The wall was higher than their heads when they stood up in the boat, and upon its top Dot noticed several little wooden soldiers, with guns on their shoulders, walking stiffly back and forth, as if they were keeping guard. Each of these soldiers was seemingly made out of one piece of wood, and wore a high black hat and a red coat with black buttons, while his trousers were painted white. The guns did not look very dangerous, and Dot remembered that once she had owned a box of just such looking soldiers as these. But the soldiers on the wall were moving around, and Dot's soldiers had never moved at all--at least, while she was looking at them. What they might have done when she was not looking she, of course, could not tell. The wooden soldiers paid no attention to the boat, which glided slowly down the stream, while the children looked for a place to land. "Perhaps we'll float right through the Valley," whispered Dot, "and then the Queen will never know we've been in her country at all." In a few moments, however, they saw a gate in the wall, made of wood and nearly covered with gold and silver plates that shone brightly in the sun. In front of this gate was a little landing place and some steps leading down to the river. They floated up to the steps and stopped, so Dot and Tot got out and tied the boat to a silver ring in the wall. Then they walked to the gate, where Dot was just putting out her hand to open it, when she heard a voice cry: "Halt!" She looked up and saw that on each side of the gate was standing one of the wooden soldiers. Their guns were pointed straight at Dot and Tot, and although the soldiers were not much taller than Tot's knee, the children were startled at their warlike attitude and stood still in surprise. "Can't we open the gate?" asked the girl, after a moment. "No!" answered one of the soldiers, in a voice he tried to make gruff, but which sounded rather squeaky, as if it needed oiling. "Why not?" inquired Tot. "It's against orders," replied the soldier. "The Queen has commanded me to shoot any stranger who tries to open the gate." "But your gun is only wood," said Dot, who was annoyed at the soldier's interference. "Wooden guns can't shoot!" shouted Tot, gleefully. The soldier seemed somewhat embarrassed at this and Dot thought he blushed a little. "It does not matter whether my gun will shoot or not," he answered, stiffly. "I am ordered not to let anyone open the gate." "But you have no right to give me orders," said the girl. "I don't belong to Merryland, so your Queen has no authority over either Tot or me." "Then why are you here, if you don't belong here?" asked the soldier. Dot hesitated to reply, for she felt the rebuke this question implied. "We couldn't help coming," she explained, at last; "the boat brought us." "Well, since you are here," said the soldier, "you must obey the laws of this country and the Queen who rules it."