heart."

"It would hurt me worse than that," declared Shaggy. "You must admit,
Your Majesty, that I am commander of this expedition, for it is my
brother we are seeking, rather than plunder. But I and my companions
would like the assistance of your Army, and if you help us to conquer
Ruggedo and to rescue my brother from captivity we will allow you to
keep all the gold and jewels and other plunder you may find."

This prospect was so tempting that the officers began whispering
together and presently Colonel Cheese said: "Your Majesty, by combining
our brains we have just evolved a most brilliant idea. We will make the
Clockwork Man the private soldier!"

"Who? Me?" asked Tik-Tok. "Not for a sin-gle sec-ond! I can-not fight,
and you must not for-get that it was Rug-ge-do who threw me in the
well."

"At that time you had no gun," said Polychrome. "But if you join the
Army of Oogaboo you will carry the gun that Mr. Files used."

"A sol-dier must be a-ble to run as well as to fight," protested
Tik-Tok, "and if my works run down, as they of-ten do, I could nei-ther
run nor fight."

"I'll keep you wound up, Tik-Tok," promised Betsy.

"Why, it isn't a bad idea," said Shaggy. "Tik-Tok will make an ideal
soldier, for nothing can injure him except a sledge hammer. And, since
a private soldier seems to be necessary to this Army, Tik-Tok is the
only one of our party fitted to undertake the job."

"What must I do?" asked Tik-Tok.

"Obey orders," replied Ann. "When the officers command you to do
anything, you must do it; that is all."

"And that's enough, too," said Files.

"Do I get a salary?" inquired Tik-Tok.

"You get your share of the plunder," answered the Queen.

"Yes," remarked Files, "one-half of the plunder goes to Queen Ann, the
other half is divided among the officers, and the Private gets the
rest."

"That will be sat-is-fac-tor-y," said Tik-Tok, picking up the gun and
examining it wonderingly, for he had never before seen such a weapon.

Then Ann strapped the knapsack to Tik-Tok's copper back and said: "Now
we are ready to march to Ruggedo's Kingdom and conquer it. Officers,
give the command to march."

"Fall--in!" yelled the Generals, drawing their swords.

"Fall--in!" cried the Colonels, drawing their swords.

"Fall--in!" shouted the Majors, drawing their swords.

"Fall--in!" bawled the Captains, drawing their swords.

Tik-Tok looked at them and then around him in surprise.

"Fall in what? T