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GULLIVER OF MARSby Edwin L. ArnoldOriginal Title: Lieut. Gulliver JonesCHAPTER IDare I say it? Dare I say that I, a plain, prosaiclieutenant in the republican service have done the incrediblethings here set out for the love of a woman--for a chimerain female shape; for a pale, vapid ghost of woman-loveliness?At times I tell myself I dare not: that you will laugh, andcast me aside as a fabricator; and then again I pick upmy pen and collect the scattered pages, for I MUST writeit--the pallid splendour of that thing I loved, and won, andlost is ever before me, and will not be forgotten. The tumultof the struggle into which that vision led me stillthrobs in my mind, the soft, lisping voices of the planetI ransacked for its sake and the roar of the destructionwhich followed me back from the quest drowns all othersounds in my ears! I must and will write--it relieves me;read and believe as you list.At the moment this story commences I was thinking of grill-ed steak and tomatoes--steak crisp and brown on both sides,and tomatoes red as a setting sun!Much else though I have forgotten, THAT fact remainsas clear as the last sight of a well-remembered shore in themind of some wave-tossed traveller. And the occasion whichproduced that prosaic thought was a night well calculatedto make one think of supper and fireside, though the onemight be frugal and the other lonely, and as I, GulliverJones, the poor foresaid Navy lieutenant, with the honouredstars of our Republic on my collar, and an undeservedsnub from those in authority rankling in my heart, pickedmy way homeward by a short cut through the dismalnessof a New York slum I longed for steak and stout, slippersand a pipe, with all the pathetic keenness of a troubledsoul.It was a wild, black kind of night, and the weirdness ofit showed up as I passed from light to light or crossed themouths of dim alleys leading Heaven knows to what infernaldens of mystery and crime even in this latter-day city of ours.The moon was up as far as the church steeples; largevapoury clouds scudding across the sky between us and her,and a strong, gusty wind, laden with big raindrops snarledangrily round corners and sighed in the parapets like strangevoices talking about things not of human interest.It made no difference to me, of course. New York inthis year of grace is not the place for the supernaturalbe the time never so fit for witch-riding and the night windin the chimney-stacks sound never so much like the lastgurgling cries of throttled men. No! the world was verymatter-of-fact, and particularly so to me, a poor youngerson with five dollars in my purse by way of fortune, a packetof unpaid bills in my breastpocket, and round my neck alocket with a portrait therein of that dear buxom, freckled,stub-nosed girl away in a little southern seaport townwhom I thought I loved with a magnificent affection. Gods!I had not even touched the fringe of that affliction.Thus sauntering along moodily, my chin on my chest andmuch too absorbed in reflection to have any nice apprecia-tion of what was happening about me, I was crossing infront of a dilapidated block of houses, dating back nearlyto the time of the Pilgrim Fathers, when I had a vagueconsciousness of something dark suddenly sweeping by me--a thing like a huge bat, or a solid shadow, if such a thingcould be, and the next instant there was a thud and abump, a bump again, a half-stifled cry, and then a hurriedvision of some black carpeting that flapped and shook asthough all the winds of Eblis were in its folds, and thenapparently disgorged from its inmost recesses a little man.Before my first start of half-amused surprise was over Isaw him by the flickering lamp-light clutch at space ashe tried to steady himself, stumble on the slippery curb,and the next moment go down on the back of his headwith a most ugly thud.Now I was not destitute of feeling, though it had beenmy lot to see men die in many ways, and I ran over to thatmotionless form without an idea that anything but anordinary accident had occurred. There he lay, silent and, asit turned out afterwards, dead as a door-nail, the strangestold fellow ever eyes looked upon, dressed in shabby sorrel-coloured clothes of antique cut, with a long grey beardupon his chin, pent-roof eyebrows, and a wizened complexionso puckered and tanned by exposure to Heaven only knewwhat weathers that it was impossible to guess his nationality.I lifted him up out of the puddle of black blood inwhich he was lying, and his head dropped back over myarm as though it had been fixed to his body with stringalone. There was neither heart-beat nor breath in him, andthe last flicker of life faded out of that gaunt face even asI watched. It was not altogether a pleasant situation, andthe only thing to do appeared to be to get the dead maninto proper care (though little good it could do him now!)as speedily as possible. So, sending a chance passer-byinto the main street for a cab, I placed him into it as soonas it came, and there being nobody else to go, got in withhim myself, telling the driver at the same time to take us tothe nearest hospital."Is this your rug, captain?" asked a bystander just aswe were driving off."Not mine," I answered somewhat roughly. "You don'tsuppose I go about at this time of night with Turkey carpetsunder my arm, do you? It belongs to this old chap herewho has just dropped out of the skies on to his head; chuckit on top and shut the door!" And that rug, the very main-spring of the startling things which followed, was thus care-lessly thrown on to the carriage, and off we went.Well, to be brief, I handed in that stark old travellerfrom nowhere at the hospital, and as a matter of curiositysat in the waiting-room while they examined him. In fiveminutes the house-surgeon on duty came in to see me, andwith a shake of his head said briefly--"Gone, sir--clean gone! Broke his neck like a pipe-stem.Most strange-looking man, and none of us can even guess athis age. Not a friend of yours, I suppose?""Nothing whatever to do with me, sir. He slipped onthe pavement and fell in front of me just now, and as a mat-ter of common charity I brought him in here. Were thereany means of identification on him?""None whatever," answered the doctor, taking out hisnotebook and, as a matter of form, writing down my nameand address and a few brief particulars, "nothing what-ever except this curious-looking bead hung round his neckby a blackened thong of leather," and he handed me a thingabout as big as a filbert nut with a loop for suspension andapparently of rock crystal, though so begrimed and dull itsnature was difficult to speak of with certainty. The bead wasof no seeming value and slipped unintentionally into mywaistcoat pocket as I chatted for a few minutes more withthe doctor, and then, shaking hands, I said goodbye, andwent back to the cab which was still waiting outside.It was only on reaching home I noticed the hospitalporters had omitted to take the dead man's carpet from theroof of the cab when they carried him in, and as the cab-man did not care about driving back to the hospital with it,and it could not well be left in the street, I somewhatreluctantly carried it indoors with me.Once in the shine of my own lamp and a cigar in mymouth I had a closer look at that ancient piece of art workfrom heaven, or the other place, only knows what ancientloom.A big, strong rug of faded Oriental colouring, it coveredhalf the floor of my sitting-room, the substance being of amaterial more like camel's hair than anything else, and run-ning across, when examined closely, were some dark fibresso long and fine that surely they must have come from thetail of Solomon's favourite black stallion itself. But thestrangest thing about that carpet was its pattern. It wasthreadbare enough to all conscience in places, yet the designstill lived in solemn, age-wasted hues, and, as I draggedit to my stove-front and spread it out, it seemed to me thatit was as much like a star map done by a scribe who hadlately recovered from delirium tremens as anything else. Inthe centre appeared a round such as might be taken forthe sun, while here and there, "in the field," as heraldssay, were lesser orbs which from their size and positioncould represent smaller worlds circling about it. Betweenthese orbs were dotted lines and arrow-heads of the oldestform pointing in all directions, while all the interveningspaces were filled up with woven characters half-way inappearance between Runes and Cryptic-Sanskrit. Round theborders these characters ran into a wild maze, a perfect jungleof an alphabet through which none but a wizard couldhave forced a way in search of meaning.Altogether, I thought as I kicked it out straight upon my floor, it was a strange and not unhandsome article offurniture--it would do nicely for the mess-room on the Carolina, and if any representatives of yonder poor old fel-low turned up tomorrow, why, I would give them a coupleof dollars for it. Little did I guess how dear it would be atany price!Meanwhile that steak was late, and now that the tempor-ary excitement of the evening was wearing off I fell dullagain. What a dark, sodden world it was that frowned in onme as I moved over to the window and opened it for thebenefit of the cool air, and how the wind howled aboutthe roof tops. How lonely I was! What a fool I had been toask for long leave and come ashore like this, to curry favourwith a set of stubborn dunderheads who cared nothingfor me--or Polly, and could not or would not understand howimportant it was to the best interests of the Service thatI should get that promotion which alone would send meback to her an eligible wooer! What a fool I was not tohave volunteered for some desperate service instead of wast-ing time like this! Then at least life would have beeninteresting; now it was dull as ditch-water, with wretchedvistas of stagnant waiting between now and that joyfulday when I could claim that dear, rosy-checked girl formy own. What a fool I had been!"I wish, I wish," I exclaimed, walking round the littleroom, "I wish I were--"While these unfinished exclamations were actually passingmy lips I chanced to cross that infernal mat, and it isno more startling than true, but at my word a quiver ofexpectation ran through that gaunt web--a rustle of antici-pation filled its ancient fabric, and one frayed corner surgedup, and as I passed off its surface in my stride, the sentencestill unfinished on my lips, wrapped itself about my left legwith extraordinary swiftness and so effectively that I nearlyfell into the arms of my landlady, who opened the doorat the moment and came in with a tray and the steakand tomatoes mentioned more than once already.It was the draught caused by the opening door, of course,that had made the dead man's rug lift so strangely--what else could it have been? I made this apology to thegood woman, and when she had set the table and closedthe door took another turn or two about my den, con-tinuing as I did so my angry thoughts."Yes, yes," I said at last, returning to the stove and takingmy stand, hands in pockets, in front of it, "anything werebetter than this, any enterprise however wild, any adventurehowever desperate. Oh, I wish I were anywhere but here,anywhere out of this redtape-ridden world of ours! I WISHI WERE IN THE PLANET MARS!"How can I describe what followed those luckless words?Even as I spoke the magic carpet quivered responsivelyunder my feet, and an undulation went all round the fringeas though a sudden wind were shaking it. It humped upin the middle so abruptly that I came down sitting with ashock that numbed me for the moment. It threw me onmy back and billowed up round me as though I were inthe trough of a stormy sea. Quicker than I can write itlapped a corner over and rolled me in its folds like achrysalis in a cocoon. I gave a wild yell and made one franticstruggle, but it was too late. With the leathery strengthof a giant and the swiftness of an accomplished cigar-roller covering a "core" with leaf, it swamped my efforts,straightened my limbs, rolled me over, lapped me in foldafter fold till head and feet and everything were gone--crushed life and breath back into my innermost being,and then, with the last particle of consciousness, I felt myselflifted from the floor, pass once round the room, and finallyshoot out, point foremost, into space through the openwindow, and go up and up and up with a sound of rendingatmospheres that seemed to tear like riven silk in one pro-longed shriek under my head, and to close up in thunderastern until my reeling senses could stand it no longer. andtime and space and circumstances all lost their meaningto me.CHAPTER IIHow long that wild rush lasted I have no means of judging.It may have been an hour, a day, or many days, forI was throughout in a state of suspended animation, butpresently my senses began to return and with them a sensa-tion of lessening speed, a grateful relief to a heavy pressurewhich had held my life crushed in its grasp, without destroy-ing it completely. It was just that sort of sensation thoughmore keen which, drowsy in his bunk, a traveller feels whenhe is aware, without special perception, harbour is reachedand a voyage comes to an end. But in my case the slowingdown was for a long time comparative. Yet the sensationserved to revive my scattered senses, and just as I wasawakening to a lively sense of amazement, an incredibledoubt of my own emotions, and an eager desire to knowwhat had happened, my strange conveyance oscillated onceor twice, undulated lightly up and down, like a wood-pecker flying from tree to tree, and then grounded, bows first,rolled over several times, then steadied again, and, comingat last to rest, the next minute the infernal rug opened, quiver-ing along all its borders in its peculiar way, and humpingup in the middle shot me five feet into the air like a cattossed from a schoolboy's blanket.As I turned over I had a dim vision of a clear light likethe shine of dawn, and solid ground sloping away below me.Upon that slope was ranged a crowd of squatting people,and a staid-looking individual with his back turned stoodnearer by. Afterwards I found he was lecturing all thosesitters on the ethics of gravity and the inherent propertiesof falling bodies; at the moment I only knew he was directlyin my line as I descended, and him round the waist I seized,giddy with the light and fresh air, waltzed him downthe slope with the force of my impetus, and, tripping atthe bottom, rolled over and over recklessly with him sheerinto the arms of the gaping crowd below. Over and over wewent into the thickest mass of bodies, making a way throughthe people, until at last we came to a stop in a perfectmound of writhing forms and waving legs and arms. Whenwe had done the mass disentangled itself and I was able toraise my head from the shoulder of someone on whom Ihad fallen, lifting him, or her--which was it?--into asitting posture alongside of me at the same time, whilethe others rose about us like wheat-stalks after a storm,and edged shyly off, as well as they might.Such a sleek, slim youth it was who sat up facing me,with a flush of gentle surprise on his face, and dapperhands that felt cautiously about his anatomy for injuredplaces. He looked so quaintly rueful yet withal so good-tempered that I could not help bursting into laughter inspite of my own amazement. Then he laughed too, a sedate,musical chuckle, and said something incomprehensible, point-ing at the same time to a cut upon my finger that was bleed-ing a little. I shook my head, meaning thereby that it wasnothing, but the stranger with graceful solicitude took myhand, and, after examining the hurt, deliberately tore astrip of cloth from a bright yellow toga-like garment hewas wearing and bound the place up with a woman'stenderness.Meanwhile, as he ministered, there was time to look aboutme. Where was I? It was not the Broadway; it was notStaten Island on a Saturday afternoon. The night was justover, and the sun on the point of rising. Yet it was stillshadowy all about, the air being marvellously tepid andpleasant to the senses. Quaint, soft aromas like the breath ofa new world--the fragrance of unknown flowers, and thedewy scent of never-trodden fields drifted to my nostrils;and to my ears came a sound of laughter scarcely morehuman than the murmur of the wind in the trees, and apretty undulating whisper as though a great concourse ofpeople were talking softly in their sleep. I gazed aboutscarcely knowing how much of my senses or surroundingswere real and how much fanciful, until I presently be-came aware the rosy twilight was broadening into day,and under the increasing shine a strange scene was fashion-ing itself.At first it was an opal sea I looked on of mist, shot alongits upper surface with the rosy gold and pinks of dawn.Then, as that soft, translucent lake ebbed, jutting hills camethrough it, black and crimson, and as they seemed tomount into the air other lower hills showed through the veilwith rounded forest knobs till at last the brightening day dis-pelled the mist, and as the rosy-coloured gauzy fragmentswent slowly floating away a wonderfully fair country lay atmy feet, with a broad sea glimmering in many arms and baysin the distance beyond. It was all dim and unreal at first, themountains shadowy, the ocean unreal, the flowery fields be-tween it and me vacant and shadowy.Yet were they vacant? As my eyes cleared and daybrightened still more, and I turned my head this way andthat, it presently dawned upon me all the meadow cop-pices and terraces northwards of where I lay, all that blueand spacious ground I had thought to be bare and vacant,were alive with a teeming city of booths and tents; nowI came to look more closely there was a whole town uponthe slope, built as might be in a night of boughs andbranches still unwithered, the streets and ways of that city inthe shadows thronged with expectant people moving ingroups and shifting to and fro in lively streams--chatting atthe stalls and clustering round the tent doors in soft, gauzy,parti-coloured crowds in a way both fascinating and per-plexing.I stared about me like a child at its first pantomime,dimly understanding all I saw was novel, but more alluredto the colour and life of the picture than concerned with itsexact meaning; and while I stared and turned my fingerwas bandaged, and my new friend had been lisping awayto me without getting anything in turn but a shake ofthe head. This made him thoughtful, and thereon followeda curious incident which I cannot explain. I doubt evenwhether you will believe it; but what am I to do in thatcase? You have already accepted the episode of my com-ing, or you would have shut the covers before arriving atthis page of my modest narrative, and this emboldens me.I may strengthen my claim on your credulity by pointingout the extraordinary marvels which science is teaching youeven on our own little world. To quote a single instance: Ifany one had declared ten years ago that it would shortlybe practicable and easy for two persons to converse fromshore to shore across the Atlantic without any interveningmedium, he would have been laughed at as a possiblyamusing but certainly extravagant romancer. Yet that pic-turesque lie of yesterday is amongst the accomplished factsof today! Therefore I am encouraged to ask your in-dulgence, in the name of your previous errors, for thefollowing and any other instances in which I may appear totrifle with strict veracity. There is no such thing as theimpossible in our universe!When my friendly companion found I could not under-stand him, he looked serious for a minute or two, thenshortened his brilliant yellow toga, as though he had ar-rived at some resolve, and knelt down directly in frontof me. He next took my face between his hands, andputting his nose within an inch of mine, stared into myeyes with all his might. At first I was inclined to laugh,but before long the most curious sensations took hold of me.They commenced with a thrill which passed all up my body,and next all feeling save the consciousness of theloud beating of my heart ceased. Then it seemed that boy'seyes were inside my head and not outside, while alongwith them an intangible something pervaded my brain.The sensation at first was like the application of ether tothe skin--a cool, numbing emotion. It was followed by acurious tingling feeling, as some dormant cells in my mindanswered to the thought-transfer, and were filled and fertil-ised! My other brain-cells most distinctly felt the vitalisingof their companions, and for about a minute I experi-enced extreme nausea and a headache such as comesfrom over-study, though both passed swiftly off. I presumethat in the future we shall all obtain knowledge in this way.The Professors of a later day will perhaps keep shops forthe sale of miscellaneous information, and we shall drop inand be inflated with learning just as the bicyclist gets his tirepumped up, or the motorist is recharged with electricity atso much per unit. Examinations will then become matters ofcapacity in the real meaning of that word, and we shall betempted to invest our pocket-money by advertisements of"A cheap line in Astrology," "Try our double-strength, two-minute course of Classics," "This is remnant day for Trig-onometry and Metaphysics," and so on.My friend did not get as far as that. With him theprocess did not take more than a minute, but it was startlingin its results, and reduced me to an extraordinary state ofhypnotic receptibility. When it was over my instructortapped with a finger on my lips, uttering aloud as he didso the words--"Know none; know some; know little; know morel" again and again; and the strangest part of it is that as he spoke Idid know at first a little, then more, and still more, by swiftaccumulation, of his speech and meaning. In fact, when pre-sently he suddenly laid a hand over my eyes and then letgo of my head with a pleasantly put question as to howI felt, I had no difficulty whatever in answering him in hisown tongue, and rose from the ground as one gets from ahair-dresser's chair, with a vague idea of looking round formy hat and offering him his fee."My word, sir!" I said, in lisping Martian, as I pulleddown my cuffs and put my cravat straight, "that was aquick process. I once heard of a man who learnt a languagein the moments he gave each day to having his bootsblacked; but this beats all. I trust I was a docile pupil?""Oh, fairly, sir," answered the soft, musical voice of thestrange being by me; "but your head is thick and your braintough. I could have taught another in half the time.""Curiously enough," was my response, "those are almostthe very words with which my dear old tutor dismissedme the morning I left college. Never mind, the thing isdone. Shall I pay you anything?""I do not understand.""Any honorarium, then? Some people understand oneword and not the other." But the boy only shook hishead in answer.Strangely enough, I was not greatly surprised all thistime either at the novelty of my whereabouts or at thehypnotic instruction in a new language just received. Per-haps it was because my head still spun too giddily withthat flight in the old rug for much thought; perhaps be-cause I did not yet fully realise the thing that had happened.But, anyhow, there is the fact, which, like so many othersin my narrative, must, alas! remain unexplained for themoment. The rug, by the way, had completely disap-peared, my friend comforting me on this score, however,by saying he had seen it rolled up and taken away by onewhom he knew."We are very tidy people here, stranger," he said, "andeverything found Lying about goes back to the Palace store-rooms. You will laugh to see the lumber there, for few of usever take the trouble to reclaim our property."Heaven knows I was in no laughing mood when I sawthat enchanted web again!When I had lain and watched the brightening scene fora time, I got up, and having stretched and shaken myclothes into some sort of order, we strolled down the hilland joined the light-hearted crowds that twined across theplain and through the streets of their city of booths. Theywere the prettiest, daintiest folk ever eyes looked upon,well-formed and like to us as could be in the main, butslender and willowy, so dainty and light, both the men andthe women, so pretty of cheek and hair, so mild of aspect,I felt, as I strode amongst them, I could have plucked themlike flowers and bound them up in bunches with my belt.And yet somehow I liked them from the first minute; such ahappy, careless, light-hearted race, again I say, never wasseen before. There was not a stain of thought or care on asingle one of those white foreheads that eddied round meunder their peaked, blossom-like caps, the perpetual smiletheir faces wore never suffered rebuke anywhere; theirvery movements were graceful and slow, their laughterwas low and musical, there was an odour of friendly,slothful happiness about them that made me admire whetherI would or no.Unfortunately I was not able to live on laughter, as theyappeared to be, so presently turning to my acquaintance,who had told me his name was the plain monosyllabic An,and clapping my hand on his shoulder as he stood lost insleepy reflection, said, in a good, hearty way, "Hullo, friendYellow-jerkin! If a stranger might set himself athwart thecheerful current of your meditations, may such a one askhow far 'tis to the nearest wine-shop or a booth where athirsty man may get a mug of ale at a moderate reckoning?"That gilded youth staggered under my friendly blow asthough the hammer of Thor himself had suddenly lit upon hisshoulder, and ruefully rubbing his tender skin, he turnedon me mild, handsome eyes, answering after a moment, dur-ing which his native mildness struggled with the pain Ihad unwittingly given him--"If your thirst be as emphatic as your greeting, friendHeavy-fist, it will certainly be a kindly deed to lead youto the drinking-place. My shoulder tingles with your good-fellowship," he added, keeping two arms'-lengths clear of me."Do you wish," he said, "merely to cleanse a dusty throat,or for blue or pink oblivion?""Why," I answered laughingly, "I have come a longishjourney since yesterday night--a journey out of count ofall reasonable mileage--and I might fairly plead a dustythroat as excuse for a beginning; but as to the other thingsmentioned, those tinted forgetfulnesses, I do not even knowwhat you mean.""Undoubtedly you are a stranger," said the friendly youth,eyeing me from top to toe with renewed wonder, "and byyour unknown garb one from afar.""From how far no man can say--not even I--but fromvery far, in truth. Let that stay your curiosity for the time.And now to bench and ale-mug, on good fellow!--the short-est way. I was never so thirsty as this since our water-buttswent overboard when I sailed the southern seas as a trampapprentice, and for three days we had to damp our blacktongues with the puddles the night-dews left in the liftof our mainsail."Without more words, being a little awed of me, I thought,the boy led me through the good-humoured crowd towhere, facing the main road to the town, but a littlesheltered by a thicket of trees covered with gigantic pinkblossoms, stood a drinking-place--a cluster of tables setround an open grass-plot. Here he brought me a platter ofsome light inefficient cakes which merely served to makehunger more self-conscious, and some fine aromatic winecontained in a triple-bodied flask, each division containingvintage of a separate hue. We broke our biscuits, sippedthat mysterious wine, and talked of many things until atlast something set us on the subject of astronomy, a studyI found my dapper gallant had some knowledge of--which was not to be wondered at seeing he dwelt underskies each night set thick above his curly head with tawnyplanets, and glittering constellations sprinkled through spacelike flowers in May meadows. He knew what worldswent round the sun, larger or lesser, and seeing this I be-gan to question him, for I was uneasy in my innermost mindand, you will remember, so far had no certain knowledgeof where I was, only a dim, restless suspicion that I hadcome beyond the ken of all men's knowledge.Therefore, sweeping clear the board with my sleeve, andbreaking the wafer cake I was eating, I set down onecentral piece for the sun, and, "See here!" I said, "good fel-low! This morsel shall stand for that sun you have just beenwelcoming back with quaint ritual. Now stretch your starryknowledge to the utmost, and put down that tankard fora moment. If this be yonder sun and this lesser crumb bethe outermost one of our revolving system, and this thenext within, and this the next, and so on; now if this be sotell me which of these fragmentary orbs is ours--which ofall these crumbs from the hand of the primordial wouldbe that we stand upon?" And I waited with an anxietya light manner thinly hid, to hear his answer.It came at once. Laughing as though the question weretoo trivial, and more to humour my wayward fancy thanaught else, that boy circled his rosy thumb about a minuteand brought it down on the planet Mars!I started and stared at him; then all of a tremble cried,"You trifle with me! Choose again--there, see, I will set thesymbols and name them to you anew. There now, on yoursoul tell me truly which this planet is, the one here at ourfeet?" And again the boy shook his head, wondering at myeagerness, and pointed to Mars, saying gently as he didso the fact was certain as the day above us, nothing wasmarvellous but my questioning.Mars! oh, dreadful, tremendous, unexpected! With a cryof affright, and bringing my fist down on the table tillall the cups upon it leapt, I told him he lied--lied like asimpleton whose astronomy was as rotten as his wit--smote the table and scowled at him for a spell, thenturned away and let my chin fall upon my breast andmy hands upon my lap.And yet, and yet, it might be so! Everything aboutme was new and strange, the crisp, thin air I breathedwas new; the lukewarm sunshine new; the sleek, long, ivoryfaces of the people new! Yesterday--was it yesterday?--Iwas back there--away in a world that pines to know ofother worlds, and one fantastic wish of mine, backed by ahideous, infernal chance, had swung back the doors ofspace and shot me--if that boy spoke true--into the outervoid where never living man had been before: all my witsabout me, all the horrible bathos of my earthly clothingon me, all my terrestrial hungers in my veins!I sprang to my feet and swept my hands across my eyes.Was that a dream, or this? No, no, both were too real.The hum of my faraway city still rang in my ears: a swiftvision of the girl I had loved; of the men I had hated; ofthe things I had hoped for rose before me, still dazing myinner eye. And these about me were real people, too; itwas real earth; real skies, trees, and rocks--had the infernalgods indeed heard, I asked myself, the foolish wish thatstarted from my lips in a moment of fierce discontent,and swept me into another sphere, another existence? Ilooked at the boy as though he could answer that question,but there was nothing in his face but vacuous wonder; Iclapped my hands together and beat my breast; it was true;my soul within me said it was true; the boy had not lied;the djins had heard; I was just in the flesh I had; mycommon human hungers still unsatisfied where never mortalman had hungered before; and scarcely knowing whether Ifeared or not, whether to laugh or cry, but with all thewonder and terror of that great remove sweeping suddenlyupon me I staggered back to my seat, and dropping myarms upon the table, leant my head heavily upon them andstrove to choke back the passion which beset me.CHAPTER IIIIt was the light touch of the boy An upon my shoulderwhich roused me. He was bending down, his pretty facefull of concernful sympathy, and in a minute said--know-ing nothing of my thoughts, of course,"It is the wine, stranger, the pink oblivion, it sometimesmakes one feel like that until enough is taken; you stoppedjust short of what you should have had, and the next cupwould have been delight--I should have told you.""Ay," I answered, glad he should think so, "it was thewine, no doubt; your quaint drink, sir, tangled up mysenses for the moment, but they are clearer now, and Iam eager past expression to learn a little more of thisstrange country I have wandered into.""I would rather," said the boy, relapsing again into hisstate of kindly lethargy, "that you learnt things as you went,for talking is work, and work we hate, but today we areall new and fresh, and if ever you are to ask questions nowis certainly the time. Come with me to the city yonder, andas we go I will answer the things you wish to know;" andI went with him, for I was humble and amazed, and, intruth, at that moment, had not a word to say for myself.All the way from the plain where I had awoke to thewalls of the city stood booths, drinking-places, and gardensdivided by labyrinths of canals, and embowered in shrub-beries that seemed coming into leaf and flower as we looked,so swift was the process of their growth. These waterwayswere covered with skiffs being pushed and rowed in everydirection; the cheerful rowers calling to each other throughthe leafy screens separating one lane from another till theplace was full of their happy chirruping. Every booth andway-side halting-place was thronged with these delicate andsprightly people, so friendly, so gracious, and withal so pur-poseless.I began to think we should never reach the town itself,for first my guide would sit down on a green stream-bank,his feet a-dangle in the clear water, and bandy wit with apassing boat as though there were nothing else in the worldto think of. And when I dragged him out of that, whisper-ing in his ear, "The town, my dear boy! the town! I amall agape to see it," he would saunter reluctantly to a bootha hundred yards further on and fall to eating strange con-fections or sipping coloured wines with chance acquaintances,till again I plucked him by the sleeve and said: "Seth, goodcomrade--was it not so you called your city just now?--takeme to the gates, and I will be grateful to you," then onagain down a flowery lane, aimless and happy, wasting mytime and his, with placid civility I was led by that simpleguide.Wherever we went the people stared at me, as wellthey might, as I walked through them overtopping the tallestby a head or more. The drinking-cups paused half-wayto their mouths; the jests died away upon their lips; andthe blinking eyes of the drinkers shone with a momentarysparkle of wonder as their minds reeled down those many-tinted floods to the realms of oblivion they loved.I heard men whisper one to another, "Who is he?";"Whence does he come?"; "Is he a tribute-taker?" as Istrolled amongst them, my mind still so thrilled with doubtand wonder that to me they seemed hardly more thanpainted puppets, the vistas of their lovely glades and theivory town beyond only the fancy of a dream, and theirtalk as incontinent as the babble of a stream.Then happily, as I walked along with bent head brood-ing over the incredible thing that had happened, my com-panion's shapely legs gave out, and with a sigh of fatiguehe suggested we should take a skiff amongst the many ly-ing about upon the margins and sail towards the town,"For," said he, "the breeze blows thitherward, and 'tis ashame to use one's limbs when Nature will carry us fornothing!""But have you a boat of your own hereabouts?" I queried;"for to tell the truth I came from home myself somewhatpoorly provided with means to buy or barter, and if yourpurse be not heavier than mine we must still do as poormen do.""Oh!" said An, "there is no need to think of that, no onehere to hire or hire of; we will just take the first skiff wesee that suits us.""And what if the owner should come along and find hisboat gone?""Why, what should he do but take the next along thebank, and the master of that the next again--how elsecould it be?" said the Martian, and shrugging my shoulders,for I was in no great mood to argue, we went down to thewaterway, through a thicket of budding trees underlaid witha carpet of small red flowers filling the air with a scentof honey, and soon found a diminutive craft pulled up onthe bank. There were some dainty cloaks and wraps in itwhich An took out and laid under a tree. But first he feltin the pouch of one for a sweetmeat which his fine nostrils,acute as a squirrel's, told him was there, and taking the lumpout bit a piece from it, afterwards replacing it in the owner'spocket with the frankest simplicity.Then we pushed off, hoisted the slender mast, set thesmallest lug-sail that ever a sailor smiled at, and, myselfat the helm, and that golden youth amidships, away wedrifted under thickets of drooping canes tasselled with yel-low catkin-flowers, up the blue alley of the water into thebroader open river beyond with its rapid flow and crowd-ing boats, the white city front now towering clear before us.The air was full of sunshine and merry voices; birds weresinging, trees were budding; only my heart was heavy, mymind confused. Yet why should I be sad, I said to myselfpresently? Life beat in my pulses; what had I to fear?This world I had tumbled into was new and strange, nodoubt, but tomorrow it would be old and familiar; it dis-credited my manhood to sit brow-bent like that, so withan effort I roused myself."Old chap!" I said to my companion, as he sat astrideof a thwart slowly chewing something sticky and eyeingme out of the corner of his eyes with vapid wonder, "tellme something of this land of yours, or something aboutyourself--which reminds me I have a question to ask. It isa bit delicate, but you look a sensible sort of fellow, andwill take no offence. The fact is, I have noticed as wecame along half your population dresses in all the coloursof the rainbow--'fancy suitings' our tailors could call it athome--and this half of the census are undoubtedly men andwomen. The rub is that the other half, to which you be-long, all dress alike in YELLOW, and I will be fired fromthe biggest gun on the Carolina's main deck if I can tellwhat sex you belong to! I took you for a boy in the begin-ning, and the way you closed with the idea of having adrink with me seemed to show I was dead on the rightcourse. Then a little later on I heard you and a friendabusing our sex from an outside point of view in a waywhich was very disconcerting. This, and some other things,have set me all abroad again, and as fate seems determinedto make us chums for this voyage--why--well, frankly, Ishould be glad to know if you be boy or girl? If you areas I am, no more nor less then--for I like you--there's myhand in comradeship. If you are otherwise, as those sleekoutlines seem to promise--why, here's my hand again! Butman or woman you must be--come, which is it?"If I had been perplexed before, to watch that boy nowwas more curious than ever. He drew back from me witha show of wounded dignity, then bit his lips, and sighed,and stared, and frowned. "Come," I said laughingly, "speak!it engenders ambiguity to be so ambiguous of gender! 'Tisno great matter, yes or no, a plain answer will set us fairlyin our friendship; if it is comrade, then comrade let it be;if maid, why, I shall not quarrel with that, though it costme a likely messmate.""You mock me.""Not I, I never mocked any one.""And does my robe tell you nothing?""Nothing so much; a yellow tunic and becoming enough,but nothing about it to hang a deduction on. Come! Areyou a girl, after all?""I do not count myself a girl.""Why, then, you are the most blooming boy that evereyes were set upon; and though 'tis with some tinge ofregret, yet cheerfully I welcome you into the ranks of man-hood.""I hate your manhood, send it after the maidhood; itfits me just as badly.""But An, be reasonable; man or maid you must be.""Must be; why?""Why?" Was ever such a question put to a sane mortalbefore? I stared at that ambiguous thing before me, andthen, a little wroth to be played with, growled out some-thing about Martians being all drunk or mad."'Tis you yourself are one or other," said that individual,by this time pink with anger, "and if you think becauseI am what I am you can safely taunt me, you are wrong.See! I have a sting," and like a thwarted child my com-panion half drew from the folds of the yellow tunic-dressthe daintiest, most harmless-looking little dagger that wasever seen."Oh, if it comes to that," I answered, touching the Navyscabbard still at my hip, and regaining my temper at thesight of hers, "why, I have a sting also--and twice as longas yours! But in truth, An, let us not talk of these things; ifsomething in what I have said has offended nice Martianscruples I am sorry, and will question no more, leaving mywonder for time to settle.""No," said the other, "it was my fault to be hasty ofoffence; I am not so angered once a year. But in truthyour question moves us yellow robes deeply. Did you notreally know that we who wear this saffron tunic are slaves,--a race apart, despised by all.""'Slaves,' no; how should I know it?""I thought you must understand a thing so fundamental,and it was that thought which made your questions seemunkind. But if indeed you have come so far as not to under-stand even this, then let me tell you once we of this garbwere women--priestesses of the immaculate conceptions ofhumanity; guardians of those great hopes and longingswhich die so easily. And because we forgot our high stationand took to aping another sex the gods deserted and mendespised us, giving us, in the fierceness of their contempt,what we asked for. We are the slave ants of the nest, thework-bees of the hive, come, in truth, of those here whostill be men and women of a sort, but toilers only; un-known in love, unregretted in death--those who dangle allchildren but their own--slaves cursed with the accomplish-ment of their own ambition."There was no doubt poor An believed what she said,for her attitude was one of extreme dejection while shespoke, and to cheer her I laughed."Oh! come, it can't be as bad as that. Surely sometimessome of you win back to womanhood? You yourself do notlook so far gone but what some deed of abnegation, somestrong love if you could but conceive it would set you rightagain. Surely you of the primrose robes can sometimes love?"Whereat unwittingly I troubled the waters in the placidsoul of that outcast Martian! I cannot exactly describehow it was, but she bent her head silently for a moment ortwo, and then, with a sigh, lifting her eyes suddenly tomine, said quietly, "Yes, sometimes; sometimes--but very sel-dom," while for an instant across her face there flashedthe summer lightning of a new hope, a single transientglance of wistful, timid entreaty; of wonder and delightthat dared not even yet acknowledge itself.Then it was my turn to sit silent, and the pause was soawkward that in a minute, to break it, I exclaimed--"Let's drop personalities, old chap--I mean my dearMiss An. Tell me something about your people, and let usbegin properly at the top: have you got a king, for instance?"To this the girl, pulling herself out of the pleasant sloughof her listlessness, and falling into my vein, answered--"Both yes and no, sir traveller from afar--no chiefly, andyet perhaps yes. If it were no then it were so, and if yesthen Hath were our king.""A mild king I should judge by your uncertainty. In theplace where I came from kings press their individualitiessomewhat more clearly on their subjects' minds. Is Hathhere in the city? Does he come to your feasts today?"An nodded. Hath was on the river, he had been to see thesunrise; even now she thought the laughter and singingdown behind the bend might be the king's barge comingup citywards. "He will not be late," said my companion,"because the marriage-feast is set for tomorrow in thepalace."I became interested. Kings, palaces, marriage-feasts--why,here was something substantial to go upon; after allthese gauzy folk might turn out good fellows, jolly com-rades to sojourn amongst--and marriage-feasts remindedme again I was hungry."Who is it," I asked, with more interest in my tone,"who gets married?--is it your ambiguous king himself?"Whereat An's purple eyes broadened with wonder: thenas though she would not be uncivil she checked herself,and answered with smothered pity for my ignorance, "Notonly Hath himself, but every one, stranger, they are allmarried tomorrow; you would not have them married oneat a time, would you?"