Everything was mixed up, indeed. Moving toward the little party of rescuers was a huge jagged piece of land, running along on ten tremendous feet and feeling its way with its long wiggly peninsula. The feet raised it several yards above the ground. “If we crouch down maybe it will run over us,” panted Pompa, sliding down Kabumpo’s trunk. “I don’t want to be run over,” shrilled Wag, beginning to hop in a frenzied circle. “Stop!” cried the Land in a loud voice, as Wag and Kabumpo started to run. “Better stop,” puffed Kabumpo, his eyes rolling wildly, “or it’ll probably fall on us.” Trembling in spite of themselves, they stood still and waited for the Land to approach. [Illustration: (unlabelled)] “I’ve often heard of sailors hailing land with joy,” gulped Wag, “but this—well, how did it get this way?” As the Runaway Country drew nearer, its peninsula fairly quivered with excitement and as it reached them it pulled up its front feet and tilted forward to get a better view. Its eyes were two small blue lakes and its mouth a broad bubbling river. “I claim you by right of discovery,” cried the Land in its loud, river voice and before they could make any objection it scooped them up neatly and tossed them on a little hill. “This is outrageous,” spluttered the Elegant Elephant, picking Peg out of some bushes. “We’ve been kidnapped!” “Let’s jump off!” cried Wag, beginning to hop toward the edge. “I wouldn’t do that,” said the Land calmly, “because I’d only run after you again. You might as well settle down and grow up with me. I’m not such a bad little Country,” it added quietly, “just a bit rough and uncultivated.” “Well, what’s that got to do with us,” demanded Kabumpo, staring the Country right in its lake-eyes. “We’re on an important mission and we haven’t time for this sort of thing at all.” “It’s a matter of saving a Princess,” cried Pompa impulsively. “Couldn’t you, please—” “Let someone else save her,” said the Country indifferently, beginning to move off sideways like a crab. “You’re the first savages I’ve found and I’m going to keep you. Not that you’re what I’d pick out,” it continued ungraciously. “That wooden girl looks uncommonly odd and you two beasts are even queerer. But I’m liberal, I am, and the boy looks all right so far as I can see.” “But, look here,” panted Wag, twitching his nose very fast, “this is all wrong. Land is supposed to stand still, isn’t it? You’ve no right to discover us. We don’t want to be discovered. Put us off at once—do you hear?” “Yes, I hear,” said the Runaway Country gruffly. “And I’ve heard about enough. Don’t anger me,” it shrilled warningly. “Remember, I’m a wild, rough Country.” “You’re the wildest Country I ever saw,” groaned the Elegant Elephant, falling up against a tree. “And of all ridiculous happenings this is the worst!”