t get them out
of my mind.' Bill tried to persuade him to forget them, and talked of
many other things, in order to distract him from such thoughts.
Presently he appeared to grow easier, and as he did not for some time
again refer to the liquorice sticks, Bill was pleased to think that he
had been successful in directing the old boy's thoughts into another
channel. However, as they were unpacking their things in the woods at
which they had now arrived and were lighting fires, preparatory to
cooking their suppers, the truly exasperating creature again called Bill
to him. 'Bill,' said he, with the most miserable face in the world,
'it's no good. I can't forget 'em, try as I will. I don't want any of
that nasty porridge I know they are about to prepare for supper. I must
have some of those liquorice sticks.'

Hiding his annoyance as much as he could, Bill tried to convince him how
nice porridge really is and how good for him, but the discontented old
man, who no doubt had been very much spoilt as a boy, would hear nothing
of it. 'I don't want to be done good to,' cried he, 'and if I don't have
those liquorice sticks to-night before I go to bed I know I shall get
the fidgets and not be able to sleep a wink.'

Bill now pointed out the difficulty of obtaining the liquorice, the
distance being so great that it would be impossible to have it brought
to the camp before midnight at the very earliest.

The King, however, was obdurate, and Bill was now compelled, much
against his will, to summon the whole army together and call for a
volunteer to fetch the liquorice, but not one, not even the pluckful
Chad, would venture to return alone to Killgruel along the dreary
mountain road in the gathering night. Bill then suggested that two or
three should return together and keep each other company, but it was of
no avail. At last, the only way out of the difficulty that occurred to
Bill was for half the army to return for the liquorice, and the other
half to remain in the woods; but here yet another difficulty arose, for
no one would stay in the woods with the army weakened to that extent.

[Illustration: BOWING POLITELY TO THE PILLAR BOXES]

At length Bill returned to the whimpering old potentate and once more
endeavoured to dissuade him from his selfish purpose, but the more Bill
talked, the more obstinate the old King became, and had it not been for
the severe training Bill had had as a minder, he must assuredly have
lost control