CHAPTER XVII.

THE STRANGEST RIDE THAT EVER WAS

“Well, do let’s decide what size she is going to be,” cried Coppertop, “and then we can make a start.”

“I don’t believe it can alter its size,” said Tibbs. “It’s impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible!” retorted Coppertop; “Mr. Atom said so.”

“I’d like him like a real one,” repeated Kiddiwee.

“It isn’t a ‘_him_,’ it’s a ‘_she_’!” said his sister. “Do be careful, we don’t want to offend it.”

“Yes, I think we’ll have her a proper camel size, to begin with,” she added.

“I don’t believe----” began Tibbs.

But ere he could finish a sentence, Coppertop’s hand was forced open by the swiftly-growing camel, which, with a joyful cry, she put on the ground. There the animal continued to grow rapidly.

“Good morning!” said Miss Smiler, the camel, as soon as she was large enough to have a voice at all.

“She talks!” exclaimed Coppertop.

“Frequently,” said the Camel; “did you ever know a girl who didn’t?”

“She’s still growing!” cried Tibbs, scarcely able to believe his eyes.

“I usually grow faster than this,” said the Camel, “but one of you three didn’t believe I could.”

By this time she was as large as an ordinary camel, and in every way like one, except that she had no hump, and she wore a large silk bow upon her forehead, and another one upon her tail.

“You’d better climb up while I’m a comfortable size,” said Miss Smiler. “One of you wants me to be as big as this pyramid. I feel it in my bones. So hop on, I’m still growing!”

The children did not need another warning, and tried their best to reach the Camel’s back. But in spite of their efforts, they found that she was already too large.

“I shall have to kneel,” remarked Miss Smiler. “It’s a bit of a bore, but I can say my prayer at the same time.”

“Whatever is your prayer?” asked Coppertop.

“Oh, I just say--

Please keep the horrid Hump away, And let me smile from day to day.

Try it, my dear, three times a day, after meals.”

By this time Miss Smiler was down on her knees, and without very much trouble the children clambered upon her broad back.

Immediately they had done so, the Camel rose to her feet, and continued to grow rapidly. But what was the strangest thing of all, the children on her back felt themselves growing, too!

Everything round them appeared to be getting smaller and smaller. The Pyramid now seemed only half its original size, and the river looked like a little stream. And before many moments had passed, there was no difference in size between the Pyramid and themselves, and the surrounding country lay stretched beneath them like a map.

“We must be awfully huge!” cried Coppertop, in a high-pitched voice, screwing up her little eyes. “Yet I don’t feel a bit conceited!”

“That’s because there is nobody here but ourselves,” said Tibbs, “and we’re all as large as each other. Wait till we meet some ordinary people--we shall feel like Greek gods then!”

“Why Greek?” asked his sister.

“Why not? Girls always want to argue!”

“I wonder that you have anything to do with us, then,” pouted Coppertop.

“Oh, do stop being so grumbly with each other,” cried Kiddiwee. “See where we’re going. I ’spect we’re nearly at India.”

Miss Smiler had now settled into a long, swinging trot. And when you consider her great size, and that she covered at least half a mile at each stride, you will then have some idea of the rate at which they were travelling.

They had long ago stepped across the Ruby Sea, and were now striding through Shah Land. Here it was that Miss Smiler ate up a few hundred mulberry trees as she passed, and gobbled down some fine carpets. Feeling refreshed, she galloped at an increased speed down on to the plains of Indus.

Although it was early morning, the sun now grew intensely hot. And Tibbs and Kiddiwee were very glad when Miss Smiler knelt down to rest beneath the shade of some tall palm trees. But, owing to their size, it was rather like an elephant trying to shelter beneath a toad-stool.

“If we could only go up to Simla,” sighed Coppertop, “I believe we should find several of Daddy’s friends there. But I couldn’t go this size, could I? I’d only be able to get about half my nose into one of those wee bungalows, and the punkah-wallahs would all die of fright! And the ‘pi’ dogs would run mad at the sight of me. And the Colonel Sahibs would come fuming out of the clubs! And I should just be able to push them all away with my little toe.” And Coppertop laughed heartily at the thought of it.

The Himalaya Mountains spread before them in all their glory, for the morning sun was dressing their highest peaks in a rich robe of rose and golden sunbeams.

“Aren’t those mountains simply too gorgeous!” cried Coppertop; “and dear old Simla is just there at the foot of them.”

After a short rest under the palm trees, Miss Smiler arose and continued her journey.

They passed many beautiful valleys, but saw no sign of the East Wind. Neither was he cooling himself in the shade of the mountains. So the chances were that he was even then at his prayers beside the Taj Mahal.

And thither they went at full speed.