"Yes, oh Queen," said Bogie Man, humbly, "I used to was. Everybody thought I was a terrible fellow, but now that Billy Bounce has discovered me I'm a broken old man who wouldn't hurt a fly unless it woke me too early in the morning." "Brave Billy Bounce," whispered Honey Girl. "What he says is true," said Billy, and then added modestly, "but I am not brave, I just somehow guessed that bad things and the unseen things that people fear are mostly nothing at all when a fellow faces them." "But few face them as you have done, Billy Bounce, and--" began the Queen, when suddenly a great uproar broke out in the palace. In rushed General Merchandise followed by the Yellow Jacket Guard. Close on their heels came a company of Borer Bees carrying their ground augers at charge bayonets. Then came a brigade of Fighting Ants, their black armor shining in the light; next the fierce Wasp Grenadiers, the tallest soldiers in the army, looking very trim and military with their thin waists and broad shoulders; then in came the Horse Fly Cavalry followed by the Tumble Bug Artillery, each soldier rolling his own cannon ball. And such a fierce buzz as arose from their ranks--officers buzzing orders, orderlies and aides running and riding back and forth. Indeed, had not the Palace been enormous, I can't imagine how it would have held the army and its noise. "What does this intrusion mean?" asked Honey Girl, rising. "General Merchandise, I await your answer." "It means," said the General excitedly, "that our spies, the Mosquito Brothers, inform us that this boy" (pointing to Billy Bounce) "has smuggled Bogie Man into the Palace; and if that be true he dies. Ho, guards, seize him!" "Hold!" cried Honey Girl. "Leggo!" cried Billy. "Hold, I say," said the Queen. "It is true that Bogie Man is here." "Where! Where!" cried General Merchandise in great excitement. "Ho, guards, seize him if you see him!" "There he stands," and Honey Girl pointed to Bogie Man. "That--that Bogie Man? Never!" said the General in surprise. "It is," said Billy, "but he is guaranteed harmless." "He looks it," answered General Merchandise. "How did it happen?" "Billy Bounce did it," said Honey Girl. "You did? Then you are our friend. Ho, guards, unseize him," and the General warmly shook Billy's hand, while the soldiers saluted and went back to their company. At that moment a door opened and in walked the sentry closely guarding Nickel Plate, Bumbus, Drone and Glucose. "What does this mean?" asked General Merchandise. "Four tramps who called at the kitchen door for a crumb of water and a drop of bread. We arrested them as suspicious characters," said the head sentry. And tramps and suspicious-looking characters they undoubtedly were. Nickel Plate, with all the starch gone out of his face, as rusty as an old stove-pipe, his monocle broken, and his patent leather boots bursted and run down at the heels.