"Little Nancy EtticoatIn a white petticoatAnd a red nose,The longer she stands,The shorter she grows."
"Little Nancy EtticoatIn a white petticoatAnd a red nose,The longer she stands,The shorter she grows."
And with a low bow handed him a lighted candle.
"That's better," he said; "I seem to feel easier already."
And off he trudged, peering up at the houses in search of "In-The-Dark," Bogie Man's Castle. Of course, he couldn't walk very rapidly, for the candle wavered and flickered, and tried more than once to go out; but he shaded it with his cap and got along very well considering.
And at last he stood before a great black shadowy building, dotted with large windows in all conceivable shapes. Some looked like cruel sneering mouths, others like the hungry open jaws of ogres; others like large staring eyes. In fact, each window bore a hideous, fear-compelling aspect, and all were as dark as a hole in the ground—all but one, from which a blue and yellow light streamed. And this was the most hideous window of all, for it did not look like anything—just a shapeless,nameless, dreadful yellow splotch on the wall. And over it Billy read these words, "The Window of Fear—look not lest ye see terror."
"This must be Bogie Man's house," said Billy. "I—I am sure it is rude to look in at windows, and besides that, ugh!whata hideous window—I'll try the front door."
At last he found a wide, low, grinning door, and he had just mustered up the courage to ring the bell, whose handle was the tail of a snake, when the door opened suddenly and out flew a thin, gaunt, pink flannel cat with shoe-button eyes and a long, blue worsted tail. Billy tried to seize this opportunity and enter; but slam went the door in his face, and off down the road went the cat. And at the same moment two large flat things, with waving streamer-like arms, lifted themselves up in front of him and tried to knock his candle out of his hand. Billy stepped back just in time to save it and stood staring at the quivering forms. "What are those things, I wonder?" he exclaimed. "Layovers to catch meddlers," said one ofthem. "Hands off," said the other, and then they lay down again on the door-mat.
"Then perhaps you can tell me if this is Bogie Man's house," he said.
"It is—now go away," said one.
"This door is only to go out by—it never opens to let any one in," said the other.
Billy thought a minute, and then, hoping he could surprise them into telling him some way of getting in, said, "Then how is that cat ever to get in again?"
"It never will," said the first Layover; "that is Scaredy Cat, and she will never come back."
"What was she running away from?" asked Billy.
"Her tail."
"Her tail?"
"Yes—it is a frightful yarn. Now, go away; I'm through talking."
Billy tried to secure an answer to several more questions, but never a word could he get out of them.
"I suppose I shall have to look through the Window of Fear after all," he said, withjust the faintest shiver. And throwing back his shoulders, he made for the window. He had to hoist himself up onto the sill to look in, and when he had gotten up, he sat with his back to the window and his eyes closed, until he could catch his breath and muster up his courage to peep in. Then he slowly turned his head. It is a good thing he had a tight hold on the broad sill, for the sight that met his gaze, froze his blood and almost knocked him off his balance.
There stood Bogie Man in the middle of the room juggling his own hideous head with one hand and a great ball of burning sulphur with the other. Billy saw now what made the blue and yellow light. It was the sulphur, which flashed and sizzled as it went through the air, emitting a million angry sparks and tongues of fire when it struck Bogie Man's hand. And Bogie Man's body—ugh!—as tall as a church-steeple, as large around as a house; as full of knots as an old oak-tree, yet as black and eerie and unformlike as a flying shadow. The hair on the head was long and green, his eyes like two sparksfloating in a saucer of water, and his mouth like a shark's. He had a nose like a large ripe apple.
"And I must vanquish him," said Billy in dismay. "I will for Honey Girl's sake—I'mNOT AFRAID." As he said this the whole world seemed to take fire with a lurid flash of lightning. "Crash"—a peal of thunder split the heavens and rolled and rumbled through the lonely streets of Never Was.
Then the rain came down in solid sheets, the wind blew a hurricane, and on the crest of the gale rode a thousand shadowy figures, shrieking and moaning and tumbling over and over as they came.
The first touch of the wind blew out the candle, and at the same moment the sulphur ball indoors burst and disappeared. So Billy sat there in the dark, his back to the window and in front of him countless thousands of bitter enemies—Banshees, Wraiths, Ghosts, Sprites, Imps, riding on Crimson Devil's Horses—all the weird and wicked things that claim Bogie Man as their King.
