"I am a haunted overshoe," replied the voice. "I am on the foot of a phantom which only appears at uncertain hours, and is consequently now invisible to you. "And, so I say, Oh, fire away, I fear ye not, icicles; Howe'er ye shoot, I can't but hoot, Your act so greatly tickles." "Shall we let it through?" asked the Captain of the guards. "I move we do," said one High Private. "I move we don't," said another. "All in favor of doing one thing or the other say aye," cried the Captain. "Aye!" roared the company. "Contrary-minded, no," added the Captain. "No!" roared the company. "Both motions are carried," said the Captain. "We will now adjourn for luncheon." The overshoe, meanwhile, had floated on down through the gates and was now out of the guards' sight and Jimmieboy sprang to his feet and looked about him once more, and what he saw was so beautiful that he sat speechless with delight. He was now in the heart of Frostland, and before him loomed the Palace, a marvelously massive pile of richly carven ice-blocks transparent as glass; and within, seated upon a throne of surpassing brilliance and beauty, sat King Jack surrounded by his courtiers, who were singing songs the like of which Jimmieboy never before had heard. "Now remember, Jimmieboy," said the voice, as the overshoe with its passengers floated softly up to the huge snow-pier that ran out into the river at this point where they disembarked--"remember I am to do all the talking. Otherwise you might get into trouble." "All right, Voicy," began Jimmieboy, and then there came a terrific shout from within. [Illustration: "WHO COMES HERE?"] "Who comes here?" cried King Jack, rising from his throne and pointing his finger at Jimmieboy. "I am a traveling minstrel," Jimmieboy seemed to reply though in reality it was the kind-hearted voice that said it. "And I have come a thousand and six miles, eight blocks, fourteen feet, six inches to recite to your Majesty a poem I have written in honor of your approaching Jubilee." "Have I a Jubilee approaching?" roared Jack, turning to his Secretary of State, who was so startled that his right arm melted. "Y--yes, your Majesty," stammered the Secretary, with a low bow. "It is coming along at the rate of sixty seconds a minute." "Why have I not been informed of this before?" roared Jack, casting a glance at the cowering Secretary that withered the nose straight off his face. "Don't you know that Jubilees are useful to a man only because other people give him presents in honor of the event? And here you've kept me in ignorance of the fact all this time, and the chances are I won't get a thing;--for I've neglected my relatives dreadfully."