the Boolooroo. "That's queer. Roll him up again,
soldiers."

The soldiers again rolled the frame in position, having first pulled
the Great Knife once more to the top of the derrick. The immense blade
was so heavy that it took the strength of seven Blueskins to raise it.
When all was in readiness, the King pulled the cord a second time, and
Trot at the same instant pulled upon her rope. The same thing happened
as before. Cap'n Bill rolled away in his frame, and the knife fell
harmlessly.

Now, indeed, the Boolooroo was as angry as he was amazed. He jumped
down from the platform and commanded the soldiers to raise the Great
Knife into position. When this was accomplished, the Boolooroo leaned
over to try to discover why the frame rolled away--seemingly of its own
accord--and he was the more puzzled because it had never done such a
thing before.

As he stood, bent nearly double, his back was toward the billygoat,
which in their interest and excitement the soldiers were holding in a
careless manner. Before any could stop him, he butted his Majesty so
furiously that the King soared far into the air and tumbled in a heap
among the benches, where he lay moaning and groaning.

The goat's warlike spirit was roused by this successful attack. Finding
himself free, he turned and assaulted the soldiers, butting them so
fiercely that they tumbled down in bunches, and as soon as they could
rise again ran frantically from the room and along the corridors as if
a fiend was after them. By this time the goat was so animated by the
spirit of conquest that he rushed at the Six Snubnosed Princesses, who
had all climbed upon their chairs and were screaming in a panic of
fear. Six times the goat butted, and each time he tipped over a chair
and sent a haughty Princess groveling upon the floor, where the ladies
got mixed up in their long, blue trains and flounces and laces and
struggled wildly until they recovered their footing. Then they sped in
great haste for the door, and the goat gave a final butt that sent the
row of royal ladies all diving into the corridor in another tangle,
whereupon they shrieked in a manner that terrified everyone within
sound of their voices.

As the Room of the Great Knife was now cleared of all but Cap'n Bill,
who was tied in his frame, and of Trot and the moaning Boolooroo, who
lay hidden behind the benches, the goat gave a victorious bleat and
stood in the doorway to face any enemy that might appear. Trot