--this with inexpressible derision.I said, with humility, something like that happened inthe place I came from, asking her how it chanced theconvenience of so many came to one climax at the same mo-ment. "Surely, An, this is a marvel of arrangement. Where Idwelt wooings would sometimes be long or sometimes short,and all maids were not complacent by such universal agree-ment."The girl was clearly perplexed. She stared at me aspace, then said, "What have wooings long or short to do withweddings? You talk as if you did your wooing first andthen came to marriage--we get married first and woo after-wards!""'Tis not a bad idea, and I can see it might lend anease and certainty to the pastime which our method lacks.But if the woman is got first and sued subsequently, whobrings you together? Who sees to the essential preliminariesof assortment?"An, looking at my shoes as though she speculated onthe remoteness of the journey I had come if it were measuredby my ignorance, replied, "The urn, stranger, the urn doesthat--what else? How it may be in that out-fashionedregion you have come from I cannot tell, but here--'tis socommonplace I should have thought you must have knownit--we put each new year the names of all womenkind intoan urn and the men draw for them, each town, each villageby itself, and those they draw are theirs; is it conceivableyour race has other methods?"I told her it was so--we picked and chose for ourselves,beseeching the damsels, fighting for them, and holding thesun of romance was at its setting just where the Martians heldit to rise. Whereat An burst out laughing--a clear, ringinglaugh that set all the light-hearted folk in the nearest boatslaughing in sympathy. But when the grotesqueness of theidea had somewhat worn off, she turned grave and askedme if such a fancy did not lead to spite, envy, and bickerings."Why, it seems to me," she said, shaking her curly head,"such a plan might fire cities, desolate plains, and emptypalaces--""Such things have been.""Ah! our way is much the better. See!" quoth that gentlephilosopher. "'Here,' one of our women would say, 'am Ito-day, unwed, as free of thought as yonder bird chasingthe catkin down; tomorrow I shall be married, with a wholesummer to make love in, relieved at one bound of allthose uncertainties you acknowledge to, with nothing todo but lie about on sunny banks with him whom chancesends me, come to the goal of love without any travellingto get there.' Why, you must acknowledge this is the per-fection of ease.""But supposing," I said, "chance dealt unkindly to youfrom your nuptial urn, supposing the man was not to yourliking, or another coveted him?" To which An answered,with some shrewdness--"In the first case we should do what we might, beingno worse off than those in your land who had played illprovidence to themselves. In the second, no maid would covethim whom fate had given to another, it were too fatiguing,or if such a thing DID happen, then one of them wouldwaive his claims, for no man or woman ever born wasworth a wrangle, and it is allowed us to barter and changea little."All this was strange enough. I could not but laugh, whileAn laughed at the lightest invitation, and thus chatting andderiding each other's social arrangements we floated idlytownwards and presently came out into the main waterwayperhaps a mile wide and flowing rapidly, as streams will onthe threshold of the spring, with brash or waste of distantbeaches riding down it, and every now and then a brokenbranch or tree-stem glancing through waves whose crests afresh wind lifted and sowed in golden showers in the inter-vening furrows. The Martians seemed expert upon the water,steering nimbly between these floating dangers when theymet them, but for the most part hugging the shore where amore placid stream better suited their fancies, and for atime all went well.An, as we went along, was telling me more of her strangecountry, pointing out birds or flowers and naming themto me. "Now that," she said, pointing to a small grey owlwho sat reflective on a floating log we were approaching--"that is a bird of omen; cover your face and look away,for it is not well to watch it."Whereat I laughed. "Oh!" I answered, "so those ancientfollies have come as far as this, have they? But it is no birdgrey or black or white that can frighten folk where I comefrom; see, I will ruffle his philosophy for him," and suiting theaction to the words I lifted a pebble that happened to lie atthe bottom of the boat and flung it at that creature withthe melancholy eyes. Away went the owl, dipping his wingsinto the water at every stroke, and as he went wailing outa ghostly cry, which even amongst sunshine and glittermade one's flesh creep.An shook her head. "You should not have done that," shesaid; "our dead whom we send down over the falls come backin the body of yonder little bird. But he has gone now," sheadded, with relief; "see, he settles far up stream upon thepoint of yonder rotten bough; I would not disturb himagain if I were you--"Whatever more An would have said was lost, for amidsta sound of flutes and singing round the bend of the riverbelow came a crowd of boats decked with flowers and gar-lands, all clustering round a barge barely able to move, sothick those lesser skiffs pressed upon it. So close thosewherries hung about that the garlanded rowers who sat atthe oars could scarcely pull, but, here as everywhere, it wasthe same good temper, the same carelessness of order, as likea flowery island in the dancing blue water the motleyfleet came up.I steered our skiff a space out from the bank to get abetter view, while An clapped her hands together andlaughed. "It is Hath--he himself and those of the palacewith him. Steer a little nearer still, friend--so! between yonfloating rubbish flats, for those with Hath are good to lookat."Nothing loth I made out into mid-stream to see thatstrange prince go by, little thinking in a few minutes Ishould be shaking hands with him, a wet and dripping hero.The crowd came up, and having the advantage of the wind,it did not take me long to get a front place in the ruck,whence I set to work, with republican interest in royalty,to stare at the man who An said was the head of Martiansociety. He did not make me desire to renounce my demo-cratic principles. The royal fellow was sitting in the centreof the barge under a canopy and on a throne which was amass of flowers, not bunched together as they would havebeen with us, but so cunningly arranged that they rose fromthe footstool to the pinnacle in a rhythm of colour, a poemin bud and petals the like of which for harmonious beautyI could not have imagined possible. And in this fairy denwas a thin, gaunt young man, dressed in some sort of blackstuff so nondescript that it amounted to little more thana shadow. I took it for granted that a substance of boneand muscle was covered by that gloomy suit, but it wasthe face above that alone riveted my gaze and made mereturn the stare he gave me as we came up with re-doubled interest. It was not an unhandsome face, but ashygrey in colour and amongst the insipid countenances of theMartians about him marvellously thoughtful. I do notknow whether those who had killed themselves by learn-ing ever leave ghosts behind, but if so this was the veryideal for such a one. At his feet I noticed, when I un-hooked my eyes from his at last, sat a girl in a loose coralpink gown who was his very antipode. Princess Heru, forso she was called, was resting one arm upon his knee atour approach and pulling a blue convolvulus bud topieces--a charming picture of dainty idleness. Anything sosoft, so silken as that little lady was never seen before. Whoam I, a poor quarter-deck loafer, that I should attemptto describe what poet and painter alike would have failedto realise? I know, of course, your stock descriptives: themelting eye, the coral lip, the peachy cheek, the raven tress;but these were coined for mortal woman--and this was notone of them. I will not attempt to describe the glorioustenderness of those eyes she turned upon me presently;the glowing radiance of her skin; the infinite grace of everyaction; the incredible soul-searching harmony of her voice,when later on I heard it--you must gather something ofthese things as I go--suffice it to say that when I sawher there for the first time in the plenitude of her beautyI fell desperately, wildly in love with her.Meanwhile, even the most infatuated of mortals cannotstare for ever without saying something. The grating of ourprow against the garlanded side of the royal barge roused mefrom my reverie, and nodding to An, to imply I would beback presently, I lightly jumped on to Hath's vessel, and,with the assurance of a free and independent American voter,approached that individual, holding out my palm, andsaying as I did so,"Shake hands, Mr. President!"The prince came forward at my bidding and extendinghis hand for mine. He bowed slow and sedately, in thatpeculiar way the Martians have, a ripple of gratified civilitypassing up his flesh; lower and lower he bowed, until hisface was over our clasped hands, and then, with simplecourtesy, he kissed my finger-tips! This was somewhat em-barrassing. It was not like the procedure followed in Courtsnearer to Washington than this one, as far as my readingwent, and, withdrawing my fingers hastily, I turned to theprincess, who had risen, and was eyeing her somewhatawkwardly, the while wondering what kind of salutationwould be suitable in her case when a startling incidenthappened. The river, as said, was full of floating rubbishbrought down from some far-away uplands by a spring freshetwhile the royal convoy was making slow progress upstreamand thus met it all bow on. Some of this stuff was heavytimber, and when a sudden warning cry went up from theleading boats it did not take my sailor instinct long to guesswhat was amiss. Those in front shot side to side, those be-hind tried to drop back as, bearing straight down on theroyal barge, there came a log of black wood twenty feet longand as thick as the mainmast of an old three-decker.Hath's boat could no more escape than if it had beenplanted on a rocky pedestal, garlands and curtains trailingin the water hung so heavy on it. The gilded paddles of theslender rowers were so feeble--they had but made a half-turn from that great javelin's road when down it came uponthem, knocking the first few pretty oarsmen head over heelsand crackling through their oars like a bull through drymaize stalks. I sprang forward, and snatching a pole from ahalf-hearted slave, jammed the end into the head of the logand bore with all my weight upon it, diverting it a little, andthereby perhaps saving the ship herself, but not enough. Asit flashed by a branch caught upon the trailing tapestry,hurling me to the deck, ,and tearing away with it all thatfinery. Then the great spar, tossing half its dripping lengthinto the air, went plunging downstream with shreds of silkand flowers trailing from it, and white water bubbling inits rear.When I scrambled to my feet all was ludicrous confusionon board. Hath still stood by his throne--an island in a seaof disorder--staring at me; all else was chaos. The rowersand courtiers were kicking and wallowing in the "waist" ofthe ship like fish newly shot out of a trawl net, but theprincess was gone. Where was she? I brushed the sprayfrom my eyes, and stared overboard. She was not in the bub-bling blue water alongside. Then I glanced aft to where thelog, now fifteen yards away, was splashing through the sun-shine, and, as I looked, a fair arm came up from underneathand white fingers clutched convulsively at the sky. Whatman could need more? Down the barge I rushed, and drop-ping only my swordbelt, leapt in to her rescue. The gentleMartians were too numb to raise a hand in help; but it wasnot necessary. I had the tide with me, and gained atevery stroke. Meanwhile that accursed tree, with poorHeru's skirts caught on a branch, was drowning her at itsleisure; lifting her up as it rose upon the crests, a fair,helpless bundle, and then sousing her in its fall into thenether water, where I could see her gleam now and againlike pink coral.I redoubled my efforts and got alongside, clutching therind of that old stump, and swimming and scrambling, at lastwas within reach of the princess. Thereon the log lifted herplayfully to my arms, and when I had laid hold came down,a crushing weight, and forced us far into the clammybosom of Martian sea. Again we came up, coughing andchoking--I tugging furiously at that tangled raiment, andthe lady, a mere lump of sweetness in my other arm--then down again with that log upon me and all the noisesof Eblis in my ears. Up and down we went, over and over,till strength was spent and my ribs seemed breaking; then,with a last desperate effort, I got a knee against the stem,and by sheer strength freed my princess--the spiteful timbermade a last ugly thrust at us as it rolled away--andwe were free!I turned upon my back, and, sure of rescue now, tookthe lady's head upon my chest, holding her sweet, whitefists in mine the while, and, floating, waited for help.It came only too quickly. The gallant Martians, whenthey saw the princess saved, came swiftly down upon us.Over the lapping of the water in my ears I heard their sigh-like cries of admiration and surprise, the rattle of spray onthe canoe sides mingled with the splash of oars, the flittingshadows of their prows were all about us, and in less timethan it takes to write we were hauled aboard, revived, andtaken to Hath's barge. Again the prince's lips were on myfingertips; again the flutes and music struck up; and as Isqueezed the water out of my hair, and tried to keep myeyes off the outline of Heru, whose loveliness shone throughher damp, clinging, pink robe, as if that robe were but agauzy fancy, I vaguely heard Hath saying wondrous thingsof my gallantry, and, what was more to the purpose, askingme to come with him and stay that night at the palace.CHAPTER IVThey lodged me like a prince in a tributary country thatfirst night. I was tired. 'Twas a stiff stage I had come theday before, and they gave me a couch whose etherealsoftness seemed to close like the wings of a bird as I plungedat its touch into fathomless slumbers. But the next day hadhardly broken when I was awake, and, stretching my limbsupon the piled silk of a legless bed upon the floor, foundmyself in a great chamber with a purple tapestry across theentrance, and a square arch leading to a flat terrace outside.It was a glorious daybreak, making my heart light withinme, the air like new milk, and the colours of the sunrise laypurple and yellow in bars across my room. I yawned andstretched, then rising, wrapped a silken quilt about me andwent out into the flat terrace top, wherefrom all the citycould be seen stretched in an ivory and emerald patchwork,with open, blue water on one side, and the Martian plaintrending away in illimitable distance upon the other.Directly underneath in the great square at the bottom ofHath's palace steps were gathered a concourse of people,brilliant in many-coloured dresses. They were sitting orlying about just as they might for all I knew have donethrough the warm night, without much order, save thatwhere the black streaks of inlaid stone marked a carriage-way across the square none were stationed. While I won-dered what would bring so many together thus early, therecame a sound of flutes--for these people can do nothingwithout piping like finches in a thicket in May--and fromthe storehouses half-way over to the harbour there streameda line of carts piled high with provender. Down came theteams attended by their slaves, circling and wheeling intothe open place, and as they passed each group those lazy,lolling beggars crowded round and took the dole theywere too thriftless to earn themselves. It was strange to seehow listless they were about the meal, even though Provi-dence itself put it into their hands; to note how theyellow-girted slaves scudded amongst them, serving outthe loaves, themselves had grown, harvested, and baked;slipping from group to group, rousing, exhorting, admin-istering to a helpless throng that took their efforts withoutthought or thanks.I stood there a long time, one foot upon the coping andmy chin upon my hand, noting the beauty of the ruinedtown and wondering how such a feeble race as that whichlay about, breakfasting in the limpid sunshine, could havecome by a city like this, or kept even the ruins of its wallsand buildings from the covetousness of others, until presentlythere was a rustle of primrose garments and my friend ofthe day before stood by me."Are you rested, traveller?" she questioned in that prettyvoice of hers."Rested ambrosially, An.""It is well; I will tell the Government and it will comeup to wash and dress you, afterwards giving you breakfast.""For the breakfast, damsel, I shall be grateful, but asfor the washing and dressing I will defend myself to thelast gasp sooner than submit to such administration.""How strange! Do you never wash in your country?""Yes, but it is a matter left largely to our own discretion;so, my dear girl, if you will leave me for a minute or twoin quest of that meal you have mentioned, I will guaranteeto be ready when it comes."Away she slipped, with a shrug of her rosy shoulders, toreturn presently, carrying a tray covered with a white cloth,whereon were half a dozen glittering covers whence camemost fragrant odours of cooked things."Why, comrade," I said, sitting down and lifting lid by lid,for the cold, sweet air outside had made me hungry, "thisis better than was hoped for; I thought from what I sawdown yonder I should have to trot behind a tumbril formy breakfast, and eat it on my heels amongst your sleepyfriends below."An replied, "The stranger is a prince, we take it, in hisown country, and princes fare not quite like commonpeople, even here.""So," I said, my mouth full of a strange, unknown fish,and a cake soft as milk and white as cotton in the pod."Now that makes me feel at home!""Would you have had it otherwise with us?""No! now I come to think of it, it is most natural thingsshould be much alike in all the corners of the universe;the splendid simplicity that rules the spheres, works muchthe same, no doubt, upon one side of the sun as upon theother. Yet, somehow--you can hardly wonder at it--yes-terday I looked to find your world, when I realised whereI had tumbled to, a world of djin and giants; of madpossibilities over realised, and here I see you dwellers bythe utterly remote little more marvellous than if I hadcome amongst you on the introduction of a cheap touristticket, and round some neglected corner of my own distantworld!""I hardly follow your meaning, sir.""No, no, of course you cannot. I was forgetting you didnot know! There, pass me the stuff on yonder platter thatlooks like caked mud from an anchor fluke, and swells likebreath of paradise, and let me question you;" and while Isat and drank with that yellow servitor sitting in front ofme, I plied her with questions, just as a baby might whohad come into the world with a full-blown gift of speech.But though she was ready and willing enough to answer,and laughed gaily at my quaint ignorance of simple things,yet there was little water in the well."Had they any kind of crafts or science; any cult ofstars or figures?" But again she shook her head, and said,"Hath might know, Hath understood most things, but her-self knew little of either." "Armies or navies?" and again theMartian shrugged her shoulders, questioning in turn--"What for?""What for!" I cried, a little angry with her engagingdulness, "Why, to keep that which the strong hand got, andto get more for those who come next; navies to sweepyonder blue seas, and armies to ward what they should bringhome, or guard the city walls against all enemies,--for Isuppose, An," I said, putting down my knife as the cheeringthought came on me,--"I suppose, An, you have some en-emies? It is not like Providence to give such riches as youpossess, such lands, such cities, and not to supply the anti-dote in some one poor enough to covet them."At once the girl's face clouded over, and it was obviousa tender subject had been chanced upon. She waved herhand impatiently as though to change the subject, butI would not be put off."Come," I said, "this is better than breakfast. It was theone thing--this unknown enemy of yours--wanting to leverthe dull mass of your too peacefulness. What is he like?How strong? How stands the quarrel between you? I wasa soldier myself before the sea allured me, and love horseand sword best of all things.""You would not jest if you knew our enemy!""That is as it may be. I have laughed in the face of manya stronger foe than yours is like to prove; but anyhow, giveme a chance to judge. Come, who is it that frightens all theblood out of your cheeks by a bare mention and may notbe laughed at even behind these substantial walls?""First, then, you know, of course, that long ago this landof ours was harried from the West.""Not I.""No!" said An, with a little warmth. "If it comes to that,you know nothing."Whereat I laughed, and, saying the reply was just, vowedI would not interrupt again; so she wont on saying howHath--that interminable Hath!--would know it all better thanshe did, but long ago the land was overrun by a peoplefrom beyond the broad, blue waters outside; a peoplehuge of person, hairy and savage, uncouth, unlettered,and poor An's voice trembled even to describe them; apeople without mercy or compunction, dwellers in woods,eaters of flesh, who burnt, plundered, and destroyed allbefore them, and had toppled over this city along withmany others in an ancient foray, the horrors of which,still burnt lurid in her people's minds."Ever since then," went on the girl, "these odious terrorsof the outer land have been a nightmare to us, makinghectic our pleasures, and filling our peace with horridthoughts of what might be, should they chance to comeagain.""'Tis unfortunate, no doubt, lady," I answered. "Yet itwas long ago, and the plunderers are far away. Why not riseand raid them in turn? To live under such a nightmare ismiserable, and a poet on my side of the ether has said-- "'He either fears his fate too much, Or his deserts are small, Who will not put it to the touch, To win or lose it all.'It seems to me you must either bustle and fight again, orsit tamely down, and by paying the coward's fee for peace,buy at heavy price, indulgence from the victor.""We," said An simply, and with no show of shame,"would rather die than fight, and so we take the easierway, though a heavy one it is. Look!" she said, drawing meto the broad window whence we could get a glimpse of thewestward town and the harbour out beyond the walls."Look! see yonder long row of boats with brown sailshanging loose reefed from every yard ranged all alongthe quay. Even from here you can make out the thinstream of porter slaves passing to and fro between themand the granaries like ants on a sunny path. Those areour tax-men's ships, they came yesterday from far out acrossthe sea, as punctual as fate with the first day of spring,and two or three nights hence we trust will go again: andglad shall we be to see them start, although they leavescupper deep with our cloth, our corn, and gold.""Is that what they take for tribute?""That and one girl--the fairest they can find.""One--only one! 'Tis very moderate, all things considered.""She is for the thither king, Ar-hap, and though only oneas you say, stranger, yet he who loses her is apt sometimesto think her one too many lost.""By Jupiter himself it is well said! If I were that manI would stir up heaven and hell until I got her back;neither man, nor beast, nor devil should stay me in myquest!" As I spoke I thought for a minute An's fingers trembleda little as she fixed a flower upon my coat, while therewas something like a sigh in her voice as she said--"The maids of this country are not accustomed, sir,to be so strongly loved."By this time, breakfasted and rehabilitated, I was readyto go forth. The girl swung back the heavy curtain thatserved in place of door across the entrance of my chamber,and leading the way by a corridor and marble steps whileI followed, and whether it was the Martian air or the mealI know not, but thinking mighty well of myself until wecame presently onto the main palace stairs, which led bystately flights from the upper galleries to the wide squarebelow.As we passed into the full sunshine--and no sunshine isso crisply golden as the Martian--amongst twined flowersand shrubs and gay, quaint birds building in the cornices,a sleek youth rose slowly from where he had spread his cloakas couch upon a step and approaching asked--"You are the stranger of yesterday?""Yes," I answered."Then I bring a message from Prince Hath, saying itwould pleasure him greatly if you would eat the morningmeal with him.""Why," I answered, "it is very civil indeed, but I havebreakfasted already.""And so has Hath," said the boy, gently yawning. "Yousee I came here early this morning, but knowing you wouldpass sooner or later I thought it would save me the troubleif I lay down till you came--those quaint people whobuilt these places were so prodigal of steps," and smilingapologetically he sank back on his couch and began toyingwith a leaf."Sweet fellow," I said, and you will note how I wasgetting into their style of conversation, "get back to Hathwhen you have rested, give him my most gracious thanksfor the intended courtesy, but tell him the invitation shouldhave started a week earlier; tell him from me, you nimble-footed messenger, that I will post-date his kindness andcome tomorrow; say that meanwhile I pray him to sendany ill news he has for me by you. Is the message too bulkyfor your slender shoulders?""No," said the boy, rousing himself slowly, "I will take it,"and then he prepared to go. He turned again and said,without a trace of incivility, "But indeed, stranger, I wishyou would take the message yourself. This is the third flightof stairs I have been up today."Everywhere it was the same friendly indolence. Half thebreakfasters were lying on coloured shawls in groupsabout the square; the other half were strolling off--all inone direction, I noticed--as slowly as could be towardsthe open fields beyond; no one was active or had anythingto do save the yellow folk who flitted to and fro fosteringthe others, and doing the city work as though it weretheir only thought in life. There were no shops in that strangecity, for there were no needs; some booths I saw indeed,and temple-like places, but hollow, and used for birds andbeasts--things these lazy Martians love. There was no trampof busy feet, for no one was busy; no clank of swords orarmour in those peaceful streets, for no one was warlike; nohustle, for no one hurried; no wide-packed asses noddingdown the lanes, for there was nothing to fill their packswith, and though a cart sometimes came by with a loadof lolling men and maids, or a small horse, for horsesthey had, paced along, itself nearly as lazy as the masterhe bore, with trappings sewed over bits of coloured shelland coral, yet somehow it was all extraordinarily unreal.It was a city full of the ghosts of the life which oncepulsed through its ways. The streets were peopled, thechatter of voices everywhere, the singing boys and laughinggirls wandering, arms linked together, down the ways filledevery echo with their merriment, yet somehow it was allso shallow that again and again I rubbed my eyes, wonder-ing if I were indeed awake, or whether it were not a pro-longed sleep of which the tomorrow were still to come."What strikes me as strangest of all, good comrade," Iobserved pleasantly to the tripping presence at my elbow,"is that these countrymen of yours who shirk to climb aflight of steps, and have palms as soft as rose petals, thesewide ways paved with stones as hard as a usurer's heart."An laughed. "The stones were still in their native quar-ries had it been left to us to seek them; we are like the coniesin the ruins, sir, the inheritors of what other hands havedone.""Ay, and undone, I think, as well, for coming along I havenoted axe chippings upon the walls, smudges of ancient fireand smoke upon the cornices."An winced a little and stared uneasily at the walls, mut-tering below her breath something about trying to hidewith flower garlands the marks they could not banish, butit was plain the conversation was not pleasing to her. Sounpleasant was talk or sight of woodmen (Thither-folk,as she called them, in contradiction to the Hither peopleabout us here), that the girl was clearly relieved whenwe were free of the town and out into the open play-ground of the people. The whole place down there wasa gay, shifting crowd. The booths of yesterday, the ar-cades, the archways, were still standing, and during thenight unknown hands had redecked them with flowers,while another day's sunshine had opened the coppice buds sothat the whole place was brilliant past expression. Andhere the Hither folk were varying their idleness by ageneral holiday. They were standing about in groups, orlying ranked like new-plucked flowers on the banks, pipingto each other through reeds as soft and melodious asrunning water. They were playing inconsequent games andbreaking off in the middle of them like children lookingfor new pleasures. They were idling about the drinkingbooths, delicately stupid with quaint, thin wines, dealt outto all who asked; the maids were ready to chevy or bechevied through the blossoming thickets by anyone whochanced upon them, the men slipped their arms round slen-der waists and wandered down the paths, scarce seemingto care even whose waist it was they circled or into whoseear they whispered the remainder of the love-tale theyhad begun to some one else. And everywhere it was "Hi,"and "Ha," and "So," and "See," as these quaint peoplecalled to one another, knowing each other as familiarly asants of a nest, and by the same magic it seemed to me."An," I said presently, when we had wandered an houror so through the drifting throng, "have these good country-men of yours no other names but monosyllabic, nothing todesignate them but these chirruping syllables?""Is it not enough?" answered my companion. "Once in-deed I think we had longer names, but," she added, smiling,"how much trouble it saves to limit each one to a single sound.It is uncivil to one's neighbours to burden their tongueswith double duty when half would do.""But have you no patronymics--nothing to show thechild comes of the same source as his father came?""We have no fathers.""What! no fathers?" I said, starting and staring at her."No, nor mothers either, or at least none that we remem-ber, for again, why should we? Mayhap in that strange dis-trict you come from you keep count of these things, but whathave we to do with either when their initial duty is done.Look at that painted butterfly swinging on the honey-laden catkin there. What knows she of the mother whoshed her life into a flowercup and forgot which flower it wasthe minute afterwards. We, too, are insects, stranger.""And do you mean to say of this great concourse here,that every atom is solitary, individual, and can claim no kin-dred with another save the loose bonds of a general fraterni-ty--a specious idea, horrible, impracticable!"Whereat An laughed. "Ask the grasshoppers if it is im-practicable; ask the little buzzing things of grass and leaveswho drift hither and thither upon each breath of wind,finding kinsmen never but comrades everywhere--ask themif it is horrible."This made me melancholy, and somehow set me thinkingof the friends immeasurably distant I had left but yesterday.What were they doing? Did they miss me? I was to havecalled for my pay this afternoon, and tomorrow was tohave run down South to see that freckled lady of mine.What would she think of my absence? What would shethink if she knew where I was? Gods, it was too mad, tooabsurd! I thrust my hands into my pockets in fierce des-peration, and there they clutched an old dance programmeand an out-of-date check for a New York ferry-boat. Iscowled about on that sunny, helpless people, and layingmy hand bitterly upon my heart felt in the breast-pocketbeneath a packet of unpaid Boston tailors' bills and a notefrom my landlady asking if I would let her aunt do mywashing while I was on shore. Oh! what would they allthink of me? Would they brand me as a deserter, a poltroon,and a thief, letting my name presently sink down in shameand mystery in the shadowy realm of the forgotten? Dread-ful thoughts! I would think no more.Maybe An had marked my melancholy, for presently sheled me to a stall where in fantastic vases wines of sorts Ihave described before were put out for all who came to trythem. There was medicine here for every kind of dulness--notthe gross cure which earthly wine effects, but so nicelyproportioned to each specific need that one could regulateone's debauch to a hairbreadth, rising through all thegamut of satisfaction, from the staid contentment coming ofthat flask there to the wild extravagances of the further-most vase. So my stripling told me, running her finger downthe line of beakers carved with strange figures and casedin silver, each in its cluster of little attendant drinking-cups, like-coloured, and waiting round on the white napkinsas the shore boats wait to unload a cargo round thesides of a merchant vessel."And what," I said, after curiously examining each liquorin turn, "what is that which stands alone there in thehumble earthen jar, as though unworthy of the company ofthe others.""Oh, that," said my friend, "is the most essential of themall--that is the wine of recovery, without which all theothers were deadly poisons.""The which, lady, looks as if it had a moral attachingto it.""It may have; indeed I think it has, but I have forgotten.Prince Hath would know! Meanwhile let me give you todrink, great stranger, let me get you something.""Well, then," I laughed, "reach me down an antidoteto fate, a specific for an absent mistress, and forgetfulfriends.""What was she like?" said An, hesitating a little andfrowning."Nay, good friend," was my answer, "what can thatmatter to you?""Oh, nothing, of course," answered that Martian, and whileshe took from the table a cup and filled it with fluid I feltin the pouch of my sword-belt to see if by chance a bit ofmoney was Iying there, but there was none, only the pipsof an orange poor Polly had sucked and laughingly thrownat me.However, it did not matter. The girl handed me the cup,and I put my lips to it. The first taste was bitter andacrid, like the liquor of long-steeped wood. At the secondtaste a shiver of pleasure ran through me, and I opened myeyes and stared hard. The third taste grossness and heavi-ness and chagrin dropped from my heart; all the com-plexion of Providence altered in a flash, and a stupidirresistible joy, unreasoning, uncontrollable took possessionof my fibre. I sank upon a mossy bank and, lolling myhead, beamed idiotically on the lolling Martians all aboutme. How long I was like that I cannot say. The heavyminutes of sodden contentment slipped by unnoticed, un-umbered, till presently I felt the touch of a wine-cupat my lips again, and drinking of another liquor dulnessvanished from my mind, my eyes cleared, my heart throbbed;a fantastic gaiety seized upon my limbs; I bounded tomy feet, and seizing An's two hands in mine, swung thatdamsel round in a giddy dance, capering as never dancerdanced before, till spent and weary I sank down againfrom sheer lack of breath, and only knew thereafter thatAn was sitting by me saying, "Drink! drink stranger, drinkand forget!" and as a third time a cup was pressed to mylips, aches and pleasures, stupidness and joy, life itself,seemedslipping away into a splendid golden vacuity, a hazy epi-sode of unconscious Elysium, indefinite, and unfathomable.CHAPTER VWhen I woke, feeling as refreshed as though I had beendreaming through a long night, An, seeing me open-eyed,helped me to my feet, and when I had recovered my sensesa little, asked if we should go on. I was myself again bythis time, so willingly took her hand, and soon came out ofthe tangle into the open spaces. I must have been underthe spell of the Martian wines longer than it seemed, foralready it was late in the afternoon, the shadows of treeswere lying deep and far-reaching over the motley crowdsof people. Out here as the day waned they had developedsome sort of method in their sports. In front of us was abroad, grassy course marked off with garlanded finger-posts,and in this space rallies of workfolk were taking part in allmanner of games under the eyes of a great concourse ofspectators, doing the Martians' pleasures for them as theydid their labours. An led me gently on, leaning on my armheavier, I thought, than she had done in the morning, andever and anon turning her gazelle-like eyes upon me witha look I could not understand. As we sauntered forwardI noticed all about lesser circles where the yellow-girtedones were drawing delighted laughter from good-temperedcrowds by tricks of sleight-of-hand, and posturing, or toss-ing gilded cups and balls as though they were catering,as indeed they were, for outgrown children. Others fluted orsang songs in chorus to the slow clapping of hands, whileothers were doing I knew not what, sitting silent amongst si-lent spectators who every now and then burst out laughingfor no cause that I could see. But An would not let mestop, and so we pushed on through the crowd till wecame to the main enclosures where a dozen slaves had runa race for the amusement of those too lazy to race them-selves, and were sitting panting on the grass.To give them time to get their breath, perhaps, a manstepped out of the crowd dressed in a dark blue tunic, astrange vacuous-looking fellow, and throwing down a sheafof javelins marched off a dozen paces, then, facing round,called out loudly he would give sixteen suits of "summercloth" to any one who could prick him with a javelinfrom the heap."Why," I said in amazement, "this is the best of fools--no one could miss from such a distance.""Ay but," replied my guide, "he is a gifted one, versedin mystics."I was just going to say a good javelin, shod with iron,was a stronger argument than any mystic I had ever heardof could stand, when out of the crowd stepped a youth, andamid the derisive cheers of his friends chose a reed fromthe bundle. He poised it in his hand a minute to get themiddle, then turned on the living target. Whatever else theymight be, these Martians were certainly beautiful as the day-time. Never had I seen such a perfect embodiment of graceand elegance as that boy as he stood there for a momentpoised to the throw; the afternoon sunshine warm andstrong on his bunched brown hair, a girlish flush of shynesson his handsome face, and the sleek perfection of his limbs,clear cut against the dusky background beyond. And nowthe javelin was going. Surely the mystic would think betterof it at the last moment! No! the initiate held his groundwith tight-shut lips and retrospective eyes, and even as Ilooked the weapon flew upon its errand."There goes the soul of a fool!" I exclaimed, and as thewords were uttered the spear struck, or seemed to, betweenthe neck and shoulder, but instead of piercing rose high intothe air, quivering and flashing, and presently turning over,fell back, and plunged deep into the turf, while a lowmurmur of indifferent pleasure went round amongst theonlookers.Thereat An, yawning gently, looked to me and said, "Astrong-willed fellow, isn't he, friend?"I hesitated a minute and then asked, "Was it WILL whichturned that shaft?"She answered with simplicity, "Why, of course--whatelse?"By this time another boy had stepped out, and havingchosen a javelin, tested it with hand and foot, then re-tiring a pace or two rushed up to the throwing mark andflung it straight and true into the bared bosom of the man.And as though it had struck a wall of brass, the shaft leaptback falling quivering at the thrower's feet. Another andanother tried unsuccessfully, until at last, vexed at theirfutility, I said, "I have a somewhat scanty wardrobe thatwould be all the better for that fellow's summer suiting, byyour leave I will venture a throw against him.""It is useless," answered An; "none but one who knowsmore magic than he, or is especially befriended by the Fatescan touch him through the envelope he has put on.""Still, I think I will try.""It is hopeless, I would not willingly see you fail,"whispered the girl, with a sudden show of friendship."And what," I said, bending down, "would you give meif I succeeded?" Whereat An laughed a little uneasily, and,withdrawing her hand from mine, half turned away. So Ipushed through the spectators and stepped into the ring.I went straight up to the pile of weapons, and having chosenone went over to the mystic. "Good fellow," I cried out os-tentatiously, trying the sharpness of the javelin-point withmy finger, "where are all of those sixteen summer suits ofyours lying hid?""It matters nothing," said the man, as if he were asleep."Ay, but by the stars it does, for it will vex the quietreposeof your soul tomorrow if your heirs should swear theycould not find them.""It matters nothing," muttered the will-wrapped visionary."It will matter something if I take you at your word. Come,friend Purple-jerkin, will you take the council with yourlegs and run while there is yet time, or stand up to bethrown at?""I stand here immoveable in the confidence of my initia-tion.""Then, by thunder, I will initiate you into the mysteriesof a javelin-end, and your blood be on your head."The Martians were all craning their necks in hushedeagerness as I turned to the casting-place, and, poisingthe javelin, faced the magician. Would he run at the lastmoment? I half hoped so; for a minute I gave him thechance, then, as he showed no sign of wavering, I drewmy hand back, shook the javelin back till it bent like a reed,and hurled it at him.The Martians' heads turned as though all on one pivotas the spear sped through the air, expecting no doubt tosee it recoil as others had done. But it took him full in thecentre of his chest, and with a wild wave of arms and aflutter of purple raiment sent him backwards, and down,and over and over in a shapeless heap of limbs and flyingraiment, while a low murmur of awed surprise rose fromthe spectators. They crowded round him in a dense ring,as An came flitting to me with a startled face."Oh, stranger," she burst out, "you have surely killedhim!" but more astounded I had broken down his guardthan grieved at his injury."No," I answered smilingly; "a sore chest he may havetomorrow, but dead he is not, for I turned the lance-pointback as I spun it, and it was the butt-end I threw at him!""It was none the less wonderful; I thought you were acommon man, a prince mayhap, come but from over thehills, but now something tells me you are more thanthat," and she lapsed into thoughtful silence for a time.Neither of us were wishful to go back amongst thosewho were raising the bruised magician to his legs, but wanderedaway instead through the deepening twilight towards thecity over meadows whose damp, soft fragrance loaded theair with sleepy pleasure, neither of us saying a word tillthe dusk deepened and the quick night descended, whilewe came amongst the gardened houses, the thousandlights of an unreal city rising like a jewelled bank beforeus, and there An said she would leave me for a time, meet-ing me again in the palace square later on, "To see PrincessHeru read the destinies of the year.""What!" I exclaimed, "more magic? I have been broughtup on more substantial mental stuff than this.""Nevertheless, I would advise you to come to the square,"persisted my companion. "It affects us all, and--who knows?--may affect you more than any."Therein poor An was unconsciously wearing the cloakof prophesy herself, and, shrugging my shoulders good-humouredly, I kissed her chin, little realising, as I let herfingers slip from mine, that I should see her no more.Turning back alone, through the city, through waystwinkling with myriad lights as little lamps began to blinkout amongst garlands and flower-decked booths on everyhand, I walked on, lost in varying thoughts, until, fairlytired and hungry, I found myself outside a stall wheremany Martians stood eating and drinking to their hearts'content. I was known to none of them, and, forgettingpast experience, was looking on rather enviously, when therecame a touch upon my arm, and--"Are you hungry, sir?" asked a bystander."Ay," I said, "hungry, good friend, and with all the zestwhich an empty purse lends to that condition.""Then here is what you need, sir, even from here thewine smells good, and the fried fruit would make a mouse'seye twinkle. Why do you wait?""Why wait? Why, because though the rich man's dinnergoes in at his mouth, the poor man must often be contentto dine through his nose. I tell you I have nothing toget me a meal with."The stranger seemed to speculate on this for a time,and then he said, "I cannot fathom your meaning, sir.Buying and selling, gold and money, all these have no mean-ing to me. Surely the twin blessings of an appetite andfood abundant ready and free before you are enough.""What! free is it--free like the breakfast served outthis morning?""Why, of course," said the youth, with mild depreci-ation; "everything here is free. Everything is his who willtake it, without exception. What else is the good of a co-herent society and a Government if it cannot provide youwith so rudimentary a thing as a meal?"Whereat joyfully I undid my belt, and, without nicelyexamining the argument, marched into the booth, and thereput Martian hospitality to the test, eating and drinking, butthis time with growing wisdom, till I was a new man, andthen, paying my leaving with a wave of the hand to theyellow-girted one who dispensed the common provender,I sauntered on again, caring little or nothing which waythe road went, and soon across the current of my medita-tions a peal of laughter broke, accompanied by the pipingof a flute somewhere close at hand, and the next minuteI found myself amid a ring of light-hearted roisterers whowere linking hands for a dance to the music a curly-headed fellow was making close by.They made me join them! One rosey-faced damsel atthe hither end of the chain drew up to me, and, withouta word, slipped her soft, baby fingers into my hand; onthe other side another came with melting eyes, breath likea bed of violets, and banked-up fun puckering her daintymouth. What could I do but give her a hand as well? Theflute began to gurgle anew, like a drinking spout in spring-time, and away we went, faster and faster each minute,the boys and girls swinging themselves in time to the tune,and capering presently till their tender feet were twinklingover the ground in gay confusion. Faster and faster till, asthe infection of the dance spread even to the outside groups,I capered too. My word! if they could have seen methat night from the deck of the old Carolina, how theywould have laughed--sword swinging, coat-tails flying--faster and faster, round and round we went, till limbscould stand no more; the gasping piper blew himself quiteout, and the dance ended as abruptly as it commenced, thedancers melting away to join others or casting themselvespanting on the turf.Certainly these Martian girls were blessed with an in-gratiating simplicity. My new friend of the violet-scentedbreath hung back a little, then after looking at me de-murely for a minute or two, like a child that chooses anew playmate, came softly up, and, standing on tiptoe, kissedme on the cheek. It was not unpleasant, so I turned theother, whereon, guessing my meaning, without the smallesthesitation, she reached up again, and pressed her prettymouth to my bronzed skin a second time. Then, with alittle sigh of satisfaction, she ran an arm through mine,saying, "Comrade, from what country have you come?I never saw one quite like you before.""From what country had I come?" Again the frowndropped down upon my forehead. Was I dreaming--wasI mad? Where indeed had I come from? I stared backover my shoulder, and there, as if in answer to my thought--there, where the black tracery of flowering shrubs wavedin the soft night wind, over a gap in the crumbling ivoryramparts, the sky was brightening. As I looked into thecentre of that glow, a planet, magnified by the wonderfulair, came swinging up, pale but splendid, and mapped bysoft colours--green, violet, and red. I knew it on the min-ute, Heaven only knows how, but I knew it, and a des-perate thrill of loneliness swept over me, a spasm of com-prehension of the horrible void dividing us. Never did yearn-ing babe stretch arms more wistfully to an unattainablemother than I at that moment to my mother earth. Allher meanness and prosaicness was forgotten, all her im-perfections and shortcomings; it was home, the one tangiblething in the glittering emptiness of the spheres. All mysoul went into my eyes, and then I sneezed violently, andturning round, found that sweet damsel whose silky headnestled so friendly on my shoulder was tickling my nosewith a feather she had picked up.Womanlike, she had forgotten all about her first question,and now asked another, "Will you come to supper with me,stranger? 