palace. The sixteen officers were attired in
gorgeous uniforms and carried sharp, glittering
swords. The Private had picked his gun and,
although it was not a very big weapon, Files tried
to look fierce and succeeded so well that all his
commanding officers were secretly afraid of him.

The women were there, protesting that Queen Ann
Soforth had no right to take their husbands and
fathers from them; but Ann commanded them to keep
silent, and that was the hardest order to obey
they had ever received.

The Queen appeared before her Army dressed in an
imposing uniform of green, covered with gold
braid. She wore a green soldier-cap with a purple
plume in it and looked so royal and dignified that
everyone in Oogaboo except the Army was glad she
was going. The Army was sorry she was not going
alone.

"Form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice.

Salye leaned out of the palace window and
laughed.

"I believe your Army can run better than it can
fight," she observed.

"Of course," replied General Bunn, proudly.