They talked eagerly about the comforts and coolness of the inside of the car, until the curiosity of the Equine Ox outran his discretion and he insisted upon going in. Knowing that he was governed by contraries, they tried to prevent his doing so. This, as they expected, made him all the more determined, and he forced his way past them into the car. But once inside he found it impossible to get out, and then it was that he began the lashing of his tail, which had resulted in the ringing up of so many fares. Billy agreed with the motorman and the conductor that the best place for the Equine Ox was in the trolley car, for if he tried too hard to escape they had only to shut the door to keep him there. So Billy sat down and told the trolley men everything that had happened since he left them, and they became as excited as he was about the chances of the Evening Star’s escape from the Equator. “I wish I had the Equator in reach of my crank handle,” said the motorman. “I wish,” said Billy, “that the Evening Star would come past here right now. We’d get Nimbus to enchant the trolley car again, and away we’d go back home with her.” “Sure,” said the conductor. “We could use her for a headlight on the way home.” They were all busily discussing what could be done to secure the Evening Star against the Equator when they had her in Billy’s home when a light shone above the trees and soon a Meteor dropped among them. “I just met the Equator going west-nor’west,” he said. “Where’s Nimbus?” “In that case,” bellowed the Equine Ox, “I’ll go sou’-sou’east,” and he walked calmly away in that direction, tearing out the forward end of the trolley car as he went. [Illustration: “Soon a Meteor dropped among them”] THE TRAIL OF THE RUNAWAY CHAPTER IX THE TRAIL OF THE RUNAWAY With wild cries the conductor and the motorman ran after the Equine Ox, but although he appeared to be walking, he went at a tremendous speed, and soon they were compelled to give up the chase. “Oh! Oh!” wailed Billy, who was terribly distressed at the escape of the Equine Ox, “I wish there was something I could do. But I am so small that I am absolutely useless around here.” There was a cracking of branches close at hand, and to Billy’s astonishment and delight the Equine Ox reappeared. “Do you think it is unlucky to be small, Billy?” he inquired. The motorman and the conductor started forward, but the Equine Ox lowered his horns. “Never mind that now,” he said to them. “I will give you due notice of my next movements, and on the whole I don’t think I will go at all. I don’t think the Equator will come this way, at all events.” The conductor and the motorman still advanced, but Billy said: “I think the Equine Ox is speaking the truth. His eyes look honest.” “My eyes are honest,” said the Equine Ox. “They never deceived me in my life. But as I was saying, why are you so sorry that you’re small?” “Because,” said Billy, “I can’t be of any help when things happen.”