'Tis nearly ready, I think.""To be able to say no to such an invitation, lady, isthe first thing a young man should learn," I answered lightly;but then, seeing there was nothing save the most innocentfriendliness in those hazel eyes, I went on, "but that sternrule may admit of variance. Only, as it chances, I havejust supped at the public expense. If, instead, you wouldbe a sailor's sweetheart for an hour, and take me to thisshow of yours--your princess's benefit, or whatever it is--I shall be obliged; my previous guide is hull down overthe horizon, and I am clean out of my reckoning in thiscrowd."By way of reply, the little lady, light as an elf, took meby the fingertips, and, gleefully skipping forward, pilotedme through the mazes of her city until we came out intothe great square fronting on the palace, which rose beyondit like a white chalk cliff in the dull light. Not a tapershowed anywhere round its circumference, but a mysteriouskind of radiance like sea phosphorescence beamed fromthe palace porch. All was in such deathlike silence thatthe nails in my "ammunition" boots made an unpleasantclanking as they struck on the marble pavement; yet, bythe uncertain starlight, I saw, to my surprise, the wholesquare was thronged with Martians, all facing towardsthe porch, as still, graven images, and as voiceless, foronce, as though they had indeed been marble. It was strangeto see them sitting there in the twilight, waiting for Iknew not what, and my friend's voice at my elbow almoststartled me as she said, in a whisper, "The princess knowsyou are in the crowd, and desires you to go up uponthe steps near where she will be.""Who brought her message?" I asked, gazing vaguelyround, for none had spoken to us for an hour or more."No one," said my companion, gently pushing me upan open way towards the palace steps left clear by thesitting Martians. "It came direct from her to me this minute.""But how?" I persisted."Nay," said the girl, "if we stop to talk like this we shallnot be placed before she comes, and thus throw a wholeyear's knowledge out."So, bottling my speculations, I allowed myself to beled up the first flight of worn, white steps to where, onthe terrace between them and the next flight leadingdirectly to the palace portico, was a flat, having a circleabout twenty feet across, inlaid upon the marble with darkercoloured blocks. Inside that circle, as I sat down close byit in the twilight, showed another circle, and then a finalone in whose inmost middle stood a tall iron tripod andsomething atop of it covered by a cloth. And all round theouter circle were magic symbols--I started as I recognisedthe meaning of some of them--within these again the innercircle held what looked like the representations of planets,ending, as I have said, in that dished hollow made bycountless dancers' feet, and its solitary tripod. Back again,I glanced towards the square where the great concourse--ten thousand of them, perhaps--were sitting mute andsilent in the deepening shadows, then back to the magiccircles, till the silence and expectancy of a strange scenebegan to possess me.Shadow down below, star-dusted heaven above, and nota figure moving; when suddenly something like a long-drawn sigh came from the lips of the expectant multitude,and I was aware every eye had suddenly turned backto the palace porch, where, as we looked, a figure, wrappedin pale blue robes, appeared and stood for a minute, thenstole down the steps with an eagerness in every movementholding us spellbound. I have seen many splendid pageantsand many sights, each of which might be the talk of a life-time, but somehow nothing ever so engrossing, so thrilling,as that ghostly figure in flowing robes stealing across thepiazza in starlight and silence--the princess of a brokenkingdom, the priestess of a forgotten faith coming to herstation to perform a jugglery of which she knew not eventhe meaning. It was my versatile friend Heru, and withquick, incisive steps, her whole frame ambent for the timewith the fervour of her mission, she came swiftly downto within a dozen yards of where I stood. Heru, indeed,but not the same princess as in the morning; an inspiredpriestess rather, her slim body wrapped in blue and quiver-ing with emotion, her face ashine with Delphic fire, her hairloose, her feet bare, until at last when, as she stood withinthe limit of the magic circle, her white hands upon herbreast, her eyes flashing like planets themselves in the star-shine she looked so ghostly and unreal I felt for a minuteI was dreaming.Then began a strange, weird dance amongst the im-agery of the rings, over which my earth planet was begin-ning to throw a haze of light. At first it was hardly morethan a walk, a slow procession round the twin circumfer-ences of the centred tripod. But soon it increased to anextraordinary graceful measure, a cadenced step withoutmusic or sound that riveted my eyes to the dancer. Pres-ently I saw those mystic, twinkling feet of hers--as thedance became swifter--were performing a measured roundamongst the planet signs--spelling out something, I knewnot what, with quick, light touch amongst the zodiac figures,dancing out a soundless invocation of some kind as a dumbman might spell a message by touching letters. Quickerand quicker, for minute after minute, grew the dance,swifter and swifter the swing of the light blue drapery asthe priestess, with eager face and staring eyes, swung pant-ing round upon her orbit, and redder and redder over the citytops rose the circumference of the earth. It seemedto me all the silent multitude were breathing heavily aswe watched that giddy dance, and whatever THEY felt,all my own senses seemed to be winding up upon that re-volving figure as thread winds on a spindle."When will she stop?" I whispered to my friend undermy breath."When the earth-star rests in the roof-niche of the templeit is climbing," she answered back."And then?""On the tripod is a globe of water. In it she will see thedestiny of the year, and will tell us. The whiter the waterstays, the better for us; it never varies from white. But wemust not talk; see! she is stopping."And as I looked back, the dance was certainly ebbingnow with such smoothly decreasing undulations, that everyheart began to beat calmer in response. There was a minuteor two of such slow cessation, and then to say she stoppedwere too gross a description. Motion rather died awayfrom her, and the priestess grounded as smoothly as a shipgrounds in fine weather on a sandy bank. There she wasat last, crouched behind the tripod, one corner of thecloth covering it grasped in her hand, and her eyes fixed onthe shining round just poised upon the distant run.Keenly the girl watched it slide into zenith, then thecloth was snatched from the tripod-top. As it fell it un-covered a beautiful and perfect globe of clear white glass,a foot or so in diameter, and obviously filled with the thin-nest, most limpid water imaginable. At first it seemed to me,who stood near to the priestess of Mars, with that beamingsphere directly between us, and the newly risen world, thatits smooth and flawless face was absolutely devoid of signor colouring. Then, as the distant planet became stronger inthe magnifying Martian air, or my eyes better accustomedto that sudden nucleus of brilliancy, a delicate and in-finitely lovely network of colours came upon it. They werelike the radiant prisms that sometimes flush the surface ofa bubble more than aught else for a time. But as I watchedthat mosaic of yellow and purple creep softly to and froupon the globe it seemed they slowly took form andmeaning. Another minute or two and they had certainly con-gealed into a settled plan, and then, as I stared andwondered, it burst upon me in a minute that I was lookingupon a picture, faithful in every detail, of the world I stoodon; all its ruddy forests, its sapphire sea, both broad andnarrow ones, its white peaked mountains, and unnumberedislands being mapped out with startling clearness for aspell upon that beaming orb.Then a strange thing happened. Heru, who had beencrouching in a tremulous heap by the tripod, rose stealthilyand passed her hands a few times across the sphere. Colourand picture vanished at her touch like breath from a mirror.Again all was clear and pellucid."Now," said my companion, "now listen! For Heru readsthe destiny; the whiter the globe stays the better for us--"and then I felt her hand tighten on mine with a startled graspas the words died away upon her lips.Even as the girl spoke, the sphere, which had been beam-ing in the centre of the silent square like a mighty whitejewel, began to flush with angry red. Redder and reddergrew the gleam--a fiery glow which seemed curdling inthe interior of the round as though it were filled with flame;redder and redder, until the princess, staring into it, seemedturned against the jet-black night behind, into a form ofmolten metal. A spasm of terror passed across her as shestared; her limbs stiffened; her frightened hands were clutchedin front, and she stood cowering under that great crimsonnucleus like one bereft of power and life, and lost to everysense but that of agony. Not a syllable came from her lips,not a movement stirred her body, only that dumb, stupidstare of horror, at the something she saw in the globe.What could I do? I could not sit and see her soul comeout at her frightened eyes, and not a Martian moved a fingerto her rescue; the red shine gleamed on empty faces, tierabove tier, and flung its broad flush over the endlessrank of open-mouthed spectators, then back I looked toHeru--that winsome little lady for whom, you will re-member, I had already more than a passing fancy--andsaw with a thrill of emotion that while she still kept hereyes on the flaming globe like one in a horrible dream herhands were slowly, very slowly, rising in supplication toME! It was not vanity. There was no mistaking the directionof that silent, imploring appeal.Not a man of her countrymen moved, not even blackHath! There was not a sound in the world, it seemed,but the noisy clatter of my own shoenails on the marbleflags. In the great red eye of that unholy globe the Martiansglimmered like a picture multitude under the red cliff oftheir ruined palace. I glared round at them with contemptfor a minute, then sprang forward and snatched the prin-cess up. It was like pulling a flower up by the roots. Shewas stiff and stark when I lay hold of her, but when I toreher from the magic ground she suddenly gave a piercingshriek, and fainted in my arms.Then as I turned upon my heels with her upon my breastmy foot caught upon the cloths still wound about the tripodof the sphere. Over went that implement of a thousandyears of sorcery, and out went the red fire. But little Icared--the princess was safe! And up the palace steps,amidst a low, wailing hum of consternation from the re-covering Martians, I bore that bundle of limp and senselessloveliness up into the pale shine of her own porch, andthere, laying her down upon a couch, watched her recoverpresently amongst her women with a varied assortment ofemotions tingling in my veins.CHAPTER VIBeyond the first flutter of surprise, the Martians hadshown no interest in the abrupt termination of the year'sdivinations. They melted away, a trifle more silently per-haps than usual, when I shattered the magic globe, butwith their invariable indifference, and having handed thereviving Heru over to some women who led her away,apparently already half forgetful of the things that hadjust happened, I was left alone on the palace steps, noteven An beside me, and only the shadow of a passerbynow and then to break the solitude. Whereon a great lone-liness took hold upon me, and, pacing to and fro alongthe ancient terrace with bent head and folded arms, Ibewailed my fate. To and fro I walked, heedless andmelancholy, thinking of the old world, that was so far andthis near world so distant from me in everything makinglife worth living, thinking, as I strode gloomily here andthere, how gladly I would exchange these poor puppets andthe mockery of a town they dwelt in, for a sight of my com-rades and a corner in the poorest wine-shop salon in NewYork or 'Frisco; idly speculating why, and how, I camehere, as I sauntered down amongst the glistening, shell-likefragments of the shattered globe, and finding no answer.How could I? It was too fair, I thought, standing there inthe open; there was a fatal sweetness in the air, a deadlysufficiency in the beauty of everything around falling onthe lax senses like some sleepy draught of pleasure. Not aleaf stirred, the wide purple roof of the sky was unbrokenby the healthy promise of a cloud from rim to rim, thesplendid country, teeming with its spring-time richness, layin rank perfection everywhere; and just as rank and sleekand passionless were those who owned it.Why, even I, who yesterday was strong, began to comeunder the spell of it. But yesterday the spirit of the oldworld was still strong within me, yet how much thingswere now changing. The well-strung muscles loosening,the heart beating a slower measure, the busy mind drowsingoff to listlessness. Was I, too, destined to become like these?Was the red stuff in my veins to be watered down topallid Martian sap? Was ambition and hope to desert me,and idleness itself become laborious, while life ran to seedin gilded uselessness? Little did I guess how unnecessary myfears were, or of the incredible fairy tale of adventure intowhich fate was going to plunge me.Still engrossed the next morning by these thoughts, Idecided I would go to Hath. Hath was a man--at least theysaid so--he might sympathise even though he could nothelp, and so, dressing finished, I went down towards theinnermost palace whence for an hour or two had comesounds of unwonted bustle. Asking for the way occasion-ally from sleepy folk lolling about the corridors, waitingas it seemed for their breakfasts to come to them, andembarrassed by the new daylight, I wandered to and froin the labyrinths of that stony ant-heap until I chancedupon a curtained doorway which admitted to a long cham-ber, high-roofed, ample in proportions, with colonnades oneither side separated from the main aisle by rows offlowery figures and emblematic scroll-work, meaning I knewnot what. Above those pillars ran a gallery with manywindows looking out over the ruined city. While at thefurther end of the chamber stood three broad steps leadingto a dais. As I entered, the whole place was full of bustlinggirls, their yellow garments like a bed of flowers in thesunlight trickling through the casements, and all intent onthe spreading of a feast on long tables ranged up anddown the hall. The morning light streamed in on the whitecloths. It glittered on the glass and the gold they wereputting on the trestles, and gave resplendent depths ofcolour to the ribbon bands round the pillars. All were sobusy no one noticed me standing in the twilight by thedoor, but presently, laying a hand on a worker's shoulder,I asked who they banqueted for, and why such unwontedpreparation?"It is the marriage-feast tonight, stranger, and a marvelyou did not know it. You, too, are to be wed.""I had not heard of it, damsel; a paternal forethoughtof your Government, I suppose? Have you any idea whothe lady is?""How should I know?" she answered laughingly. "Thatis the secret of the urn. Meanwhile, we have set you aplace at the table-head near Princess Heru, and tonightyou dip and have your chance like all of them; may lucksend you a rosy bride, and save her from Ar-hap.""Ay, now I remember; An told me of this before; Ar-hapis the sovereign with whom your people have a littledifference, and shares unbidden in the free distribution ofbrides to-night. This promises to be interesting; depend on itI will come; if you will keep me a place where I can hearthe speeches, and not forget me when the turtle soup goesround, I shall be more than grateful. Now to another matter.I want to get a few minutes with your President, PrinceHath. He concentrates the fluid intelligence of this sphere,I am told. Where can I find him?""He is drunk, in the library, sir!""My word! It is early in the day for that, and a singularconjunction of place and circumstance.""Where," said the girl, "could he safer be? We canalways fetch him if we want him, and sunk in blue ob-livion he will not come to harm.""A cheerful view, Miss, which is worthy of the attentionof our reformers. Nevertheless, I will go to him. I haveknown men tell more truth in that state than in any other."The servitor directed me to the library, and after deso-late wanderings up crumbling steps and down moulderingcorridors, sunny and lovely in decay, I came to the im-mense lumber-shed of knowledge they had told me of, a cityof dead books, a place of dusty cathedral aisles stored withforgotten learning. At a table sat Hath the purposeless,enthroned in leather and vellum, snoring in divine contentamongst all that wasted labour, and nothing I could dowas sufficient to shake him into semblance of intelligence. Soperforce I turned away till he should have come to him-self, and wandering round the splendid litter of a noblelibrary, presently amongst the ruck of volumes on thefloor, amongst those lordly tomes in tattered green andgold, and ivory, my eye lit upon a volume propped upcuriously on end, and going to it through the confusion Isaw by the dried fruit rind upon the sticks supporting it,that the grave and reverend tome was set to catch a mouse!It was a splendid book when I looked more closely, boundas a king might bind his choicest treasure, the sweet-scented leather on it was no doubt frayed; the goldenarabesques upon the covers had long since shed their eyesof inset gems, the jewelled clasp locking its learning up fromvulgar gaze was bent and open. Yet it was a lordly tomewith an odour of sanctity about it, and lifting it with diffi-culty, I noticed on its cover a red stain of mouse's blood.Those who put it to this quaint use of mouse-trap hadalready had some sport, but surely never was a mousecrushed before under so much learning. And while I stoodguessing at what the book might hold within, Heru, theprincess, came tripping in to me, and with the abrupt famili-arity of her kind, laid a velvet hand upon my wrist, connedthe title over to herself."What does it say, sweet girl?" I asked. "The matter islearned, by its feel," and that maid, pursing up her prettylips, read the title to me--"The Secret of the Gods.""The Secret of the Gods," I murmured. "Was it pos-sible other worlds had struggled hopelessly to come withinthe barest ken of that great knowledge, while here the samewas set to catch a mouse with?"I said, "Silver-footed, sit down and read me a passageor two," and propping the mighty volume upon a tabledrew a bench before it and pulled her down beside me."Oh! a horrid, dry old book for certain," cried that lady,her pink fingertips falling as lightly on the musty leavesas almond petals on March dust. "Where shall I begin? Itis all equally dull.""Dip in," was my answer. " 'Tis no great matter where,but near the beginning. What says the writer of his intention?What sets he out to prove?""He says that is the Secret of the First Great Truth,descended straight to him--""Many have said so much, yet have lied.""He says that which is written in his book is throughhim but not of him, past criticism and beyond cavil. 'Tis allin ancient and crabbed characters going back to the thresholdof my learning, but here upon this passage-top where theyare writ large I make them out to say, 'ONLY THE MANWHO HAS DIED MANY TIMES BEGINS TO LIVE.'""A pregnant passage! Turn another page, and try again;I have an inkling of the book already.""'Tis poor, silly stuff," said the girl, slipping a handcovertly into my own. "Why will you make me read it?I have a book on pomatums worth twice as much as this.""Nevertheless, dip in again, dear lady. What says thenext heading?" And with a little sigh at the heaviness of hertask, Heru read out: "SOMETIMES THE GODS THEM-SELVES FORGET THE ANSWERS TO THEIR OWNRIDDLES.""Lady, I knew it!"All this is still preliminary to the great matter of thebook,but the mutterings of the priest who draws back the cur-tains of the shrine--and here, after the scribe has leftthese two yellow pages blank as though to set a space ofreverence between himself and what comes next--herespeaks the truth, the voice, the fact of all life." But "Oh!Jones," she said, turning from the dusty pages and claspingher young, milk-warm hands over mine and leaning towardsme until her blushing cheek was near to my shoulder andthe incense of her breath upon me. "Oh! Gulliver Jones,"she said. "Make me read no more; my soul revolts fromthe task, the crazy brown letters swim before my eyes. Isthere no learning near at hand that would be pleasanterreading than this silly book of yours? What, after all," shesaid, growing bolder at the sound of her own voice, "what,after all, is the musty reticence of gods to the whisperedsecret of a maid? Jones, splendid stranger for whom allmen stand aside and women look over shoulders, oh, letme be your book!" she whispered, slipping on to my kneeand winding her arms round my neck till, through the whiteglimmer of her single vest, I could feel her heart beatingagainst mine. "Newest and dearest of friends, put by thisdreary learning and look in my eyes; is there nothing to bespelt out there?"And I was constrained to do as she bid me, for she wasas fresh as an almond blossom touched by the sun, andlooking down into two swimming blue lakes where shynessand passion were contending--books easy enough, in truth,to be read, I saw that she loved me, with the unconventionalardour of her nature.It was a pleasant discovery, if its abruptness was em-barrassing, for she was a maid in a thousand; and halfashamed and half laughing I let her escalade me, throwingnow and then a rueful look at the Secret of the Gods,and all that priceless knowledge treated so unworthily.What else could I do? Besides, I loved her myself! Andif there was a momentary chagrin at having yonder goldenknowledge put off by this lovely interruption, yet I wasflesh and blood, the gods could wait--they had to waitlong and often before, and when this sweet interpreter wascomforted we would have another try. So it happened I tookher into my heart and gave her the answer she asked for.For a long time we sat in the dusky grandeur of theroyal library, my mind revolving between wonder and ad-miration of the neglected knowledge all about, and the stir-rings of a new love, while Heru herself, lapsed again intoMartian calm, lay half sleeping on my shoulder, but pre-sently, unwinding her arms, I put her down."There, sweetheart," I whispered, "enough of this for themoment; tonight, perhaps, some more, but while we are hereamongst all this lordly litter, I can think of nothing else."Again I bid her turn the pages, noting as she did so howeach chapter was headed by the coloured configuration ofa world. Page by page we turned of crackling parchment,until by chance, at the top of one, my eye caught a colouredround I could not fail to recognise--'twas the spinning but-ton on the blue breast of the immeasurable that yesterdayI inhabited. "Read here," I cried, clapping my fingerupon the page midway down, where there were some signslooking like Egyptian writing. "Says this quaint dabbler inall knowledge anything of Isis, anything of Phra, of Am-mon, of Ammon Top?""And who was Isis? who Ammon Top?" asked the lady."Nay, read," I answered, and down the page her slenderfingers went awandering till at a spot of knotted signsthey stopped. "Why, here is something about thy Isis," ex-claimed Heru, as though amused at my perspicuity. "Here,halfway down this chapter of earth-history, it says," andputting one pink knee across the other to better propthe book she read:"And the priests of Thebes were gone; the sand stood un-trampled on the temple steps a thousand years; the wild beessang the song of desolation in the ears of Isis; the wildcats littered in the stony lap of Ammon; ay, another thou-sand years went by, and earth was tilled of unseen handsand sown with yellow grain from Paradise, and the thinveil that separates the known from the unknown was rent,and men walked to and fro.""Go on," I said."Nay," laughed the other, "the little mice in their eager-ness have been before you--see, all this corner is gnawedaway.""Read on again," I said, "where the page is whole; thosesips of knowledge you have given make me thirsty for more.There, begin where this blazonry of initialed red and goldlooks so like the carpet spread by the scribe for the feet ofa sovereign truth--what says he here?" And she, halfpouting to be set back once more to that task, half won-dering as she gazed on those magic letters, let her eyesrun down the page, then began:"And it was the Beginning, and in the centre void pres-ently there came a nucleus of light: and the light brightenedin the grey primeval morning and became definite andarticulate. And from the midst of that natal splendour, behindwhich was the Unknowable, the life came hitherward; fromthe midst of that nucleus undescribed, undescribable, thereissued presently the primeval sigh that breathed the breathof life into all things. And that sigh thrilled through theempty spaces of the illimitable: it breathed the breath ofpromise over the frozen hills of the outside planets wherethe night-frost had lasted without beginning: and the watersof ten thousand nameless oceans, girding nameless planets,were stirred, trembling into their depth. It crossed the il-limitable spaces where the herding aerolites swirl foreverthrough space in the wake of careering world, and all theirwhistling wings answered to it. It reverberated through thegrey wastes of vacuity, and crossed the dark oceans of theOutside, even to the black shores of the eternal night beyond."And hardly had echo of that breath died away in thehollow of the heavens and the empty wombs of a millionbarren worlds, when the light brightened again, and draw-ing in upon itself became definite and took form, andtherefrom, at the moment of primitive conception, therecame--"And just then, as she had read so far as that, when allmy faculties were aching to know what came next--whether this were but the idle scribbling of a vacuous fool,or something else--there rose the sound of soft flutes andtinkling bells in the corridors, as seneschals wandered pip-ing round the palace to call folk to meals, a smell of roastmeat and grilling fish as that procession lifted the curtainsbetween the halls, and--"Dinner!" shouted my sweet Martian, slapping the cov-ers of The Secret of the Gods together and pushing thestately tome headlong from the table. "Dinner! 'Tis wortha hundred thousand planets to the hungry!"Nothing I could say would keep her, and, scarcely know-ing whether to laugh or to be angry at so unseemly aninterruption, but both being purposeless I dug my hands intomy pockets, and somewhat sulkily refusing Heru's invita-tion to luncheon in the corridor (Navy rations had notfitted my stomach for these constant debauches of gos-samer food), strolled into the town again in no very pleasantframe of mind.CHAPTER VIIIt was only at moments like these I had any time to reflecton my circumstances or that giddy chance which had shotme into space in this fashion, and, frankly, the opportunities,when they did come, brought such an extraordinary de-pressing train of thought, I by no means invited them.Even with the time available the occasion was always awryfor such reflection. These dainty triflers made sulking asimpossible amongst them as philosophy in a ballroom. WhenI stalked out like that from the library in fine mood tomoralise and apostrophise heaven in a way that would nodoubt have looked fine upon these pages, one sprightly dam-sel, just as the gloomy rhetoric was bursting from my lips,thrust a flower under my nose whose scent brought on aviolent attack of sneezing, her companions joining handsand dancing round me while they imitated my agony. Then,when I burst away from them and rushed down a nar-row arcade of crumbling mansions, another stopped me inmid-career, and taking the honey-stick she was sucking fromher lips, put it to mine, like a pretty, playful child. An-other asked me to dance, another to drink pink oblivionwith her, and so on. How could one lament amongst allthis irritating cheerfulness?An might have helped me, for poor An was intelligent fora Martian, but she had disappeared, and the terrible vacu-ity of life in the planet was forced upon me when I realisedthat possessing no cognomen, no fixed address, or rating, itwould be the merest chance if I ever came across her again.Looking for my friendly guide and getting more andmore at sea amongst a maze of comely but similar faces,I made chance acquaintance with another of her kind whocheerfully drank my health at the Government's expense, andchatted on things Martian. She took me to see a funeralby way of amusement, and I found these people floated theirdead off on flower-decked rafts instead of burying them,the send-offs all taking place upon a certain swift-flowingstream, which carried the dead away into the vast region ofnorthern ice, but more exactly whither my informantseemed to have no idea. The voyager on this occasion wasold, and this brought to my mind the curious fact that Ihad observed few children in the city, and no elders, all,except perhaps Hath, being in a state of sleek youthfulness.My new friend explained the peculiarity by declaring Mar-tians ripened with extraordinary rapidity from infancy tothe equivalent of about twenty-five years of age, with us,and then remained at that period however long they mightlive; Only when they died did their accumulated seasonscome upon them; the girl turning pale, and wringing her pret-ty hands in sympathetic concern when I told her there was aland where decrepitude was not so happily postponed. TheMartians, she said, arranged their calendar by the varyingcolours of the seasons, and loved blue as an antidote to thegenerally red and rusty character of their soil.Discussing such things as these we lightly squanderedthe day away, and I know of nothing more to note untilthe evening was come again: that wonderful purple eveningwhich creeps over the outer worlds at sunset, a seductivedarkness gemmed with ten thousand stars riding so low inthe heaven they seem scarcely more than mast high. Whenthat hour was come my friend tiptoed again to my cheek,and then, pointing to the palace and laughingly hoping fatewould send me a bride "as soft as catkin and as sweet ashoney," slipped away into the darkness.Then I remembered all on a sudden this was the con-nubial evening of my sprightly friends--the occasion when,as An had told me, the Government constituted itself intoa gigantic matrimonial agency, and, with the cheerful care-lessness of the place, shuffled the matrimonial pack anew,and dealt a fresh hand to all the players. Now I had no wishto avail myself of a sailor's privilege of a bride in every port,but surely this game would be interesting enough to see,even if I were but a disinterested spectator. As a matter offact I was something more than that, and had been thinkinga good deal of Heru during the day. I do not knowwhether I actually aspired to her hand--that were a largeorder, even if there had been no suspicion in my mind shewas already bespoke in some vague way by the invisibleHath, most abortive of princes. But she was undeniably alovely girl; the more one thought of her the more she grewupon the fancy, and then the preference she had shownmyself was very gratifying. Yes, I would certainly see thisquaint ceremonial, even if I took no leading part in it.The great centre hall of the palace was full of a radiantlight bringing up its ruined columns and intruding creepersto the best effect when I entered. Dinner also was justbeing served, as they would say in another, and alas! verydistant place, and the whole building thronged with folk.Down the centre low tables with room for four hundredpeople were ranged, but they looked quaint enough sincebut two hundred were sitting there, all brand-new bachelorsabout to be turned into brand new Benedicts, and takingit mightily calmly it seemed. Across the hall-top was a raisedtable similarly arranged and ornamented; and entering intothe spirit of the thing, and little guessing how stern a realitywas to come from the evening, I sat down in a vacant placenear to the dais, and only a few paces from where the pale,ghost-eyed Hath was already seated.Almost immediately afterwards music began to buzz allabout the hall--music of the kind the people loved whichalways seemed to me as though it were exuding from thetables and benches, so disembodied and difficult it was tolocate; all the sleepy gallants raised their flower-encircledheads at the same time, seizing their wine-cups, alreadyfilled to the brim, and the door at the bottom of the hallopening, the ladies, preceded by one carrying a mysteriousvase covered with a glittering cloth, came in.Now, being somewhat thirsty, I had already drunk halfthe wine in my beaker, and whether it was that draught,drugged as all Martian wines are, or the sheer loveliness ofthe maids themselves, I cannot say, but as the processionentered, and, dividing, circled round under the colonnadesof the hall, a sensation of extraordinary felicity came overme--an emotion of divine contentment purged of all gross-ness--and I stared and stared at the circling loveliness, gos-samer-clad, flower-girdled, tripping by me with vapid de-light. Either the wine was budding in my head, or therewas little to choose from amongst them, for had any of thoseladies sat down in the vacant place beside me, I shouldcertainly have accepted her as a gift from heaven, withoutquestion or cavil. But one after another they slipped by,modestly taking their places in the shadows until at lastcame Princess Heru, and at the sight of her my soulwas stirred.She came undulating over the white marble, the lovelinessof her fairy person dimmed but scarcely hidden by a robeof softest lawn in colour like rose-petals, her eyes aglitterwith excitement and a charming blush upon her face.She came straight up to me, and, resting a dainty handupon my shoulder, whispered, "Are you come as a spectatoronly, dear Mr. Jones, or do you join in our custom tonight?""I came only as a bystander, lady, but the fascinationof the opportunity is deadly--""And have you any preference?"--this in the softest littlevoice from somewhere in the nape of my neck. "Strangerssometimes say there are fair women in Seth.""None--till you came; and now, as was said a long timeago, 'All is dross that is not Helen.' Dearest lady," I ran on,detaining her by the fingertips and gazing up into thoseshy and star-like eyes, "must I indeed put all the hopesyour kindness has roused in me these last few days to ashuffle in yonder urn, taking my chance with all these lazyfellows? In that land whereof I was, we would not havehad it so, we loaded our dice in these matters, a strong manthere might have a willing maid though all heaven wereset against him! But give me leave, sweet lady, and I willruffle with these fellows; give me a glance and I will bartermy life for your billet when it is drawn, but to stand idlyby and see you won by a cold chance, I cannot do it."That lady laughed a little and said, "Men make laws,dear Jones, for women to keep. It is the rule, and we mustnot break it." Then, gently tugging at her imprisoned fingersand gathering up her skirts to go, she added, "But it mighthappen that wit here were better than sword." Then shehesitated, and freeing herself at last slipped from my side,yet before she was quite gone half turned again andwhispered so low that no one but I could hear it, "Agolden pool, and a silver fish, and a line no thicker thana hair!" and before I could beg a meaning of her, hadpassed down the hall and taken a place with the otherexpectant damsels."A golden pool," I said to myself, "a silver fish, and aline of hair." What could she mean? Yet that she meantsomething, and something clearly of importance, I couldnot doubt. "A golden pool, and a silver fish--" I buriedmy chin in my chest and thought deeply but without effectwhile the preparations were made and the fateful urn, eachmaid having slipped her name tablet within, was broughtdown to us, covered in a beautiful web of rose-colouredtissue, and commenced its round, passing slowly from hand tohand as each of those handsome, impassive, fawn-eyedgallants lifted a corner of the web in turn and helpedthemselves to fate."A golden pool," I muttered, "and a silver fish"--so ab-sorbed in my own thoughts I hardly noticed the greatcup begin its journey, but when it had gone three or fourplaces the glitter of the lights upon it caught my eye. It wasof pure gold, round-brimmed, and circled about with a stringof the blue convolvulus, which implies delight to thesepeople. Ay! and each man was plunging his hand into thedark and taking in his turn a small notch-edged mother-of-pearl billet from it that flashed soft and silvery as he turnedit in his hand to read the name engraved in unknowncharacters thereon. "Why," I said, with a start, "surelyTHIS might be the golden pool and these the silver fish--but the hair-fine line? And again I meditated deeply, with allmy senses on the watch.Slowly the urn crept round, and as each man took aticket from it, and passed it, smiling, to the seneschal behindhim, that official read out the name upon it, and a blushingdamsel slipped from the crowd above, crossing over to theside of the man with whom chance had thus lightly linkedher for the brief Martian year, and putting her hands inhis they kissed before all the company, and sat down totheir places at the table as calmly as country folk mightchoose partners at a village fair in hay-time.But not so with me. Each time a name was called Istarted and stared at the drawer in a way which shouldhave filled him with alarm had alarm been possible to thepeace-soaked triflers, then turned to glance to where,amongst the women, my tender little princess was leaningagainst a pillar, with drooping head, slowly pulling a con-volvulus bud to pieces. None drew, though all were thinkingof her, as I could tell in my fingertips. Keener and keenergrew the suspense as name after name was told and each slimwhite damsel skipped to the place allotted her. And all thetime I kept muttering to myself about that "golden pool,"wondering and wondering until the urn had passed half roundthe tables and was only some three men up from me--andthen an idea flashed across my mind. I dipped my fingers inthe scented water-basin on the table, drying them carefullyon a napkin, and waiting, outwardly as calm as any, yetinwardly wrung by those tremors which beset all malecreation in such circumstances.And now at last it was my turn. The great urn, blazinggolden, through its rosy covering, was in front, and all eyeson me. I clapped a sunburnt hand upon its top as thoughI would take all remaining in it to myself and stared roundat that company--only her herself I durst not look at! Then,with a beating heart, I lifted a corner of the web andslipped my hand into the dark inside, muttering to myselfas I did so, "A golden pool, and a silver fish, and a line nothicker than a hair." I touched in turn twenty perplexingtablets and was no whit the wiser, and felt about the sidesyet came to nothing, groping here and there with a risingdespair, until as my fingers, still damp and fine of touch,went round the sides a second time, yes! there was some-thing, something in the hollow of the fluting, a thought, athread, and yet enough. I took it unseen, lifting it with in-finite forbearance, and the end was weighted, the othertablets slipped and rattled as from their midst, hangingto that one fine virgin hair, up came a pearly billet. I doubtedno longer, but snapped the thread, and showed the tablet,heard Heru's name, read from it amongst the soft applauseof that luxurious company with all the unconcern I couldmuster.There she was in a moment, lip to lip with me, beforethem all, her eyes more than ever like planets from hernative skies, and only the quick heave of her bosom, slowlysubsiding like a ground swell after a storm, remaining to tellthat even Martian blood could sometimes beat quicker thanusual! She sat down in her place by me in the simplestway, and soon everything was as merry as could be. Themain meal came on now, and as far as I could see thoseMartian gallants had extremely good appetites, though theydrank at first but little, wisely remembering the strength oftheir wines. As for me, I ate of fishes that never swam inearthly seas, and of strange fowl that never flapped a waythrough thick terrestrial air, ate and drank as happy as a king,and falling each moment more and more in love with thewonderfully beautiful girl at my side who was a real womanof flesh and blood I knew, yet somehow so dainty, so pinkand white, so unlike other girls in the smoothness of heroutlines, in the subtle grace of each unthinking attitude,that again and again I looked at her over the rim of mytankard half fearing she might dissolve into nothing, beingthe half-fairy which she was.Presently she asked, "Did that deed of mine, the hair inthe urn, offend you, stranger?""Offend me, lady!" I laughed. "Why, had it been theblackest crime that ever came out of a perverse imaginationit would have brought its own pardon with it; I, least ofall in this room, have least cause to be offended.""I risked much for you and broke our rules.""Why, no doubt that was so, but 'tis the privilege of yourkind to have some say in this little matter of giving andtaking in marriage. I only marvel that your countrywomensubmit so tamely to the quaintest game of chance I everplayed at."Ay, and it is women's nature no doubt to keep the lawswhich others make, as you have said yourself. Yet this rule,lady, is one broken with more credit than kept, and ifyou have offended no one more than me, your penance iseasily done.""But I have offended some one," she said, laying her handon mine with gentle nervousness in its touch, "one who hasthe power to hurt, and enough energy to resent. Hath, upthere at the cross-table, have I offended deeply tonight, forhe hoped to have me, and would have compelled anyother man to barter me for the maid chance assignedto him; but of you, somehow, he is afraid--I have seenhim staring at you, and changing colour as though he knewsomething no one else knows--""Briefly, charming girl," I said, for the wine was be-ginning to sing in my head, and my eyes were blinkingstupidly--"briefly, Hath hath thee not, and there's an endof it. I would spit a score of Haths, as these figs are spiton this golden skewer, before I would relinquish a hairof your head to him, or to any man," and as everythingabout the great hall began to look gauzy and unreal throughthe gathering fumes of my confusion, I smiled on that graciouslady, and began to whisper I know not what to her, andwhisper and doze, and doze--I know not how long afterwards it was, whether a minuteor an hour, but when I lifted my head suddenly fromthe lady's shoulder all the place was in confusion, every oneupon their feet, the talk and the drinking ceased, and alleyes turned to the far doorway where the curtains were justdropping again as I looked, while in front of them werestanding three men.These newcomers were utterly unlike any others--a fright-ful vision of ugly strength amidst the lolling loveliness allabout. Low of stature, broad of shoulder, hairy, deep-chest-ed, with sharp, twinkling eyes, set far back under bushyeyebrows, retreating foreheads, and flat noses in faces tan-ned to a dusky copper hue by exposure to every kindof weather that racks the extreme Martian climate theywere so opposite to all about me, so quaint and grim amongstthose mild, fair-skinned folk, that at first I thought theywere but a disordered creation of my fancy.I rubbed my eyes and stared and blinked, but no! theywere real men, of flesh and blood, and now they had comedown with as much stateliness as their bandy legs wouldadmit of, into the full glare of the lights to the centre tablewhere Hath sat. I saw their splendid apparel, the great stringsof rudely polished gems hung round their hairy necksand wrists, the cunningly dyed skins of soft-furred animals,green and red and black, wherewith their limbs wereswathed, and then I heard some one by me whisper in afrightened tone, "The envoys from over seas.""Oh," I thought sleepily to myself, "so these are theape-men of the western woods, are they? Those who longago vanquished my white-skinned friends and yearly cometo claim their tribute. Jove, what hay they must have made ofthem! How those peach-skinned girls must have screamedand the downy striplings by them felt their dimpled kneesknock together, as the mad flood of barbarians came pour-ing over from the forest, and long ago stormed their cit-adels like a stream of red lava, as deadly, as irresistible,as remorseless!" And I lay asprawl upon my arms on thetable watching them with the stupid indifference I thoughtI could so well afford.Meanwhile Hath was on foot, pale and obsequious likeothers in the presence of those dread ambassadors, but morecollected, I thought. With the deepest bows he welcomedthem, handing them drink in a golden State cup, and whenthey had drunk (I heard the liquor running down theirgreat throats, in the frightened hush, like water in a runnelon a wet day), they wiped their fierce lips upon theirfurry sleeves, and the leader began reciting the tribute forthe year. So much corn, so much wine--and very much itwas--so many thousands ells of cloth and webbing, and somuch hammered gold, and sinah and lar, precious metalof which I knew nothing as yet; and ever as he went growl-ing through the list in his harsh animal voice, he refreshedhis memory with a coloured stick whereon a notch wasmade for every item, the woodmen not having come asyet, apparently, to the gentler art of written signs andsymbols. Longer and longer that caravan of unearnedwealth stretched out before my fancy, but at last it wasdone, or all but done, and the head envoy, passing thepainted stick to a man behind, folded his bare, sinewyarms, upon which the red fell bristles as it does upon agorilla's, across his ample chest, and, including us all inone general scowl, turned to Hath as he said--"All this for Ar-hap, the wood-king, my master and yours;all this, and the most beautiful woman here tonight at yourtables!""An item," I smiled stupidly to myself, for indeed I wasvery sleepy and had no nice perception of things, "whichshows his majesty with the two-pronged name is a jollyfellow after all, and knows wealth is incomplete without thecrown and priming of all riches. I wonder how the Martianboys will like this postscript," and chin on hand, and eyesthat would hardly stay open, I watched to see what wouldhappen next. There was a little conversation between theprince and the ape-man; then I saw Hath the traitor pointin my direction and say--"Since you ask and will be advised, then, mighty sir,there can be no doubt of it, the most beautiful womanhere tonight is undoubtedly she who sits yonder by him inblue.""A very pretty compliment!" I thought, too dull to seewhat was coming quickly, "and handsome of Hath, all thingsconsidered."And so I dozed and dozed, and then started, and stared!Was I in my senses? Was I mad, or dreaming? The drunk-enness dropped from me like a mantle; with a single,smothered cry I came to myself and saw that it was alltoo true. The savage envoy had come down the hall at Hath'svindictive prompting, had lifted my fair girl to her feet, andthere, even