you conquered us, then?" asked the Captain of the Guards in a
surprised tone.

"Of course," said Trot. "Can't you see?"

"It looks like it," admitted the Captain.

"Cap'n Bill is goin' to be my General o' the Army an' the Royal Manager
o' the Blue Country," continued Trot, "so you'll mind what he says."

"Nonsense!" shouted Indigo. "March in and capture them, Captain! Never
mind if they do slice the Boolooroo. I'm his daughter, and I'LL rule
the kingdom."

"You won't!" screamed Cobalt. "I'll rule it!"

"I'll rule it myself!" cried Cerulia.

"No, no!" yelled Turquoise. "I'll be the Ruler."

"That shall be MY privilege!" shouted Sapphire. Cobalt began to say,
"I'm the--"

"Be quiet!" said Trot sternly. "Would you have your own father sliced
so that you could rule in his place?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" rejoined the six Princesses without a second's
hesitation.

"Well, well! What d' ye think o' that, Mr. Boolooroo?" asked Cap'n Bill.

"They're undutiful daughters. Don't pay any attention to them," replied
the frightened Boolooroo.

"We're not goin' to," said Trot. "Now, you Blue Cap'n, who are you and
your soldiers going to obey, me or the snubnosed ones?"

"You!" declared the Captain of the Guards positively, for he hated the
Princesses, as did all the Blueskins.

"Then escort those girls to their rooms, lock 'em in, an' put a guard
before the door."

At once the soldiers seized the Princesses and notwithstanding their
snarls and struggles marched them to their rooms and locked them in.
While they were gone on this errand, the Boolooroo begged to be
released, whining and wailing for fear the knife would fall upon him.
But Trot did not think it safe to unbind him just then. When the
soldiers returned, she told their leader to put a strong guard before
the palace and to admit no one unless either she or Cap'n Bill gave the
order to do so. The soldiers obeyed readily, and when Trot and Cap'n
Bill were left alone, they turned the goat loose in the Room of the
Great Knife and then locked the animal in with the Boolooroo.

"The billygoat is the very best guard we could have, for ever'body's
'fraid o' him," remarked Cap'n Bill as he put the key of the room in
his pocket. "So now, Queen Trot, what's next on the program?"

"Next," said Trot, "we're goin' to hunt for that umbrel, Cap'n. I don't
mean to stay in this dismal Blue Country long, even if I am the Queen.
Let's find the umbrel and go home as soon as