"Too late!" cried the Dodo. "You shall go on the next journey." And with a shriek from the steam-whistle the horses began to go around. "There you are, you see," said the Dodo, complacently regarding the result of his efforts. "I said it was an easy matter to set them going." Faster and faster grew the pace, till the Doctor, who at first seemed to be enjoying his ride immensely, suddenly threw his arms around his horse's neck, and gasped out, breathlessly-- "Oh! Oh! Stop them! They're running away?" "Pooh! Nonsense!" cried the Dodo; "don't be a baby." "Stop them! Stop them! Help! Help!" screamed the other poor creatures, as the horses whirled around faster and faster. The Dodo went to the engine and tried to push the lever back again, but, to his great consternation, he found that he could not do so, and the only result of pulling another lever which he discovered was to make the machinery work more rapidly than before. "Gracious!" cried Marjorie, wringing her hands, "whatever _is_ to be done?" While even Dick turned a little pale, for the poor creatures were by this time whirling around so quickly that one could scarcely be distinguished from the other. Every now and then the poor Palaeotherium might be heard screaming above the others, who were all calling out in their fright and alarm. The Dodo left the engine, and came and stared at them. "H'm!" he ejaculated. "_I_ don't know what's to be done. If they don't stop soon, I suppose we shall have to shoot them. It's the only thing I can think of." "Shoot them!" exclaimed Dick, in a horrified voice. "Well, what else is to be done, I should like to know? We can't leave them here whirling around like that forever." "I should think," suggested Dick, after vainly trying to push the lever back into its place himself, "that if we raked all the fuel out of the engine, it would probably stop of its own accord." "Ah! happy thought," said the Dodo, and with all possible speed they set to work to carry out Dick's suggestion. They were delighted to find that after a time their project was successful, and the machinery gradually ceased to work, and at last stopped altogether. The poor creatures looked more dead than alive as with pale faces they clung limply to the upright supports attached to each of the horses. The Doctor, weak though he was, was furious. "Wretched, ungrateful creature!" he cried, getting painfully off his horse and going up to the Dodo. "This is how you reward me for having saved your life." "I couldn't help it," whimpered the Dodo. "I couldn't, really." [Illustration: "'Not any higher, please,' gasped the Dodo."] "Bah! I've a great mind never to speak to you again," said the Doctor, disgustedly. The other creatures now came up, and began to abuse the Dodo, too.