as I looked, had drawn her, white as death,into the red circle of his arm, and with one hand underher chin had raised her sweet face to within an inch of his,and was staring at her with small, ugly eyes."Yes," said the enjoy, more interestedly than he hadspoken yet, "it will do; the tribute is accepted--for Ar-hap, my master!" And taking shrinking Heru by the wrist,and laying a heavy hand upon her shoulder, he was aboutto lead her up the hall.I was sober enough then. I was on foot in an instant, andbefore all the glittering company, before those simpering girlsand pale Martian youths, who sat mumbling their fingers,too frightened to lift their eyes from off their half-finisheddinners, I sprang at the envoy. I struck him with my clenchedfist on the side of his bullet head, and he let go of Heru, whoslipped insensible from his hairy chest like a white cloudslipping down the slopes of a hill at sunrise, and turned onme with a snort of rage. We stared at each other for a minute,and then I felt the wine fumes roaring in my head; Irushed at him and closed. It was like embracing a moun-tain bull, and he responded with a hug that made my ribscrackle. For a minute we were locked together like that,swinging here and there, and then getting a hand loose, Ibelaboured him so unmercifully that he put his head down,and that was what I wanted. I got a new hold of him aswe staggered and plunged, roaring the while like the wildbeasts we were, the teeth chattering in the Martian headsas they watched us, and then, exerting all my strength,lifted him fairly from his feet and with supreme effortswung him up, shoulder high, and with a mighty heavehurled him across the tables, flung that ambassador, whomno Martian dared look upon, crashing and sprawling throughthe gold and silver of the feast, whirled him round with sucha splendid send that bench and trestle, tankards and flagons,chairs and cloths and candelabras all went down intothundering chaos with him, and the envoy only stayedwhen his sacred person came to harbour amongst the westralodds and ends, the soiled linen, and dirty platters of ourwedding feast.I remember seeing him there on hands and knees, andthen the liquor I had had would not be denied. In vainI drew my hands across my drooping eyelids, in vain I triedto master my knees that knocked together. The spell of thelove-drink that Heru, blushing, had held to my lips was onme. Its soft, overwhelming influence rose like a prismaticfog between me and my enemy, everything again becamehazy and dreamlike, and feebly calling on Heru, my chindropped upon my chest, my limbs relaxed, and I slippeddown in drowsy oblivion before my rival.CHAPTER VIIIThey must have carried me, still under the influence of wine fumes, to the chamber where I slept that night, forwhen I woke the following morning my surroundings werefamiliar enough, though a glorious maze of uncertaintiesrocked to and fro in my mind.Was it a real feast we had shared in overnight, or only aquaint dream? Was Heru real or only a lovely fancy? Andthose hairy ruffians of whom a horrible vision danced beforemy waking eyes, were they fancy too? No, my wrists stillached with the strain of the tussle, the quaint, sad winetaste was still on my lips--it was all real enough, I decided,starting up in bed; and if it was real where was the littleprincess? What had they done with her? Surely they hadnot given her to the ape-men--cowards though they werethey could not have been cowards enough for that. And asI wondered a keen, bright picture of the hapless maid asI saw her last blossomed before my mind's eye, the am-bassadors on either side holding her wrists, and she shrink-ing from them in horror while her poor, white face turnedto me for rescue in desperate pleading--oh! I must findher at all costs; and leaping from bed I snatched up thosetrousers without which the best of heroes is nothing, andhad hardly got into them when there came the patter of lightfeet without and a Martian, in a hurry for once, with halfa dozen others behind him, swept aside the curtains ofmy doorway.They peeped and peered all about the room, then onesaid, "Is Princess Heru with you, sir?""No," I answered roughly. "Saints alive, man, do youthink I would have you tumbling in here over each other'sheels if she were?""Then it must indeed have been Heru," he said, speak-ing in an awed voice to his fellows, "whom we saw carrieddown to the harbour at daybreak by yonder woodmen," andthe pink upon their pretty cheeks faded to nothing at thesuggestion."What!" I roared, "Heru taken from the palace by ahandful of men and none of you infernal rascals--none ofyou white-livered abortions lifted a hand to save her--curseon you a thousand times. Out of my way, you churls!" Andsnatching up coat and hat and sword I rushed furiouslydown the long, marble stairs just as the short Martian nightwas giving place to lavender-coloured light of morning. Ifound my way somehow down the deserted corridors wherethe air was heavy with aromatic vapours; I flew by cur-tained niches and chambers where amongst mounds of half-withered flowers the Martian lovers were slowly waking.Down into the banquethall I sped, and there in the twilightwas the litter of the feast still about--gold cups andsilver, broken bread and meat, the convolvulus flowers allturning their pallid faces to the rosy daylight, making pools ofbrightness between the shadows. Amongst the litter littlesapphire-coloured finches were feeding, twittering merrilyto themselves as they hopped about, and here and there downthe long tables lay asprawl a belated reveller, his emptyoblivion-phial before him, his curly head upon his arms,dreaming perhaps of last night's feast and a neglectedbride dozing dispassionate in some distant chamber. ButHeru was not there and little I cared for twittering finchesor sighing damsels. With hasty feet I rushed down thehall out into the cool, sweet air of the planet morning.There I met one whom I knew, and he told me he hadbeen among the crowd and had heard the woodmen hadgone no farther than the river gate, that Heru was withthem beyond a doubt. I would not listen to more. "Good!" Ishouted. "Get me a horse and just a handful of your sleekkindred and we will pull the prize from the bear's paweven yet! Surely," I said, turning to a knot of Martian youthswho stood listening a few steps away, "surely some of youwill come with me at this pinch? The big bullies arevery few; the sea runs behind them; the maid in their clutchis worth fighting for; it needs but one good onset, fiveminutes' gallantry, and she is ours again. Think how fine itwill look to bring her back before yon sleepy fellows havefound their weapons. You, there, with the blue tunic! youlook a proper fellow, and something of a heart shouldbeat under such gay wrappings, will you come with me?"But blue-mantle, biting his thumbs, murmured he hadnot breakfasted yet and edged away behind his com-panions. Wherever I looked eyes dropped and timid handsfidgeted as their owners backed off from my dangerous en-thusiasm. There was obviously no help to be had fromthem, and meantime the precious moments were flying, sowith a disdainful glance I turned on my heels and set offalone as hard as I could go for the harbour.But it was too late. I rushed through the marketplace whereall was silent and deserted; I ran on to the wharves beyondand they were empty save for the litter and embers of thefires Ar-hap's men had made during their stay; I dashed outto the landing-place, and there at the hythe the last boat-loads of the villains were just embarking, two boatloads ofthem twenty yards from shore, and another still upon thebeach. This latter was careening over as a dusky groupof men lifted aboard to a heap of tumbled silks and stuffsin the stern such a sweet piece of insensible merchandiseas no man, I at least of all, could mistake. It was Heru her-self, and the rogues were ladling her on board like so muchsandal-wood or cotton sheeting. I did not wait for more,but out came my sword, and yielding to a reckless impulse,for which perhaps last night's wine was as much to blameas anything, I sprang down the steps and leapt aboard of theboat just as it was pushed off upon the swift tide. Full ofBersark rage, I cut one brawny copper-coloured thief down,and struck another with my fist between the eyes so thathe went headlong into the water, sinking like lead, and deepinto the great target of his neighbour's chest I drove myblade. Had there been a man beside me, had there beenbut two or three of all those silken triflers, too late comeon the terraces above to watch, we might have won. But allalone what could I do? That last red beast turned on myblade, and as he fell dragged me half down with him. Istaggered up, and tugging the metal from him turned onthe next.At that moment the cause of all the turmoil, roused bythe fighting, came to herself, and sitting up on the piledplunder in the boat stared round for a moment with a child-ish horror at the barbarians whose prize she was, then at me,then at the dead man at my feet whose blood was wellingin a red tide from the wound in his breast. As the fullmeaning of the scene dawned upon her she started to her feet,looking wonderfully beautiful amongst those dusky forms,and extending her hands to me began to cry in the mostpiteous way. I sprang forward, and as I did so saw an ape-man clap his hairy paw over her mouth and face--it waslike an eclipse of the moon by a red earth-shadow, Ithought at the moment--and drag her roughly back, butthat was about the last I remembered. As I turned to hithim standing on the slippery thwart, another rogue crept upbehind and let drive with a club he had in hand. The cud-gel caught me sideways on the head, a glancing shot. Ican recall a blaze of light, a strange medley of sounds inmy ears, and then, clutching at a pile of stuffs as I fell, atall bower of spray rising on either hand, and the coolshock of the blue sea as I plunged headlong in--but noth-ing after that!How long after I know not, but presently a tissue of day-light crept into my eyes, and I awoke again. It was betterthan nothing perhaps, yet it was a poor awakening. Thebig sun lay low down, and the day was all but done; somuch I guessed as I rocked in that light with an undulatingmovement, and then as my senses returned more fully,recognised with a start of wonder that I was still in thewater, floating on a swift current into the unknown on anair-filled pile of silken stuffs which had been pulled downwith me from the boat when I got my ganging from yonderrascal's mace. It was a wet couch, sodden and chilly, but asthe freshening evening wind blew on my face and the dark-ening water lapped against my forehead I revived more fully.Where had we come to? I turned an aching neck, and allalong on both sides seemed to stretch steep, straight coastsabout a mile or so apart, in the shadow of the setting sunblack as ebony. Between the two the hampered water ranquickly, with, away on the right, some shallow sandy spitsand islands covered with dwarf bushes--chilly, inhospitable-looking places they seemed as I turned my eyes upon them;but he who rides helpless down an evening tide stands outfor no great niceties of landing-place; could I but reach themthey would make at least a drier bed than this of mine,and at that thought, turning over, I found all my muscles asstiff as iron, the sinews of my neck and forearms a massof agonies and no more fit to swim me to those reedyswamps, which now, as pain and hunger began to tell,seemed to wear the aspects of paradise.With a groan I dropped back upon my raft and watchedthe islands slipping by, while over my feet the southernsky darkened to purple. There was no help there, but glanc-ing round away on the left and a few furlongs from me, Inoticed on the surface of the water two converging strandsof brightness, an angle the point of which seemed to becoming towards me. Nearer it came and nearer, right acrossmy road, until I could see a black dot at the point, a headpresently developed, then as we approached the ears andantlers of a swimming stag. It was a huge beast as itloomed up against the glow, bigger than any mortal stagever was--the kind of fellow-traveller no one would willinglyaccost, but even if I had wished to get out of its path Ihad no power to do so.Closer and closer we came, one of us drifting helplessly,and the other swimming strongly for the islands. When wewere about a furlong apart the great beast seemed tochange its course, mayhap it took the wreckage on whichI floated for an outlying shoal, something on which it couldrest a space in that long swim. Be this as it may, the beastcame hurtling down on me lip deep in the waves, a mightybrown head with pricked ears that flicked the water fromthem now and then, small bright eyes set far back, andwide palmated antlers on a mighty forehead, like the deadbranches of a tree. What that Martian mountain elk hadhoped for can only be guessed, what he met with was atangle of floating finery carrying a numbed traveller on it,and with a snort of disappointment he turned again.It was a poor chance, but better than nothing, and as heturned I tried to throw a strand of silk I had unwound fromthe sodden mass over his branching tines. Quick as thoughtthe beast twisted his head aside and tossed his antlers sothat the try was fruitless. But was I to lose my only chanceof shore? With all my strength I hurled myself upon him,missing my clutch again by a hair's-breadth and going head-long into the salt furrow his chest was turning up. HappilyI kept hold of the web, for the great elk then turned back,passing between me and the ruck of stuff and getting therebythe silk under his chin, and as I came gasping to the top oncemore round came that dainty wreckage over his back, andI clutched it, and sooner than it takes to tell I was towingto the shore as perhaps no one was ever towed before.The big beast dragged the ruck like withered weed be-hind him, bellowing all the time with a voice which made thehills echo all round; and then, when he got his feet uponthe shallows, rose dripping and mountainous, a very cliff ofblack hide and limb against the night shine, and with asingle sweep of his antlers tore the webbing from me, wholay prone and breathless in the mud, and, thinking it washis enemy, hurled the limp bundle on the beach, and then,having pounded it with his cloven feet into formless shreds,bellowed again victoriously and went off into the dark-ness of the forests.CHAPTER IXI landed, stiff enough as you will guess, but pleased to be onshore again. It was a melancholy neighbourhood of lowislands, overgrown with rank grass and bushes, salt waterencircling them, and inside sandy dunes and hummocks withshallow pools, gleaming ghostly in the retreating daylight,while beyond these rose the black bosses of what looked likea forest. Thither I made my way, plunging uncomfortablythrough shallows, and tripping over blackened brancheswhich, lying just below the surface, quivered like snakesas the evening breeze ruffled each surface, until the groundhardened under foot, and presently I was standing, hungryand faint but safe, on dry land again.The forest was so close to the sea, one could not advancewithout entering it, and once within its dark arcades everyway looked equally gloomy and hopeless. I struggled throughtangles night made more and more impenetrable each min-ute, until presently I could go no further, and where a densecanopy of trees overhead gave out for a minute on theedge of a swampy hollow, I determined to wait for daylight.Never was there a more wet or weary traveller, or onemore desperately lonely than he who wrapped himself upin the miserable insufficiency of his wet rags, and withoutfire or supper crept amongst the exposed roots of a treegrowing out of a bank, and prepared to hope grimly for morning.Round and round meanwhile was drawn the close screenof night, till the clearing in front was blotted out, and onlythe tree-tops, black as rugged hills one behind the other,stood out against the heavy purple of the circlet of skyabove. As the evening deepened the quaintest noises began onevery hand--noises so strange and bewildering that as Icowered down with my teeth chattering, and stared hard intothe impenetrable, they could be likened to nothing but thecrying of all the souls of dead things since the beginning.Never was there such an infernal chorus as that whichplayed up the Martian stars. Down there in front, wherehummock grass was growing, some beast squeaked contin-uously, till I shouted at him, then he stopped a minute, andbegan again in entirely another note. Away on the hills tworival monsters were calling to each other in tones so hollowthey seemed as I listened to penetrate through me, andecho out of my heart again. Far overhead, gigantic bats wereflitting, the shadow of their wings dimming a dozen universesat once, and crying to each other in shrill tones that rentthe air like tearing silk.As I listened to those vampires discussing their infernalloves under the stars, from a branch right overhead brokesuch a deathly howl from the throat of a wandering forestcat that everything else was hushed for a moment. All abouta myriad insects were making night giddy with their ghostlyfires, while underground and from the labyrinths of mat-ted roots came quaint sounds of rustling snakes and forestpigs, and all the lesser things that dig and scratch and growl.Yet I was desperately sleepy, my sword hung heavy aslead at my side, my eyelids drooped, and so at last I dozeduneasily for an hour or two. Then, all on a sudden, I camewide awake with a shock. The night was quieter now;away in the forest depth strange noises still arose, butclose at hand was a strange hush, like the hush of expecta-tion, and, listening wonderingly, I was aware of slow, heavyfootsteps coming up from the river, now two or three stepstogether, then a pause, then another step or two, and as Ibent towards the approaching thing, staring into the dark-ness, my strained senses were conscious of another approach,as like as could be, coming from behind me. On they came,making the very ground quake with their weight, till I judgedthat both were about on the edge of the clearing, two vastrat-like shadows, but as big as elephants, and bringing amost intolerable smell of sour slime with them. There, onthe edge of the amphitheatre, each for the first time ap-peared to become aware of the other's presence--the foot-steps stopped dead. I could hear the water dripping fromthe fur of those giant brutes amongst the shadows and thedeep breathing of the one nearest me, a scanty ten pacesoff, but not another sound in the stillness.Minute after minute passed, yet neither moved. A half-hour grew to a full hour, and that hour lengthened amidthe keenest tension till my ears ached with listening, andmy eyes were sore with straining into the blackness. At lastI began to wonder whether those earth-shaking beasts hadnot been an evil dream, and was just venturing to stretchout a cramped leg, and rally myself upon my cowardice,when, without warning, at my elbow rose the most ear-piercing scream of rage that ever came from a living throat.There was a sweeping rush in the darkness which I couldfeel but not see, and with a shock the two gladiators met inthe midst of the arena. Over and over they went screamingand struggling, and slipping and plunging. I could hearthem tearing at each other, and the sharp cries of pain,first one and then another gave as claw or tooth got home,and all the time, though the ground was quaking undertheir struggles and the air full of horrible uproar, not athing was to be seen. I did not even know what mannerof beasts they were who rocked and rolled and tore at eachother's throats, but I heard their teeth snapping, and theirfierce breath in the pauses of the struggle, and could butwait in a huddle amongst the roots until it was over. To andfro they went, now at the far side of the dark clearing,now so close that hot drops of blood from their jaws fellon my face like rain in the darkness. It seemed as thoughthe fight would never end, but presently there was more ofworrying in it and less of snapping; it was clear one or theother had had enough and as I marked this those black shad-ows came gasping and struggling towards me. There wasa sudden sharp cry, a desperate final tussle--before whichstrong trees snapped and bushes were flattened out likegrass, not twenty yards away--and then for a minute allwas silent.One of them had killed, and as I sat rooted to the spot Iwas forced to listen while his enemy tore him up and atehim. Many a banquet have I been at, but never an uglierone than that. I sat in the darkness while the unknownthing at my feet ripped the flesh from his half-dead rivalin strips, and across the damp night wind came the reek ofthat abominable feast--the reek of blood and spilt en-trails--until I turned away my face in loathing, and wasnearly starting to my feet to venture a rush into the forestshadows. But I was spellbound, and remained listening tothe heavy munch of blood-stained jaws until presently I wasaware other and lesser feasters were coming. There was atwinkle of hungry eyes all about the limits of the area, theshine of green points of envious fire that circled round indecreasing orbits, as the little foxes and jackals camecrowding in. One fellow took me for a rock, so still I sat,putting his hot, soft paws upon my knee for a space, andothers passed me so near I could all but touch them.The big beast had taken himself off by this time, andthere must have been several hundreds of these newcomers.A merry time they had of it; the whole place was full of thegreen, hurrying eyes, and amidst the snap of teeth andyapping and quarrelling I could hear the flesh being tornfrom the red bones in every direction. One wolf-like individualbrought a mass of hot liver to eat between my feet, but Igave him a kick, and sent him away much to his surprise.Gradually, however, the sound of this unholy feast diedaway, and, though you may hardly believe it, I fell off intoa doze. It was not sleep, but it served the purpose, andwhen in an hour or two a draught of cool air roused me,I awoke, feeling more myself again.Slowly morning came, and the black wall of forest aroundbecame full of purple interstices as the east brightened. Thoseglimmers of light between bough and trunk turned to yellowand red, the day-shine presently stretched like a canopyfrom point to point of the treetops on either side of mysleeping-place, and I arose.All my limbs were stiff with cold, my veins emptied byhunger and wounds, and for a space I had not evenstrength to move. But a little rubbing softened my crampedmuscles presently and limping painfully down to the placeof combat, I surveyed the traces of that midnight fight. Iwill not dwell upon it. It was ugly and grim; the trampledgrass, the giant footmarks, each enringing its pool of cur-dled blood; the broken bushes, the grooved mud-slideswhere the unknown brutes had slid in deadly embrace; thehollows, the splintered boughs, their ragged points tuftedwith skin and hair--all was sickening to me. Yet so hungrywas I that when I turned towards the odious remnants ofthe vanquished--a shapeless mass of abomination--my thou-ghts flew at once to breakfasting! I went down and in-spected the victim cautiously--a huge rat-like beast asfar as might be judged from the bare uprising ribs--allthat was left of him looking like the framework of a schooneryacht. His heart lay amongst the offal, and my knife cameout to cut a meal from it, but I could not do it. Threetimes I essayed the task, hunger and disgust contendingfor mastery; three times turned back in loathing. At last Icould stand the sight no more, and, slamming the knife upagain, turned on my heels, and fairly ran for fresh air andthe shore, where the sea was beginning to glimmer in thelight a few score yards through the forest stems. There,once more out on the open, on a pebbly beach, I stripped,spreading my things out to dry on the stones, and layingmyself down with the lapping of the waves in my ears,and the first yellow sunshine thawing my limbs, tried topiece together the hurrying events of the last few days.What were my gay Martians doing? Lazy dogs to let me,a stranger, be the only one to draw sword in defence oftheir own princess! Where was poor Heru, that sweet maidenwife? The thought of her in the hands of the ape-men wasodious. And yet was I not mad to try to rescue, or even tofollow her alone? If by any chance I could get off thisbeast-haunted place and catch up with the ravishers, whathad I to look for from them except speedy extinction, andthat likely enough by the most painful process they wereacquainted with?The other alternative of going back empty handed wasterribly ignominious. I had lectured the amiable youngmanhood of Seth so soundly on the subject of gallantry, andset them such a good example on two occasions, that itwould be bathos to saunter back, hands in pockets, and con-fess I knew nothing of the lady's fate and had beendaunted by the first night alone in the forest. Besides,how dull it would be in that beautiful, tumble-down oldcity without Heru, with no expectation day by day ofseeing her sylph-like form and hearing the merry tinkle ofher fairy laughter as she scoffed at the unknown learning col-lected by her ancestors in a thousand laborious years. No!I would go on for certain. I was young, in love, and angry,and before those qualifications difficulties became light.Meanwhile, the first essential was breakfast of some kind.I arose, stretched, put on my half-dried clothes, and mount-ing a low hummock on the forest edge looked around.The sun was riding up finely into the sky, and the sea to theeastward shone for leagues and leagues in the loveliest azure.Where it rippled on my own beach and those of the lowislands noted over night, a wonderful fire of blue andred played on the sands as though the broken water werefull of living gems. The sky was full of strange gulls withlong, forked tails, and a lovely little flying lizard withtransparent wings of the palest green--like those of a grass-hopper--was flitting about picking up insect stragglers.All this was very charming, but what I kept saying tomyself was "Streaky rashers and hot coffee: rashers andcoffee and rolls," and, indeed, had the gates of Paradisethemselves opened at that moment I fear my first look downthe celestial streets within would have been for a restaurant.They did not, and I was just turning away disconsolatewhen my eye caught, ascending from behind the next bluffdown the beach, a thin strand of smoke rising into themorning air.It was nothing so much in itself--a thin spiral creepingupwards mast-high, then flattening out into a mushroomhead--but it meant everything to me. Where there wasfire there must be humanity, and where there was human-ity--ay, to the very outlayers of the universe--there mustbe breakfast. It was a splendid thought; I rushed downthe hillock and went gaily for that blue thread amongstthe reeds. It was not two hundred yards away, and soonbelow me was a tiny bay with bluest water frilling a silverbeach, and in the midst of it a fire on a hearth dancinground a pot that simmered gloriously. But of an owner therewas nothing to be seen. I peered here and there on the shore,but nothing moved, while out to sea the water was shininglike molten metal with not a dot upon it!--what did itmatter? I laughed as, pleased and hungry, I slipped downthe bank and strode across the sands; it pleased Fate toplay bandy with me, and if it sent me supperless to bed,why, here was restitution in the way of breakfast.I took up a morsel of the stuff in the kettle on a handystick and found it good--indeed, I knew it at once as a verydainty mess made from the roots of a herb the Martians great-ly liked; An had piled my platter with it when we suppedthat night in the market-place of Seth, and the sweet whitestuff had melted into my corporal essence, it seemed, with-out any gross intermediate process of digestion. And here Iwas again, hungry, sniffing the fragrant breath of a fullmeal and not a soul in sight--I should have been a fool notto have eaten. So thinking, down I sat, taking the pot fromits place, and when it was a little cool plunging my handsinto it and feasting with as good an appetite as ever a manhad before.It was gloriously ambrosial, and deeper and deeper Iwent, with the tall stalk of the smoke in front growingfrom the hearth-stones like some strange new plant, the plea-sant sunshine on my back, and never a thought for any-thing but the task in hand. Deeper and deeper, obliviousof all else, until to get the very last drops I lifted the pipkinup and putting back my head drank in that fashion.It was only when with a sigh of pleasure I lowered itslowly again that over the rim as it sank there dawned uponme the vision of a Martian standing by an empty canoe onthe edge of the water and regarding me with calm amaze-ment. I was, in fact, so astonished that for a minute theempty pot stood still before my face, and over its edge westared at each other in mute surprise, then with all the dig-nity that might be I laid the vessel down between my feetand waited for the newcomer to speak. She was a girl byher yellow garb, a fisherwoman, it seemed, for in the prowof her craft was piled a net upon which the scales of fisheswere twinkling--a Martian, obviously, but something more ro-bust than most of them, a savour of honest work about hersunburnt face which my pallid friends away yonder werelacking in, and when we had stared at each other for a fewmoments in silence she came forward a step or two andsaid without a trace of fear or shyness, "Are you a spirit,sir?"Why," I answered, "about as much, no more and no less,than most of us.""Aye," she said. "I thought you were, for none but spiritslive here upon this island; are you for good or evil?""Far better for the breakfast of which I fear I have robbedyou, but wandering along the shore and finding this potboiling with no owner, I ventured to sample it, and it wasso good my appetite got the better of manners."The girl bowed, and standing at a respectful distanceasked if I would like some fish as well; she had some, butnot many, and if I would eat she would cook them for mein a minute--it was not often, she added lightly, she hadmet one of my kind before. In fact, it was obvious thatsimple person did actually take me for a being of anotherworld, and was it for me to say she was wrong? So adopt-ing a dignity worthy of my reputation I nodded gravely toher offer. She fetched from the boat four little fishes of thedaintiest kind imaginable. They were each about as big asa hand and pale blue when you looked down upon them, butso clear against the light that every bone and vein in theirbodies could be traced. These were wrapped just as theywere in a broad, green leaf and then the Martian, taking apointed stick, made a hollow in the white ashes, laid themin side by side, and drew the hot dust over again.While they cooked we chatted as though the acquaintancewere the most casual thing in the world, and I found it wasindeed an island we were on and not the mainland, as Ihad hoped at first. Seth, she told me, was far away to theeastward, and if the woodmen had gone by in their shipsthey would have passed round to the north-west of where we were.I spent an hour or two with that amiable individual, and,it is to be hoped, sustained the character of a spiritualvisitant with considerable dignity. In one particular at least,that, namely, of appetite, I did honour to my supposed source,and as my entertainer would not hear of payment in materialkind, all I could do was to show her some conjuring tricks,which greatly increased her belief in my supernatural origin,and to teach her some new hitches and knots, using herfishing-line as a means of illustration, a demonstration whichcalled from her the natural observation that we must begood sailors "up aloft" since we knew so much about cordage,then we parted.She had seen nothing of the woodmen, though she hadheard they had been to Seth and thought, from some nicetiesof geographical calculation which I could not follow, theywould have crossed to the north, as just stated, of her island.There she told me, with much surprise at my desire for theinformation, how I might, by following the forest track tothe westward coast, make my way to a fishing village, wherethey would give me a canoe and direct me, since such wasmy extraordinary wish, to the place where, if anywhere, thewild men had touched on their way home.She filled my wallet with dried honey-cakes and mymouth with sugar plums from her little store, then down onher knees went that poor waif of a worn-out civilisationand kissed my hands in humble farewell, and I, blushingto be so saluted, and after all but a sailor, got her by therosy fingers and lifted her up shoulder high, and gettingone hand under her chin and the other behind her headkissed her twice upon her pretty cheeks; and so, I say,we parted.CHAPTER XOff into the forest I went, feeling a boyish elation to beso free nor taking heed or count of the reckless adventurebefore me. The Martian weather for the moment was lovelyand the many-coloured grass lush and soft under foot. Mileafter mile I went, heeding the distance lightly, the air was soelastic. Now pressing forward as the main interest of myerrand took the upper hand, and remembrance of poor Herulike a crushed white flower in the red grip of those cruelravishers came upon me, and then pausing to sigh withpleasure or stand agape--forgetful even of her--in wonderof the unknown loveliness about me.And well might I stare! Everything in that forest waswonderful! There were plants which turned from colour tocolour with the varying hours of the day. While others hada growth so swift it was dangerous to sit in their neighbour-hood since the long, succulent tendrils clambering from theparent stem would weave you into a helpless tangle whileyou gazed, fascinated, upon them. There were plants thatclimbed and walked; sighing plants who called the wingedthings of the air to them with a noise so like to a girlsobbing that again and again I stopped in the tangledpath to listen. There were green bladder-mosses whichswam about the surface of the still pools like giganticfrog-broods. There were on the ridges warrior trees burningin the vindictiveness of a long forgotten cause--a blaze ofcrimson scimitar thorns from root to topmost twig; anddown again in the cool hollows were lady-bushes makingtwilight of the green gloom with their cloudy ivory blos-soms and filling the shadows with such a heavy scent thathead and heart reeled with fatal pleasure as one pushedaside their branches. Every river-bed was full of mighty reeds,whose stems clattered together when the wind blew likeswords on shields, and every now and then a bit of forestwas woven together with the ropey stems of giant creeperstill no man or beast could have passed save for the pathswhich constant use had kept open through the mazes.All day long I wandered on through those wonderfulwoodlands, and in fact loitered so much over their infinitemarvels that when sundown came all too soon there wasstill undulating forest everywhere, vistas of fairy glades onevery hand, peopled with incredible things and echoingwith sounds that excited the ears as much as other thingsfascinated the eyes, but no sign of the sea or my fishingvillage anywhere.It did not matter; a little of the Martian leisureliness wasgetting into my blood: "If not today, why then tomorrow,"as An would have said; and with this for comfort I selecteda warm, sandy hollow under the roots of a big tree, mademy brief arrangements for the night, ate some honey cakes,and was soon sleeping blissfully.I woke early next morning, after many hours of interrupteddreams, and having nothing to do till the white haze hadlifted and made it possible to start again, rested idly a timeon my elbow and watched the sunshine filter into the recesses.Very pretty it was to see the thick canopy overhead, bystar-light so impenetrable, open its chinks and fissures asthe searching sun came upon it; to see the pin-hole gapsshine like spangles presently, the spaces broaden into lessersuns, and even the thick leafage brighten and shine down onme with a soft sea-green radiance. The sunward sides of thetree-stems took a glow, and the dew that ran drippingdown their mossy sides trickled blood-red to earth. Else-where the shadows were still black, and strange things beganto move in them--things we in our middle-aged worldhave never seen the likeness of: beasts half birds, birds halfcreeping things, and creeping things which it seemed to mepassed through lesser creations down to the basest life thatcrawls without interruption or division.It was not for me, a sailor, to know much of suchthings, yet some I could not fail to notice. On one greybranch overhead, jutting from a tree-stem where a patch ofvelvet moss made in the morning glint a fairy bed, a won-derful flower unfolded. It was a splendid bud, ivory white,cushioned in leaves, and secured to its place by naked whiteroots that clipped the branch like fingers of a lady's hand.Even as I looked it opened, a pale white star, and hungpensive and inviting on its mossy cushion. From it came sucha ravishing odour that even I, at the further end of thegreat scale of life, felt my pulses quicken and my eyesbrighten with cupidity. I was in the very act of climbingthe tree, but before I could move hand or foot two thingshappened, whether you take my word for them or no.Firstly, up through a glade in the underwood, attractedby the odour, came an ugly brown bird with a capacious beakand shining claws. He perched near by, and peeped andpeered until he made out the flower pining on her virginstem, whereat off he hopped to her branch and there, witha cynical chuckle, strutted to and fro between her andthe main stem like an ill genius guarding a fairy princess.Surely Heaven would not allow him to tamper with sochaste a bud! My hand reached for a stone to throw athim when happened the second thing. There came a gentlepat upon the woodland floor, and from a tree overheaddropped down another living plant like to the one above yetnot exactly similar, a male, my instincts told me, in full sol-itary blossom like her above, cinctured with leaves, andsupported by half a score of thick white roots that worked,as I looked, like the limbs of a crab. In a twinkling thatparti-coloured gentleman vegetable near me was off to thestem upon which grew his lady love; running and scram-bling, dragging the finery of his tasselled petals behind,it was laughable to watch his eagerness. He got a gripof the tree and up he went, "hand over hand," root overroot. I had just time to note others of his species haddropped here and there upon the ground, and were hurry-ing with frantic haste to the same destination when hereached the fatal branch, and was straddling victoriouslydown it, blind to all but love and longing. That ill-omenedbird who stood above the maiden-flower let him comewithin a stalk's length, so near that the white splendour ofhis sleeping lady gleamed within arms' reach, then the greatbeak was opened, the great claws made a clutch, the gal-lant's head was yanked from his neck, and as it wenttumbling down the maw of the feathered thing his whitelegs fell spinning through space, and lay knotting them-selves in agony upon the ground for a minute or two beforethey relaxed and became flaccid in the repose of death. An-other and another vegetable suitor made for that fatal tryst,and as each came up the snap of the brown bird's beakwas all their obsequies. At last no more came, and then thatNemesis of claws and quills walked over to the girl-flower,his stomach feathers ruffled with repletion, the green bloodof her lovers dripping from his claws, and pulled her goldenheart out, tore her white limbs one from the other, andswallowed her piecemeal before my very eyes! Then up inwrath I jumped and yelled at him till the woods echoed,but too late to stay his sacrilege.By this time the sun was bathing everything in splendour,and turning away from the wonders about me, I set off atbest pace along the well-trodden path which led withoutturning to the west coast village where the canoes were.It proved far closer than expected. As a matter of fact theforest in this direction grew right down to the water's edge;the salt-loving trees actually overhanging the waves--one ofthe pleasantest sights in nature--and thus I came right outon top of the hamlet before there had been an indicationof its presence. It occupied two sides of a pretty little bay,the third side being flat land given over to the cultivation ofan enormous species of gourd whose characteristic yellowflowers and green, succulent leaves were discernible even atthis distance.I branched off along the edge of the surf and down adainty little flowery path, noticing meanwhile how the wholebay was filled by hundreds of empty canoes, while scores ofothers were drawn up on the strand, and then the firstthing I chanced upon was a group of people--youthful,of course, with the eternal Martian bloom--and in thesplendid simplicity of almost complete nakedness. My firstidea was that they were bathing, and fixing my eyes on thetree-tops with great propriety, I gave a warning cough. Atthat sound instead of getting to cover, or clothes, all startedup and stood staring for a time like a herd of startled cattle.It was highly embarrassing; they were right in the path,a round dozen of them, naked and so little ashamed thatwhen I edged away modestly they began to run after me.And the farther they came forward the more I retired, tillwe were playing a kind of game of hide-and-seek roundthe tree-stems. In the middle of it my heel caught in a rootand down I went very hard and very ignominiously, whereonthose laughing, light-hearted folk rushed in, and with smilesand jests helped me to my feet."Was I the traveller who had come from Seth?""Yes.""Oh, then that was well. They had heard such a travellerwas on the road, and had come a little way down the path,as far as might be without fatigue, to meet him.""Would I eat with them?" these amiable strangers asked,pushing their soft warm fingers into mine and ringing meround with a circle. "But firstly might they help me outof my clothes? It was hot, and these things were cumber-some." As to the eating, I was agreeable enough seeing howcasual meals had been with me lately, but my clothes,though Heaven knows they were getting horribly raggedand travel-stained, I clung to desperately.My new friends shrugged their dimpled shoulders and,arguments being tedious, at once squatted round me in thedappled shade of a big tree and produced their stores ofnever failing provisions. After a pleasant little meal takenthus in the open and with all the simplicity Martians de-light in, we got to talking about those yellow canoes whichwere bobbing about on the blue waters of the bay."Would you like to see where they are grown?" askedan individual basking by my side."Grown!" I answered with incredulity. "Built, you mean.Never in my life did I hear of growing boats.""But then, sir," observed the girl as she sucked the honeyout of the stalk of an azure convolvulus flower and threwthe remains at a butterfly that sailed across the sunshine,"you know so little! You have come from afar, from somebarbarous and barren district. Here we undoubtedly growour boats, and though we know the Thither folk and suchuncultivated races make their craft by cumbrous methodsof flat planks, yet we prefer our own way, for one thing be-cause it saves trouble," and as she murmured that all-sufficient reason the gentle damsel nodded reflectively.But one of her companions, more lively for the moment,tickled her with a straw until she roused, and then said,"Let us take the stranger to the boat garden now. The cur-rent will drift us round the bay, and we can come backwhen it turns. If we wait we shall have to row in bothdirections, or even walk," and again planetary slothfulnesscarried the day.So down to the beach we strolled and launched one ofthe golden-hued skiffs upon the pretty dancing waveletsjust where they ran, lipped with jewelled spray, on theshore, and then only had I a chance to scrutinise theirmaterial. I patted that one we were upon inside and out. Inoted with a seaman's admiration its lightness, elasticity,and supreme sleekness, its marvellous buoyancy and fairy-like "lines," and after some minutes' consideration it sud-denly flashed across me that it was all of gourd rind. Andas if to supply confirmation, the flat land we were ap-proaching on the opposite side of the bay was covered bythe characteristic verdure of these plants with a touch hereand there of splendid yellow blossoms, but all of giganticproportions."Ay," said a Martian damsel lying on the bottom, andtaking and kissing my hand as she spoke, in the simple-hearted way of her people, "I see you have guessed howwe make our boats. Is it the same in your distant country?""No, my girl, and what's more, I am a bit uneasy as towhat the fellows on the Carolina will say if they ever hearI went to sea in a hollowed-out pumpkin, and with a younglady--well, dressed as you are--for crew. Even now I can-not imagine how you get your ships so trim and shapely--there is not a seam or a patch anywhere, it looks as ifyou had run them into a mould.""That's just what we have done, sir, and now you willwitness the moulds at work, for here we are," and the littleskiff was pulled ashore and the Martians and I jumped outon the shelving beach, hauled our boat up high and dry, andthere right over us, like great green umbrellas, spread thefronds of the outmost garden of this strangest of all ship-building yards. Briefly, and not to make this part of my storytoo long, those gilded boys and girls took me ashore, andchattering like finches in the evening, showed how theyplanted their gourd seed, nourished the gigantic plants asthey grew with brackish water and the burnt ashes; then,when they flowered, mated the male and female blossoms,glorious funnels of golden hue big enough for one to livein; and when the young fruit was of the bigness of anordinary bolster, how they slipped it into a double mouldof open reed-work something like the two halves of a walnut-shell; and how, growing day by day in this, it soon tookevery curve and line they chose to give it, even the hangingkeel below, the strengthened bulwarks, and tall prow-piece.It was so ingenious, yet simple; and I confess I laughedover my first skiff "on the stalk," and fell to bantering theMartians, asking whether it was a good season for navies,whether their Cunarders were spreading nicely, if they couldgive me a pinch of barge seed, or a yacht in bud to showto my friends at home.But those lazy people took the matter seriously enough.They led me down green alleys arched over with hugemelon-like leaves; they led me along innumerable byways,making me peep and peer through the chequered sunlightat ocean-growing craft, that had budded twelve monthsbefore, already filling their moulds to the last inch of space.They told me that when