isles, and he is more important than I am. Then there's my mother!"
"Tell me all," commanded Joe, sitting down on a tree stump and drawing Phil to his side. So Philador related the whole of his strange story and even told how the medicine man had been released from Mombi's enchantment. When he had finished the King slapped his thigh and sprang briskly to his feet.
"I'll help you!" he declared promptly, and began ho-ing and hah-ing so sonorously that Philador had to put both hands to his ears and Herby dodged behind a tree to keep out of the draught.