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 you conquered us, then?" asked the Captain of the Guards
in a surprised tone.
"Of course," said Trot. "Can't you see?"
"It looks like it," admitted the Captain.
"Cap'n Bill is goin' to be my General o' the Army an' the Royal
Manager o' the Blue Country," continued Trot, "so you'll mind what
he says."
"Nonsense!" shouted Indigo. "March in and capture them, Captain! Never mind if they do slice the Boolooroo. I'm his daughter, and I'LL rule the kingdom."
"You won't!" screamed Cobalt. "I'll rule it!"
"I'll rule it myself!" cried Cerulia.
"No, no!" yelled Turquoise. "I'll be the Ruler."
"That shall be MY privilege!" shouted Sapphire. Cobalt began to say, "I'm the--"
"Be quiet!" said Trot sternly. "Would you have your own father
sliced so that you could rule in his place?"
"Yes, yes, of course!" rejoined the six Princesses without a
second's hesitation.
"Well, well! What d' ye think o' that, Mr. Boolooroo?" asked Cap'n
Bill.
"They're undutiful daughters. Don't pay any attention to them," replied the frightened Boolooroo.
"We're not goin' to," said Trot. "Now, you Blue Cap'n, who are you
and your soldiers going to obey, me or the snubnosed ones?"
"You!" declared the Captain of the Guards positively, for he hated
the Princesses, as did all the Blueskins.
"Then escort those girls to their rooms, lock 'em in, an' put a
guard before the door."