the growing process was sufficientlyadvanced, they loosened the casing, and cutting a hole intothe interior of each giant fruit, scooped out all its seed,thereby checking more advance, and throwing into therind strength that would otherwise have gone to reproductive-ness. They said each fruit made two vessels, but the upperhalf was always best and used for long salt-water jour-neys, the lower piece being but for punting or fishing ontheir lakes. They cut them in half while still green, scrapedout the light remaining pulp when dry, and dragged themdown with the minimum of trouble, light as feathers, ten-acious as steel plate, and already in the form and fashion ofdainty craft from five to twenty feet in length, when theprocess was completed.By the time we had explored this strangest of ship-building yards, and I had seen last year's crop on thestocks being polished and fitted with seats and gear, the sunwas going down; and the Martian twilight, owing to thecomparative steepness of the little planet's sides, being brief,we strolled back to the village, and there they gave meharbourage for the night, ambrosial supper, and a deepdraught of the wine of Forgetfulness, under the gauzy spellof which the real and unreal melted into the vistas ofrosy oblivion, and I slept.CHAPTER XIWith the new morning came fresh energy and a spasmof conscience as I thought of poor Heru and the shabbysort of rescuer I was to lie about with these pretty triflerswhile she remained in peril.So I had a bath and a swim, a breakfast, and, to myshame be it acknowledged, a sort of farewell merry-go-round dance on the yellow sands with a dozen youngpersons all light-hearted as the morning, beautiful as theflowers that bound their hair, and in the extremity ofstatuesque attire.Then at last I got them to give me a sea-going canoe, astock of cakes and fresh water; and with many parting in-junctions how to find the Woodman trail, since I wouldnot listen to reason and lie all the rest of my life with themin the sunshine, they pushed me off on my lonely voyage."Over the blue waters!" they shouted in chorus as I dippedmy paddle into the diamond-crested wavelets. "Six hours,adventurous stranger, with the sun behind you! Then into thebroad river behind the yellow sand-bar. But not the blacknorthward river! Not the strong, black river, above all things,stranger! For that is the River of the Dead, by which manygo but none come back. Goodbye!" And waving them adieu,I sternly turned my eyes from delights behind and facedthe fascination of perils in front.In four hours (for the Martians had forgotten in theircalculations that my muscles were something better thantheirs) I "rose" the further shore, and then the question was,Where ran that westward river of theirs?It turned out afterwards that, knowing nothing of theirtides, I had drifted much too far to northward, and con-sequently the coast had closed up the estuary mouth Ishould have entered. Not a sign of an opening showed any-where, and having nothing whatever for guidance I turnednorthward, eagerly scanning an endless line of low cliffs,as the day lessened, for the promised sand-bar or inlet.About dusk my canoe, flying swiftly forward at its ownsweet will, brought me into a bight, a bare, desolate-lookingcountry with no vegetation save grass and sedge on thenear marshes and stony hills rising up beyond, with othersbeyond them mounting step by step to a long line of ridgesand peaks still covered in winter snow.The outlook was anything but cheering. Not a trace ofhabitation had been seen for a long time, not a single livingbeing in whose neighbourhood I could land and ask theway; nothing living anywhere but a monstrous kind of sea-slug, as big as a dog, battening on the waterside garbage,and gaunt birds like vultures who croaked on the mud-flats,and half-spread wings of funereal blackness as they gam-bolled here and there. Where was poor Heru? Where pink-shouldered An? Where those wild men who had taken theprincess from us? Lastly, but not least, where was I?All the first stars of the Martian sky were strange to me,and my boat whirling round and round on the current con-fused what little geography I might otherwise have retained.It was a cheerless look out, and again and again I cursedmy folly for coming on such a fool's errand as I sat, chin inhand, staring at a landscape that grew more and more de-pressing every mile. To go on looked like destruction, to goback was almost impossible without a guide; and while Iwas still wondering which of the two might be the lesserevil, the stream I was on turned a corner, and in a momentwe were upon water which ran with swift, oily smoothnessstraight for the snow-ranges now beginning to loom un-pleasantly close ahead.By this time the night was coming on apace, the last ofthe evil-looking birds had winged its way across the redsunset glare, and though it was clear enough in mid-riverunder the banks, now steep and unclimbable, it was alreadyevening.And with the darkness came a wondrous cold breathfrom off the ice-fields, blowing through my lowland wrap-pings as though they were but tissue. I munched a bit ofhoney-cake, took a cautious sip of wine, and though I will notown I was frightened, yet no one will deny that the cir-cumstances were discouraging.Standing up in the frail canoe and looking around, at thesecond glance an object caught my eye coming with thestream, and rapidly overtaking me on a strong sluice ofwater. It was a raft of some sort, and something extra-ordinarily like a sitting Martian on it! Nearer and nearer itcame, bobbing to the rise and fall of each wavelet with thelast icy sunlight touching it up with reds and golds, nearerand nearer in the deadly hush of that forsaken region, andthen at last so near it showed quite plainly on the purplewater, a raft with some one sitting under a canopy.With a thrill of delight I waved my cap aloft andshouted--"Ship-ahoy! Hullo, messmate, where are we bound to?"But never an answer came from that swiftly-passingstranger, so again I hailed--"Put up your helm, Mr. Skipper; I have lost my bearings,and the chronometer has run down," but without a pauseor sound that strange craft went slipping by.That silence was more than I could stand. It was againstall sea courtesies, and the last chance of learning whereI was passing away. So, angrily the paddle was snatchedfrom the canoe bottom, and roaring out again--"Stop, I say, you d----- lubber, stop, or by all the godsI will make you!" I plunged the paddle into the waterand shot my little craft slantingly across the stream to inter-cept the newcomer. A single stroke sent me into mid-stream,a second brought me within touch of that strange craft. Itwas a flat raft, undoubtedly, though so disguised by flowersand silk trailers that its shape was difficult to make out. Inthe centre was a chair of ceremony bedecked with greeneryand great pale buds, hardly yet withered--oh, where hadI seen such a chair and such a raft before?And the riddle did not long remain unanswered. Uponthat seat, as I swept up alongside and laid a sunburnt handupon its edge, was a girl, and another look told me she wasdead!Such a sweet, pallid, Martian maid, her fair head lollingback against the rear of the chair and gently moving to andfro with the rise and fall of her craft. Her face in the palelight of the evening like carved ivory, and not less passion-less and still; her arms bare, and her poor fingers stillclosed in her lap upon the beautiful buds they had putinto them. I fairly gasped with amazement at the dreadfulsweetness of that solitary lady, and could hardly believeshe was really a corpse! But, alas! there was no doubt of it,and I stared at her, half in admiration and half in fear;noting how the last sunset flush lent a hectic beauty to herface for a moment, and then how fair and ghostly she stoodout against the purpling sky; how her light drapery lifted tothe icy wind, and how dreadfully strange all those soft-scented flowers and trappings seemed as we sped along sideby side into the country of night and snow.Then all of a sudden the true meaning of her being thereburst upon me, and with a start and a cry I looked around.WE WERE FLYING SWIFTLY DOWN THAT RIVER OF THE DEAD THEYHAD TOLD ME OF THAT HAS NO OUTLET AND NO RETURNING!With frantic haste I snatched up a paddle again and triedto paddle against the great black current sweeping us for-ward. I worked until the perspiration stood in beads on myforehead, and all the time I worked the river, like someblack snake, hissed and twined, and that pretty lady rodecheerily along at my side. Overhead stars of unearthly bril-liancy were coming out in the frosty sky, while on eitherhand the banks were high and the shadows under themblack as ink. In those shadows now and then I noticedwith a horrible indifference other rafts were travelling, andpresently, as the stream narrowed, they came out and joinedus, dead Martians, budding boys and girls; older voyagerswith their age quickening upon them in the Martian manner,just as some fruit only ripens after it falls; yellow-girt slavesstaring into the night in front, quite a merry crew allclustered about I and that gentle lady, and more farahead and more behind, all bobbing and jostling forwardas we hurried to the dreadful graveyard in the Martian re-gions of eternal winter none had ever seen and no one cameto! I cried aloud in my desolation and fear and hid myface in my hands, while the icy cliffs mocked my cryand the dead maid, tripping alongside, rolled her headover, and stared at me with stony, unseeing eyes.Well, I am no fine writer. I sat down to tell a plain, un-varnished tale, and I will not let the weird horror of thatride get into my pen. We careened forward, I and thoselost Martians, until pretty near on midnight, by which timethe great light-giving planets were up, and never a chancedid Fate give me all that time of parting company withthem. About midnight we were right into the region of snowand ice, not the actual polar region of the planet, as Iafterwards guessed, but one of those long outliers whichfollow the course of the broad waterways almost into fertileregions, and the cold, though intense, was somewhat modifiedby the complete stillness of the air.It was just then that I began to be aware of a low, rum-bling sound ahead, increasing steadily until there could notbe any doubt the journey was nearly over and we wereapproaching those great falls An had told me of, over whichthe dead tumble to perpetual oblivion. There was no op-portunity for action, and, luckily, little time for thought. Iremember clapping my hand to my heart as I muttered an im-perfect prayer, and laughing a little as I felt in my pocket,between it and that organ, an envelope containing somecorn-plaster and a packet of unpaid tailors' bills. Then Ipulled out that locket with poor forgotten Polly's photo-graph, and while I was still kissing it fervently, and thedead girl on my right was jealously nudging my canoe withthe corner of her raft, we plunged into a narrow gully asblack as hell, shot round a sharp corner at a tremendouspace, and the moment afterwards entered a lake in themidst of an unbroken amphitheatre of cliffs gleaming in softlight all round.Even to this moment I can recall the blue shine of thoseterrible ice crags framing the weird picture in on everyhand, and the strange effect upon my mind as we passedout of the darkness of the gully down which we had comeinto the sepulchral radiance of that place. But though itfixed with one instantaneous flash its impression on my mindforever, there was no time to admire it. As we swept on tothe lake's surface, and a glance of light coming over a dipin the ice walls to the left lit up the dead faces and half-withered flowers of my fellow-travellers with startling dis-tinctness, I noticed with a new terror at the lower end ofthe lake towards which we were hurrying the water suddenlydisappeared in a cloud of frosty spray, and it was fromthence came the low, ominous rumble which had soundedup the ravine as we approached. It was the fall, and beyondthe stream dropped down glassy step after step, in wildpools and rapids, through which no boat could live for amoment, to a black cavern entrance, where it was swal-lowed up in eternal night.I WOULD not go that way! With a yell such as thosesolitudes had probably never heard since the planet wasfashioned out of the void, I seized the paddle again and struckout furiously from the main current, with the result of post-poning the crisis for a time, and finding myself bobbinground towards the northern amphitheatre, where the lightfell clearest from planets overhead. It was like a great ball-room with those constellations for tapers, and a ghastlycrowd of Martians were doing cotillions and waltzes allabout me on their rafts as the troubled water, icy cold andclear as glass, eddied us here and there in solemn con-fusion. On the narrow beaches at the cliff foot were hundredsof wrecked voyagers--the wall-flowers of that ghostly as-sembly-room--and I went jostling and twirling round thecircle as though looking for a likely partner, until my brainspun and my heart was sick.For twenty minutes Fate played with me, and then thedeadly suck of the stream got me down again close towhere the water began to race for the falls. I vowed sav-agely I would not go over them if it could be helped, andstruggled furiously.On the left, in shadow, a narrow beach seemed to liebetween the water and the cliff foot; towards it I fought. Atthe very first stroke I fouled a raft; the occupant thereofcame tumbling aboard and nearly swamped me. But nowit was a fight for life, so him I seized without ceremonyby clammy neck and leg and threw back into the water.Then another playful Martian butted the behind part ofmy canoe and set it spinning, so that all the stars seemedto be dancing giddily in the sky. With a yell I shoved himoff, but only to find his comrades were closing round mein a solid ring as we sucked down to the abyss at ever-increasing speed.Then I fought like a fury, hacking, pushing, and paddlingshorewards, crying out in my excitement, and spinningand bumping and twisting ever downwards. For every footI gained they pushed me on a yard, as though determinedtheir fate should be mine also.They crowded round me in a compact circle, their poorflower-girt heads nodding as the swift current curtsied theircrafts. They hemmed me in with desperate persistency as wespun through the ghostly starlight in a swirling mass downto destruction! And in a minute we were so close to theedge of the fall I could see the water break into ridges asit felt the solid bottom give way under it. We were soclose that already the foremost rafts, ten yards ahead, weretipping and their occupants one by one waving their armsabout and tumbling from their funeral chairs as they shotinto the spray veil and went out of sight under a faintrainbow that was arched over there, the symbol of peaceand the only lovely thing in that gruesome region. Anotherminute and I must have gone with them. It was too late tothink of getting out of the tangle then; the water behindwas heavy with trailing silks and flowers. We were jammedtogether almost like one huge float and in that latter factlay my one chance.On the left was a low ledge of rocks leading back to thenarrow beach already mentioned, and the ledge came outto within a few feet of where the outmost boat on thatside would pass it. It was the only chance and a poor one,but already the first rank of my fleet was trembling on thebrink, and without stopping to weigh matters I bounded offmy own canoe on to the raft alongside, which rocked withmy weight like a tea-tray. From that I leapt, with suchhearty good-will as I had never had before, on to a secondand third. I jumped from the footstool of one Martian tothe knee of another, steadying myself by a free use of theirnodding heads as I passed. And every time I jumped aship collapsed behind me. As I staggered with my springinto the last and outermost boat the ledge was still six feetaway, half hidden in a smother of foam, and the rim of thegreat fall just under it. Then I drew all my sailor agilitytogether and just as the little vessel was going bow up overthe edge I leapt from her--came down blinded with sprayon the ledge, rolled over and over, clutched frantically at thefrozen soil, and was safe for the moment, but only a fewinches from the vortex below!As soon as I picked myself up and got breath, I walkedshorewards and found, with great satisfaction, that the ledgejoined the shelving beach, and so walked on in the blueobscurity of the cliff shadow back from the falls in the barehope that the beach might lead by some way into the gullythrough which we had come and open country beyond.But after a couple of hundred yards this hope ended asabruptly as the spit itself in deep water, and there I was,as far as the darkness would allow me to ascertain, asutterly trapped as any mortal could be.I will not dwell on the next few minutes, for no onelikes to acknowledge that he has been unmanned even fora space. When those minutes were over calmness and con-sideration returned, and I was able to look about.All the opposite cliffs, rising sheer from the water, werein light, their cold blue and white surfaces rising far upinto the black starfields overhead. Looking at them intentlyfrom this vantage-point I saw without at first understandingthat along them horizontally, tier above tier, were rows ofobjects, like--like--why, good Heavens, they were like menand women in all sorts of strange postures and positions!Rubbing my eyes and looking again I perceived with a startand a strange creepy feeling down my back that they WEREmen and women!--hundreds of them, thousands, all in rowsas cormorants stand upon sea-side cliffs, myriads and myriadsnow I looked about, in every conceivable pose and attitudebut never a sound, never a movement amongst the vastconcourse.Then I turned back to the cliffs behind me. Yes! theyere there too, dimmer by reason of the shadows, but therefor certain, from the snowfields far above down, down--goodHeavens! to the very level where I stood. There was one ofthem not ten yards away half in and half out of the icewall, and setting my teeth I walked over and examinedhim. And there was another further in behind as I peeredinto the clear blue depth, another behind that one, anotherbehind him--just like cherries in a jelly.It was startling and almost incredible, yet so manywonderful things had happened of late that wonders werelosing their sharpness, and I was soon examining the cliffalmost as coolly as though it were only some trivial geo-logical "section," some new kind of petrified sea-urchinswhich had caught my attention and not a whole nation inice, a huge amphitheatre of fossilised humanity whichstared down on me.The matter was simple enough when you came to lookat it with philosophy. The Martians had sent their deaddown here for many thousand years and as they camethey were frozen in, the bands and zones in which theysat indicating perhaps alternating seasons. Then after Naturehad been storing them like that for long ages some up-heaval happened, and this cleft and lake opened throughthe heart of the preserve. Probably the river once ran farup there where the starlight was crowning the blue cliffswith a silver diadem of light, only when this hollow openeddid it slowly deepen a lower course, spreading out in alake, and eventually tumbling down those icy steps loseitself in the dark roots of the hills. It was very simple,no doubt, but incredibly weird and wonderful to me whostood, the sole living thing in that immense concourse of deadhumanity.Look where I would it was the same everywhere. Thoseendless rows of frozen bodies lying, sitting, or standingstared at me from every niche and cornice. It almost seemed,as the light veered slowly round, as though they smiledand frowned at times, but never a word was there amongstthose millions; the silence itself was audible, and save thedull low thunder of the fall, so monotonous the ear be-came accustomed to and soon disregarded it, there was nota sound anywhere, not a rustle, not a whisper broke theeternal calm of that great caravansary of the dead.The very rattle of the shingle under my feet and the jingleof my navy scabbard seemed offensive in the perfect hush,and, too awed to be frightened, I presently turned awayfrom the dreadful shine of those cliffs and felt my way alongthe base of the wall on my own side. There was no meansof escape that way, and presently the shingle beach itselfgave out as stated, where the cliff wall rose straight fromthe surface of the lake, so I turned back, and finding a grottoin the ice determined to make myself as comfortable asmight be until daylight came.CHAPTER XIIFortunately there was a good deal of broken timberthrown up at "high-water" mark, and with a stack ofthis at the mouth of the little cave a pleasant fire wassoon made by help of a flint pebble and the steel back ofmy sword. It was a hearty blaze and lit up all the nearcliffs with a ruddy jumping glow which gave their occu-pants a marvellous appearance of life. The heat also broughtoff the dull rime upon the side of my recess, leaving itclear as polished glass, and I was a little startled to see,only an inch or so back in the ice and standing as erect asever he had been in life, the figure of an imposing greyclad man. His arms were folded, his chin dropped uponhis chest, his robes of the finest stuff, the very flowers theyhad decked his head with frozen with immortality, andunder them, round his crisp and iron-grey hair, a simpleband of gold with strange runes and figures engravedupon it.There was something very simple yet stately about him,though his face was hidden and as I gazed long and in-tently the idea got hold of me that he had been a king overan undegenerate Martian race, and had stood waiting for theDawn a very, very long time.I wished a little that he had not been quite so near theglassy surface of the ice down which the warmth wasbringing quick moisture drops. Had he been back there inthe blue depths where others were sitting and crouchingit would have been much more comfortable. But I was asailor, and misfortune makes strange companions, so I piledup the fire again, and lying down presently on the dryshingle with my back to him stared moodily at the blazetill slowly the fatigues of the day told, my eyelids droppedand, with many a fitful start and turn, at length I slept.It was an hour before dawn, the fire had burnt low andI was dreaming of an angry discussion with my tailor inNew York as to the sit of my last new trousers when a faintsound of moving shingle caught my quick seaman ear, andbefore I could raise my head or lift a hand, a man'sweight was on me--a heavy, strong man who bore me downwith irresistible force. I felt the slap of his ice-cold handupon my throat and his teeth in the back of my neck! In aninstant, though but half awake, with a yell of surprise andanger I grappled with the enemy, and exerting all my strengthrolled him over. Over and over we went struggling to-wards the fire, and when I got him within a foot or so of itI came out on top, and, digging my knuckles into his throttle,banged his head upon the stony floor in reckless rage,until all of a sudden it seemed to me he was done for.I relaxed my grip, but the other man never moved. I shookhim again, like a terrier with a rat, but he never resentedit. Had I killed him? How limp and cold he was! And thenall of a sudden an uneasy feeling came upon me. I reachedout, and throwing a handful of dried stuff upon the embersthe fire danced gaily up into the air, and the blaze showedme I was savagely holding down to the gravel and kneeling onthe chest of that long-dead king from my grotto wall!It was the man out of the ice without a doubt. Therewas the very niche he had fallen from under the influenceof the fire heat, the very recess, exactly in his shape in everydetail, whence he had stood gazing into vacuity all thoseyears. I left go my hold, and after the flutter in my hearthad gone down, apologetically set him up against the wallof the cavern whence he had fallen; then built up the fireuntil twirling flames danced to the very roof in the bluelight of dawn, and hobgoblin shadows leapt and caperedabout us. Then once more I sat down on the oppositeside of the blaze, resting my chin upon my hands, and staredinto the frozen eyes of that grim stranger, who, with hischin upon his knees, stared back at me with irresistible,remorseless steadfastness.He was as fresh as if he had died but yesterday, yetby his clothing and something in his appearance, whichwas not that of the Martian of to-day, I knew he mightbe many thousand years old. What things he had seen,what wonders he knew! What a story might be put intohis mouth if I were a capable writer gifted with time andimagination instead of a poor outcast, ill-paid lieutenantwhose literary wit is often taxed hardly to fill even a log-book entry! I stared at him so long and hard, and he at methrough the blinking flames, that again I dozed--and dozed--and dozed again until at last when I woke in good earnestit was daylight.By this time hunger was very aggressive. The fire wasnaught but a circlet of grey ashes; the dead king, stillsitting against the cave-side, looked very blue and cold,and with an uncomfortable realisation of my position I shookmyself together, picked up and pocketed without muchthought the queer gold circlet that had dropped fromhis forehead, and went outside to see what prospect ofescape the new day had brought.It was not much. Upriver there was not the remotestchance. Not even a Niagara steamer could have forgedback against the sluice coming down from the gulch there.Looking round, the sides of the icy amphitheatre--justlighting up now with glorious gold and crimson glimmers ofmorning--were as steep as a wall face; only back towardsthe falls was there a possibility of getting out of the dreadfultrap, so thither I went, after a last look at the poor old king,along my narrow beach with all the eagerness begotten ofa final chance. Up to the very brink it looked hopelessenough, but, looking downwards when that was reached,instead of a sheer drop the slope seemed to be a wild"staircase" of rocks and icy ledges with here and there alittle patch of sand on a cornice, and far below, fivehundred feet or so, a good big spread of gravel an acre ortwo in extent close by where the river plunged out of sightinto the nethermost cavern mouth.It was so hopeless up above it, it could not possibly beworse further down, and there was the ugly black floodrunning into the hole to trust myself to as a last resource;so slipping and sliding I began the descent.Had I been a schoolboy with a good breakfast aheadthe incident might have been amusing enough. The travel-ling was mostly done on the seat of my trousers, whichconsequently became caked with mud and glacial loam.Some was accomplished on hands and knees, with now andthen a bit down a snow slope, in good, honest head-over-heels fashion. The result was a fine appetite for the nextmeal when it should please providence to send it, and anabrupt arrival on the bottom beach about five minutes afterleaving the upper circles.I came to behind a cluster of breast-high rocks, andbefore moving took a look round. Judge then of my as-tonishment and delight at the second glance to perceiveabout a hundred yards away a brown object, looking like anape in the half light, meandering slowly up the margin ofthe water towards me. Every now and then it stopped,stooping down to pick up something or other from the scumalong the torrent, and it was the fact that these trifles,whatever they were, were put into a wallet by the vision'sside--not into his mouth--which first made me understandwith a joyful thrill that it was a MAN before me--a real,living man in this huge chamber of dead horrors! Then againit flashed across my mind in a luminous moment thatwhere one man could come, or go, or live, another coulddo likewise, and never did cat watch mouse with more con-centrated eagerness than I that quaint, bent-shoulderedthing hobbling about in the blue morning shadows whereall else was silence.Nearer and nearer he came, till so close face and garbwere discernible, and then there could no longer be anydoubt, it was a woodman, an old man, with grizzledmonkey-face, stooping gait, and a shaggy fur cloak, utterlyunlike the airy garments of my Hither folk, who now stoodbefore me. It gave me quite a start to recognise him there,for it showed I was in a new land, and since he was goingso cheerfully about his business, whatever it might chanceto be, there must be some way out of this accursed pit inwhich I had fallen. So very cautiously I edged out, takingadvantage of all the cover possible until we were only twentyyards apart, and then suddenly standing up, and puttingon the most affable smile, I called out--"Hullo, mess-mate!"The effect was electrical. That quaint old fellow spranga yard into air as though a spring had shot him up. Then,coming down, he stood transfixed at his full height as stiff asa ramrod, staring at me with incredible wonder. He lookedso funny that in spite of hunger and loneliness I burst outlaughing, whereat the woodman, suddenly recovering hissenses, turned on his heels and set off at his best pace inthe opposite direction. This would never do! I wanted himto be my guide, philosopher, and friend. He was my solevisible link with the outside world, so after him I went attip-top speed, and catching him up in fifty yards along theshingle laid hold of his nether garments. Whereat the oldfellow stopping suddenly I shot clean over his back, comingdown on my shoulder in the gravel.But I was much younger than he, and in a minute wasin chase again. This time I laid hold of his cloak, and themoment he felt my grip he slipped the neck-thongs and leftme with only the mangy garment in my hands. Again weset off, dodging and scampering with all our might uponthat frozen bit of beach. The activity of that old fellowwas marvellous, but I could not and would not lose him.I made a rush and grappled him, but he tossed his headround and slipped away once more under my arm, asthough he had been brought up by a Chinese wrestler. Thenhe got on one side of a flat rock, I the other, and forthree or four minutes we waltzed round that slab in themost insane manner.But by this time we were both pretty well spent--he withage and I with faintness from my long fast, and we camepresently to a standstill.After glaring at me for a time, the woodman gasped outas he struggled for breath--"Oh, mighty and dreadful spirit! Oh, dweller in pri-mordial ice, say from which niche of the cliffs has the breathof chance thawed you?""Never a niche at all, Mr. Hunter-for-Haddocks'-Eyes,"I answered as soon as I could speak. "I am just a castawaywrecked last night on this shore of yours, and very gratefulindeed will I be if you can show me the way to somebreakfast first, and afterwards to the outside world."But the old fellow would not believe. "Spirits such as you,"he said sullenly, "need no food, and go whither they will bywish alone.""I tell you I am not a spirit, and as hungry as I don'tparticularly want to be again. Here, look at the back of mytrousers, caked three inches deep in mud. If I were a spirit,do you think I would slide about on my coat-tails like that?Do you think that if I could travel by volition I would slipdown these infernal cliffs on my pants' seat as I have justdone? And as for materialism--look at this fist; it punchedyou just now! Surely there was nothing spiritual in thatknock?''"No," said the savage, rubbing his head, "it was a good,honest rap, so I must take you at your word. If you areindeed man, and hungry, it will be a charity to feed you;if you are a spirit, it will at least be interesting to watchyou eat; so sit down, and let's see what I have in my wallet."So cross-legged we squatted opposite each other on thetable rock, and, feeling like another Sindbad the Sailor, Iwatched my new friend fumble in his bag and lay out at hisside all sorts of odds and ends of string, fish-hooks, chew-ing-gum, material for making a fire, and so on, until at lasthe came to a package (done up, I noted with delight, in abroad, green leaf which had certainly been growing thatmorning), and unrolling it, displayed a lump of dried meat,a few biscuits, much thicker and heavier than the honey-cakes of the Hither folk, and something that looked andsmelt like strong, white cheese.He signed to me to eat, and you may depend upon it Iwas not slow in accepting the invitation. That tough biltongtasted to me like the tenderest steak that ever came froma grill; the biscuits were ambrosial; the cheese melted inmy mouth as butter melts in that of the virtuous; but whenthe old man finished the quaint picnic by inviting me toaccompany him down to the waterside for a drink, I shookmy head. I had a great respect for dead queens and kings,I said, but there were too many of them up above to makeme thirsty this morning; my respect did not go to makingme desire to imbibe them in solution!Afterwards I chanced to ask him what he had been pick-ing up just now along the margin, and after looking atme suspiciously for a minute he asked--"You are not a thief?" On being reassured on thatpoint he continued: "And you will not attempt to rob meof the harvest for which I venture into this ghost-hauntedglen, which you and I alone of living men have seen?""No." Whatever they were, I said, I would respect hisearnings."Very well, then," said the old man, "look here! I comehither to pick up those pretty trifles which yonder lordsand ladies have done with," and plunging his hand into an-other bag he brought out a perfect fistful of splendid gemsand jewels, some set and some unset. "They wash from thehands and wrists of those who have lodgings in the crevicesof the falls above," he explained. "After a time the beachhere will be thick with them. Could I get up whence youcame down, they might be gathered by the sackful. Come!there is an eddy still unsearched, and I will show you howthey lie."It was very fascinating, and I and that old man set to workamongst the gravels, and, to be brief, in half an hourfound enough glittering stuff to set up a Fifth Avenue jewel-ler's shop. But to tell the truth, now that I had breakfasted,and felt manhood in my veins again, I was eager to be off,and out of the close, death-tainted atmosphere of thatvalley. Consequently I presently stood up and said--"Look here, old man, this is fine sport no doubt, but justat present I have a big job on hand--one which will notwait, and I must be going. See, luck and young eyes havefavoured me; here is twice as much gold and stones as youhave got together--it is all yours without a question if youwill show me the way out of this den and afterwards put meon the road to your big city, for thither I am bound withan errand to your king, Ar-hap."The sight of my gems, backed, perhaps, with the men-tion of Ar-hap's name, appealed to the old fellow; and af-ter a grunt or two about "losing a tide" just when spoil wasso abundant, he accepted the bargain, shouldered his be-longings, and led me towards the far corner of the beach.It looked as if we were walking right against the tower-ing ice wall, but when we were within a yard or two of it anarrow cleft, only eighteen inches wide, and wonderfullymasked by an ice column, showed to the left, and into thiswe squeezed ourselves, the entrance by which we had comeappearing to close up instantly we had gone a pace ortwo, so perfectly did the ice walls match each other.It was the most uncanny thoroughfare conceivable--asheer, sharp crack in the blue ice cliffs extending from wherethe sunlight shone in a dazzling golden band five hundredfeet overhead to where bottom was touched in blue ob-scurity of the ice-foot. It was so narrow we had to travelsideways for the most part, a fact which brought my faceclose against the clear blue glass walls, and enabled mefrom time to time to see, far back in those translucent depths,more and more and evermore frozen Martians waiting instony silence for their release.But the fact of facts was that slowly the floor of the clefttrended upwards, whilst the sky strip appeared to comedownwards to meet it. A mile, perhaps, we growled andsqueezed up that wonderful gully; then with a feeling ofincredible joy I felt the clear, outer air smiting upon me.In my hurry and delight I put my head into the smallof the back of the puffing old man who blocked the way infront and forced him forward, until at last--before weexpected it--the cleft suddenly ended, and he and Itumbled headlong over each other on to a glittering, frozensnowslope; the sky azure overhead, the sunshine warm asa tepid bath, and a wide prospect of mountain and plainextending all around.So delightful was the sudden change of circumstances thatI became quite boyish, and seizing the old man in my exub-erance by the hands, dragged him to his feet, and dancedhim round and round in a circle, while his ancient hairflapped about his head, his skin cloak waved from hisshoulders like a pair of dusky wings and half-eaten cakes,dried flesh, glittering jewels, broken diadems, and goldenfinger-rings were flung in an arc about us. We capered tillfairly out of breath, and then, slapping him on the backshoulder, I asked whose land all this was about us.He replied that it was no one's, all waste from vergeto verge."What!" was my exclamation. "All ownerless, and withso much treasure hidden hereabout! Why, I shall annex itto my country, and you and I will peg out original settlers'claims!" And, still excited by the mountain air, I whippedout my sword, and in default of a star-spangled bannerto plant on the newly-acquired territory, traced in giganticletters on the snow-crust--U.S.A."And now," I added, wiping the rime off my blade withthe lappet of my coat, "let us stop capering about here andget to business. You have promised to put me on the wayto your big city.""Come on then," said the little man, gathering up hisproperty. "This white hillside leads to nowhere; we mustget into the valley first, and then you shall see your road."And right well that quaint barbarian kept his promise.CHAPTER XIIIIt was half a day's march from those glittering snow-fields into the low country, and when that was reached Ifound myself amongst quite another people.The land was no longer fat and flowery, giving every kindof produce for the asking, but stony for the most part, and,where we first came on vegetation, overgrown by firs, witha pine which looked to me like a species which went tomake the coal measures in my dear but distant planet. Morethan this I cannot say, for there are no places in the worldlike mess-room and quarter-deck for forgetting school learn-ing. Instead of the glorious wealth of parti-coloured vege-tation my eyes had been accustomed to lately, here theyrested on infertile stretches of marshland intersected bymoss-covered gravel shoots, looking as though they hadbeen pushed into the plains in front of extinct glacierscoming down from the region behind us. On the low hillsaway from the sea those sombre evergreen forests with anundergrowth of moss and red lichens were more variegatedwith light foliage, and indeed the pines proved to be buta fringe to the Arctic ice, giving way rapidly to moretypical Martian vegetation each mile we marched to thesouthward.As for the inhabitants, they seemed, like my guide, rough,uncouth fellows, but honest enough when you came to knowthem. An introduction, however, was highly desirable. Ichanced upon the first native as he was gathering reindeer-moss. My companion was some little way behind at themoment, and when the gentle aborigine saw the strangerhe stared hard for a moment, then, turning on his heels,with extraordinary swiftness flung at me half a pound ofhard flint stone. Had his aim been a little more carefulthis humble narrative had never appeared on the Broadwaybookstalls. As it was, the pebble, missing my head by aninch or two, splintered into a hundred fragments on a rockbehind, and while I was debating whether a revengefulrush at the slinger or a strategic advance to the rear weremore advisable, my guide called out to his countryman--"Ho! you base prowler in the morasses; you eater of un-clean vegetation, do you not see this is a ghost I am con-ducting, a dweller in the ice cliffs, a spirit ten thousandyears old? Put by your sling lest he wither you with aglance." And, very reasonably, surprised, the aborigine didas he was bid and cautiously advanced to inspect me.The news soon spread over the countryside that my jewel-hunter was bringing a live "spook" along with him, con-siderable curiosity mixed with an awe all to my advantagecharacterising the people we met thereafter. Yet the won-der was not so great as might have been expected, forthese people were accustomed to meeting the tags of lostraces, and though they stared hard, their interest waschiefly in hearing how, when, and where I had been found,whether I bit or kicked, or had any other vices, and if Ipossessed any commercial value.My guide's throat must have ached with the repetitionof the narrative, but as he made the story redound greatlyto his own glory, he put up cheerfully with the hoarseness.In this way, walking and talking alternately, we travelledduring daylight through a country which slowly lost itsrugged features and became more and more inhabited, thehardy people living in scattered villages in contradiction tothe debased city-loving Hither folk.About nightfall we came to a sea-fishers' hamlet, where,after the old man had explained my exalted nature and ven-erable antiquity, I was offered shelter for the night.My host was the headman, and I must say his bearingtowards the supernatural was most unaffected. If it hadbeen an Avenue hotel I could not have found more handsometreatment than in that reed-thatched hut. They made mewash and rest, and then were all agog for my history; butthat I postponed, contenting myself with telling them I hadbeen lately in Seth, and had come thence to see them via theice valley--to all of which they listened with the simplicityof children. Afterwards I turned on them, and openly mar-velled that so small a geographical distance as there wasbetween that land and this could make so vast a humandifference. "The truth, O dweller in blue shadows ofprimordial ice, is," said the most intelligent of the Thitherfolk as we sat over fried deer-steak in his hut that evening,"we who are MEN, not Peri-zad, not overstayed fairies likethose you have been amongst, are newcomers here on thisshore. We came but a few generations ago from where thegold curtains of the sun lie behind the westward pine-trees,and as we came we drove, year by year, those fays, thosespent triflers, back before us. All this land was theirs once,and more and more towards our old home. You may stillsee traces of harbours dug and cities built thousands ofyears ago, when the Hither folk were living men and women--not their shadows. The big water outside stops us for aspace, but," he added, laughing gruffly and taking a draughtof a strong beer he had been heating by the fire, "KingAr-hap has their pretty noses between his fingers; he takestribute and girls while he gets ready--they say he is nearlyready this summer, and if he is, it will not be much of anexcuse he will need to lick up the last of those triflers, thosepretences of manhood."Then we fell to talking of Ar-hap, his subjects and town,and I learned the tides had swept me a long way to thenorthward of the proper route between the capitals of thetwo races, that day they carried me into the Dead-Men'sIce, as these entertainers of mine called the northern snows.To get back to the place previously aimed at, where thewoodmen road came out on the seashore, it was necessaryto go either by boat, a roundabout way through a mazeof channels, "as tangled as the grass roots in autumn";or, secondly, by a couple of days' marching due southwardacross the base of the great peninsula we were on, andso strike blue water again at the long-sought-for harbour.As I lay dozing and dreaming on a pile of strange fursin the corner of the hut that evening I made up my mind forthe land journey tomorrow, having had enough for the mo-ment of nautical Martian adventures; and this point settled,fell again to wondering what made me follow so reckless aquest in the way I was doing; asking myself again andagain what was gazelle-eyed Heru to me after all, and whyshould it matter even as much as the value of a brass waist-coat button whether Hath had her or Ar-hap? What a foolI was to risk myself day by day in quaint and dangerousadventures, wearing out good Government shoe-leather inother men's quarrels, all for a silly slip of royal girlhoodwho, by this time, was probably making herself comfortableand forgetting both Hath and me in the arms of herrough new lord.And from Heru my mind drifted back dreamily to poorAn, and Seth, the city of fallen magnificence, where thespent masters of a strange planet now lived on suffer-ance--the ghosts of their former selves. Where was An, wherethe revellers on the morning--so long ago it seemed!--whenfirst that infernal rug of mine translated a chance wishinto a horrible reality and shot me down here, a strangerand an outcast? Where was the magic rug itself? Where mysteak and tomato supper? Who had eaten it? Who wasdrawing my pay? If I could but find the rug when I gotback to Seth, gods! but I would try if it would not returnwhence I had come, and as swiftly, out of all these sillycoils and adventuring.So musing, presently the firelight died down, and bulkyforms of hide-wrapped woodmen sleeping on the floorslowly disappeared in obscurity like ranges of mountainsdisappearing in the darkness of night. All those uncouthforms, and the throb of the sea outside, presently fadedupon my senses, and I slept the heavy sleep of one whosewakefulness gives way before an imperious physical demand.All through the long hours of the night, while the wavesoutside champed upon the gravels, and the woodmen snoredand grunted uneasily as they simultaneously dreamt of theday's hunting and digested its proceeds, I slept; and thenwhen dawn began to break I passed from that heavy stuporinto another and lighter realm, wherein fancy again rosesuperior to bodily fatigue, and events of the last few dayspassed in procession through my mind.I dreamt I was lunching at a fashionable seaside resortwith Polly at my side, and An kept bringing us melons,which grew so monstrous every time a knife was put intothem that poor Polly screamed aloud. I dreamt I was afloaton a raft, hotly pursued by my tailor, whose bare and shinyhead--may Providence be good to him!