When our friends approached the great doorway of thecastle they found it guarded by several soldiers dressedin splendid uniforms. They were armed with swords andlances. Cap'n Bill walked straight up to them and asked:

"Does the King happen to be at home?"

"His Magnificent and Glorious Majesty, King Krewl, isat present inhabiting his Royal Castle," was the stiffreply.

"Then I guess we'll go in an' say how-d'ye-do,"continued Cap'n Bill, attempting to enter the doorway.But a soldier barred his way with a lance.

"Who are you, what are your names, and wheredo you come from?" demanded the soldier.

"You wouldn't know if we told you," returned thesailor, "seein' as we're strangers in a strange land."

"Oh, if you are strangers you will be permitted toenter," said the soldier, lowering his lance. "HisMajesty is very fond of strangers."

"Do many strangers come here?" asked Trot.

"You are the first that ever came to our country," saidthe man. "But his Majesty has often said that ifstrangers ever arrived in Jinxland he would see that theyhad a very exciting time."

Cap'n Bill scratched his chin thoughtfully. He wasn'tvery favorably impressed by this last remark. But hedecided that as there was no way of escape from Jinxlandit would be wise to confront the King boldly and try towin his favor. So they entered the castle, escorted byone of the soldiers.

It was certainly a fine castle, with many large rooms,all beautifully furnished. The passages were winding andhandsomely decorated, and after following several ofthese the soldier led them into an open court thatoccupied the very center of the huge building. It wassurrounded on every side by high turreted walls, andcontained beds of flowers, fountains and walks of manycolored marbles which were matched together in quaintdesigns. In an open space near the middle of the courtthey saw a group of courtiers and their ladies, whosurrounded a lean man who wore upon his head a jeweledcrown. His face was hard and sullen and through the slitsof his half-closed eyelids the eyes glowed like coals offire. He was dressed in brilliant satins and velvets andwas seated in a golden throne-chair.

This personage was King Krewl, and as soon as Cap'nBill saw him the old sailor knew at once that he was notgoing to like the King of Jinxland.

"Hello! who's here?" said his Majesty, with a deepscowl.

"Strangers, Sire," answered the soldier, bowing so lowthat his forehead touched the marble tiles.

"Strangers, eh? Well, well; what an unexpected visit!Advance, strangers, and give an account of yourselves."

The King's voice was as harsh as his features. Trotshuddered a little but Cap'n Bill calmly replied:

"There ain't much for us to say, 'cept as we've arrivedto look over your country an' see how we like it. Judgin'from the way you speak, you don't know who we are, oryou'd be jumpin' up to shake hands an' offer us seats.Kings usually treat us pretty well, in the great bigOutside World where we come from, but in this littlekingdom -- which don't amount to much, anyhow -- folksdon't seem to 'a' got much culchure."

The King listened with amazement to this bold speech,first with a frown and then gazing at the two childrenand the old sailor with evident curiosity. The courtierswere dumb with fear, for no one had ever dared speak insuch a manner to their self-willed, cruel King before.His Majesty, however, was somewhat frightened, for cruelpeople are always cowards, and he feared these mysteriousstrangers might possess magic powers that would destroyhim unless he treated them well. So he commanded hispeople to give the new arrivals seats, and they obeyedwith trembling haste.

After being seated, Cap'n Bill lighted his pipe andbegan puffing smoke from it, a sight so strange to themthat it filled them all with wonder. Presently the Kingasked:

"How did you penetrate to this hidden country? Did youcross the desert or the mountains?"

"Desert," answered Cap'n Bill, as if the task were tooeasy to be worth talking about.

"Indeed! No one has ever been able to do that before,"said the King.

"Well, it's easy enough, if you know how," assertedCap'n Bill, so carelessly that it greatly impressed hishearers. The King shifted in his throne uneasily. He wasmore afraid of these strangers than before.

"Do you intend to stay long in Jinxland?" was his nextanxious question.

"Depends on how we like it," said Cap'n Bill. "Just nowI might suggest to your Majesty to order some rooms gotready for us in your dinky little castle here. And aroyal banquet, with some fried onions an' pickled tripe,would set easy on our stomicks an' make us a bit happierthan we are now."

"Your wishes shall be attended to," said King Krewl,but his eyes flashed from between their slits in a wickedway that made Trot hope the food wouldn't be poisoned. Atthe King's command several of his attendants hastenedaway to give the proper orders to the castle servants andno sooner were they gone than a skinny old man enteredthe courtyard and bowed before the King.

This disagreeable person was dressed in rich velvets,with many furbelows and laces. He was covered with goldenchains, finely wrought rings and jeweled ornaments. Hewalked with mincing steps and glared at all the courtiersas if he considered himself far superior to any or all ofthem.

"Well, well, your Majesty; what news -- what news?" hedemanded, in a shrill, cracked voice.

The King gave him a surly look.

"No news, Lord Googly-Goo, except that strangers havearrived," he said.

