ay, and had learned to accept ill
fortune cheerfully. Knowing he was helpless, he made no protest when
they again bound him and carried him down the ladder like a bale of
goods.

Others were also disappointed by his capture. Button-Bright had heard
the parrot squawking, "Oh, there's Cap'n Bill! There's Cap'n Bill! I
see him still, up on that hill! It's Cap'n Bill!" So the boy ran out of
his tent to find the sailor scurrying along the top of the wall as fast
as he could go. At once Button-Bright aroused Coralie, who got her
Pinkies together and quickly marched them toward the wall to assist in
the escape of her Commander in Chief. But they were too late. Before
they could reach the wall, the Blueskins had captured Trot's old friend
and lugged him down in to the City, so Coralie and Button-Bright were
forced to return to their camp discomfited. There Ghip-Ghisizzle and
Rosalie were awaiting them, and they all went into the Witch's tent and
held a council of war.

"Tell me," said Ghip-Ghisizzle, "did you not take the Royal Record Book
from the Treasure Chamber of the Boolooroo?"

"I did," replied the boy. "I remember that you wanted it, and so I have
kept it with me ever since that night. Here it is." And he presented
the little blue book to the Majordomo, the only friend the adventurers
had found among all the Blueskins.

Ghip-Ghisizzle took the book eagerly and at once began turning over its
leaves. "Ah!" he exclaimed presently. "It is just as I suspected. The
wicked Boolooroo had already reigned over the Blue Country three
hundred years last Thursday, so that now he has no right to rule at
all. I myself have been the rightful Ruler of the Blues since Thursday,
and yet this cruel and deceitful man has not only deprived me of my
right to succeed him, but he has tried to have me patched so that I
could never become the Boolooroo."

"Does the book tell how old he is?" asked Button-Bright.

"Yes. He is not five hundred years old, and has yet another hundred
years to live. He planned to rule the Blue Country until the last, but
I now know the deception he has practiced and have the Royal Record
Book to prove it. With this I shall be able to force him to resign that
I may take his place, for all the people will support me and abide by
the Law. The tyrant will perhaps fight me and my cause desperately, but
I am sure to win in the end."

"If we can help you," said Button-Bright, "the whole Pink Army will
fight for you.