tood on end.

THE RULER OF SKY ISLAND

CHAPTER 25

The girl now took off Rosalie's ring and put it carefully away in her
pocket. "It won't matter who sees me now," she remarked, "an' I want
'em to know that you an' me, Cap'n, are running this kingdom. I'm Queen
o' the Pinkies an' Booloorooess o' the Blues, an'--"

"What's that?" asked the sailor. "You're--you're WHAT, Trot?"

"Booloorooess. Isn't that right, Cap'n?"

"I dunno, mate. It sounds bigger ner you are, an' I don't like the
word, anyhow. S'pose you jus' call yourself the Boss? That fills the
bill an' don't need pernouncin'."

"All right," she said. "Queen o' the Pinkies an' Boss o' the Blues.
Seems funny, don't it, Cap'n Bill?"

Just then they heard a sound of footsteps in the corridor. The soldiers
had recovered their courage, and fearful of the anger of their dreaded
Boolooroo, whom the Princesses declared would punish them severely, had
ventured to return to the room. They came rather haltingly, though, and
the Captain of the Guards first put his head cautiously through the
doorway to see if the coast was clear. The goat discovered him and
tried to make a rush, but the rope held the animal back, and when the
Captain saw this, he came forward more boldly.

"Halt!" cried Trot. The Captain halted, his soldiers peering curiously
over his shoulders and the Six Snubnosed Princesses looking on from
behind, where they considered themselves safe. "If anyone dares enter
this room without my permission," said Trot, "I'll pull this cord and
slice your master that once was the Boolooroo."

"Don't come in! Don't come in!" yelled the Boolooroo in a terrified
voice.

Then they saw that the sailor was free and the Boolooroo bound in his
place. The soldiers were secretly glad to observe this, but the
Princesses were highly indignant. "Release his Majesty at once!" cried
Indigo from the corridor. "You shall be severely punished for this
rebellion."

"Don't worry," replied Trot. "His Majesty isn't his Majesty any longer.
He's jus' a common Blueskin. Cap'n Bill and I perpose runnin' this
Island ourselves, after this. You've all got to obey ME, for I'm the
Booloorooess--no, I mean the Boss--o' the Blues, and I've a notion to
run things my own way."

"You can't," said Turquoise scornfully. "The Law says--"

"Bother the Law!" exclaimed Trot. "I'll make the Laws myself from now
on, and I'll unmake every Law you ever had before I conquered you."

"Oh, have