--was garlandedwith roses, while in his fist was a bunch of unpaid bills, thewhich he waved aloft, shouting to me to stop. And thuswe danced down an ink-black river until he had chiveyedme into the vast hall of the Admiralty, where a fearsomeSecretary, whose golden teeth rattled and dropped fromhis head with mingled cold and anger, towered above me ashe asked why I was absent from my ship without leave. AndI was just mumbling out excuses while stooping to pick uphis golden dentistry, when some one stirring in the hutaroused me. I started up on my elbow and looked around.Where was I? For a minute all was confused and dark.The heavy mound-like forms of sleeping men, the dim outlinesof their hunting gear upon the walls, the pale sea beyond,half seen through the open doorway, just turning livid inthe morning light; and then as my eyes grew more ac-customed to the obscurity, and my stupid senses returned,I recognised the surroundings, and, with a sigh, rememberedyesterday's adventures.However, it would never do to mope; so, rising silentlyand picking a way through human lumber on the floor, Iwent out and down to the water's edge, where "shore-going"clothes, as we sailors call them, were slipped off, and Iplunged into the sea for a swim.It was a welcome dip, for I needed the plunge physicallyand intellectually, but it came to an abrupt conclusion. TheThither folk apparently had never heard of this form ofenjoyment; to them water stood for drinking or drowning,nothing else, and since one could not drink the sea, to be init meant, even for a ghost, to drown. Consequently, when theword went round the just rousing villages that "He-on-foot-from-afar" was adrift in the waves, rescue parties were hur-riedly organised, a boat launched, and, in spite of allmy kicking and shouting (which they took to be evidenceof my semi-moribund condition), I was speedily hauledout by hairy and powerful hands, pungent herbs burnt un-der my nose, and my heels held high in the air inorder that the water might run out of me. It was only withthe greatest difficulty those rough but honest fellows wereeventually got to believe me saved.The breakfast I made of grilled deer flesh and a fish notunlike salmon, however, convinced them of my recovery, andafterward we parted very good friends; for there was some-thing in the nature of those rugged barbarians just cominginto the dawn of civilisation that won my liking far morethan the effete gentleness of others across the water.When the time of parting came they showed no curiosityas to my errand, but just gave me some food in a fish-skinbag, thrust a heavy stone-headed axe into my hand, "in caseI had to talk to a thief on the road," and pointed out onthe southern horizon a forked mountain, under which, theysaid, was the harbour and high-road to King Ar-hap's capital.Then they hugged me to their hairy chests in turn, and letme go with a traveller's blessing.There I was again, all alone, none but my thoughts forcompanions, and nothing but youth to excuse the folly inthus venturing on a reckless quest!However, who can gainsay that same youth? The veryspice of danger made my steps light and the way pleasant.For a mile or two the track was plain enough, through anundulating country gradually becoming more and morewooded with vegetation, changing rapidly from Alpine tosub-tropical. The air also grew warmer, and when the divid-ing ridge was crossed and a thick forest entered, thesnows and dreadful region of Deadmen's Ice already seemedleagues and leagues away.Probably a warm ocean current played on one side of thepeninsula, while a cold one swept the other, but for sci-entific aspects of the question I cared little in my joy atbeing anew in a soft climate, amongst beautiful flowers andvivid life again. Mile after mile slipped quickly by as I strodealong, whistling "Yankee Doodle" to myself and revellingin the change. At one place I met a rough-looking Martianwoodcutter, who wanted to fight until he found I also wantedto, when he turned very civil and as talkative as a solitaryliver often is when his tongue gets started. He particularlydesired to know where I came from, and, as in the case withso many other of his countrymen, took it for granted, andwith very little surprise, that I was either a spirit or aninhabitant of another world. With this idea in his mind hegave me a curious piece of information, which, unfortunately,I was never able to follow up."I don't think you can be a spirit," he said, criticallyeyeing my clothes, which were now getting ragged and dirtybeyond description. "They are finer-looking things than you,and I doubt if their toes come through their shoes likeyours do. If you are a wanderer from the stars, you are notlike that other one we have down yonder," and he pointedto the southward."What!" I asked, pricking my ears in amazement, "an-other wanderer from the outside world! Does he comefrom the earth?"--using the word An had given me to signifymy own planet."No, not from there; from the one that burns blue inevening between sun and sea. Men say he worked as astoker or something of the kind when he was at home, and gottrifling with a volcano tap, and was lapped in hot mud,and blown out here. My brother saw him about a week ago.""Now what you say is down right curious. I thought Ihad a monopoly of that kind of business in this sphere ofyours. I should be tremendously interested to see him.""No you wouldn't," briefly answered the woodman. "Heis the stupidest fool ever blown from one world to another--more stupid to look at than you are. He is a gaseous,wavey thing, so glum you can't get two words a week outof him, and so unstable that you never know when you arewith him and when the breeze has drifted him somewhere else."I could but laugh and insist, with all respect to thewoodcutter, such an individual were worth the knowinghowever unstable his constitution; at which the man shruggedhis shoulders and changed the conversation, as though thesubject were too trivial to be worth much consideration.This individual gave me the pleasure of his company untilnearly sundown, and finding I took an interest in things ofthe forest, pointed out more curious plants and trees thanI have space to mention. Two of them, however, cling tomy memory very tenaciously. One was a very Circe amongstplants, the horrible charm of which can never be forgotten.We were going down a glade when a most ravishing odourfell upon my nostrils. It was heavenly sweet yet withalthere lurked an incredibly, unexpressibly tempting spice ofwickedness in it. The moment he caught that ambrosialinvitation in the air my woodman spit fiercely on the ground,and taking a plug of wool from his pouch stuffed his nostrilsup. Then he beckoned me to come away. But the odourwas too ravishing, I was bound to see whence it arose,and finding me deaf to all warnings, the man reluctantlyturned aside down the enticing trail. We pushed about ahundred yards through bushes until we came to a littlearena full in sunshine where there were neither birds norbutterflies, but a death-like hush upon everything. Indeed,the place seemed shunned in spite of the sodden lovelinessof that scent which monopolised and mounted to my brainuntil I was beginning to be drunk with the sheer pleasure ofit. And there in the centre of the space stood a plant notunlike a tree fern, about six feet high, and crowned by onehuge and lovely blossom. It resembled a vast passion-flowerof incredible splendour. There were four petals, with pointsresting on the ground, each six feet long, ivory-white inside,exquisitely patterned with glittering silver veins. From thebase of these rose upright a gauzy veil of azure filaments ofthe same length as the petals, wirelike, yet soft as silk, andinside them again rested a chalice of silver holding a tinypool of limpid golden honey. Circe, indeed! It was fromthat cup the scent arose, and my throat grew dry withlonging as I looked at it; my eyes strained through the bluetendrils towards that liquid nectar, and my giddy sensesfelt they must drink or die! I glanced at the woodmanwith a smile of drunken happiness, then turned totteringlegs towards the blossom. A stride up the smooth causewayof white petals, a push through the azure haze, and thewine of the wood enchantress would be mine--molten am-ber wine, hotter and more golden than the sunshine; thefire of it was in my veins, the recklessness of intoxication wason me, life itself as nothing compared to a sip from thatchalice, my lips must taste or my soul would die, and withtrembling hand and strained face I began to climb.But the woodman pulled me back."Back, stranger!" he cried. "Those who drink there neverlive again.""Blessed oblivion! If I had a thousand lives the pricewere still too cheap," and once more I essayed to scramble up.But the man was a big fellow, and with nostrils plugged,and eyes averted from the deadly glamour, he seized meby the collar and threw me back. Three times I tried, threetimes he hurled me down, far too faint and absorbed to heedthe personal violence. Then standing between us, "Look,"he said, "look and learn."He had killed a small ape that morning, meaning lateron to take its fur for clothing, and this he now unslungfrom his shoulder, and hitching the handle of his axe into theloose skin at the back of its neck, cautiously advanced to thewitch plant, and gently hoisted the monkey over the bluepalings. The moment its limp, dead feet touched the goldenpool a shudder passed through the plant, and a bird some-where far back in the forest cried out in horror. Quick asthought, a spasm of life shot up the tendrils, and like tonguesof blue flame they closed round the victim, lapping hismiserable body in their embrace. At the same time the petalsbegan to rise, showing as they did so hard, leathery, un-lovely outer rinds, and by the time the woodman was backat my side the flower was closed.Closer and closer wound the blue tendrils; tighter andtighter closed the cruel petals with their iron grip, until atlast we heard the ape's bones crackling like dry firewood;then next his head burst, his brains came oozing throughthe crevices, while blood and entrails followed them throughevery cranny, and the horrible mess with the overflow ofthe chalice curled down the stem in a hundred steamingrills, till at last the petals locked with an ugly snap upontheir ghastly meal, and I turned away from the sight in dreadand loathing.That was plant Number One.Plant Number Two was of milder disposition, and won ahearty laugh for my friendly woodman. In fact, being of achildlike nature, his success as a professor of botany quitepleased him, and not content with answering my questions,he set to work to find new vegetable surprises, greatlyenjoying my wonder and the sense of importance it gave him.In this way we came, later on in the day, to a spot whereherbage was somewhat scantier, the grass coarse, and soilshallow. Here I espied a tree of small size, apparentlywithered, but still bearing a few parched leaves on its upper-most twigs."Now that," quoth the professor, "is a highly curious tree,and I should like you to make a close acquaintance with it.It grows from a seed in the course of a single springtime,perishes in the summer; but a few specimens stand through-out the winter, provided the situation is sheltered, as thisone has done. If you will kindly go down and shake its stemI believe you will learn something interesting."So, very willing to humour him, away I went to thetree, which was perfect in every detail, but apparently verydry, clasped it with both hands, and, pulling myself to-gether, gave it a mighty shake. The result was instantaneous.The whole thing was nothing but a skin of dust, whence allfibre and sap had gone, and at my touch it dissolved intoa cloud of powder, a huge puff of white dust whichdescended on me as though a couple of flour-bags hadbeen inverted over my head; and as I staggered out sneez-ing and blinking, white as a miller from face to foot, theMartian burst into a wild, joyous peal of laughter thatmade the woods ring again. His merriment was so sincereI had not the heart to be angry, and soon laughed as loudas he did; though, for the future, I took his botanical es-says with a little more caution.CHAPTER XIVThat woodman friend of mine proved so engaging it wasdifficult to get away, and thus when, dusk upon us, and myobject still a long distance off, he asked me to spend thenight at his hut, I gladly assented.We soon reached the cabin where the man lived by himselfwhilst working in the forest. It was a picturesque little placeon a tree-overhung lagoon, thatched, wattled, and allabout were piles of a pleasant-scented bark, collected forthe purpose of tanning hides, and I could not but marvelthat such a familiar process should be practised identicallyon two sides of the universal ether. But as a matter offact the similarity of many details of existence here andthere was the most striking of the things I learned whilstin the red planet.Within the hut stood a hearth in the centre of the floor,whereon a comfortable blaze soon sparkled, and upon thewalls hung various implements, hides, and a store of driedfruits of various novel kinds. My host, when he had somewhatdisdainfully watched me wash in a rill of water close by,suggested supper, and I agreed with heartiest good will."Nothing wonderful! Oh, Mr. Blue-coat!" he said, pranc-ing about as he made his hospitable arrangements. "No finemeat or scented wine to unlock, one by one, all the doorsof paradise, such as I have heard they have in lands be-yond the sea; but fare good enough for plain men who eatbut to live. So! reach me down yonder bunch of yellowaru fruit, and don't upset that calabash, for all my funnieststories lurk at the bottom of it."I did as he bid, and soon we were squatting by the firetoasting arus on pointed sticks, the doorway closed with awattle hurdle, and the black and gold firelight filling thehut with fantastic shadows. Then when the banana-likefruit was ready, the man fetched from a recess a loaf ofbread savoured with the dust of dried and pounded fish,put the foresaid calabash of strong ale to warm, and downwe sat to supper with real woodman appetites. Seldom haveI enjoyed a meal so much, and when we had finished thefruit and the wheat cake my guide snatched up the greatgourd of ale, and putting it to his lips called out:"Here's to you, stranger; here's to your country; here's toyour girl, if you have one, and death to your enemies!" Thenhe drank deep and long, and, passed the stuff to me."Here's to you, bully host, and the missus, and thechildren, if there are any, and more power to your el-bow!"--the which gratified him greatly, though probably hehad small idea of my meaning.And right merry we were that evening. The host was ajolly good fellow, and his ale, with a pleasant savour ofmint in it, was the heartiest drink I ever set lips to. Wetalked and laughed till the very jackals yapped in sympathyoutside. And when he had told a score of wonderful woodstories as pungent of the life of these fairy forests as thearomatic scent of his bark-heaps outside, as iridescent withthe colours of another world as the rainbow bubbles rid-ing down his starlit rill, I took a turn, and told him of thecommonplaces of my world so far away, whereat he laughedgloriously again. The greater the commonplace the largerhis joy. The humblest story, hardly calculated to impress agriffin between watches on the main-deck, was a masterpieceof wit to that gentle savage; and when I "took off" thetricks and foibles of some of my superiors--Heaven forgiveme for such treason!--he listened with the exquisite open-mouthed delight of one who wanders in a brand-newworld of mirth.We drank and laughed over that strong beer till the littleowls outside raised their voice in combined accord, andthen the woodman, shaking the last remnant of his sleepy witstogether, and giving a reproachful look at me for finallypassing him the gourd empty to the last drop, rose, threw afur on a pile of dead grass at one side of the hut, and bidme sleep, "for his brain was giddy with the wonders of theincredible and ludicrous sphere which I had lately in-habited."Slowly the fire died away; slowly the quivering gold andblack arabesques on the walls merged in a red haze as thesticks dropped into tinder, and the great black outline ofthe hairy monster who had thrown himself down by theembers rose up the walls against that flush like the outlineof a range of hills against a sunset glow. I listened drowsilyfor a space to his snoring and the laughing answer of thebrook outside, and then that ambrosial sleep which is thegentle attendant of hardship and danger touched my tiredeyelids, and I, too, slept.My friend was glum the next morning, as they who stayover-long at the supper flagon are apt to be. He had beenat work an hour on his bark-heaps when I came out into theopen, and it was only by a good deal of diplomacy andsome material help in sorting his faggots that he was got intoa better frame of mind. I could not, however, trust hismood completely, and as I did not want to end so joviala friendship with a quarrel, I hurried through our breakfastof dry bread, with hard-boiled lizard eggs, and then settlingmy reckoning with one of the brass buttons from my coat,which he immediately threaded, with every evidence of ex-treme gratification, on a string of trinkets hanging round hisneck, asked him the way to Ar-hap's capital."Your way is easy, friend, as long as you keep to thestraight path and have yonder two-humped mountain infront. To the left is the sea, and behind the hill runs the canaland road by which all traffic comes or goes to Ar-hap.But above all things pass not to the hills right, for no mangoes there; there away the forests are thick as night, andin their perpetual shadows are the ruins of a Hither city,a haunted fairy town to which some travellers have been,but whence none ever returned alive.""By the great Jove, that sounds promising! I would liketo see that town if my errand were not so urgent."But the old fellow shook his shaggy head and turned ashade yellower. "It is no place for decent folk," he growled."I myself once passed within a mile of its outskirts at dusk,and saw the unholy little people's lanterned processionsstarting for the shrine of Queen Yang, who, tradition says,killed herself and a thousand babies with her when wetook this land.""My word, that was a holocaust! Couldn't I drop inthere to lunch? It would make a fine paper for an anti-quarian society."Again the woodman frowned. "Do as I bid you, son.You are too young and green to go on ventures by yourself.Keep to the straight road: shun the swamps and the fairyforest, else will you never see Ar-hap.""And as I have very urgent and very important businesswith him, comrade, no doubt your advice is good. I will callon Princess Yang some other day. And now goodbye!Rougher but friendlier shelter than you have given me noman could ask for. I am downright sorry to part with youin this lonely land. If ever we meet again--" but we neverdid! The honest old churl clasped me into his hairy bosomthree times, stuffed my wallet with dry fruit and bread,and once more repeating his directions, sent me on mylonely way.I confess I sighed while turning into the forest, and lookedback more than once at his retreating form. The lonelinessof my position, the hopelessness of my venture, welled upin my heart after that good comradeship, and when the hutwas out of sight I went forward down the green grass road,chin on chest, for twenty minutes in the deepest dejection.But, thank Heaven, I was born with a tough spirit, andpossess a mind which has learned in many fights to givebrave counsel to my spirit, and thus presently I shook myselftogether, setting my face boldly to the quest and theday's work.It was not so clear a morning as the previous one, and asteamy wind on what at sea I should have called thestarboard bow, as I pressed forward to the distant hill,had a curiously subduing effect on my thoughts, and filledthe forest glades with a tremulous unreality like to nothingon our earth, and distinctly embarrassing to a stranger in astrange land. Small birds in that quaint atmospheric hazelooked like condors, butterflies like giant fowl, and the sim-plest objects of the forest like the imaginations of a disordereddream. Behind that gauzy hallucination a fine white mistcame up, and the sun spread out flat and red in the sky,while the pent-in heat became almost unendurable.Still I plodded on, growling to myself that in Christianlatitudes all the evidences would have been held to be-token a storm before night, whatever they might do here,but for the most part lost in my own gloomy speculations.That was the more pity since, in thinking the walk over now,it seems to me that I passed many marvels, saw manyglorious vistas in those nameless forests, many spreads ofcolour, many incidents that, could I but remember themmore distinctly, would supply material for making my fortuneas a descriptive traveller. But what would you? I haveforgotten, and am too virtuous to draw on my imagination,as it is sometimes said other travellers have done whenpicturesque facts were deficient. Yes, I have forgotten allabout that day, save that it was sultry hot, that I took offmy coat and waistcoat to be cooler, carrying them, likethe tramp I was, across my arm, and thus dishevelledpassed some time in the afternoon an encampment of forestfolk, wherefrom almost all the men were gone, and thewomen shy and surly.In no very social humour myself, I walked round theirwoodland village, and on the outskirts, by a brook, just asI was wishing there were some one to eat my solitary lunchwith, chanced upon a fellow busily engaged in hammeringstones into weapons upon a flint anvil.He was an ugly-looking individual at best, yet I washard up for company, so I put my coat down, and, seatingmyself on a log opposite, proceeded to open my wallet,and take out the frugal stores the woodman had given methat morning.The man was seated upon the ground holding a stoneanvil between his feet, while with his hands he turnedand chipped with great skill a spear-head he was making outof flint. It was about the only pastime he had, and his littleyellow eyes gleamed with a craftsman's pleasure, his shaggyround shoulders were bent over the task, the chips flewin quick particles, and the wood echoed musically as the arti-ficer watched the thing under his hands take form andfashion. Presently I spoke, and the worker looked up, nottoo pleased at being thus interrupted. But he was easy ofpropitiation, and over a handful of dried raisins communi-cative.How, I asked, knowing a craftsman's craft is often nearestto his heart, how was it such things as that he chippedcame to be thought of by him and his? Whereon thewoodman, having spit out the raisin-stones and wiped hisfingers on his fur, said in substance that the first weaponwas fashioned when the earliest ape hurled the first stonein wrath."But, chum," I said, taking up his half-finished spearand touching the razor-fine edge with admiring caution,"from hurling the crude pebble to fashioning such as this isa long stride. Who first edged and pointed the primitivemalice? What man with the soul of a thousand unbornfighters in him notched and sharpened your natural rock?"Whereon the chipper grinned, and answered that, whenthe woodmen had found stones that would crack skulls, itcame upon them presently that they would crack nuts aswell. And cracking nuts between two stones one day a flintshattered, and there on the grass was the golden secret ofthe edge--the thing that has made man what he is."Yet again, good fellow," I queried, "even this happychance only gives us a weapon, sharp, no doubt, and cal-culated to do a hundred services for any ten the originalpebble could have done, but still unhandled, small in force,imperfect--now tell me, which of your amiable ancestorsfirst put a handle to the fashioned flint, and how he thoughtof it?"The workman had done his flake by now, and wrapping itin a bit of skin, put it carefully in his belt before turningto answer my question. "Who made the first handle for the first flint, you of themany questions? She did--she, the Mother," he suddenlycried, patting the earth with his brown hand, and workinghimself up as he spoke, "made it in her heart for us herfirst-born. See, here is such as the first handled weapon thatever came out of darkness," and he snatched from theground, where it had lain hidden under his fox-skin cloak,a heavy club. I saw in an instant how it was. The clubhad been a sapling, and the sapling's roots had grown aboutand circled with a splendid grip a lump of native flint.A woodman had pulled the sapling, found the flint, andfashioned the two in a moment of happy inspiration, theone to an axe-head and the other to a handle, as they layNature-welded!"This, I say, is the first--the first!" screamed the oldfellowas though I were contradicting him, thumping the groundwith his weapon, and working himself up to a fury as itsblack magic entered his being. "This is the first: with thisI slew Hetter and Gur, and those who plundered my hiding-places in the woods; with this I have killed a score of others,bursting their heads, and cracking their bones like dry sticks.With this--with this--" but here his rage rendered him in-articulate; he stammered and stuttered for a minute, andthen as the killing fury settled on him his yellow teeth shutwith a sudden snap, while through them his breath rattledlike wind through dead pine branches in December, thesinews sat up on his hands as his fingers tightened upon theaxe-heft like the roots of the same pines from the groundwhen winter rain has washed the soil from beneath them;his small eyes gleamed like baleful planets; every hair uponhis shaggy back grew stiff and erect--another minute andmy span were ended.With a leap from where I sat I flew at that hairy beast,and sinking my fists deep in his throttle, shook him till his eyesblazed with delirious fires. We waltzed across the short green-sward, and in and about the tree-trunks, shaking, pulling,and hitting as we went, till at last I felt the man's vigour dy-ing within him; a little more shaking, a sudden twist, andhe was lying on the ground before me, senseless and civil!That is the worst of some orators, I thought to myself, asI gloomily gathered up the scattered fragments of my lunch;they never know when they have said enough, and are tooapt to be carried away by their own arguments.That inhospitable village was left behind in full beliefthe mountain looming in the south could be reached beforenightfall, while the road to its left would serve as a sure guideto food and shelter for the evening. But, as it turned out, themorning's haze developed a strong mist ere the afternoonwas half gone, through which it was impossible to seemore than twenty yards. My hill loomed gigantic for a timewith a tantalising appearance of being only a mile or twoahead, then wavered, became visionary, and finally disap-peared as completely as though the forest mist had drunk itup bodily.There was still the road to guide me, a fairly well-beaten track twining through the glades; but even the best ofhighways are difficult in fog, and this one was compli-cated by various side paths, made probably by hunters orbark-cutters, and without compass or guide marks it wasnecessary to advance with extreme caution, or get helplesslymazed.An hour's steady tramping brought me nowhere in particu-lar, and stopping for a minute to consider, I picked a fewwild fruit, such as my wood-cutter friend had eaten, froman overhanging bush, and in so doing slipped, the soil havingnow become damp, and in falling broke a branch off. Theincident was only important from what follows. Pickingmyself up, perhaps a little shaken by the jolt, I set off againupon what seemed the plain road, and being by this timedispleased by my surroundings, determined to make a pushfor "civilization" before the rapidly gathering darkness set-tled down.Hands in pockets and collar up, I marched forward at agood round pace for an hour, constantly straining eyes fora sight of the hill and ears for some indications of livingbeings in the deathly hush of the shrouded woods, and atthe end of that time, feeling sure habitations must now benear, arrived at what looked like a little open space, some-how seeming rather familiar in its vague outlines.Where had I seen such a place before? Saunteringround the margin, a bush with a broken branch sud-denly attracted my attention--a broken bush with a longslide in the mud below it, and the stamp of Navy boots inthe soft turf! I glared at those signs for a moment, thenwith an exclamation of chagrin recognised them only toowell--it was the bush whence I had picked the fruit, andthe mark of my fall. An hour's hard walking round someaccursed woodland track had brought me exactly back tothe point I had started from--I was lost!It really seemed to get twenty per cent darker as I madethat abominable discovery, and the position dawned in all itsuncomfortable intensity. There was nothing for it but to startoff again, this time judging my direction only by a lightbreath of air drifting the mist tangles before it; and thereinI made a great mistake, for the breeze had shifted severalpoints from the quarter whence it blew in the morning.Knowing nothing of this, I went forward with as muchlightheartedness as could be managed, humming a songto myself, and carefully putting aside thoughts of warmthand supper, while the dusk increased and the great forestvegetation seemed to grow ranker and closer at every stepAnother disconcerting thing was that the ground slopedgradually downwards, not upwards as it should have done, tillit seemed the path lay across the flats of a forest-coveredplain, which did not conform to my wish of striking a roadon the foot-hills of the mountain. However, I plodded on,drawing some small comfort from the fact that as darknesscame the mist rose from the ground and appeared to con-dense in a ghostly curtain twenty feet overhead, where ithung between me and a clear night sky, presently illum-ined by starlight with the strangest effect.Tired, footsore, and dejected, I struggled on a littlefurther. Oh for a cab, I laughed bitterly to myself. Oh foreven the humble necessary omnibus of civilisation. Oh forthe humblest tuck-shop where a mug of hot coffee and asnack could be had by a homeless wanderer; and as Ithought and plodded savagely on, collar up, hands inpockets, through the black tangles of that endless wood,suddenly the sound of wailing children caught my ear!It was the softest, saddest music ever mortal listened to. Itwas as though scores of babes in pain were dropping tosleep on their mothers' breasts, and all hushing their sor-rows with one accord in a common melancholy chorus. Istood spell-bound at that elfin wailing, the first sound to breakthe deathly stillness of the road for an hour or more, andmy blood tingled as I listened to it. Nevertheless, herewas what I was looking for; where there were weepingchildren there must be habitations, and shelter, and--splendidthought!--supper. Poor little babes! their crying was thedeadliest, sweetest thing in sorrows I ever listened to. If itwas cholic--why, I knew a little of medicine, and ingratitude for that prospective supper, I had a soul bigenough to cure a thousand; and if they were in disgrace,and by some quaint Martian fashion had suffered simul-taneous punishment for baby offences, I would plead forthem.In fact, I fairly set off at the run towards the sobbing,in the black, wet, night air ahead, and, tripping as I ran,looked down and saw in the filtering starlight that the forestgrass had given place to an ancient roadway, paved withmoss-grown flag-stones, such as they still used in Seth.Without stopping to think what that might mean I hur-ried on, the wailing now right ahead, a tremulous tumultof gentle grief rising and falling on the night air like thesound of a sea after a storm; and so, presently, in a minuteor two, came upon a ruined archway spanning the lonelyroad, held together by great masses of black-fingered creep-ers, gaunt and ghostly in the shadows, an extraordinary andunexpected vision; and as I stopped with a jerk underthat forbidding gateway and glared at its tumbled masonryand great portals hanging rotten at their hinges, suddenlythe truth flashed upon me. I had taken the forbiddenroad after all. I was in the ancient, ghost-haunted city ofQueen Yang!CHAPTER XVThe dark forest seemed to shut behind as I entered thegateway of the deserted Hither town, against which mywood-cutter friend had warned me, while inside the softmist hung in the starlight like grey drapery over endlessvistas of ruins. What was I to do? Without all was blackand cheerless, inside there was at least shelter. Wet andcold, my courage was not to be put down by the stories of asilly savage; I would go on whatever happened. Besides,the soft sound of crying, now apparently all about, seemedcompanionable, and I had heard so much of ghosts of late, thesharp edge of fear at their presence was wearing off.So in I went: up a broad, decayed street, its flagstonesheaved everywhere by the roots of gnarled trees, andfinding nothing save ruin, tried to rest under a wall. Butthe night air was chilly and the shelter poor, so out I cameagain, with the wailing in the shadows so close about now thatI stopped, and mustering up courage called aloud:"Hullo, you who weep there in the dark, are you livingor dead?" And after a minute from the hollows of the emptyhearths around came the sad little responsive echo:"Are you living or dead?" It was very delusive and un-satisfactory, and I was wondering what to do next when aslant of warmer wind came up behind me under the mist,and immediately little tongues of blue flame blossomed with-out visible cause in every darksome crevice; pale flickersof miasmic light rising pallid from every lurking nook andcorner in the black desolation as though a thousand lampswere lit by unseen fingers, and, knee high, floated outinto the thoroughfare where they oscillated gently in airygrace, and then, forming into procession, began drifting be-fore the tepid air towards the city centre. At once I thought ofwhat the woodcutter had seen, but was too wet and sulkyby this time to care. The fascination of the place was onme, and dropping into rear of the march, I went forwardwith it. By this time the wailing had stopped, though nowand then it seemed a dark form moved in the empty door-ways on either hand, while the mist, parting into gossamersbefore the wind, took marvellously human forms in everyalley and lane we passed.Thus I, a sodden giant, led by those elfin torches, pacedthrough the city until we came to an open square with agreat lumber of ruins in the centre all marred and spoiledby vegetation; and here the lights wavered, and went outby scores and hundreds, just as the petals drop from spentflowers, while it seemed, though it may have been only windin the rank grass, that the air was full of most plaintivesighs as each little lamp slipped into oblivion.The big pile was a mass of fallen masonry, which, fromthe broken pillars all about, might have been a palace ortemple once. I pushed in, but it was as dark as Hades here,so, after struggling for a time in a labyrinth of chambers,chose a sandy recess, with some dry herbage by way ofbedding in a corner, and there, thankful at least for shel-ter, my night's wanderings came to an end and I coiledmyself down, ate a last handful of dry fruit, and, strangeas it may seem, was soon sleeping peacefully.I dreamed that night that a woman, with a face as whiteas ivory, came and bent over me. She led a babe by eitherhand, while behind her were scores of other ones, withlovely faces, but all as pale as the stars themselves, wholooked and sighed, but said nothing, and when they hadstared their fill, dropped out one by one, leaving a wonderfulblank in the monotony where they had been; but beyondthat dream nothing happened.It was a fine morning when I woke again, and ob-viously broad day outside, the sunshine coming downthrough cracks in the old palace roof, and lying in goldenpools on the floor with dazzling effect.Rubbing my eyes and sitting up, it took me some timeto get my senses together, and at first an uneasy feelingpossessed me that I was somehow dematerialised and inan unreal world. But a twinge of cramp in my left arm,and a healthy sneeze, which frightened a score of batsoverhead nearly out of their senses, was reassuring on thispoint, and rubbing away the cramp and staggering to myfeet, I looked about at the strange surroundings. It wascavernous chaos on every side: magnificent architecturereduced to the confusion of a debris-heap, only the hollowchambers being here and there preserved by massive columnsmeeting overhead. Into these the yellow light filtered wher-ever a rent in a cupola or side-wall admitted it, and alluredby the vision of corridors one beyond the other, I presentlyset off on a tour of discovery.Twenty minutes' scrambling brought me to a place wherethe fallen jambs of a fine doorway lay so close together thatthere was barely room to pass between them. However,seeing light beyond, I squeezed through, and I found my-self in the best-preserved chamber of all--a wide, roomyhall with a domed roof, a haze of mural paintings on thewalls, and a marble floor nearly hidden in a century offallen dust. I stumbled over something at the threshold,and picking it up, found it was a baby's skull! And therewere more of them now that my eyes became accustomedto the light. The whole floor was mottled with them--scoresand hundreds of bones and those poor little relics ofhumanity jutting out of the sand everywhere. In the hushof that great dead nursery the little white trophies seemedinexpressibly pathetic, and I should have turned backreverently from that chamber of forgotten sorrows butthat something caught my eye in the centre of it.It was an oblong pile of white stone, very ill-used andchipped, wrist-deep in dust, yet when a slant of light camein from above and fell straight upon it, the marble againstthe black gloom beyond blazed like living pearl. It wasdazzling; and shading my eyes and going tenderly overthrough the poor dead babes, I looked, and there, full in theshine, lay a woman's skeleton, still wrapped in a robe ofwhich little was left save the hard gold embroidery. Herbrown hair, wonderful to say, still lay like lank, dead sea-weed about her, and amongst it was a fillet crown of plainiron set with gems such as eye never looked upon before.There were not many, but enough to make the proud sim-plicity of that circlet glisten like a little band of fire--agleaming halo on her dead forehead infinitely fascinating. Ather sides were two other little bleached human flowers, andI stood before them for a long time in silent sympathy.Could this be Queen Yang, of whom the woodcutter hadtold me? It must be--who else? And if it were, what strangechance had brought me here--a stranger, yet the first tocome, since her sorrow, from her distant kindred? And if itwere, then that fillet belonged of right to Heru, the last rep-resentative of her kind. Ought I not to take it to her ratherthan leave it as spoil to the first idle thief with pluck enoughto deride the mysteries of the haunted city? Long time Ithought over it in the faint, heavy atmosphere of that hall,and then very gently unwound the hair, lifted the circlet,and, scarcely knowing what I did, put it in my shoulder-bag.After that I went more cheerfully into the outside sun-shine, and setting my clothes to dry on a stone, took stockof the situation. The place was, perhaps, not quite so romanticby day as by night, and the scattered trees, matted bycreepers, with which the whole were overgrown, preventedanything like an extensive view of the ruined city being ob-tained. But what gave me great satisfaction was to noteover these trees to the eastward a two-humped mountain,not more than six or seven miles distant--the very one Ihad mislaid the day before. Here was reality and a chanceof getting back to civilisation. I was as glad as if homewere in sight, and not, perhaps, the less so because the hillmeant villages and food; and you who have doubtless lunchedwell and lately will please bear in mind I had had nothingsince breakfast the day before; and though this may lookpicturesque on paper, in practice it is a painful item inone's programme.Well, I gave my damp clothes but a turn or two more inthe sun, and then, arguing that from the bare ground wherethe forest ended half-way up the hill, a wide view would beobtained, hurried into my garments and set off thitherright gleefully. A turn or two down the blank streets, nowprosaic enough, an easy scramble through a gap in thecrumbling battlements, and there was the open forest again,with a friendly path well marked by the passage of thosewild animals who made the city their lair trending towardsmy landmark.A light breakfast of soft green nuts, plucked on the way,and then the ground began to bend upwards and thewoods to thin a little. With infinite ardour, just before mid-day, I scrambled on to a bare knoll on the very hillside,and fell exhausted before the top could be reached.But what were hunger or fatigue to the satisfaction ofthat moment? There was the sea before me, the clear, strong,gracious sea, blue leagues of it, furrowed by the whiteridges of some distant storm. I could smell the scent of it evenhere, and my sailor heart rose in pride at the companion-ship of that alien ocean. Lovely and blessed thing! howoften have I turned from the shallow trivialities of the landand found consolation in the strength of your stately soli-tudes! How often have I turned from the tinselled presenceof the shore, the infinite pretensions of dry land that makelife a sorry, hectic sham, and found in the black bosom of theGreat Mother solace and comfort! Dear, lovely sea, man-half of every sphere, as far removed in the sequence ofyour strong emotions from the painted fripperies of thewoman-land as pole from pole--the grateful blessing of thehumblest of your followers on you!The mere sight of salt water did me good. Heaven knowsour separation had not been long, and many an unkindslap has the Mother given me in the bygone; yet the meresight of her was tonic, a lethe of troubles, a sedativefor tired nerves; and I gazed that morning at the illimitableblue, the great, unfettered road to everywhere, the ever-varied, the immutable, the thing which was before every-thing and shall be last of all, in an ecstasy of affection.There was also other satisfaction at hand. Not a mileaway lay a well-defined road--doubtless the one spokenof by the wood-cutter--and where the track pointed to theseashore the low roofs and circling smoke of a Thither town-ship showed.There I went hot-footed, and, much too hungry to benice in formality, swung up to the largest building on thewaterside quay and demanded breakfast of the man whowas lounging by its doorway chewing a honey reed. Helooked me up and down without emotion, then, falling intothe common mistake, said,"This is not a hostel for ghosts, sir. We do not board andlodge phantoms here; this is a dry fish shop.""Thrice blessed trade!" I answered. "Give me some driedfish, good fellow, or, for the matter of that, dried horse ordog, or anything mortal teeth can bite through, and I willshow you my tastes are altogether mundane."But he shook his head. "This is no place for the likes ofyou, who come, mayhap, from the city of Yang or someother abode of disembodied spirits--you, who come formischief and pay harbourage with mischance--is it likelyyou could eat wholesome food?""Indeed I could, and plenty of it, seeing I have dinedand breakfasted along the hedges with the blackbirds thistwo days. Look here, I will pay in advance. Will that get mea meal?" and, whipping out my knife, cut off another ofmy fast-receding coat buttons.The man took it with great interest, as I hoped hewould, the yellow metal being apparently a very scarcecommodity in his part of the planet."Gold?" he asked."Well--ahem! I forgot to ask the man who sewed themon for me what they were exactly, but it looks like gold,doesn't it?""Yes," he answered, turning it to and fro admiringly in hishand, "you are the first ghost I ever knew to pay in ad-vance, and plenty of them go to and fro through here. Sucha pretty thing is well worth a meal--if, indeed, you canstomach our rough fare. Here, you woman within," hecalled to the lady whom I presume was his wife, "here isa gentleman from the nether regions who wants some break-fast and has paid in advance. Give him some of your best,for he has paid well.""And what," said a female voice from inside, "what if Irefused to serve another of these plaguy wanderers you arealways foisting upon me?""Don't mind her tongue, sir. It's the worst part of her,though she is mighty proud of it. Go in and she will see youdo not come out hungry," and the Thither man returnedcalmly to his honey stick."Come on, you Soul-with-a-man's-stomach," growled thewoman, and too hungry to be particular about the toneof invitation, I strode into the parlour of that strangerefreshment place. The woman was the first I had seen of theouter race, and better than might have been expected inappearance. Big, strong, and ruddy, she was a mental shockafter the slender slips of girlhood on the far side of thewater, half a dozen of whom she could have carried offwithout effort in her long arms. Yet there was about herthe credential of rough health, the dignity of muscle, anupright carriage, an animal grace of movement, and withala comely though strongly featured face, which pleased meat once, and later on I had great cause to remember herwith gratitude. She eyed me sulkily for a minute, then herfrown gradually softened, and the instinctive love of thewoman for the supernatural mastered her other feelings."Is that how you looked in another world?" she asked."Yes, exactly, cap to boots. What do you think of theattire, ma'am?""Not much," replied the good woman frankly. "It couldnot have been becoming even when new, and you appearas though you had taken a muddy road since then. Whatdid you die of?""I will tell you so much as this, madam--that what Iam like to die of now is hunger, plain, unvarnished hunger,so, in Heaven's name, get out what you have and let mefall-to, for my last meal was yesterday morning."Whereat, with a shrug of her shoulders at the eccentric-ities of nether folk, the woman went to the rear of the house,and presently came back with a meal which showed herhusband had done scant justice to the establishment bycalling it a dry fish shop. It is true, fish supplied thestaple of the repast, as was inevitable in a seaport, but,like all Martian fish, it was of ambrosial kind, with a savourabout it of wine and sunshine such as no fish on our sideof space can boast of. Then there were cakes, steamingand hot, vegetables which fitted into the previous course withexquisite nicety, and, lastly, a wooden tankard of the in-variable Thither beer to finish off. Such a meal as a hungryman might consider himself fortunate to meet with any day.The woman watched me eat with much satisfaction, andwhen I had answered a score of artless questions aboutmy previous state, or present condition and prospects, moreor less to her satisfaction, she supplied me in turn with someinformation which was really valuable to me just then.First I learned that Ar-hap's men, with the abducted Heru,had passed through this very port two days before, andby this time were probably in the main town, which, itappeared, was only