Much to the surprise of the Earth people, the Pinkies made no objection
whatever to undertaking the adventure. Their lives were so monotonous
and uninteresting that they welcomed anything in the way of excitement.
This march through the unknown Fog Bank to fight the unknown Blueskins
aroused them to enthusiasm, and although the result of the expedition
could not be foretold and some of them were almost certain to get hurt,
they did not hesitate to undertake the war.
It appeared that Coralie was Captain of the Sunset Tribe and a man
named Tintint the Captain of the Sunrise Tribe. Tintint had a very pink
skin and eyes so faded in their pink color that he squinted badly in
order to see anything around him. He was a fat and pompous little
fellow and loved to strut up and down his line of warriors twirling his
long, pointed stick so that all might admire him.
By Rosalie's advice the Army of Conquest consisted of one hundred
Sunsets and one hundred Sunrises. Many more were eager to go, but the
Witch thought that would be enough. The warriors consisted of both men
and women, equally divided, and there was no need to provide uniforms
for them because their regular pink clothing was a distinctive uniform
in itself. Each one bore a long, pointed stick as the main weapon and
had two short, pointed sticks stuck in his belt.
While the army was getting ready, Rosalie the Witch went to the central
edge of the Fog Bank and fearlessly entered it. There she called for
the King of the Giant Frogs, who came at her bidding, and the two held
an earnest and long talk together. Meantime, Cap'n Bill had the army
assembled in the Court of the Statues, where Queen Mayre appeared and
told the Pinkies that the sailorman was to be Commander in Chief of the
Expedition and all must obey his commands. Then Cap'n Bill addressed
the army and told them what the Fog Bank was like. He advised them all
to wear their raincoats over their pretty pink clothes so they would
not get wet, and he assured them that all the creatures to be met with
in the Fog were perfectly harmless.
"When we come to the Blue Country, though," he added, "you're liable to
be pretty busy. The Blueskins are tall an' lanky, an' ugly an' fierce,
an' if they happen to capture you, you'll all be patched, which is a
deep disgrace an' a uncomfortable mix-up."
"Will they throw us over the edge?" asked Captain Tintint.
"I don't think so," replied Cap'n Bill. "While I was there I never
heard the edge mentioned. They're cruel enough to do that--'specially
the Boolooroo--but I guess they've never thought o' throwin' folks over
the edge. They fight with long cords that have weights on the ends,
which coil 'round you an' make you helpless in a jiffy; so whenever
they throw them cords you mus' ward 'em off with your long sticks.
Don't let 'em wind around your bodies, or you're done for."
He told them other things about the Blueskins, so they would not be
frightened when they faced the enemy and found them so different in
appearance from themselves, and also he assured them that the Pinkies
were so much the braver and better armed that he had no doubt they
would easily conquer.
On the third day, just at sunrise, the army moved forward to the Fog
Bank, headed by Cap'n Bill, clad in an embroidered pink coat with wide,
flowing pink trousers, and accompanied by Trot and Button-Bright and
Rosalie the Witch, all bundled up in their pink raincoats. The parrot
was there, too, as the bird refused to be left behind.
They had not advanced far into the deep fog when they were halted by a
queer barrier consisting of a long line of gigantic frogs, crouching so
close together that no Pinkie could squeeze between them. As the heads
of the frogs were turned the other way, toward the Blue Country, the
army could not at first imagine what the barrier was. But Rosalie said
to them, "Our friends the frogs have agreed to help us through the Fog
Bank. Climb upon their backs, as many on each frog as are able to hold
on, and then we shall make the journey more quickly." Obeying this
injunction, the Pinkies began climbing upon the frogs, and by crowding
close together, all were able to find places. On the back of the King
Frog rode Trot and her parrot, besides Rosalie, Button-Bright, Cap'n
Bill and the captains of the two companies of the army.
When all were seated, clinging to one another so they would not slide
off, Cap'n Bill gave the word of command and away leaped the frogs, all
together. They bounded a long distance at this jump--some farther than
others--and as soon as they landed they jumped again, without giving
their passengers a chance to get their breaths. It was a bewildering
and exciting ride, but a dozen of the huge jumps accomplished the
journey, and at the edge of the Fog Bank each frog stopped so suddenly
that the Pinkies went flying over their heads to tumble into the blue
fields of the Blue Country, where they rolled in a confused mass until
they could recover and scramble to their feet. No one was hurt,
however, and the King Frog had been wise enough to treat his passengers
more gently by slowing down at the edge and allowing his riders to slip
to the ground very comfortably.
Cap'n Bill at once formed his army into line of battle and had them all
remove the cumbersome raincoats, which they piled in a heap at the edge
of the Fog Bank. It was a splendid array of warriors, and from where
they stood they could discover several Blueskins rushing in a panic
toward the Blue City as fast as their long, blue legs could carry them.
"Well, they know we're here, anyhow," said Cap'n Bill, "and instead of
waitin' to see what'll they do, I guess we'll jus' march on the City
an' ask 'em to please surrender."
GHIP-GHISIZZLE HAS A BAD TIME