"Billy Bounce," called the voice of Nickel Plate.
"Here," cried Billy, undismayed.
Billy shot a blast of hot air from his pump full in Bumbus's face.—Page 263.
Billy shot a blast of hot air from his pump full in Bumbus's face.—Page 263.
Billy shot a blast of hot air from his pump full in Bumbus's face.—Page 263.
"Hurrah—hurrah—hurrah—howl—howl—shriek!" cried the enemy.
"Caught at last. No hope, no hope for Billy Bounce," said a voice.
"Is that Bumbus?" asked Billy.
"I be," said Bumbus, suddenly jumping onto the sill and trying to push Billy off. But "Swish!" Billy shot a blast of hot air from his pump full in Bumbus's face and down he dropped.
"Come on," cried Billy; "youcan'tfrighten me."
"Your last chance," cried Nickel Plate. "Give up and I will save you."
"Never!" cried Billy.
And with that the battle commenced.
Oh! the countless slaps and cuffs and tweaks he got. My! the hideous din and noise of their cries. Ugh! the horrible faces they pushed right into his. But the harder they fought and tried, the less real harm they seemed to be able to do. Fear, fear was their only weapon, and as Billy's heart grew stout within him, the weaker became their attack.
Billy leaned heavily against the window and worked the hot-air pump desperately. Time and time again the Imps, Sprites and Crimson Devil's Horses renewed the attack.
"On, on!" cried Nickel Plate from a safe place in the rear.
"Buzz-z-z, buzz-z-z! Pluck his eyes out!" cried Bumbus, striking at Billy with his three-edged sword.
"Put him to sleep forever!" cried Drone, waking up in the midst of the combat.
But Billy never said a word. He was holding his breath for the final onslaught, which he felt was now being arranged, so he only gritted his teeth and pumped hot air into and through the frantic enemy. Down went Bumbus again from a blast in the ear. Puff! puff! and away and away sailed an imp never to return again.
"Rally!" cried Nickel Plate.
For a moment there was a lull, and Billy knew the time had come when he must beat or be beaten. "I'm not afraid," he panted to himself, and then with a rush and a wild shriek the enemy hurled itself forward in a solid mass. On they came, yelling terribly, their eyes spittingflashes of light and their mouths and jaws working in horrible grimaces. The foremost imp had just come in striking distance, when Billy leaned back more heavily on the window to brace himself andcrash!the pane broke and Billy was inside. With the crash all sound ceased. All were as surprised as Billy. Quick as a flash he was up on his feet and prepared to grapple with the hideous Bogie Man that he knew was in the room with him. "Light," he cried, and in a jiffy he had pulled his candle out of his pocket and lighted it.
He looked for Bogie Man. He was gone, and in his place stood a little, old, shrivelled man.
"Where is Bogie Man?" cried Billy, and then stopped and looked again, for the little man was an exact miniature of the big figure he had seen through the Window of Fear. "You are here!" he cried. "I see it now. The window was a magnifying glass. At last, at last." The little man made a move for the door.
"No, you don't; you've got to take the note," cried Billy, forcing it into Bogie Man's unwillingand trembling hands. "And now," he began, but just as he spoke, in through the broken window poured the enemy, intent on Billy's capture. But he was determined to have his talk with Bogie Man and secure his promise that Honey Girl was to be left unharmed. Seizing Bogie Man he cast his eyes about him for some means of escape. He saw a door just behind him. With one bound he reached it, threw it open and was off down the corridor headed for the front door, which he saw dimly outlined at the farthest end. Behind him shrieked the Imps and Sprites, filling the house with their wild, weird cries. The foremost Imp was clutching at his hair, and had almost caught him when he reached the door, flung it open, jumped through, and crashed it to again just in time to catch the Imp fast, half in and half out. "Bing!" and Billy had taken such a leap up into the air as he had never taken before.
On, on and on went Billy, rushing through the air with a speed he had never before experienced: the result of the tremendous leap he had taken in leaving In-The-Dark, Never Was.
Bogie Man squirmed and struggled, scratched and bit and kicked, threatening Billy with the most horrible punishment if he did not release him. But Billy only held on the tighter and answered never a word. For now he knew what a harmless imitation he really was unless seen through the Window of Fear.
