"Must be lunch time," she called back hoarsely over her shoulder.
"Howja guess?" panted Pajuka, keeping as close to Snip as he could, for he was terribly frightened.
"Don't you hear the lions?" asked the old witch maliciously.
"Merciful feathers!" gasped the goose. "Have I come all this way to be a lion's lunch?"
"Here comes one now," shuddered Snip, flattening himself against a tree. But it was not a lion that came hurtling out of the brush. It was a weenix, a wild, bear-like beast with a walrus head. One look at its tusks set Snip's heart beating like a drum. Pajuka flung into the air, flapping his wings and hissing furiously, but the weenix came straight on and Snip, though determined to die with his pen knife in hand, trembled so violently he could scarcely stand up. Even Mombi looked frightened. Grabbing the basket from Snip, she fumbled among its packages and pans and just as the weenix, with outspread paws, leaped upon her, the old witch snatched out the pepper box and shook the entire contents upon its nose. It was purple pepper, fortunately, which is even stronger than red.
"Kawoosh!" spluttered the weenix falling backwards. "Kawoosh—Kawush! Kawoo!" With tears streaming down its tusks and trembling whiskers, it dashed into the shadows, where it could still be heard sneezing broken-heartedly. It evidently told its family and friends all about the dangerous travellers, for not another weenix so much as showed a whisker after that.
"Humph!" snorted Mombi, settling her hat, which had gone terribly askew. "I may have forgotten my magic, but I still know a few tricks, eh Pajuka?"
"Oh, my feathers," panted the goose, leaning up against a tree, "that was worse than roasting."
"How did you ever think of pepper?" asked Snip, who could not help admiring Mombi's quickness. But Mombi merely gave a grunt, thrust the basket back into his hands and began limping along faster than ever. Snip was tired and hungry, but the thought of being left alone in the forest was so much worse than being in the company of a witch that he stumbled and ran after her, comforting himself with the thought of the fine sights he should see in the Emerald City.
Pajuka was tired too, but he hopped and flopped after Snip and another hour brought them to the edge of the forest. The countryside, stretching pleasantly ahead, was shaded with purple, so they knew they were still in the land of the Gillikens. The old witch ordered a halt, while she considered the road.