voice.

Then Trot came up and took his hand, the touch at once rendering her
visible to him. "Dear me!" said the bewildered sailor. "However did you
get here, mate, in the Boolooroo's own den? Is the Blue City captured?"

"Not yet," she replied, "but YOU are, Cap'n, and I've come to save you."

"All alone, Trot?"

"All alone, Cap'n Bill. But it's got to be done, jus' the same." And
then she explained about the magic ring Rosalie had lent her, which
rendered her invisible while she wore it--unless she touched some
living creature. Cap'n Bill was much interested.

"I'm willing to be saved, mate," he said, "for the Boolooroo is set on
patchin' me right after breakfas', which I hope the cook'll be late
with."

"Who are you to be patched to?" she asked.

"A feller named Tiggle, who's in disgrace 'cause he mixed the royal
necktie for me."

"That was nectar, not necktie," corrected Trot. "But you needn't be
'fraid of bein' patched with Tiggle, 'cause I've set him loose. By this
time he's in hiding, where he can't be found."

"That's good," said Cap'n Bill, nodding approval, "but the blamed ol'
Boolooroo's sure to find someone else. What's to be done, mate?"

Trot thought about it for a moment. Then she remembered how some
unknown man had escaped from the palace the night before by means of
the wall, which he had reached from the window of the very chamber in
which she had slept. Cap'n Bill might easily do the same. And the rope
ladder she had used would help the sailor down from the top of the
wall. "Could you climb down a rope ladder, Cap'n?" she asked.

"Like enough," said he. "I've done it many a time on shipboard."

"But you hadn't a wooden leg then," she reminded him.

"The wooden leg won't bother much," he assured her.

So Trot tied a small sofa cushion around the end of his wooden leg so
it wouldn't make any noise pounding upon the floor, and then she
quietly led the sailor through the room of the sleeping Boolooroo and
through several other rooms until they came to the passage. Here a
soldier was on guard, but he had fallen asleep for a moment in order to
rest himself. They passed the Blueskin without disturbing him and soon
reached the chamber opposite the suite of the Six Snubnosed Princesses,
whom they could hear still quarreling loudly among themselves.

Trot locked the door from the inside so no one could disturb them, and
then led the sailor to the window. The garden was just below.

"But good