"
All this time I could see the eyes of ladies and gentlemen looking at us
through the peep-holes, and their eyes were about as big as wagon-wheels
to my sight. I felt mean to be stared at by such gigantic goggle-eyed
creatures.
The Panjandrum did not start the wheels at once because he was looking
around for his little round button-at-the-top without which he cannot do
anything. At length when the wheels were set a-going, the man in the
white hat and the lady with the red parasol went up, and I was just about
to climb up the pipe myself, to get out of the glare of the people's
eyes, when one of the children cried out:
"O sir! we'll never get home. We can't reach the tube."
So I took hold of them one after another and pushed them up the spout
until the wheels running backward caught them. Whenever a boy or girl
slipped out of my hands I would soon after see two more of those hateful
big eyes looking at me through the peep-holes. All the time I was afraid
the Panjandrum Himself would quit turning or that his little round
button-at-the-top would blow off before I could get out. And just as I
thrust the last boy up the spout the wheels began to slacken.
"Quick," cried the Garuly, "the Great Pan has let go of the machine.
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