about twelve hours' rowing up the salt-water estuary outside. Here was news! Heru, the prize andobject of my wild adventure, close at hand and well. Itbrought a whole new train of thoughts, for the last fewdays had been so full of the stress of travel, the bare, hardnecessity of getting forward, that the object of my quest,illogical as it may seem, had gone into the backgroundbefore these things. And here again, as I finished the lastcake and drank down to the bottom of the ale tankard, theextreme folly of the venture came upon me, the madnessof venturing single-handed into the den of the Wood King.What had I to hope for? What chance, however remote,was there of successfully wresting that blooming prize fromthe arms of her captor? Force was out of the question;stealth was utterly impractical; as for cajolery, apparentlythe sole remaining means of winning back the Princess--why,one might as well try the persuasion of a penny flute upona hungry eagle as seek to rouse Ar-hap's sympathies forbereaved Hath in that way. Surely to go forward wouldmean my own certain destruction, with no advantage, nohelp to Heru; and if I was ever to turn back or stop inthe idle quest, here was the place and time. My Hitherfriends were behind the sea; to them I could return beforeit was too late, and here were the rough but honest Thitherfolk, who would doubtless let me live amongst them ifthat was to be my fate. One or other alternative werebetter than going to torture and death."You seem to take the fate of that Hither girl of yoursmightily to heart, stranger," quoth my hostess, with a touchof feminine jealousy, as she watched my hesitation. "Do youknow anything of her?""Yes," I answered gloomily. "I have seen her once ortwice away in Seth.""Ah, that reminds me! When they brought her up herefrom the boats to dry her wet clothes, she cried and calledin her grief for just such a one as you, saying he alonewho struck down our men at her feast could rescue her--""What! Heru here in this room but yesterday! How didshe look? Was she hurt? How had they treated her?"My eagerness gave me away. The woman looked at methrough her half-shut eyes a space, and then said, "Oh! sitsthe wind in THAT quarter? So you can love as well as eat.I must say you are well-conditioned for a spirit."I got up and walked about the room a space, then, feelingvery friendless, and knowing no woman was ever born whowas not interested in another woman's loves, I boldly drewmy hostess aside and told her about Heru, and that I was inpursuit of her, dwelling on the girl's gentle helplessness, myown hare-brained adventure, and frankly asking what sortof a sovereign Ar-hap was, what the customs of his courtmight be, and whether she could suggest any means, tem-poral or spiritual, by which he might be moved to giveback Heru to her kindred.Nor was my confidence misplaced. The woman, as Iguessed, was touched somewhere back in her female heartby my melting love-tale, by my anxiety and Heru's peril.Besides, a ghost in search of a fairy lady--and such theslender folk of Seth were still considered to be by the racewhich had supplanted them--this was romance indeed.To be brief, that good woman proved invaluable.She told me, firstly, that Ar-hap was believed to beaway at war, "weekending" as was his custom, amongstrebellious tribes, and by starting at once up the water,I should very probably get to the town before he did. Sec-ondly, she thought if I kept clear of private brawls therewas little chance of my receiving injury, from the people atall events, as they were accustomed to strange visitors, andcivil enough until they were fired by war. "Sickle cold,sword hot," was one of their proverbs, meaning therebythat in peaceful times they were lambs, however lionlikethey might be in contest.This was reassuring, but as to recovering the lady, that wasanother matter over which the good woman shook her head.It was ill coming between Ar-hap and his tribute, she said;still, if I wanted to see Heru once again, this was my op-portunity, and, for the rest, that chance, which often favoursthe enamoured, must be my help.Briefly, though I should probably have gone forwardin any case out of sheer obstinacy, had it been to certaindestruction, this better aspect of the situation hastened myresolution. I thanked the woman for help, and then the manoutside was called in to advise as to the best and speediestway of getting within earshot of his hairy sovereignty, themonarch of Thitherland.CHAPTER XVIThe Martian told me of a merchant boat with ten rowerswhich was going up to the capital in a couple of hours, andas the skipper was a friend of his they would no doubt takeme as supercargo, thereby saving the necessity of passengerfees, which was obviously a consideration with me. It wasnot altogether a romantic approach to the dungeon of animprisoned beauty, but it was practical, which is oftenbetter if not so pleasant. So the offer was gladly closedwith, and curling myself in a rug of foxskins, for I wastired with much walking, sailors never being good foot-gangers, I slept soundly fill they came to tell me it wastime to go on board.The vessel was more like a canal barge than anythingelse, lean and long, with the cargo piled in a ridge downthe centre as farmers store their winter turnips, the rowerssitting on either side of this plying oars like dessert-spoonswith long handles, while they chanted a monotonous cadenceof monosyllables: Oh, ho, oh, Oh, ho, oh, How high, how high.and then again after a pause-- How high, how high Oh, ho, oh, Oh, ho, oh.the which was infinitely sleep-provoking if not a refrain ofa high intellectual order.I shut my eyes as we pulled away from the wharfs ofthat nameless emporium and picked a passage through acrowd of quaint shipping, wondering where I was, andasking myself whether I was mentally rising equal to myextraordinary surroundings, whether I adequately appreci-ated the immensity of my remove from those other seas onwhich I had last travelled, tiller-ropes in hand, piloting acaptain's galley from a wharf. Good heavens, what wouldmy comrades on my ship say if they could see me now steer-ing a load of hairy savages up one of those waterwayswhich our biggest telescopes magnify but to the thicknessof an indication? No, I was not rising equal to the oc-casion, and could not. The human mind is of but limitedcapacity after all, and such freaks of fortune are beyondits conception. I knew I was where I was, but I knew Ishould probably never get the chance of telling of it, andthat no one would ever believe me if I did, and I re-signed myself to the inevitable with sullen acquiescence,smothering the wonder that might have been overwhelmingin passing interests of the moment.There is little to record of that voyage. We passed througha fleet of Ar-hap's warships, empty and at anchor in doubleline, serviceable half-decked cutters, built of solid timber,not pumpkin rind it was pleasant to notice, and then thetown dropped away as we proceeded up a stream aboutas broad as the Hudson at its widest, and profusely studdedwith islands. This water was bitterly salt and joined an-other sea on the other side of the Martian continent. Yetit had a pronounced flow against us eastward, this tiderunning for three spring months and being followed, Ilearned, as ocean temperatures varied, by a flow in theopposite direction throughout the summer.Just at present the current was so strong eastwards, themoisture beaded upon my rowers' tawny hides as they strug-gled against it, and their melancholy song dawdled in"linked sweetness long drawn out," while the swing of theiroars grew longer and longer. Truly it was very hot, far hotterthan was usual for the season, these men declared, and pos-sibly this robbed me of my wonted energy, and you, gentlereader, of a description of all the strange things we passedupon that highway.Suffice it to say we spent a scorching afternoon, thegreater part of a stifling night moored under a mud-bankwith a grove of trees on top from which gigantic fire-flieshung as though the place were illuminated for a garden fete,and then, rowing on again in the comparatively cool hoursbefore dawn, turned into a backwater at cock-crow.The skipper of our cargo boat roused me just as weturned, putting under my sleepy nostrils a handful oftoasted beans on a leaf, and a small cup full of somethingthat was not coffee, but smelt as good as that matutinalbeverage always does to the tired traveller.Over our prow was an immense arch of foliage, and under-neath a long arcade of cool black shadows, sheltering stillwater, till water and shadow suddenly ended a quarter ofa mile down in a patch of brilliant colour. It was as peacefulas could be in the first morning light, and to me over allthere was the inexpressible attraction of the unknown.As our boat slipped silently forward up this leafy lane,a thin white "feather" in her mouth alone breaking the steelysurface of the stream, the men rested from their work andbegan, as sailors will, to put on their shore-going clothes,the while they chatted in low tones over the profits of thevoyage. Overhead flying squirrels were flitting to and fro likebats, or shelling fruit whereof the husks fell with a pleasantsplash about us, and on one bank a couple of early motherswere washing their babies, whose smothered protests werealmost the only sound in this morning world.Another silent dip or two of the oars and the colourahead crystallised into a town. If I said it was like anAfrican village on a large scale, I should probably giveyou the best description in the fewest words. From the verywater's edge up to the crown of a low hill inland, extendeda mass of huts and wooden buildings, embowered and partlyhidden in bright green foliage, with here and there patchesof millet, or some such food plant, and the flowers that groweverywhere so abundantly in this country. It was all Arcadianand peaceful enough at the moment, and as we drew nearthe men were just coming out to the quays along the har-bour front, the streets filling and the town waking to busy life.A turn to the left through a watergate defended by towersof wood and mud, and we were in the city harbour itself;boats of many kinds moored on every side; quaint craft fromthe gulfs and bays of Nowhere, full of unheard-of merch-andise, and manned by strange-faced crews, every vessela romance of nameless seas, an epitome of an undiscoveredworld, and every moment the scene grew busier as thebreakfast smoke arose, and wharf and gangway set to workupon the day's labours.Our boat--loaded, as it turned out, with spoil from Seth--was run to a place of honour at the bottom of the townsquare, and was an object of much curiosity to a small crowdwhich speedily collected and lent a hand with the mooringropes, the while chatting excitedly with the crew aboutfurther tribute and the latest news from overseas. At thesame time a swarthy barbarian, whose trappings showed himto be some sort of functionary, came down to our "captain,"much wagging of heads and counting of notched stickstaking place between them.I, indeed, was apparently the least interesting item of thecargo, and this was embarrassing. No hero likes to be ne-glected, it is fatal to his part. I had said my prayers andsteeled myself to all sorts of fine endurance on the way up,and here, when it came to the crisis, no one was anxiousto play the necessary villain. They just helped me ashorecivilly enough, the captain nodded his head at me, mutter-ing something in an indifferent tone to the functionary about aghost who had wandered overseas and begged a passageup the canal; the group about the quay stared a little, butthat was all.Once I remember seeing a squatting, life-size heathenidol hoisted from a vessel's hold and deposited on a sugar-boxon a New York quay. Some ribald passer-by put a batteredfelt hat upon Vishnu's sacred curls, and there the poorimage sat, an alien in an indifferent land, a sack across itsshoulders, a "billycock" upon its head, and honoured at mostwith a passing stare. I thought of that lonely image as al-most as lonely I stood on the Thither men's quay, withoutthe support of friends or heroics, wondering what to do next.However, a cheerful disposition is sometimes better thana banking account, and not having the one I cultivatedthe other, sunning myself amongst the bales for a time, andthen, since none seemed interested in me, wandered off intothe town, partly to satisfy my curiosity, and partly inthe vague hope of ascertaining if my princess was reallyhere, and, if possible, getting sight of her.Meanwhile it turned hot with a supernatural, heavy sortof heat altogether, I overheard passersby exclaiming, outof the common, and after wandering for an hour throughgardens and endless streets of thatched huts, I was gladenough to throw myself down in the shadow of some treeson the outskirts of the great central pile of buildings, awhole village in itself of beam-built towers and dwelling-place, suggesting by its superior size that it might actuallybe Ar-hap's palace.Hotter and hotter it grew, while a curious secondarysunrise in the west, the like of which I never saw beforeseemed to add to the heat, and heavier and heavier my eye-lids, till I dozed at last, and finally slept uncomfortably fora time.Rousing up suddenly, imagine my surprise to see sitting,chin on knees, about a yard away, a slender girlish figure,infinitely out of place in that world of rough barbarians.Was it possible? Was I dreaming? No, there was no doubtabout it, she was a girl of the Hither folk, slim and pretty,but with a wonderfully sad look in her gazelle eyes, andscarcely a sign of the indolent happiness of Seth in the palelittle face regarding me so fixedly."Good gracious, miss," I said, still rubbing my eyes anddoubting my senses, "have you dropped from the skies? Youare the very last person I expected to see in this barbarianplace.""And you too, sir. Oh, it is lovely to see one so newlyfrom home, and free-seeming--not a slave.""How did you know I was from Seth?""Oh, that was easy enough," and with a little laugh shepointed to a pebble lying between us, on which was a pieceof battered sweetmeat in a perforated bamboo box. Poor Anhad given me something just like that in a playful mood,and I had kept it in my pocket for her sake, being, as youwill have doubtless observed, a sentimental young man, andnow I clapped my hand where it should have been, but itwas gone."Yes," said my new friend, "that is yours. I smelt thesweetmeat coming up the hill, and crossed the grass until Ifound you here asleep. Oh, it was lovely! I took it from yourpocket, and white Seth rose up before my swimming eyes,even at the scent of it. I am Si, well named, for that in ourland means sadness, Si, the daughter of Prince Hath's chiefsweetmeat-maker, so I should know something of suchstuff. May I, please, nibble a little piece?""Eat it all, my lass, and welcome. How came you here?But I can guess. Do not answer if you would rather not.""Ay, but I will. It is not every day I can speak to ears sofriendly as yours. I am a slave, chosen for my lucklessbeauty as last year's tribute to Ar-hap.""And now?""And now the slave of Ar-hap's horse-keeper, set asideto make room for a fresher face.""And do you know whose face that is?""Not I, a hapless maid sent into this land of horrors, tobear ignominy and stripes, to eat coarse food and do coarsework, the miserable plaything of some brute in semi-humanform, with but the one consolation of dying early as wetribute-women always die. Poor comrade in exile, I onlyknow her as yet by sympathy.""What if I said it was Heru, the princess?"The Martian girl sprang to her feet, and clasping herhands exclaimed,"Heru, the Slender! Then the end comes, for it is writtenin our books that the last tribute is paid when the best ispaid. Oh, how splendid if she gave herself of free will to thisslavery to end it once for all. Was it so?""I think, Si, your princess could not have known of thattradition; she did not come willingly. Besides, I am come tofetch her back, if it may be, and that spoils the look ofsacrifice.""You to fetch her back, and from Ar-hap's arms? Myword, Sir Spirit, you must know some potent charms; or,what is less likely, my countrymen must have amazinglyimproved in pluck since I left them. Have you a great armyat hand?"But I only shook my head, and, touching my sword,said that here was the only army coming to rescue Heru.Whereon the lady replied that she thought my valour didme more honour than my discretion. How did I proposeto take the princess from her captors?"To tell the truth, damsel, that is a matter which willhave to be left to your invention, or the kindness of suchas you. I am here on a hare-brained errand, playing knight-errant in a way that shocks my common sense. But sincethe matter has gone so far I will see it through, or die inthe attempt. Your bully lord shall either give me Heru,stock, lock, and block, or hang me from a yard-arm. But Iwould rather have the lady. Come, you will help me; and,as a beginning, if she is in yonder shanty get me speechwith her."Poor Si's eyes dilated at the peril of the suggestion, andI saw the sluggish Martian nature at war against her betterfeelings. But presently the latter conquered. "I will try," shesaid. "What matter a few stripes more or less?" pointing toher rosy shoulders where red scars crisscross upon one an-other showed how the Martian girls fared in Ar-hap's palacewhen their novelty wore off. "I will try to help you; and ifthey kill me for it--why, that will not matter much." Andforthwith in that blazing forenoon under the flickering shadowof the trees we put our heads together to see what wemight do for Heru.It was not much for the moment. Try what we wouldthat afternoon, I could not persuade those who had chargeof the princess to let me even approach her place of im-prisonment, but Si, as a woman, was more successful, actuallyseeing her for a few moments, and managed to whisper inher ear that I had come, the Spirit-with-the-gold-buttons-down-his front, afterwards describing to me in flowing Mar-tian imagery--but doubtless not more highly coloured thanpoor Heru's emotion warranted--how delightedly that ladyhad received the news.Si also did me another service, presenting me to theporter's wife, who kept a kind of boarding-house at thegates of Ar-hap's palace for gentlemen and ladies withgrievances. I had heard of lobbying before, and the pre-sentation of petitions, though I had never indulged myselfin the pastime; but the crowd of petitioners here, withpetitions as wild and picturesque as their own motley ap-pearances, was surely the strangest that ever gathered rounda seat of supreme authority.Si whispered in the ear of that good woman the natureof my errand, with doubtless some blandishment of herown; and my errand being one so much above the vulgarand so nearly touching the sovereign, I was at once ac-corded a separate room in the gate-house, whence I couldlook down in comparative peace on the common herd ofsuitors, and listen to the buzz of their invective as theypractised speeches which I calculated it would take Ar-hapall the rest of his reign to listen to, without allowing himany time for pronouncing verdicts on them.Here I made myself comfortable, and awaited the returnof the sovereign as placidly as might be. Meanwhile fatewas playing into my feeble hands.I have said it was hot weather. At first this seemed butan outcome of the Martian climate, but as the hours wentby the heat developed to an incredible extent. Also that redglare previously noted in the west grew in intensity, till, asthe hours slipped by, all the town was staring at it in pantinghorror. I have seen a prairie on fire, luckily from the far sideof a comfortably broad river, and have ridden through a pine-forest when every tree for miles was an uplifted torch, andpungent yellow smoke rolled down each corrie side in greyrivers crested with dancing flame. But that Martian glare wasmore sombre and terrible than either."What is it?" I asked of poor Si, who came out gaspingto speak to me by the gate-house."None of us know, and unless the gods these Thitherfolk believe in are angry, and intend to destroy the worldwith yonder red sword in the sky, I cannot guess. Perhaps,"she added, with a sudden flash of inspiration, "it comes byyour machinations for Heru's help.""No!""If not by your wish, then, in the name of all you love, setyour wish against it. If you know any incantations suitablefor the occasion, oh, practise them now at once, for look, eventhe very grass is withering; birds are dropping from trees;fishes, horribly bloated, are beginning to float down thesteaming rills; and I, with all others, have a nameless dreadupon me."Hotter and hotter it grew, until about sunset the redblaze upon the sky slowly opened, and showed us for abouthalf an hour, through the opening a lurid, flame-colouredmeteor far out in space beyond; then the cleft closedagain, and through that abominable red curtain came thevery breath of Hades.What was really happening I am not astronomer enoughto say, though on cooler consideration I have come to theconclusion that our planet, in going out to its summerpastures in the remoter fields of space, had somehow comeacross a wandering lesser world and got pretty well singedin passing. This is purely my own opinion, and I have notyet submitted it to the kindly authorities of the Lick Obser-vatory for verification. All I can say for certain is that in anincredibly short space of time the face of the countrychanged from green to sear, flowers drooped; streams (therewere not many in the neighbourhood apparently) dried up;fishes died; a mighty thirst there was nothing to quench set-tled down on man and beast, and we all felt that unlessProvidence listened to the prayers and imprecations whichthe whole town set to work with frantic zeal to hurl at it, orthat abominable comet in the sky sheered off on anothertack with the least possible delay, we should all be re-duced to cinders in a very brief space of time.CHAPTER XVIIThe evening of the second day had already come, whenAr-hap arrived home after weekending amongst a tribeof rebellious subjects. But any imposing State entry whichmight have been intended was rendered impossible by theheat and the threat of that baleful world in the western sky.It was a lurid but disordered spectacle which I wit-nessed from my room in the gate-house just after nightfall.The returning army had apparently fallen away exhaustedon its march through the town; only some three hundredof the bodyguard straggled up the hill, limp and sweating,behind a group of pennons, in the midst of which rode ahorseman whose commanding presence and splendid warharness impressed me, though I could not make out hisfeatures; a wild, impressionist scene of black outlines, tossingheadgear, and spears glittering and vanishing in front ofthe red glare in the sky, but nothing more. Even the drythroats of the suitors in the courtyard hardly mustered ahusky cry of welcome as the cavalcade trooped into theenclosure, and then the shadows enfolded them up insilence, and, too hot and listless to care much what themorrow brought forth, I threw myself on the bare floor,tossing and turning in a vain endeavour to sleep untildawn came once more.A thin mist which fell with daybreak drew a veil overthe horrible glare in the west for an hour or two, andtaking advantage of the slight alleviation of heat, I roseand went into the gardens to enjoy a dip in a pool, making,with its surrounding jungle of flowers, one of the pleasantestthings about the wood-king's forest citadel. The very earthseemed scorched and baking underfoot--and the pool wasgone! It had run as dry as a limekiln; nothing remained ofthe pretty fall which had fed it but a miserable trickle ofdrops from the cascade above. Down beyond the town shonea gleam of water where the bitter canal steamed and sim-mered in the first grey of the morning, but up here six monthsof scorching drought could not have worked more havoc. Thevery leaves were dropping from the trees, and the luxuriantgrowths of the day before looked as though a simoon hadplayed upon them.I staggered back in disgust, and found some show ofofficial activity about the palace. It was the king's custom, itappeared, to hear petitions and redress wrongs as soon afterhis return as possible, but today the ceremony was to becut short as his majesty was going out with all his court toa neighbouring mountain to "pray away the comet," whichby this time was causing dire alarm all through the city."Heaven's own particular blessing on his prayers, myfriend," I said to the man who told me this. "Unless hismajesty's orisons are fruitful, we shall all be cooked like bakedpotatoes before nightfall, and though I have faced manykinds of death, that is not the one I would choose bypreference. Is there a chance of myself being heard at thethrone? Your peculiar climate tempts me to hurry up withmy business and begone if I may.""Not only may you be heard, sir, but you are sum-moned. The king has heard of you somehow, and sent meto find and bring you into his presence at once.""So be it," I said, too hot to care what happened. "Ihave no levee dress with me. I lost my luggage check sometime ago, but if you will wait outside I will be with youin a moment."Hastily tidying myself up, and giving my hair a comb,as though just off to see Mr. Secretary for the Navy, or onthe way to get a senator to push a new patent medicinefor me, I rejoined my guide outside, and together wecrossed the wide courtyard, entered the great log-builtportals of Ar-hap's house, and immediately afterwards foundourselves in a vast hall dimly lit by rays coming in throughsquare spaces under the eaves, and crowded on both sideswith guards, courtiers, and supplicants. The heat was tre-mendous, the odour of Thither men and the ill-dressedhides they wore almost overpowering. Yet little I reckedfor either, for there at the top of the room, seated on a daismade of rough-hewn wood inlet with gold and coveredwith splendid furs, was Ar-hap himself.A fine fellow, swarthy, huge, and hairy, at any othertime or place I could have given him due admiration as anadmirable example of the savage on the borderland of graceand culture, but now I only glanced at him, and then towhere at his side a girl was crouching, a gem of humanloveliness against that dusky setting. It was Heru, myravished princess, and, still clad in her diaphanous Hitherrobes, her face white with anxiety, her eyes bright as stars,the embodiment of helpless, flowery beauty, my heartturned over at sight of her.Poor girl! When she saw me stride into the hall she roseswiftly from Ar-hap's side, clasped her pretty hands, andgiving a cry of joy would have rushed towards me, butthe king laid a mighty paw upon her, under which shesubsided with a shiver as though the touch had blanchedall the life within."Good morning, your majesty," I said, walking boldly upto the lower step of the dais."Good morning, most singular-looking vagrant from theUnknown," answered the monarch. "In what way can Ibe of service to you?''"I have come about that girl," I said, nodding to whereHeru lay blossoming in the hot gloom like some night-flowering bud. "I do not know whether your majesty isaware how she came here, but it is a highly discreditableincident in what is doubtless your otherwise blamelessreign. Some rough scullions intrusted with the duty of col-lecting your majesty's customs asked Prince Hath of theHither people to point out the most attractive young personat his wedding feast, and the prince indicated that ladythere at your side. It was a dirty trick, and all the worsebecause it was inspired by malice, which is the meanest ofall weaknesses. I had the pleasure of knocking down someof your majesty's representatives, but they stole the girlaway while I slept, and, briefly, I have come to fetch herback."The monarch had followed my speech, the longest evermade in my life, with fierce, blinking eyes, and when itstopped looked at poor shrinking Heru as though for ex-planation, then round the circle of his awestruck courtiers,and reading dismay at my boldness in their faces, burstinto a guttural laugh."I suppose you have the great and puissant Hither nationbehind you in this request, Mr. Spirit?""No, I came alone, hoping to find justice here, and, ifnot, then prepared to do all I could to make your majestycurse the day your servants maltreated my friends.""Tall words, stranger! May I ask what you propose todo if Ar-hap, in his own palace, amongst his people andsoldiers, refuses to disgorge a pretty prize at the bidding ofone shabby interloper--muddy and friendless?""What should I do?""Yes," said the king, with a haughty frown. "What wouldyou do?"I do not know what prompted the reply. For a momentI was completely at a loss what to say to this very obviousquestion, and then all on a sudden, remembering they heldme to be some kind of disembodied spirit, by a happyinspiration, fixing my eyes grimly on the king, I answered,"What would I do? Why, I WOULD HAUNT YOU!"It may not seem a great stroke of genius here, but theeffect on the Martian was instantaneous. He sat straight up,his hands tightened, his eyes dilated, and then fidgeting un-easily, after a minute he beckoned to an over-dressed in-dividual, whom Heru afterwards told me was the Courtnecromancer, and began whispering in his ear.After a minute's consultation he turned again, a ratherfrightened civility struggling in his face with anger, andsaid, "We have no wish, of course, stranger, to offend youor those who had the honour of your patronage. Perhapsthe princess here was a little roughly handled, and, I con-fess, if she were altogether as reluctant as she seems, alesser maid would have done as well. I could have wooedthis one in Seth, where I may shortly come, and ourespousals would possibly have lent, in the eyes of yourfriends, quite a cheerful aspect to my arrival. But my am-bassadors have had no great schooling in diplomacy; theyhave brought Princess Heru here, and how can I hand herover to one I know nothing of? How do I know you are aghost, after all? How do I know you have anything buta rusty sword and much impertinence to back your as-tounding claim?""Oh, let it be just as you like," I said, calmly shellingand eating a nut I had picked up. "Only if you do notgive the maid back, why, then--" And I stopped as thoughthe sequel were too painful to put into words.Again that superstitious monarch of a land thronged withmalicious spirits called up his magician, and, after theyhad consulted a moment, turned more cheerfully to me."Look here, Mister-from-Nowhere, if you are really aspirit, and have the power to hurt as you say, you will havethe power also to go and come between the living and thedead, between the present and the past. Now I will set youan errand, and give you five minutes to do it in.""Five minutes!" I exclaimed in incautious alarm."Five minutes," said the monarch savagely. "And if inthat time the errand is not done, I shall hold you to be animpostor, an impudent thief from some scoundrel tribe ofthis world of mine, and will make of you an example whichshall keep men's ears tingling for a century or two."Poor Heru dropped in a limp and lovely heap at thatdire threat, while I am bound to say I felt somewhatuncomfortable, not unnaturally when all the circumstances areconsidered, but contented myself with remarking, with asmuch bravado as could be managed,"And now to the errand, Ar-hap. What can I do foryour majesty?"The king consulted with the rogue at his elbow, andthen nodding and chuckling in expectancy of his triumph,addressed me."Listen," he cried, smiting a huge hairy hand upon hisknee, "listen, and do or die. My magician tells me it is record-ed in his books that once, some five thousand years ago, whenthis land belonged to the Hither people, there lived here aking. It is a pity he died, for he seems to have been a jovialold fellow; but he did die, and, according to their custom,they floated him down the stream that flows to theregions of eternal ice, where doubtless he is at this presentmoment, caked up with ten million of his subjects. Now justgo and find that sovereign for me, oh you bold-tongueddweller in other worlds!""And if I go how am I to know your ancient king, asyou say, amongst ten million others?""That is easy enough," quoth Ar-hap lightly. "You haveonly to pass to and fro through the ice mountains, opening themouths of the dead men and women you meet, and whenyou come to a middle-sized man with a fillet on his headand a jaw mended with gold, that will be he whom youlook for. Bring me that fillet here within five minutesand the maid is yours."I started, and stared hard in amazement. Was this adream? Was the royal savage in front playing with me? Bywhat incredible chance had he hit upon the very errand Icould answer to best, the very trophy I had broughtaway from the grim valley of ice and death, and had still inmy shoulder-bag? No, he was not playing; he was staringhard in turn, joying in my apparent confusion, and clearlythinking he had cornered me beyond hope of redemption."Surely your mightiness is not daunted by so simple atask," scowled the sovereign, playing with the hilt of hishuge hunting-knife, "and all amongst your friends' kindredtoo. On a hot day like this it ought to be a pleasant saunterfor a spirit such as yourself.""Not daunted," I answered coldly, turning on my heelstowards the door, "only marvelling that your majesty's skulland your necromancer's could not between them have de-vised a harder task."Out into the courtyard I went, with my heart beatingfinely in spite of my assumed indifference; got the bag froma peg in my sleeping-room, and was back before the logthrone ere four minutes were gone."The old Hither king's compliments to your majesty," Isaid, bowing, while a deathly hush fell on all the assembly,"and he says though your ancestors little liked to hear hisvoice while alive, he says he has no objection to giving yousome jaw now he is dead," and I threw down on the floorthe golden circlet of the frozen king.Ar-hap's eyes almost started from his head as, with hiscourtiers, he glared in silent amazement at that shiningthing while the great drops of fear and perspiration trickleddown his forehead. As for poor Heru, she rose like a spiritbehind them, gazed at the jaw-bone of her mythical an-cestor, and then suddenly realising my errand was done andshe apparently free, held out her hands, and, with atremulous cry, would have come to me.But Ar-hap was too quick for her. All the black savageblood swelled into his veins as he swept her away with onegreat arm, and then with his foot gave the luckless jaw akick that sent it glittering and spinning through the fardoorway out into the sunshine."Sit down," he roared, "you brazen wench, who are soeager to leave a king's side for a nameless vagrant's care!And you, sir," turning to me, and fairly trembling with rageand dread, "I will not gainsay that you have done the errandset you, but it might this once be chance that got youthat cursed token, some one happy turn of luck. I will notyield my prize on one throw of the dice. Another task youmust do. Once might be chance, but such chance comesnot twice.""You swore to give me the maid this time.""And why should I keep my word to a half-proved spiritsuch as you?""There are some particularly good reasons why youshould," I said, striking an attitude which I had once seena music-hall dramatist take when he was going to blastsomebody's future--a stick with a star on top of it in hishand and forty lines of blank verse in his mouth.The king writhed, and begged me with a sign to desist."We have no wish to anger you. Do us this other taskand none will doubt that you are a potent spirit, and evenI, Ar-hap, will listen to you.""Well, then," I answered sulkily, "what is it to be thistime?"After a minute's consultation, and speaking slowly asthough conscious of how much hung on his words, the kingsaid,"Listen! My soothsayer tells me that somewhere there is acity lost in a forest, and a temple lost in the city, and atomb lost in the temple; a city of ghosts and djins given overto bad spirits, wherefore all human men shun it by day andnight. And on the tomb is she who was once queen there,and by her lies her crown. Quick! oh you to whom all dis-tances are nothing, and who see, by your finer essence, intoall times and places. Away to that city! Jostle the memoriesof the unclean things that hide in its shadows; ask whichamongst them knows where dead Queen Yang still lies industy state. Get guides amongst your comrade ghosts. FindQueen Yang, and bring me here in five minutes the bloodycirclet from her hair."Then, and then for the first time, I believed the planetwas haunted indeed, and I myself unknowingly under somestrange and watchful influence. Spirits, demons! Oh! what butsome incomprehensible power, some unseen influence shap-ing my efforts to its ends, could have moved that hairybarbarian to play a second time into my hands like this,to choose from the endless records of his world the secondof the two incidents I had touched in hasty travel through it?I was almost overcome for a minute; then, pulling myselftogether, strode forward fiercely, and, speaking so that allcould hear me, cried, "Base king, who neither knows thecapacities of a spirit nor has learned as yet to dread itsanger, see! your commission is executed in a thought, justas your punishment might be. Heru, come here." And whenthe girl, speechless with amazement, had risen and slippedover to me, I straightened her pretty hair from her fore-head, and then, in a way which would make my fortune ifI could repeat it at a conjuror's table, whipped poor Yang'sgemmy crown from my pocket, flashed its baleful splendourin the eyes of the courtiers, and placed it on the tresses ofthe first royal lady who had worn it since its rightful ownerdied a hundred years before.A heavy silence fell on the hall as I finished, and nothingwas heard for a time save Heru sobbing on my breastand a thirsty baby somewhere outside calling to its motherfor the water that was not to be had. But presently on thosesounds came the fall of anxious feet, and a messenger,entering the doorway, approached the throne, laid him-self out flat twice, after which obeisance he proceeded toremind the king of the morning's ceremonial on a distant hillto "pray away the comet," telling his majesty that all wasready and the procession anxiously awaiting him.Whereon Ar-hap, obviously very well content to changethe subject, rose, and, coming down from the dais, gave mehis hand. He was a fine fellow, as I have said, strongand bold, and had not behaved badly for an autocrat, sothat I gripped his mighty fist with great pleasure."I cannot deny, stranger," he said, "that you have doneall that has been asked of you, and the maid is fairly yours.Yet before you take away the prize I must have some as-surance of what you yourself will do with her. Therefore, forthe moment, until this horrible thing in the sky whichthreatens my people with destruction has gone, let it be trucebetween us--you to your lodgings, and the princess back,unharmed, amongst my women till we meet again.""But--""No, no," said the king, waving his hand. "Be contentwith your advantage. And now to business more importantthan ten thousand silly wenches," and gathering up his robesover his splendid war-gear the wood king stalked haughtilyfrom the hall.CHAPTER XVIIIHotter and hotter grew that stifling spell, more and morelanguid man and beast, drier and drier the parching earth.All the water gave out on the morning after I hadbearded Ar-hap in his den, and our strength went with it.No earthly heat was ever like it, and it drank our vitalityup from every pore. Water there was down below in thebitter, streaming gulf, but so noisome that we dared noteven bathe there; here there was none but the faintest trickle.All discipline was at an end; all desire save such as wasborn of thirst. Heru I saw as often as I wished as she laygasping, with poor Si at her feet, in the women's verandah;but the heat was so tremendous that I gazed at her withlack-lustre eyes, staggering to and fro amongst the court-yard shadows, without nerve to plot her rescue or strengthto carry out anything my mind might have conceived.We prayed for rain and respite. Ar-hap had prayedwith a wealth of picturesque ceremonial. We had all prayedand cursed by turns, but still the heavens would not relent,and the rain came not.At last the stifling heat and vapour reached an almostintolerable pitch. The earth reeked with unwholesome hum-ours no common summer could draw from it, the air wassulphurous and heavy, while overhead the sky seemed atawny dome, from edge to edge of angry clouds, partingnow and then to let us see the red disc threatening us.Hour after hour slipped by until, when evening was uponus, the clouds drew together, and thunder, with a continu-ous low rumble, began to rock from sky to sky. Fitful showersof rain, odorous and heavy, but unsatisfying, fell, and birdsand beasts of the woodlands came slinking in to our streetsand courtyards. Ever since the sky first darkened our ownanimals had become strangely familiar, and now here werethese wild things of the woods slinking in for companion-ship, sagheaded and frightened. To me especially they came,until that last evening as I staggered dying about the streetsor sat staring into the remorseless sky from the steps ofHeru's prison house, all sorts of beasts drew softly in andcrowded about, whether I sat or moved, all asking for thehope I had not to give them.At another time this might have been embarrassing; thenit seemed pure commonplace. It was a sight to see themslink in between the useless showers, which fell like hot tearsupon us--sleek panthers with lolling tongues; russet-red wooddogs; bears and sloths from the dark arcades of the remoteforests, all casting themselves down gasping in the palaceshadows; strange deer, who staggered to the garden plotsand lay there heaving their lives out; mighty boars, whocame from the river marshes and silently nozzled a placeamongst their enemies to die in! Even the wolves came offthe hills, and, with bloodshot eyes and tongues that drippedfoam, flung themselves down in my shadow.All along the tall stockades apes sat sad and listless, andon the roof-ridges storks were dying. Over the branches ofthe trees, whose leaves were as thin as though we had hada six months' drought, the toucans and Martian parrotshung limp and fashionless like gaudy rags, and in thecourtyard ground the corn-rats came up from their tunnelsin the scorching earth to die, squeaking in scores alongunder the walls.Our common sorrow made us as sociable as though Iwere Noah, and Ar-hap's palace mound another Ararat.Hour after hour I sat amongst all these lesser beasts inthe hot darkness, waiting for the end. Every now and thenthe heavy clouds parted, changing the gloom to sudden fierydaylight as the great red eye in the west looked upon usthrough the crevice, and, taking advantage of those gleams,I would reel across to where, under a spout leading froma dried rivulet, I had placed a cup to collect the slow andtepid drops that were all now coming down the reed forHeru. And as I went back each time with that sicklyspoonful at the bottom of the vessel all the dying beastslifted their heads and watched--the thirsty wolves shamb-ling after me; the boars half sat up and grunted plaintively;the panthers, too weak to rise, beat the dusty ground withtheir tails; and from the portico the blue storks, withtrailing wings, croaked husky greeting.But slower and slower came the dripping water, moreand more intolerable the heat. At last I could stand it nolonger. What purpose did it serve to lay gasping like this,dying cruelly without a hope of rescue, when a shorter waywas at my side? I had not drank for a day and a half. I waspast active reviling; my head swam; my reason was clouded.No! I would not stand it any longer. Once more I wouldtake Heru and poor Si the cup that was but a mockeryafter all, then fix my sword into the ground and try whatnext the Fates had in store for me.So once again the leathern mug was fetched and carriedthrough the prostrate guards to where the Martian girl lay,like a withered flower, upon her couch. Once again Imoistened those fair lips, while my own tongue was blackand swollen in my throat, then told Si, who had had none allthe afternoon, to drink half and leave half for Heru. Poor Siput her aching lips to the cup and tilted it a little, thenpassed it to her mistress. And Heru drank it all, and Si crieda few hot tears behind her hands, FOR SHE HAD TAKEN NONE,and she knew it was her life!Again picking a way through the courtyard, scarce notic-ing how the beasts lifted their heads as I passed, I wentinstinctively, cup in hand, to the well, and then hesitated.Was I a coward to leave Heru so? Ought I not to stayand see it out to the bitter end? Well, I would compoundwith Fate. I would give the malicious gods one more chance.I would put the cup down again, and until seven dropshad fallen into it I would wait. That there might be no mistakeabout it, no sooner was the mug in place under the nozzlewherefrom the moisture beads collected and fell with infiniteslowness, than my sword, on which I meant to throw my-self, was bared and the hilt forced into a gaping crackin the ground, and sullenly contented to leave my fate so, Isat down beside it.I turned grimly to the spout and saw the first drop fall,then another, and another later on, but still no help came.There was a long rift in the clouds now, and a glare likethat from an open furnace door was upon me. I hadnoticed when I came to the spring how the comet whichwas killing us hung poised exactly upon the point of a dis-tant hill. If he had passed his horrible meridian, if he wasgoing from us, if he sunk but a hair's breadth before thatseventh drop should fall, I could tell it would mean salvation.But the fourth drop fell, and he was big as ever. The fifthdrop fell, and a hot, pleasing nose was thrust into my hand,and looking down I saw a grey wolf had dragged herselfacross the court and was asking with eloquent eyes for thehelp I could not give. The sixth drop gathered, and fell;already the seventh was like a seedling pearl in its place.The dying wolf yanked affectionately at my hand, but I puther by and undid my tunic. Big and bright that drop hungto the spout lip; another minute and it would fall. A beauti-ful drop, I laughed, peering closely at it, many-coloured,prismatic, flushing red and pink, a tiny living ruby, hangingby a touch to the green rim above; enough! enough! Thequiver of an eyelash would unhinge it now; and angrywith the life I already felt was behind me, and turningin defiant expectation to the new to come, I rose, saw thered gleam of my sword jutting like a fiery spear from thecracking soil where I had planted it, then looked once moreat the drop and glanced for the last time at the sullenred terror on the hill.Were my eyes dazed, my senses reeling? I said a spaceago that the meteor stood exactly on the mountain-top andif it sunk a hair's breadth I should note it; and now, why,there WAS a