"Ho! Ho! Where are you? Hi! Hi! Come back here you rascal. High Boy! Ho! Boy, I say High Boy!"
"Whom are you calling?" faltered the little Prince, removing one hand from his ear.
"My horse," panted the King, beginning to stamp, whistle and clap his hands. And presently there was a clash, clatter and scrape, and down the mountain slid the strangest steed Phil or the Medicine Man had ever beheld. It was, to be perfectly frank with you, a Giant Horse. And as you have doubtless never seen a giant horse I'd better describe him at once. He was, to begin with, twice as large as an ordinary horse and of a shiny purple. His eyes were red and roguish, his mane white and flowing, while his tail was an umbrella. Yes, it really was. But it was 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 and the hind two were long, so that he had the appearance of a kangaroo. A thistle bush hung loosely from the corner of his mouth, and he seemed quite annoyed at being disturbed.
"What's up?" he snorted, rolling his eyes from one to another. As they finally rested on the Medicine Man, he began to chew up the thistle bush with great rapidity. Then, throwing back his head, he began to laugh as only a high horse can.
"Better give him a laugh lozenge," muttered his Majesty, winking at Philador, and Herby, who really did not like being laughed at, tip-toed forward and slipped several lozenges down High Boy's throat.
"I cannot help looking funny," he explained with great dignity. "I'm made from a funny mixture!"
"Haw! Haw!" sniffed the Giant Horse, opening one eye. "I should say you are! That open front chest! That cap! He! He! You're enough to make a horse laugh and a stone lion roar! Ho! Ho! Hah! Hah!"
"There, there!" cautioned the King. "We all have our peculiarities. Herby's a medicine man and just full of harmless remedies. There, there now, that will do!"
"It will have to do," coughed the Giant Horse "I can't hah another hah!"
Herby and Phil exchanged a satisfied little nod at this, and the King, taking High Boy by the fore lock, introduced him to the travelers.