Googly-Goo cast a contemptuous glance at Cap'n Bill anda disdainful one at Trot and Button-Bright. Then he said:

"Strangers do not interest me, your Majesty. But thePrincess Gloria is very interesting -- very interesting,indeed! What does she say, Sire? Will she marry me?"

"Ask her," retorted the King.

"I have, many times; and every time she has refused."

"Well?" said the King harshly.

"Well," said Googly-Goo in a jaunty tone, "a birdthat can sing, and won't sing, must be made to sing."

"Huh!" sneered the King. "That's easy, with a bird; buta girl is harder to manage."

"Still," persisted Googly-Goo, "we must overcomedifficulties. The chief trouble is that Gloria fanciesshe loves that miserable gardener's boy, Pon. Suppose wethrow Pon into the Great Gulf, your Majesty?"

"It would do you no good," returned the King. "Shewould still love him."

"Too bad, too bad!" sighed Googly-Goo. "I have laidaside more than a bushel of precious gems --each worth aking's ransom -- to present to your Majesty on the day Iwed Gloria."

The King's eyes sparkled, for he loved wealth aboveeverything; but the next moment he frowned deeply again.

"It won't help us to kill Pon," he muttered. "What wemust do is kill Gloria's love for Pon."

"That is better, if you can find a way to do it,"agreed Googly-Goo. "Everything would come right if youcould kill Gloria's love for that gardener's boy. Really,Sire, now that I come to think of it, there must be fullya bushel and a half of those jewels!"

Just then a messenger entered the court to say that thebanquet was prepared for the strangers. So Cap'n Bill,Trot and Button-Bright entered the castle and were takento a room where a fine feast was spread upon the table.

"I don't like that Lord Googly-Goo," remarked Trot asshe was busily eating.

"Nor I," said Cap'n Bill. "But from the talk we heard Iguess the gardener's boy won't get the Princess."

"Perhaps not," returned the girl; "but I hope oldGoogly doesn't get her, either."

"The King means to sell her for all those jewels,"observed Button-Bright, his mouth half full of cake andjam.

"Poor Princess!" sighed Trot. "I'm sorry for her,although I've never seen her. But if she says no toGoogly-Goo, and means it, what can they do?"

"Don't let us worry about a strange Princess," advisedCap'n Bill. "I've a notion we're not too safe, ourselves,with this cruel King."

The two children felt the same way and all three wererather solemn during the remainder of the meal.

When they had eaten, the servants escorted them totheir rooms. Cap'n Bill's room was way to one end of thecastle, very high up, and Trot's room was at the oppositeend, rather low down. As for Button-Bright, they placedhim in the middle, so that all were as far apart as theycould possibly be. They didn't like this arrangement verywell, but all the rooms were handsomely furnished andbeing guests of the King they dared not complain.

After the strangers had left the courtyard the King andGoogly-Goo had a long talk together, and the King said:

"I cannot force Gloria to marry you just now, becausethose strangers may interfere. I suspect that the wooden-legged man possesses great magical powers, or he wouldnever have been able to carry himself and those childrenacross the deadly desert."

"I don't like him; he looks dangerous," answeredGoogly-Goo. "But perhaps you are mistaken about his beinga wizard. Why don't you test his powers?"

"How?" asked the King.

"Send for the Wicked Witch. She will tell you in amoment whether that wooden-legged person is a common manor a magician."

"Ha! that's a good idea," cried the King. "Why didn't Ithink of the Wicked Witch before? But the woman demandsrich rewards for her services."

"Never mind; I will pay her," promised the wealthyGoogly-Goo.

So a servant was dispatched to summon the Wicked Witch,who lived but a few leagues from King Krewl's castle.While they awaited her, the withered old courtierproposed that they pay a visit to Princess Gloria and seeif she was not now in a more complaisant mood. So the twostarted away together and searched the castle overwithout finding Gloria.

At last Googly-Goo suggested she might be in the reargarden, which was a large park filled with bushes andtrees and surrounded by a high wall. And what was theiranger, when they turned a corner of the path, to find ina quiet nook the beautiful Princess, and kneeling beforeher, Pon, the gardener's boy! With a roar of rage theKing dashed forward; but Pon had scaled the wall by meansof a ladder, which still stood in its place, and when hesaw the King coming he ran up the ladder and made goodhis escape. But this left Gloria confronted by her angryguardian, the King, and by old Googly-Goo, who wastrembling with a fury he could not express in words.

Seizing the Princess by her arm the King dragged herback to the castle. Pushing her into a room on the lowerfloor he locked the door upon the unhappy girl. And atthat moment the arrival of the Wicked Witch wasannounced.

Hearing this, the King smiled, as a tiger smiles,showing his teeth. And Googly-Goo smiled, as a serpentsmiles, for he had no teeth except a couple of fangs. Andhaving frightened each other with these smiles the twodreadful men went away to the Royal Council Chamber tomeet the Wicked Witch.