flaw in its lower margin, a flattening of thegreat red foot that before had been round and perfect. I turnedmy smarting eyes away a minute,--saw the seventh drop fallwith a melodious tingle into the cup, then back again,--there was no mistake--the truant fire was a fraction less,it had shrunk a fraction behind the hill even since I looked,and thereon all my life ran back into its channels, theworld danced before me, and "Heru!" I shouted hoarsely,reeling back towards the palace, "Heru, 'tis well; theworst is past!"But the little princess was unconscious, and at her feetwas poor Si, quite dead, still reclining with her head in herhands just as I had left her. Then my own senses gave out,and dropping down by them I remembered no more.I must have lain there an hour or two, for when con-sciousness came again it was night--black, cool, profoundnight, with an inky sky low down upon the tree-tops, andout of it such a glorious deluge of rain descending swiftlyand silently as filled my veins even to listen to. Eagerly Ishuffled away to the porch steps, down them into theswimming courtyard, and ankle-deep in the glorious flood,set to work lapping furiously at the first puddle, drinkingwith gasps of pleasure, gasping and drinking again, feelingmy body filling out like the thirsty steaming earth belowme. Then, as I still drank insatiably, there came a gleamof lightning out of the gloom overhead, a brilliant yellowblaze, and by it I saw a few yards away a panther drinkingat the same pool as myself, his gleaming eyes low downlike mine upon the water, and by his side two apes, theblack water running in at their gaping mouths, while outbeyond were more pools, more drinking animals. Everythingwas drinking. I saw their outlined forms, the gleam shiningon wet skins as though they were cut out in silver againstthe darkness, each beast steaming like a volcano as theHeaven-sent rain smoked from his fevered hide, all drinkingfor their lives, heedless of aught else--and then came thethunder.It ran across the cloudy vault as though the very skywere being ripped apart, rolling in mighty echoes here andthere before it died away. As it stopped, the rain also fellless heavily for a minute, and as I lay with my face lowdown I heard the low, contented lapping of numberlesstongues unceasing, insatiable. Then came the lightning again,lighting up everything as though it were daytime. The twinblack apes were still drinking, but the panther across thepuddle had had enough; I saw him lift his grateful headup to the flare; saw the limp red tongue licking the black nose,the green eyes shining like opals, the water dripping inthreads of diamonds from the hairy tag under his chin andevery tuft upon his chest--then darkness again.To and fro the green blaze rocked between the thundercrashes. It struck a house a hundred yards away, strippingevery shingle from the roof better than a master buildercould in a week. It fell a minute after on a tall tree bythe courtyard gate, and as the trunk burst into white splin-ters I saw every leaf upon the feathery top turn light sideup against the violet reflection in the sky beyond, andthen the whole mass came down to earth with a thud thatcrushed the courtyard palings into nothing for twenty yardsand shook me even across the square.Another time I might have stopped to marvel or to watch,as I have often watched with sympathetic pleasure, the godsthus at play; but tonight there were other things on hand.When I had drunk, I picked up an earthen crock, filled it,and went to Heru. It was a rough drinking-vessel for thosedainty lips, and an indifferent draught, being as much mudas aught else, but its effect was wonderful. At the first touchof that turgid stuff a shiver of delight passed through thedrowsy lady. At the second she gave a sigh, and her handtightened on my arm. I fetched another crockful, and bythe flickering light rocking to and fro in the sky, took herhead upon my shoulder, like a prodigal new come intoriches, squandering the stuff, giving her to drink and bathingface and neck till presently, to my delight, the princess's eyesopened. Then she sat up, and taking the basin from medrank as never lady drank before, and soon was almost her-self again.I went out into the portico, there snuffing the deep,strong breath of the fragrant black earth receiving backinto its gaping self what the last few days had taken from it,while quick succeeding thoughts of escape and flight passedacross my brain. All through the fiery time we had just hadthe chance of escaping with the fair booty yonder had beenpresent. Without her, flight would have been easy enough,but that was not worth considering for a moment. Withher it was more difficult, yet, as I had watched the wood-men, accustomed to cool forest shades, faint under the fieryglare of the world above, to make a dash for liberty seemedeach hour more easy. I had seen the men in the streets dropone by one, and the spears fall from the hands of guardsabout the pallisades; I had seen messengers who cameto and fro collapse before their errands were accomplished,and the forest women, who were Heru's gaolers, groan anddrop across the thresholds of her prison, until at lengththe way was clear--a babe might have taken what he wouldfrom that half-scorched town and asked no man's leave.Yet what did it avail me? Heru was helpless, my own spiritburnt in a nerveless frame, and so we stayed.But with rain strength came back to both of us. Theguards, lying about like black logs, were only slowly re-turning to consciousness; the town still slept, and darknessfavoured; before they missed us in the morning light wemight be far on the way back to Seth--a dangerous waytruly, but we were like to tread a rougher one if we stayed.In fact, directly my strength returned with the cooler air,I made up my mind to the venture and went to Heru, whoby this time was much recovered. To her I whispered myplot, and that gentle lady, as was only natural, trembled atits dangers. But I put it to her that no time could be betterthan the present: the storm was going over; morning would"line the black mantle of the night with a pink dawn ofpromise"; before any one stirred we might be far off, shapinga course by our luck and the stars for her kindred, atwhose name she sighed. If we stayed, I argued, and theking changed his mind, then death for me, and for Heruthe arms of that surly monarch, and all the rest of her lifecaged in these pallisades amongst the uncouth forms about us.The lady gave a frightened little shiver at the picture, butafter a moment, laying her head upon my shoulder, an-swered, "Oh, my guardian spirit and helper in adversity,I too have thought of tomorrow, and doubt whether thathorror, that great swine who has me, will not invent an excusefor keeping me. Therefore, though the forest roads are dread-ful, and Seth very far away, I will come; I give myselfinto your hands. Do what you will with me.""Then the sooner the better, princess. How soon canyou be prepared?"She smiled, and stooping picked up her slippers, sayingas she did so, "I am ready!"There were no arrangements to be made. Every instantwas of value. So, to be brief, I threw a dark cloak over thedamsel's shoulders, for indeed she was clad in little morethan her loveliness and the gauziest filaments of a Hithergirl's underwear, and hand in hand led her down the logsteps, over the splashing, ankle-deep courtyard, and into theshadows of the gateway beyond.Down the slope we went; along towards the harbour,through a score of deserted lanes where nothing was to beheard but the roar of rain and the lapping of men andbeasts, drinking in the shadows as though they never wouldstop, and so we came at last unmolested to the wharf. There Ihid royal Seth between two piles of merchandise, and wentto look for a boat suitable to our needs. There were plenty ofsmall craft moored to rings along the quay, and selectinga canoe--it was no time to stand on niceties of property--easily managed by a single paddle, I brought it round tothe steps, put in a fresh water-pot, and went for the princess.With her safely stowed in the prow, a helpless, soddenlittle morsel of feminine loveliness, things began to appearmore hopeful and an escape down to blue water, my onlyidea, for the first time possible. Yet I must needs go andwell nigh spoil everything by over-solicitude for my charge.Had we pushed off at once there can be no doubt mycredit as a spirit would have been established for all timein the Thither capital, and the belief universally held thatHeru had been wafted away by my enchantment to theregions of the unknown. The idea would have gradually growninto a tradition, receiving embellishments in succeeding gen-erations, until little wood children at their mother's kneescame to listen in awe to the story of how, once upon a time,the Sun-god loved a beautiful maiden, and drove his fierychariot across the black night-fields to her prison door, scorch-ing to death all who strove to gainsay him. How she flewinto his arms and drove away before all men's eyes, inhis red car, into the west, and was never seen again--theforesaid Sun-god being I, Gulliver Jones, a much under-paid lieutenant in the glorious United States navy, with apacket of overdue tailors' bills in my pocket, and nothinglovable about me save a partiality for meddling withother people's affairs.This is how it might have been, but I spoiled a prettyfairy story and changed the whole course of Martianhistory by going back at that moment in search of a wrapfor my prize. Right on top of the steps was a man with alantern, and half a glance showed me it was the harbourmaster met with on my first landing."Good evening," he said suspiciously. "May I ask whatyou are doing on the quay at such an hour as this?""Doing? Oh, nothing in particular, just going out for alittle fishing.""And your companion the lady--is she too fond offishing?"I swore between my teeth, but could not prevent the fel-low walking to the quay edge and casting his light full uponthe figure of the girl below. I hate people who interferewith other people's business!"Unless I am very much mistaken your fishing friend isthe Hither woman brought here a few days ago as tributeto Ar-hap.""Well," I answered, getting into a nice temper, for I hadbeen very much harrassed of late, "put it at that. What wouldyou do if it were so?""Call up my rain-drunk guards, and give you in chargeas a thief caught meddling with the king's property.""Thanks, but as my interviews with Ar-hap have al-ready begun to grow tedious, we will settle this little matterhere between ourselves at once." And without more to-do Iclosed with him. There was a brief scuffle and then I gotin a blow upon his jaw which sent the harbour master flyingback head over heels amongst the sugar bales and potatoes.Without waiting to see how he fared I ran down thesteps, jumped on board, loosened the rope, and pushed outinto the river. But my heart was angry and sore, for Iknew, as turned out to be the case, that our secret was oneno more; in a short time we should have the savage kingin pursuit, and now there was nothing for it but headlongflight with only a small chance of getting away to distantSeth.Luckily the harbour master lay insensible until he wasfound at dawn, so that we had a good start, and themoment the canoe passed from the arcade-like approach tothe town the current swung her head automatically seaward,and away we went down stream at a pace once more fillingme with hope.CHAPTER XIXAll went well and we fled down the bitter stream ofthe Martian gulf at a pace leaving me little to do butguide our course just clear of snags and promontories on theport shore. Just before dawn, however, with a thin mist onthe water and flocks of a flamingo-like bird croaking as theyflew southward overhead, we were nearly captured again.Drifting silently down on a rocky island, I was having adrink at the water-pitcher at the moment, while Heru, herhair beaded with prismatic moisture and looking more etherealthan ever, sat in the bows timorously inhaling the breath offreedom, when all on a sudden voices invisible in the mist,came round a corner. It was one of Ar-hap's war-canoestoiling up-stream. Heru and I ducked down into the hazelike dab-chicks and held our breath.Straight on towards us came the toiling ship, the dip ofoars resonant in the hollow fog and a ripple babbling onher cutwater plainly discernible. "Oh, oh! Hoo, hoo! How high, how high!"sounded the sleepy song of the rowers till they were loom-ing right abreast and we could smell their damp hides inthe morning air. Then they stopped suddenly and some oneasked,"Is there not something like a boat away on the right?""It is nothing," said another, "but the lees of last night'sbeer curdling in your stupid brain.""But I saw it move.""That must have been in dreams.""What is all that talking about?" growled a sleepy voiceof authority from the stern."Bow man, sir, says he can see a boat.""And what does it matter if he can? Are we to delayevery time that lazy ruffian spying a shadow makes it anexcuse to stop to yawn and scratch? Go on, you plankfulof lubbers, or I'll give you something worth thinking about!"And joyfully, oh, so joyfully, we heard the sullen dip ofoars commence again.Nothing more happened after that till the sun at lengthshone on the little harbour town at the estuary mouth, makingthe masts of fishing craft clustering there like a golden reed-bed against the cool, clean blue of the sea beyond.Right glad we were to see it, and keeping now in shadowof the banks, made all haste while light was faint and misthung about to reach the town, finally pushing through theboats and gaining a safe hiding-place without hostile noticebefore it was clear daylight.Covering Heru up and knowing well all our chances ofescape lay in expedition, I went at once, in pursuance of aplan made during the night, to the good dame at what, forlack of a better name, must still continue to be called thefish-shop, and finding her alone, frankly told her the salientpoints of my story. When she learned I had "robbed thelion of his prey" and taken his new wife singlehandedfrom the dreaded Ar-hap her astonishment was unbounded.Nothing would do but she must look upon the princess, soback we went to the hiding-place, and when Heru knewthat on this woman depended our lives she stepped ashore,taking the rugged Martian hand in her dainty fingers andbegging her help so sweetly that my own heart was moved,and, thrusting hands in pocket, I went aside, leaving thosetwo to settle it in their own female way.And when I looked back in five minutes, royal Seth hadher arms round the woman's neck, kissing the homelycheeks with more than imperial fervour, so I knew all waswell thus far, and stopped expectorating at the little fishesin the water below and went over to them. It was time! Wehad hardly spoken together a minute when a couple ofwar-canoes filled with men appeared round the nearestpromontory, coming down the swift water with arrow-likerapidity."Quick!" said the fishwife, "or we are all lost. Into yourcanoe and paddle up this creek. It runs out to the seabehind the town, and at the bar is my man's fishing-boatamongst many others. Lie hidden there till he comes if youvalue your lives." So in we got, and while that good Samaritanwent back to her house we cautiously paddled through adeserted backwater to where it presently turned throughlow sandbanks to the gulf. There were the boats, and wehid the canoe and lay down amongst them till, soon after,a man, easily recognised as the husband of our friend,came sauntering down from the village.At first he was sullen, not unreasonably alarmed at thedanger into which his good woman was running him. Butwhen he set eyes on Heru he softened immediately. Prob-ably that thick-bodied fellow had never seen so muchfemale loveliness in so small a bulk in all his life, and, beinga man, he surrendered at discretion."In with you, then," he growled, "since I must needs riskmy neck for a pair of runaways who better deserve to behung than I do. In with you both into this fishing-cobble ofmine, and I will cover you with nets while I go for a mastand sail, and mind you lie as still as logs. The town is alreadyfull of soldiers looking for you, and it will be short shrift forus all if you are seen."Well aware of the fact and now in the hands of destiny,the princess and I lay down as bidden in the prow, and theman covered us lightly over with one of those fine meshedseines used by these people to catch the little fish I hadbreakfasted on more than once.Materially I could have enjoyed the half-hour which fol-lowed, since such rest after exertion was welcome, the sunwarm, the lapping of sea on shingle infinitely soothing, and,above all, Heru was in my arms! How sweet and childlikeshe was! I could feel her little heart beating through herscanty clothing, while every now and then she turned hergazelle eyes to mine with a trust and admiration infinitelyalluring. Yes! as far as that went I could have lain there withthat slip of maiden royalty for ever, but the fascination ofthe moment was marred by the thought of our danger.What was to prevent these new friends giving us away?They knew we had no money to recompense them for therisk they were running. They were poor, and a splendidreward, wealth itself to them, would doubtless be theirs ifthey betrayed us even by a look. Yet somehow I trustedthem as I have trusted the poor before with the happiestresults, and telling myself this and comforting Heru, I lis-tened and waited.Minute by minute went by. It seemed an age since thefisherman had gone, but presently the sound of voices inter-rupted the sea's murmur. Cautiously stealing a glancethrough a chink imagine my feelings on perceiving half adozen of Ar-hap's soldiers coming down the beach straighttowards us! Then my heart was bitter within me, and Itasted of defeat, even with Heru in my arms. Luckily evenin that moment of agony I kept still, and another peepshowed the men were now wandering about rather aimlessly.Perhaps after all they did not know of our nearness? Thenthey took to horseplay, as idle soldiers will even in Mars,pelting each other with bits of wood and dead fish, andthereon I breathed again.Nearer they came and nearer, my heart beating fast asthey strolled amongst the boats until they were actually"larking" round the one next to ours. A minute or two of this,and another footstep crunched on the pebbles, a quick,nervous one, which my instinct told me was that of ourreturning friend."Hullo old sprat-catcher! Going for a sail?" called out asoldier, and I knew that the group were all round our boat,Heru trembling so violently in my breast that I thought shewould make the vessel shake."Yes," said the man gruffly."Let's go with him," cried several voices. "Here, old driedhaddock, will you take us if we help haul your nets for you?""No, I won't. Your ugly faces would frighten all the fishout of the sea.""And yours, you old chunk of dried mahogany, is meantto attract them no doubt.""Let's tie him to a post and go fishing in his boatourselves,"some one suggested. Meanwhile two of them began rockingthe cobble violently from side to side. This was awful, andevery moment I expected the net and the sail which ourfriend had thrown down unceremoniously upon us wouldroll off."Oh, stop that," said the Martian, who was no doubtquite as well aware of the danger as we were. "The tide'sfull, the shoals are in the bay--stop your nonsense, andhelp me launch like good fellows.""Well, take two of us, then. We will sit on this heap ofnets as quiet as mice, and stand you a drink when we getback.""No, not one of you," quoth the plucky fellow, "and here'smy staff in my hand, and if you don't leave my gear aloneI will crack some of your ugly heads.""That's a pity," I thought to myself, "for if they take tofighting it will be six to one--long odds against ourchances." There was indeed a scuffle, and then a yell ofpain, as though a soldier had been hit across the knuckles;but in a minute the best disposed called out, "Oh, ceaseyour fun, boys, and let the fellow get off if he wants to.You know the fleet will be down directly, and Ar-hap haspromised something worth having to the man who can findthat lost bit of crackling of his. It's my opinion she's in thetown, and I for one would rather look for her than gohaddock fishing any day.""Right you are, mates," said our friend with visible relief."And, what's more, if you help me launch this boat andthen go to my missus and tell her what you've done, she'llunderstand, and give you the biggest pumpkinful of beerin the place. Ah, she will understand, and bless your softhearts and heads while you drink it--she's a cute one ismy missus.""And aren't you afraid to leave her with us?""Not I, my daisy, unless it were that a sight of yourpretty face might give her hysterics. Now lend a hand,your accursed chatter has already cost me half an hourof the best fishing time.""In with you, old buck!" shouted the soldiers; I felt thefisherman step in, as a matter of fact he stepped in on tomy toes; a dozen hands were on the gunwales: six soldieryells resounded, it seemed, in my very ears: there was thegrit and rush of pebbles under the keel: a sudden lurchup of the bows, which brought the fairy lady's honey-scented lips to mine, and then the gentle lapping of deep bluewaters underneath us!There is little more to be said of that voyage. Wepulled until out of sight of the town, then hoisted sail, and,with a fair wind, held upon one tack until we made an islandwhere there was a small colony of Hither folk.Here our friend turned back. I gave him another goldbutton from my coat, and the princess a kiss upon eithercheek, which he seemed to like even more than the button.It was small payment, but the best we had. Doubtless he gotsafely home, and I can but hope that Providence somehow orother paid him and his wife for a good deed bravely done.Those islanders in turn lent us another boat, with a guide,who had business in the Hither capital, and on the eveningof the second day, the direct route being very short in com-parison, we were under the crumbling marble walls of Seth.CHAPTER XXIt was like turning into a hothouse from a keen winterwalk, our arrival at the beautiful but nerveless city aftermy life amongst the woodmen.As for the people, they were delighted to have theirprincess back, but with the delight of children, fawningabout her, singing, clapping hands, yet asking no questionsas to where she had been, showing no appreciation of ouradventures--a serious offence in my eyes--and, perhaps mostimportant of all, no understanding of what I may call thepolitical bearings of Heru's restoration, and how far theirarch enemies beyond the sea might be inclined to attempther recovery.They were just delighted to have the princess back, andthat was the end of it. Theirs was the joy of a vast nurserylet loose. Flower processions were organised, garlands wovenby the mile, a general order issued that the nation mightstay up for an hour after bedtime, and in the vortex ofthat gentle rejoicing Heru was taken from me, and I sawher no more, till there happened the wildest scene of allyou have shared with me so patiently.Overlooked, unthanked, I turned sulky, and when thismood, one I can never maintain for long, wore off, I threwmyself into the dissipation about me with angry zeal. I amfrankly ashamed of the confession, but I was "a sailorashore," and can only claim the indulgences proper to thesituation. I laughed, danced, drank, through the night; Idrank deep of a dozen rosy ways to forgetfulness, till mymind was a great confusion, full of flitting pictures of love-liness, till life itself was an illusive pantomime, and my willbut thistle-down on the folly of the moment. I drank withthose gentle roisterers all through their starlit night, and ifwe stopped when morning came it was more from wearinessthan virtue. Then the yellow-robed slaves gave us the wineof recovery--alas! my faithful An was not amongst them--and all through the day we lay about in sodden happiness.Towards nightfall I was myself again, not unfortunatelywith the headache well earned, but sufficiently remorsefulto be in a vein to make good resolutions for the future.In this mood I mingled with a happy crowd, all purpose-less and cheerful as usual, but before long began to feelthe influence of one of those drifts, a universal turning in onedirection, as seaweed turns when the tide changes, so char-acteristic of Martian society. It was dusk, a lovely softvelvet dusk, but not dark yet, and I said to a yellow-robedfairy at my side:"Whither away, comrade? It is not eight bells yet. Surelywe are not going to be put to bed so early as this?""No," said that smiling individual, "it is the princess.We are going to listen to Princess Heru in the palacesquare. She reads the globe on the terrace again tonight,to see if omens are propitious for her marriage. She MUSTmarry, and you know the ceremony has been unavoidablypostponed so far.""Unavoidably postponed?" Yes, Heaven wotted I wasaware of the fact. And was Heru going to marry blackHath in such a hurry? And after all I had done for her?It was scarcely decent, and I tried to rouse myself to rageover it, but somehow the seductive Martian contentment withany fate was getting into my veins. I was not yet altogethersunk in their slothful acceptance of the inevitable, but therewas not the slightest doubt the hot red blood in me was turn-ing to vapid stuff such as did duty for the article in theirveins. I mustered up a half-hearted frown at this unwelcomeintelligence, turning with it on my face towards the slavegirl; but she had slipped away into the throng, so thefrown evaporated, and shrugging my shoulders I said tomyself, "What does it matter? There are twenty otherswill do as well for me. If not one, why then obviously an-other, 'tis the only rational way to think, and at all eventsthere is the magic globe. That may tell us something." Andslipping my arm round the waist of the first disengagedgirl--we were not then, mind you, in Atlantic City--I kissedher dimpling cheek unreproached, and gaily followed inthe drift of humanity, trending with a low hum of pleasuretowards the great white terraces under the palace porch.How well I knew them! It was just such an evening Heruhad consulted Fate in the same place once before; how muchhad happened since then! But there was little time or in-clination to think of those things now. The whole phantomcity's population had drifted to one common centre. Thecrumbling seaward ramparts were all deserted; no soldierwatch was kept to note if angry woodmen came from overseas; a soft wind blew in from off the brine, but told no tales;the streets were empty, and, when as we waited far awayin the southern sky the earth planet presently got up, by itslight Heru, herself again, came tripping down the steps toread her fate.They had placed another magic globe under a shroud ona tripod for her. It stood within the charmed circle uponthe terrace, and I was close by, although the princessdid not see me.Again that weird, fantastic dance commenced, the princessworking herself up from the drowsiest undulations to a hur-ricane of emotion. Then she stopped close by the orb, andseized the corner of the web covering it. We saw the globebegin to beam with veiled magnificence at her touch.Not an eye wavered, not a thought wandered from herin all that silent multitude. It was a moment of the keenestsuspense, and just when it was at its height there came astrange sound of hurrying feet behind the outermostcrowd, a murmur such as a great pack of wolves mightmake rushing through snow, while a soft long wail went upfrom the darkness.Whether Heru understood it or not I cannot say, butshe hesitated a moment, then swept the cloth from the orbof her fate.And as its ghostly, self-emitting light beamed up in thedarkness with weird brilliancy, there by it, in gold and fursand war panoply, huge, fierce, and lowering, stood--AR-HAPHIMSELF!Ay, and behind him, towering over the crouching Mar-tians, blocking every outlet and street, were scores andhundreds of his men. Never was surprise so utter, ambushmore complete. Even I was transfixed with astonishment,staring with open-mouthed horror at the splendid figure of thebarbarian king as he stood aglitter in the ruddy light,scowling defiance at the throng around him. So silently hadhe come on his errand of vengeance it was difficult to be-lieve he was a reality, and not some clever piece of stageplay,some vision conjured up by Martian necromancy.But he was good reality. In a minute comedy turned totragedy. Ar-hap gave a sign with his hand, whereon all hismen set up a terrible warcry, the like of which Seth had notheard for very long, and as far as I could make out in thehalf light began hacking and hewing my luckless friends withall their might. Meanwhile the king made at Heru, feeling sureof her this time, and doubtless intending to make her tastehis vengeance to the dregs; and seeing her handled likethat, and hearing her plaintive cries, wrath took the placeof stupid surprise in me. I was on my feet in a second,across the intervening space, and with all my force gavethe king a blow upon the jaw which sent even him staggeringbackwards. Before I could close again, so swift was thesequence of events in those flying minutes, a wild mob ofpeople, victims and executioners in one disordered throng,was between us. How the king fared I know not, norstopped to ask, but half dragging, half carrying Heru throughthe shrieking mob, got her up the palace steps and in atthe great doors, which a couple of yellow-clad slaves, morefrightened of the barbarians than thoughtful of the crowdwithout, promptly clapped to, and shot the bolts. Thus wewere safe for a moment, and putting the princess on acouch, I ran up a short flight of stairs and looked out of afront window to see if there were a chance of succouring thosein the palace square. But it was all hopeless chaos withthe town already beginning to burn and not a show of fightanywhere which I could join.I glared out on that infernal tumult for a momentor two in an agony of impotent rage, then turned towardsthe harbour and saw in the shine of the burning town belowthe ancient battlements and towers of Seth begin to gleam out,like a splendid frost work of living metal clear-cut againstthe smooth, black night behind, and never a show of resistancethere either. Ay, and by this time Ar-hap's men were batteringin our gates with a big beam, and somehow, I do notknow how it happened, the palace itself away on the right,where the dry-as-dust library lay, was also beginning to burn.It was hopeless outside, and nothing to be done but to saveHeru, so down I went, and, with the slaves, carried heraway from the hall through a vestibule or two, and intoan anteroom, where some yellow-girt individuals were al-ready engaged in the suggestive work of tying up pal-ace plate in bundles, amongst other things, alas! the greatgold love-bowl from which--oh! so long ago--I had drawnHeru's marriage billet. These individuals told me in tremulousaccents they had got a boat on a secret waterway behindthe palace whence flight to the main river and so, far awayinland, to another smaller but more peaceful city of theirrace would be quite practical; and joyfully hearing this news,I handed over to them the princess while I went to lookfor Hath.And the search was not long. Dashing into the banquet-hall,still littered with the remains of a feast, and looking downits deserted vistas, there at the farther end, on his throne,clad in the sombre garments he affected, chin on hand,sedate in royal melancholy, listening unmoved to the sack ofhis town outside, sat the prince himself. Strange, gloomy man,the great dead intelligence of his race shining in his face asweird and out of place as a lonely sea beacon fading tonothing before the glow of sunrise, never had he appeared somysterious as at that moment. Even in the heat of excitementI stared at him in amazement, wishing in a hasty thoughtthe confusion of the past few weeks had given me opportun-ity to penetrate the recesses of his mind, and therefrom retellyou things better worth listening to than all the incident ofmy adventures. But now there was no time to think, scarcetime to act."Hath!" I cried, rushing over to him, "wake up, yourmajesty. The Thither men are outside, killing and burning!""I know it.""And the palace is on fire. You can smell the reek evenhere.""Yes.""Then what are you going to do?""Nothing.""My word, that is a fine proposition for a prince! If youcare nothing for town or palace perhaps you will bestiryourself for Princess Heru."A faint glimmer of interest rose upon the alabaster calmof his face at that name, but it faded instantly, and hesaid quietly,"The slaves will save her. She will live. I looked into thebook of her fate yesterday. She will escape, and forget,and sit at another marriage feast, and be a mother, and givethe people yet one more prince to keep the faint glimmerof our ancestry alive. I am content.""But, d--- it, man, I am not! I take a deal more in-terest in the young lady than you seem to, and have scouredhalf this precious planet of yours on her account, and willbe hanged if I sit idly twiddling my thumbs while herpretty skin is in danger." But Hath was lost in contempla-tion of his shoe-strings."Come, sir," I said, shaking his majesty by the shoulder,"don't be down on your luck. There has been some rivalrybetween us, but never mind about that just now. The prin-cess wants you. I am going to save both her and you, youmust come with her.""No.""But you SHALL come.""No!"By this time the palace was blazing like a bonfire andthe uproar outside was terrible. What was I to do? As Ihesitated the arras at the further end of the hall was sweptaside, a disordered mob of slaves bearing bundles and drag-ging Heru with them rushing down to the door near us.As Heru was carried swiftly by she stretched her milk-whitearms towards the prince and turned her face, lovely as aconvolvulus flower even in its pallor, upon him.It was a heart-moving appeal from a woman with theheart of a child, and Hath rose to his feet while for a mo-ment there shone a look of responsible manhood in his eyes.But it faded quickly; he bowed slowly as though he hadreceived an address of condolence on the condition of hisempire, and the next moment the frightened slaves, stumblingunder their burdens, had swept poor Heru through thedoorway.I glanced savagely round at the curling smoke overhead,the red tendrils of fire climbing up a distant wall, andthere on a table by us was a half-finished flask of the lovelytinted wine of forgetfulness. If Hath would not come soberperhaps he might come drunk."Here," I cried, "drink to tomorrow, your majesty, a sov-ereign toast in all ages, and better luck next time with thesehairy gentlemen battering at your majesty's doors," andsplashing out a goblet full of the stuff I handed it to him.He took it and looked rather lovingly into the limpidpool, then deliberately poured it on the step in front ofhim, and throwing the cup away said pleasantly,"Not tonight, good comrade; tonight I drink a deeperdraught of oblivion than that,--and here come my cup-bearers."Even while he spoke the palace gates had given way;there was a horrible medley of shrieks and cries, a quicksound of running feet; then again the arras lifted and inpoured a horde of Ar-hap's men-at-arms. The moment theycaught sight of us about a dozen of them, armed withbows, drew the thick hide strings to their ears and down thehall came a ravening flight of shafts. One went throughmy cap, two stuck quivering in the throne, and one, wingedwith owl feather, caught black Hath full in the bosom.He had stood out boldly at the first coming of that onset,arms crossed on breast, chin up, and looking more of agentleman than I had ever seen him look before; andnow, stricken, he smiled gravely, then without flinching,and still eyeing his enemies with gentle calm, his knees un-locked, his frame trembled, then down he went headlong,his red blood running forth in rivulets amongst the wineof oblivion he had just poured out.There was no time for sentiment. I shrugged my shoulders,and turning on my heels, with the woodmen close afterme, sprang through the near doorway. Where was Heru? Iflew down the corridor by which it seemed she had re-treated, and then, hesitating a moment where it divided intwo, took the left one. This to my chagrin presently beganto trend upwards, whereas I knew Heru was making forthe river down below.But it was impossible to go back, and whenever I stoppedin those deserted passages I could hear the wolflike patter ofmen's feet upon my trail. On again into the stony laby-rinths of the old palace, ever upwards, in spite of my desireto go down, until at last, the pursuers off the track for amoment, I came to a north window in the palace wall,and, hot and breathless, stayed to look out.All was peace here; the sky a lovely lavender, a promiseof coming morning in it, and a gold-spangled curtain ofstars out yonder on the horizon. Not a soul moved. Belowappeared a sheer drop of a hundred feet into a moat wind-ing through thickets of heavy-scented convolvulus flowers tothe waterways beyond. And as I looked a skiff with halfa dozen rowers came swiftly out of the darkness of the walland passed like a shadow amongst the thickets. In theprow was all Hath's wedding plate, and in the stern, a faintvision of unconscious loveliness, lay Heru!Before I could lift a finger or call out, even if I had hada mind to do so, the shadow had gone round a bend, anda shout within the palace told me I was sighted again.On once more, hotly pursued, until the last corridor endedin two doors leading into a half-lit gallery with open win-dows at the further end. There was a wilderness of lumberdown the sides of the great garret, and now I come to thinkof it more calmly I imagine it was Hath's Lost Property Office,the vast receptacle where his slaves deposited everythinglazy Martians forgot or left about in their daily life. At thatmoment it only represented a last refuge, and into it I dashed,swung the doors to and fastened them just as the foremostof Ar-hap's men hurled themselves upon the barrier fromoutside.There I was like a rat in a trap, and like a rat I made upmy mind to fight savagely to the end, without for a mo-ment deceiving myself as to what that end must be. Evenup there the horrible roar of destruction was plainly audibleas the barbarians sacked and burned the ancient town,and I was glad from the bottom of my heart my poor littleprincess was safely out of it. Nor did I bear her or hers theleast resentment for making off while there was yet timeand leaving me to my fate--anything else would have beencontrary to Martian nature. Doubtless she would get away,as Hath had said, and elsewhere drop a few pearly tearsand then over her sugar-candy and lotus-eating forget withhappy completeness--most blessed gift! And meanwhilethe foresaid barbarians were battering on my doors, while overtheir heads choking smoke was pouring in in ever-increas-ing volumes.In burst the first panel, then another, and I could seethrough the gaps a medley of tossing weapons and wildfaces without. Short shrift for me if they came through, soin the obstinacy of desperation I set to work to pile oldfurniture and dry goods against the barricade. And as theyyelled and hammered outside I screamed back defiancefrom within, sweating, tugging, and hauling with thestrength of ten men, piling up the old Martian lumber againstthe opening till, so fierce was the attack outside, little wasleft of the original doorway and nothing between me andthe beseigers but a rampart of broken woodwork half seen ina smother of smoke and flames.Still they came on, thrusting spears and javelins throughevery crevice and my strength began to go. I threw twotables into a gap, and brained a besieger with a sweet-meat-seller's block and smothered another, and overturned agreat chest against my barricade; but what was the purposeof it all? They were fifty to one and my rampart quakedbefore them. The smoke was stifling, and the pains of dis-solution in my heart. They burst in and clambered up therampart like black ants. I looked round for still one morething to hurl into the breach. My eyes lit on a roll of carpet:I seized it by one corner meaning to drag it to the door-way, and it came undone at a touch.That strange, that incredible pattern! Where in all thevicissitudes of a chequered career had I seen such a onebefore? I stared at it in amazement under the very spears ofthe woodmen in the red glare of Hath's burning palace. Then allon a sudden it burst upon me that IT WAS THE ACCURSED RUG,the very one which in response to a careless wish had sweptme out of my own dear world, and forced me to take as wilda journey into space as ever fell to a man's lot since theuniverse was made!And in another second it occurred to me that if it hadbrought me hither it might take me hence. It was but achance, yet worth trying when all other chances were againstme. As Ar-hap's men came shouting over the barricade I threwmyself down upon that incredible carpet and cried fromthe bottom of my heart,"I wish--I wish I were in New York!"Yes!A moment of thrilling suspense and then the corners liftedas though a strong breeze were playing upon them. An-other moment and they had curled over like an incomingsurge. One swift glance I got at the smoke and flames, theglittering spears and angry faces, and then fold upon fold, astifling, all-enveloping embrace, a lift, a sense of super-human speed--and then forgetfulness.When I came to, as reporters say, I was aware the rughad ejected me on solid ground and disappeared, forever.Where was I! It was cool, damp, and muddy. There weresome iron railings close at hand and a street lamp overhead.These things showed clearly to me, sitting on a doorstepunder that light, head in hand, amazed and giddy--soamazed that when slowly the recognition came of the in-credible fact my wish was gratified and I was home again,the stupendous incident scarcely appealed to my tingling sen-ses more than one of the many others I had lately undergone.Very slowly I rose to my feet, and as like a discreditablereveller as could be, climbed the steps. The front door wasopen, and entering the oh, so familiar hall a sound of voicesin my sitting-room on the right caught my ear."Oh no, Mrs. Brown," said one, which I recognised atonce as my Polly's, "he is dead for certain, and my heartis breaking. He would never, never have left me so longwithout writing if he had been alive," and then came a greatsound of sobbing."Bless your kind heart, miss," said the voice of my land-lady in reply, "but you don't know as much about younggentlemen as I do. It is not likely, if he has gone off on therazzle-dazzle, as I am sure he has, he is going to write everypost and tell you about it. Now you go off to your maat the hotel like a dear, and forget all about him till hecomes back--that's MY advice.""I cannot, I cannot, Mrs. Brown. I cannot rest by dayor sleep by night for thinking of him; for wondering whyhe went away so suddenly, and for hungering for newsof him. Oh, I am miserable. Gully! Gully! Come to me," andthen there were sounds of troubled footsteps pacing to andfro and of a woman's grief.That was more than I could stand. I flung the door open,and, dirty, dishevelled, with unsteady steps, advancedinto the room."Ahem!" coughed Mrs. Brown, "just as I expected!"But I had no eyes for her. "Polly! Polly!" I cried, andthat dear girl, after a startled scream and a glance to makesure it was indeed the recovered prodigal, rushed overand threw all her weight of dear, warm, comfortable woman-hood into my arms, and the moment after burst into a pas-sion of happy tears down my collar."Humph!" quoth the landlady, "that is not what BROWNgets when he forgets his self. No, not by any means."But she was a good old soul at heart, and, seeing howmatters stood, with a parting glance of scorn in my directionand a toss of her head, went out of the room, and closedthe door behind her.Need I tell in detail what followed? Polly behaved likean angel, and when in answer to her gentle reproaches Itold her the outlines of my marvellous story she almost be-lieved me! Over there on the writing-desk lay a whole rowof the unopened letters she had showered upon me duringmy absence, and amongst them an official one. We wentand opened it together, and it was an intimation of mypromotion, a much better "step" than I had ever dared tohope for.Holding that missive in my hand a thought suddenly oc-curred to me."Polly dear, this letter makes me able to maintain you asyou ought to be maintained, and there is still a fortnightof vacation for me. Polly, will you marry me tomorrow?""No, certainly not, sir.""Then will you marry me on Monday?""Do you truly, truly want me to?""Truly, truly.""Then, yes," and the dear girl again came blushing intomy arms.While we were thus the door opened, and in came herparents who were staying at a neighbouring hotel while in-quiries were made as to my mysterious absence. Not un-naturally my appearance went a long way to confirm suspi-cions such as Mrs. Brown had confessed to, and, afterthey had given me cold salutations, Polly's mother, fixinggold glasses on the bridge of her nose and eyeing mehaughtily therefrom, observed,"And now that you ARE safely at home again, Lieuten-ant Gulliver Jones, I think I will take my daughter awaywith me. Tomorrow her father will ascertain the true stateof her feelings after this unpleasant experience, and sub-sequently he will no doubt communicate with you on thesubject." This very icily.But I was too happy to be lightly put down."My dear madam," I replied, "I am happy to be able tosave her father that trouble. I have already communicatedwith this young lady as to the state of her feelings, and asan outcome I am delighted to be able to tell you we areto be married on Monday.""Oh yes, Mother, it is true, and if you do not want tomake me the most miserable of girls again you will not beunkind to us."In brief, that sweet champion spoke so prettily andsmoothed things so cleverly that I was "forgiven," and lateron in the evening allowed to escort Polly back to her hotel."And oh!" she said, in her charmingly enthusiastic waywhen we were saying goodnight, "you shall write a book aboutthat extraordinary story you told me just now. Only you mustpromise me one thing.""What is it?""To leave out all about Heru--I don't like that part at all."This with the prettiest little pout."But, Polly dear, see how important she was to the nar-rative. I cannot quite do that.""Then you will say as little as you can about her?""No more than the story compels me to.""And you are quite sure you like me much the best, andwill not go after her again?""Quite sure."The compact was sealed in the most approved fashion;and here, indulgent reader, is the artless narrative that re-sulted--an incident so incredible in this prosaic latter-dayworld that I dare not ask you to believe, and must humblycontent myself with hoping that if I fail to convince yet Imay at least claim the consolation of having amused you.END