"
"Thank 'e, friend Sizzle," said Cap'n Bill.
"Now follow me, and I will take you to your rooms."
He led them to the rear of the palace, where he gave them three
small rooms on the ground floor, each having a bed in it. Cap'n
Bill's room had a small door leading out into the street of the
City, but Ghip Ghisizzle advised him to keep this door locked, as
the city people would be sure to hurt the strangers if they had the
chance to attack them.
"You're safer in the palace than anywhere else," said the Majordomo,
"for there is no way you can escape from the island, and here the
servants and soldiers dare not injure you for fear of the
Boolooroo."
He placed Trot and her six pets--which followed her wherever she
went--in one room, and Cap'n Bill in another, and took Button-Bright
away with him to show the boy the way to the King's bedchamber. As
they proceeded, they passed many rooms with closed doors, and before
one of these a patched Blueskin was pacing up and down in a tired
and sleepy way. It was Jimfred Jinksjones, the double of the Fredjim
Jonesjinks they had talked with in the servants' hall, and he bowed
low before the Majordomo.
"This is the King's new bootblue, a stranger who has lately arrived
here," said Ghip-Ghisizzle, introducing the boy to the patched man.
"I'm sorry for him," muttered Jimfred. "He's a queer-looking chap,
with his pale yellow skin, and I imagine our cruel Boolooroo is
likely to patch him before long, as he did me--I mean us.
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