g said to Button-Bright, "You, slave, shall be the
Royal Bootblue. Your duty will be to keep the boots and shoes of the
royal family nicely polished with blue."

"I don't know how," answered Button-Bright surlily.

"You'll soon learn. The Royal Steward will supply you with blue paste,
and when you've brushed this on our shoes, you must shine them with
Q-rays of Moonshine. Do you understand?"

"No," said Button-Bright.

Then the Boolooroo told one of the soldiers to take the boy to the
shoeblue den and have him instructed in his duties, and the soldiers
promptly obeyed and dragged Button-Bright away to the end of the palace
where the servants lived.

GHIP-GHISIZZLE PROVES FRIENDLY

CHAPTER 7

The Royal Palace was certainly a magnificent building, with large and
lofty rooms and superb furnishings, all being in shades of blue. The
soldier and the boy passed through several broad corridors and then
came to a big hall where many servants were congregated. These were
staring in bewilderment at Cap'n Bill, who had been introduced to them
by Captain Ultramarine. Now they turned in no less surprise to examine
the boy, and their looks expressed not only astonishment but dislike.

The servants were all richly attired in blue silk liveries, and they
seemed disposed to resent the fact that these strangers had been added
to their ranks. They scowled and muttered and behaved in a very
unfriendly way, even after Captain Ultramarine had explained that the
newcomers were merely base slaves, and not to be classed with the free
royal servants of the palace.

One of those present, however, showed no especial enmity to
Button-Bright and Cap'n Bill, and this Blueskin attracted the boy's
notice because his appearance was so strange. He looked as if he were
made of two separate men, each cut through the middle and then joined
together, half of one to half of the other. One side of his blue hair
was curly and the other half straight; one ear was big and stuck out
from the side of his head, while the other ear was small and flat; one
eye was half shut and twinkling, while the other was big and staring;
his nose was thin on one side and flat on the other, while one side of
his mouth curled up and the other down. Button-Bright also noticed that
he limped as he walked because one leg was a trifle longer than the
other, and that one hand was delicate and slender and the other thick
and hardened by use.

"Don't stare at him," a vo