"Thank you--but--but what has happened to the soldiers, they seem to have lost their arms--have you had a battle?" "Oh! no--" answered the General proudly, "that's my own idea, you've read of soldiers before a battle sleeping on their arms, haven't you?" "Yes." "Well, every night our soldiers take off their arms and sleep on them; of course, it was a little uncomfortable at first, but it's very military." "Yes, I suppose so," said Billy, dubiously, "but who is that--a--gentleman up in the tree?" "You mean the owl?" "Yes-s, I thought he looked like an owl." "That's our sentry--he does it very cheap by the night, because he says he has to stay awake anyway, and he might as well stay awake here and get paid for it," answered the General. "How is Princess Honey Girl?" "Well--very well, in fact, but a little nervous; you see Bumbus and the Scally Wags are on our trail and she feels uneasy." "Bumbus!" cried Billy. "Yes--he is a renegade bee you know, and it makes him very bitter against the Princess. You haven't seen anything of them lately, have you?" "No, I have not. But who are the Scally Wags?" "Oh! they're terrible fellows. I can't tell you what they look like for I've never seen them, but many a time I've read of their doings in 'The Morning Bee.'" "Good morning, Billy Bounce," said Honey Girl, opening the curtains of her Palanquin. "General, isn't it time to sound the reveille?" [Illustration: _The Bee Bugler._] "Exactly, we must get our soldiers up bee-times," said the General, saluting. "_Bugler._" Up jumped a little bee, saluted, plucked a trumpet flower and gave the reveille. "I can't get 'em up, I can't get 'em up, I can't get 'em up in the morning, The Corporal's worse than the Private, The Sergeant's worse than the Corporal, The Lieutenant's worse than the Sergeant, And the Captain's worse than them all." And in a second the whole camp was buzzing with soldiers. "There--how's that?" said the General proudly. "Splendid," said Billy--then turning to the Princess, "I have thought of you many, many times since I last saw you, Princess Honey Girl." "And I have thought of you, Billy Bounce: perhaps some day when this cruel war is over you can visit my Aunt and myself in the Bee Palace," said the Princess. "Perhaps," said Billy, "and I don't believe that time is far distant, for when I once find Bogie Man I shall----" "Buzz-z-z--There they are--There they are," called a voice--and looking up and away to the East Billy saw Bumbus and several objects that he knew at once for Scally Wags. "Princess, you must leave at once," he cried. "Right again," said the General. "We can outfly them--Company, 'Tenshun!!!--fix stings--carry Palanquin--forward--fly!" and up and off went the whole company, the Princess waving good-bye to Billy. Indeed he was so intent on watching her and waving to her that when he did come to himself and realized that it was time he got away, it was too late.