Then down, down, down he dropped right into the middle of a great, sweet field of red clover from which arose the continuous hum-m-m-m-m buzz-z-z of thousands of honey-gathering bees.
And before him stood a beehive, the entrance of which he could see was guarded by Yellow Jacket Bee Sentries.
"The uniform of Honey Girl's guard," he cried excitedly. "It must be the Palace of the Queen Bee. Now at last I shall see Honey Girl." Saying this he stepped toward the hive.
"What are you going to do?" asked Bogie Man in alarm.
"Enter that hive and see Honey Girl," said Billy.
"Oh! but don't you see the guard—they will sting us. Oh! don't, don't, don't."
"And you are the Bogie Man everyone is afraid of," said Billy in disgust. "You are a fine specimen, aren't you?"
"But you can't get through that little opening." And here it did look as if there was some reason in Bogie Man's words.
"I can try, can't I?" said Billy.
"Halt—buzz-z—halt!" cried all the Bee Sentries, presenting their sting bayonets.
"I'm coming in," said Billy, preparing to jump.
"You do so at the peril of your life," cried the principal sentry.
"I have done so many things that way lately," answered Billy, "that I've quite grown used to it."
"Halt! Halt! I say."
"Oh! don't. Please don't risk it. Remember I'm an old man and a sting might prove fatal." And Bogie Man trembled like a leaf.
"But I'm a friend of Princess Honey Girl. I'm not going to harm her," said Billy, thinking it was at least worth while attempting a friendly entrance.
"Others have said that and stolen our golden walls and our precious jewelry—even the last drop of food in the larder, so stand back."
Several little boy and girl bees had collected around Billy, attracted by the sound of loud voices and hoping to see a fight. They buzzed at Billy derisively, and one or two even picked up clover tops to throw at him.
He knew that quick action was necessary if he was to get in without a serious fight and at the same time avoid a field brawl. So suddenly he stepped back, made a quick leap directly at the opening of the hive, and dived head foremost through it.
In he popped past the startled sentries, the doorway opening wide to admit him, not even brushing his clothes as he entered. He found himself standing in the centre of a great golden court under a magnificent vaulted dome. Magnificent? Ah! that is too poor a word to describe his surroundings. Billy had dreamed of beautiful things, he had read of glittering gold and showers of precious stones, but had all his dreams and all his readings and all the beautiful things he had ever imagined been sifted and sorted, and only the purest and finest selected, the result would have been poor indeed as compared with the interior of the Queen Bee Palace.
Great diamond arc lights flashed brilliant blue and white rays from the ceiling, and mingled their brightness with the soft yellow glow of topaz lights. Beautiful yellow wax candles added their rich, creamy light. The walls were of the richest gold, and instead of being smooth and hard-looking bore the shape of honeycomb, each cell of which showed a distinctive beauty.
The smooth wax floor, giving just enough ateach step to make walking a springy, elastic pleasure, was carpeted down the centre with a strip of soft, hand-woven yellow rosebud leaves, and this carpet led to the throne which was carved from one enormous block of amber.
"Allow me to present Bogie Man."—Page 271.
"Allow me to present Bogie Man."—Page 271.
"Allow me to present Bogie Man."—Page 271.
But when Billy's gaze had travelled this far he had eyes for nothing else. In his sight the lights faded to mere sparks, the golden walls lost their richness, the throne became but a high-backed wooden chair, for seated there before him was Honey Girl, so radiant, so dazzlingly beautiful that mere gold and jewelry were as nothing compared with her.
"Honey Girl!" he cried.
"Billy Bounce!" exclaimed she, and her voice was as full of gladness as Billy's.
"Youon the throne?"
"Yes, my aunt the Queen Bee felt that she was growing old, and to protect me further from Nickel Plate and Bogie Man abdicated and made me Queen."
"You need not have feared them," said Billy. "Allow me to present Bogie Man."
"That, Bogie Man?" said the Princess, orrather the Queen, in surprise. "Surely you are mistaken. Why, Bogie Man is a monster."
"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 thinwaists 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 ofhis face, as rusty as an old stove-pipe, his monocle broken, and his patent leather boots bursted and run down at the heels.
