decide among us. Otherwise, none of
us can ever be the Queen."

This being evident, they proceeded to unbind the long legs of
Ghip-Ghisizzle, leaving his body and arms, however, tied fast together.
Then between them they got him upon his feet and led him away, paying
no attention to poor Tiggle, who whined to be released so he could
fight in the war. After a hurried consultation, the Six Snubnosed
Princesses decided to hide the Majordomo in one of their boudoirs, so
they dragged him up the stairs to their reception room and fell to
quarreling as to whose boudoir should be occupied by their captive. Not
being able to settle the question, they finally locked him up in a
vacant room across the hall and told him he must stay there until he
had decided to marry one of the Princesses and could make a choice
among them.

THE CAPTURE OF CAP'N BILL

CHAPTER 21

While this was transpiring in the palace, Cap'n Bill and the Pinkies
had encamped before the principal gate of the City and a tent had been
pitched for Trot and Button-Bright and Rosalie. The army had been very
fearful and weak-kneed when it first entered the Blue Country, but
perceiving that the Boolooroo and his people were afraid of them and
had locked themselves up in the City, the Pinkies grew bolder and
longed to make an attack.

One of them, in his curiosity to examine the Blue City, got a little
too near the wall, and a blue soldier threw his cord-and-weight at him.
The cord didn't wind around the Pinkie, as he was too far off, but the
weight hit him in the eye and made him howl lustily as he trotted back
to this comrades at full speed. After this experience, the invaders
were careful to keep a safe distance from the wall.

The Boolooroo, having made all preparations to receive the enemy, was
annoyed because they held back. He was himself so nervous and excited
that he became desperate, and after an hour of tedious waiting, during
which time he pranced around impatiently, he decided to attack the
hated Pinkies and rid the country of them.

"Their dreadful color makes me hysterical," he said to his soldiers,
"so if I am to have any peace of mind, we must charge the foe and drive
them back into the Fog Bank. But take all the prisoners you can, my
brave men, and tomorrow we will have a jolly time patching them. Don't
be afraid; those pink creatures have no blue blood in their veins, and
they'll run like rabbits when they see us coming."

Then he or