ed everyone but themselves. They were
magnificently dressed, and their blue hair was carefully arranged in
huge towers upon their heads, with blue plumes stuck into the tops.
These plumes waved gracefully in the air with every mincing step the
Princesses took. Rich jewels of blue stones glittered upon their
persons, and the royal ladies were fully as gorgeous as they were
haughty and overbearing. They marched to their chairs and seated
themselves to enjoy the cruel scene their father was about to enact,
and Cap'n Bill bowed to them politely and said:

"Mornin', girls. Hope ye feel as well as ye look."

"Papa," exclaimed Turquoise angrily, "can you not prevent this vile
Earth Being from addressing us? It is an insult to be spoken to by one
about to be patched."

"Control yourselves, my dears," replied the Boolooroo. "The worst
punishment I know how to inflict on anyone this prisoner is about to
suffer. You'll see a very pretty patching, my royal daughters."

"When?" inquired Cobalt.

"When? As soon as the soldiers return with Tiggle," said he.

But just then in came the soldiers to say that Tiggle could not be
found anywhere in the City; he had disappeared as mysteriously as had
Ghip-Ghisizzle. Immediately, the Boolooroo flew into another towering
rage.

"Villains!" he shouted. "Go out and arrest the first living thing you
meet, and whoever it proves to be will be instantly patched to Cap'n
Bill."

The Captain of the Guards hesitated to obey this order. "Suppose it's a
friend?" he suggested.

"Friend!" roared the Boolooroo. "I haven't a friend in the country.
Tell me, sir, do you know of anyone who is my friend?"

The Captain shook his head. "I can't think of anyone just now, your
Spry and Flighty High and Mighty Majesty," he answered.

"Of course not," said the Boolooroo. "Everyone hates me, and I don't
object to that because I hate everybody. But I'm the Ruler here, and
I'll do as I please. Go and capture the first living creature you see
and bring him here to be patched to Cap'n Bill."

So the Captain took a file of soldiers and went away very sorrowful,
for he did not know who would be the victim, and if the Boolooroo had
no friends, the Captain had plenty and did not wish to see them patched.

Meanwhile, Trot, being invisible to all, was roaming around the room,
and behind a bench she found a small end of rope, which she picked up.
Then she seated herself in an out-of-the-way place and quietly waited