Bumbus, with his moustache out of curl, his hat dented and rimless, his trousers baggy at the knees, and his eyes bleary and bloodshot from lack of sleep.
Drone—well, it is hard to say what Drone did look like, excepting that he carried a tomato can over one shoulder, and his clothes showed signs of many nights spent on park benches.
And Glucose was fully as disreputable. All the plating was worn off of her comb, her dress was in tatters, and she bore a big label slung around her neck with these words, "Glucose, by order of the Pure Food Commission."
"Nickel Plate, Bumbus, Drone and Glucose!" cried Billy.
"Grown rusty," said Nickel Plate sadly.
"I be," murmured Bumbus.
"I ain't had a bite to eat for three days," whined Drone. "Can't you give a poor man a dime for a bed?"
"And that's the way I used to look," said Glucose bitterly, pointing at Honey Girl.
"It isn't what you used to be, it's what you put in the bank," said Mr. Gas genially, as he floated in through the open door.
"And now that all of our enemies are here," said General Merchandise, "what shall we do with them?"
"Speak up, Billy Bounce," said Mr. Gas.
"I?" said Billy.
"Yes," said Honey Girl, "you have vanquished them; you shall decide their fate."
"Then my first suggestion," said Billy, "is that Bogie Man get a position as Bogie on the golf links. He will be out of mischief there, and it will give him a decent, honest living. Are you willing, Bogie Man?"
"I'll try it," said Bogie Man humbly. "It's been so long since I made an honest living that it will go hard at first; but one must eat, and I'm out of a job."
"Good," said Honey Girl. "General, take him to one side and bring forward the next prisoner."
Nickel Plate was brought before Billy.
"As to Nickel Plate," said Billy, "I suggest that he go on the stage. He can have all thefun of trying to be wicked without doing any possible harm, and is always sure there to be foiled in the last act."
"Wise boy," said Mr. Gas. "I couldn't have done better myself."
"Thanks," said Nickel Plate, "you've let me off very easily," and he walked dejectedly to where Bogie Man stood.
"And now for Bumbus," said Honey Girl.
"Are you sorry for your wickedness?" asked Billy.
"I be," said Bumbus.
"You are stout and strong," said Billy musingly. "You haven't a bad heart, and you know something about rough-and-tumble fighting. General Merchandise, could you put him on your Police Force?"
"Certainly," said the General.
"Good," said Billy. "That settles a life job on Bumbus. And now for Drone."
"I don't have to go to work, do I?" whined Drone.
"Indeed you do, and I'm going to get you a position as a truckman among the Bee workers."
"Then I wouldn't be a Drone," whimpered he.
"Exactly," said Billy. "There is no room in this world for Drones. General, let some of your soldiers give him a shave, a bath, a square meal, some respectable clothes, and put him to work."
And Drone was led away feebly protesting, but encouraged already by the promise of something to eat.
"And Glucose," cried Honey Girl, "I shall take care of, ladies," bowing to her court ladies who surrounded the throne. "Glucose will be my understudy. When I feel sick and tired and headachy she will attend court for me, and that she may never again enter into a conspiracy to rob me of my throne, she shall always wear her label, but under her dress."
Glucose fell on her knees at Honey Girl's feet and covered her hands with kisses.
"Let me be always your servant, dear Queen, and I will prove that there is some good in Glucose after all."
Every one was much affected by her repentance, and was convinced that thereafter she would lead a good and useful life. Which I am glad to say she did.
"And now, Billy Bounce, for your reward," said Honey Girl.
"I ask no reward," said Billy earnestly, "except that some day when I am grown up and General Manager of the Messenger Service you will marry me."
Honey Girl blushed and hung her head at this unexpected reply, and then smiling at Billy said, "Maybe."
"Hurrah! Maybe is will be in Beeland," cried everybody, and Mr. Gas shook Billy warmly by the hand and whispered, "That's what comes of keeping your courage up."
Is it looking too far ahead to say that one day Honey Girl and Billy did marry, and of course lived happily all the rest of their days, while Barker with the aid of the soldiers guarded the Palace, and every night barked up the Singing Tree, which with its beautiful music gave much pleasure and delight to Billy and the Princess?
Well, it's true anyway, so we will say so.