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 daught............