to the
strangers and whispered: "If only we had a different King, we would be
very happy and contented."

"What's the matter with your King?" asked Trot, curiously. But the
woman seemed frightened to have said so much. She retreated to her
porch, merely saying:

"The King punishes severely any treason on the part of his subjects."

"What's treason?" asked Button-Bright.

"In this case," replied Cap'n Bill, "treason seems to consist of
knockin' the King; but I guess we know his disposition now as well as
if the lady had said more."

"I wonder," said Trot, going up to the woman, "if you could spare us
something to eat. We haven't had anything but popcorn and lemonade for
a long time."

"Bless your heart! Of course I can spare you some food," the woman
answered, and entering her cottage she soon returned with a tray loaded
with sandwiches, cakes and cheese. One of the children drew a bucket of
clear, cold water from a spring and the three wanderers ate heartily
and enjoyed the good things immensely.

When Button-Bright could eat no more he filled the pockets of his
jacket with cakes and cheese, and not even the children objected to
this. Indeed they all seemed pleased to see the strangers eat, so Cap'n
Bill decided that no matter what the King of Jinxland was like, the
people would prove friendly and hospitable.

"Whose castle is that, yonder, ma'am?" he asked, waving his hand toward
the towers that rose above the trees.

"It belongs to his Majesty, King Krewl." she said.

"Oh, indeed; and does he live there?"

"When he is not out hunting with his fierce courtiers and war
captains," she replied.

"Is he hunting now?" Trot inquired.

"I do not know, my dear. The less we know about the King's actions the
safer we are."

It was evident the woman did not like to talk about King Krewl and so,
having finished their meal, they said good-bye and continued along the
pathway.

"Don't you think we'd better keep away from that King's castle, Cap'n?"
asked Trot.

"Well," said he, "King Krewl would find out, sooner or later, that we
are in his country, so we may as well face the music now. Perhaps he
isn't quite so bad as that woman thinks he is. Kings aren't always
popular with their people, you know, even if they do the best they know
how."

"Ozma is pop'lar," said Button-Bright.

"Ozma is diff'rent from any other Ruler, from all I've heard," remarked
Trot musingly, as she walked beside the boy. "And, after a