"Don't be rough!" he would call out, if Eureka knocked over one of the
round, fat piglets with her paw; but the pigs never minded, and
enjoyed the sport very greatly.

Suddenly they looked up to find the room filled with the silent,
solemn-eyed Mangaboos. Each of the vegetable folks bore a branch
covered with sharp thorns, which was thrust defiantly toward the
horse, the kitten and the piglets.

"Here--stop this foolishness!" Jim roared, angrily; but after being
pricked once or twice he got upon his four legs and kept out of the
way of the thorns.

The Mangaboos surrounded them in solid ranks, but left an opening to
the doorway of the hall; so the animals slowly retreated until they
were driven from the room and out upon the street. Here were more of
the vegetable people with thorns, and silently they urged the now
frightened creatures down the street. Jim had to be careful not to
step upon the tiny piglets, who scampered under his feet grunting and
squealing, while Eureka, snarling and biting at the thorns pushed
toward her, also tried to protect the pretty little things from
injury. Slowly but steadily the heartless Mangaboos drove them on,
until they had passed through the city and the gardens and come to the
broad plains leading to the mountain.

"What does all this mean, anyhow?" asked the horse, jumping to escape
a thorn.

"Why, they are driving us toward the Black Pit, into which they