And in a twinkling Billy found himself in the grasp of the bees. Now of course as soon as Billy stopped moving forward he had to drop to earth, so down, down, down he went, with the excited bee soldiers clinging to him and flapping their wings in a vain endeavor to keep him and themselves up in the air. And almost on top of them dropped the fussy old Bee General. "Now see what you've done, Beetle Boy," said he. "What do you mean by interfering with the Queen's Own Yellow Jackets on the public fly-ways?" Before Billy could answer a sweet girlish voice said: "What is the matter, General Merchandise?" "We've caught a fly-wayman or something equally wicked, Princess Honey Girl," said the General, gravely saluting. "Indeed Miss," said Billy, kneeling (as well as he could in his suit) before the beautiful, golden haired maiden, who had stepped out of her Palanquin and stood looking at him, "indeed Miss, I'm not any of the things this bee gentleman calls me--I'm just a messenger boy." "There now, what did I tell you?" shouted the General. "Just a minute ago he said he was a Beetle Boy. Ho, guard--oh! that's so, you've already ho--d." "I beg your pardon, sir, but you were the one that said I was a Beetle Boy." "Don't contradict," said General Merchandise. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't, then?" "That would be contradicting, sir," said Billy, laughing in spite of his fears. "General," said the Princess, "let me speak." "If you will promise not to talk," said the General, bowing. "First then, soldiers, take your hands off Mr. Messenger Boy." "Billy Bounce is my name, Princess," murmured Billy. "Ha," growled the General, half to himself, "another name, eh!" "Silence, General; I can't forget that my Aunt Queen Bee--" "She's not an ant, she's a bee," said the General, sulkily. "Silence, sir; you forget yourself. I say that I cannot forget that my Aunt Queen Bee, whose heir I am, bestowed the title of General Merchandise upon you, because she set such store by you, but I cannot stand these interruptions." "Pardon, your highness," said the General, humbly. "Granted. Now, Billy Bounce, what have you to say for yourself?" "Nothing, Princess," answered Billy, "except that I am carrying a message from Nickel Plate to Bogie Man and--" "My bitter enemy," cried the Princess. "Hum-m-m-m-m, I told you so," shouted the General. "Ho, guards, seize him!" Billy found himself again seized, and very roughly this time; indeed, had it not been for the toughness of his rubber suit he would have surely been stung. But, nothing daunted, he said: "Your enemies, Princess Honey Girl; then they are mine." "What do you mean?" asked she, blushing. "I mean," said Billy, earnestly, "that if I were not a messenger boy, who has to do his duty under any circumstances, and had I known that these were your enemies, I should not have carried their message." "Then why do you?" said the General. "Give me the message and you shall be free."