rule are ended."

"When will that be?" inquired the boy.

"Hush-sh-sh!" cried everyone in a chorus, and they all looked over
their shoulders as if frightened by the question. The officer with the
blue-gold chain pulled Button-Bright's sleeve and whispered, "Follow
me, please." And then he beckoned to Cap'n Bill and led the two slaves
to another room where they were alone.

"I must instruct you in your duties," said he when they were all
comfortably seated in cozy chairs with blue cushions. "You must learn
how to obey the Boolooroo's commands, so he won't become angry and have
you patched."

"How could he patch US?" asked the sailorman curiously.

"Oh, he'd just slice you all in halves and then patch half of the boy
to half of the girl, and the other half to half of you, and the other
half of you to the other half of the girl. See?"

"Can't say I do," said Cap'n Bill, much bewildered. "It's a reg'lar
mix-up."

"That's what it's meant to be," explained the young officer.

"An' seein' as we're Earth folks, an' not natives of Sky Island, I've
an idea the slicing machine would about end us, without bein' patched,"
continued the sailor.

"Oh," said Button-Bright, "so it would."

"While you are in this country, you can't die till you've lived six
hundred years," declared the officer.

"Oh," said Button-Bright. "That's different, of course. But who are
you, please?"

"My name is Ghip-Ghi-siz-zle. Can you remember it?"

"I can 'member the 'sizzle,'" said the boy, "but I'm 'fraid the
Gwip--Grip--Glip--"

"Ghip-Ghi-siz-zle" repeated the officer slowly. "I want you to remember
my name, because if you are going to live here, you are sure to hear of
me a great many times. Can you keep a secret?"

"I can try," said Button-Bright.

"I've kep' secrets--once in a while," asserted Cap'n Bill.

"Well, try to keep this one. I'm to be the next Boolooroo of Sky
Island."

"Good for you!" cried the sailor. "I wish you was the Boolooroo now,
sir. But it seems you've got to wait a hundred years or more afore you
can take his place."

Ghip-Ghisizzle rose to his feet and paced up and down the room for a
time, a frown upon his face. Then he halted and faced Cap'n Bill.
"Sir," said he, "there lies all my trouble. I'm quite sure the present
Boolooroo has reigned three hundred years next Thursday, but he claims
it is only two hundred years, and as he holds the Royal Book of Records
under lock and key in the Royal Treasury, th