Three days later the Grand Army of Oogaboo
assembled in the square in front of the royal
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 bad 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.
“We’re not looking for trouble, you know, but for
plunder. The more plunder and the less fighting we
get, the better we shall like our work.”

“For my part,” said Files, “I prefer war and
carnage to anything. The only way to become
a hero is to conquer, and the story-books all say
that the easiest way to conquer is to fight.”

“That’s the idea, my brave man!” agreed Ann. “To
fight is to conquer and to conquer is to secure
plunder and to secure plunder is to become a hero.
With such noble determination to back me, the
world is mine! Good-bye, Salye. When we return we
shall be rich and famous. Come, Generals; let us
march.”

At this the Generals straightened up and threw
out their chests. Then they swung their glittering
swords in rapid circles and cried to the Colonels:

“For-ward March!”

Then the Colonels shouted to the Majors: “For-
ward March!” and the Majors yelled to the
Captains: “For-ward March!” and the Captains
screamed to the Private:

“For-ward March!”

So Files shouldered his gun and began to march,
and all the officers followed after him. Queen Ann
came last of all, rejoicing in her noble army and
wondering why she had not decided long ago to
conquer the world.

In this order the procession marched out of
Oogaboo and took the narrow mountain pass
which led into the lovely Fairyland of Oz.