s is
nothing, and had hardly got into them when there came the patter of
light feet without and a Martian, in a hurry for once, with half a
dozen others behind him, swept aside the curtains of my doorway.

They peeped and peered all about the room, then one said, "Is Princess
Heru with you, sir?"

"No," I answered roughly. "Saints alive, man, do you think I would
have you tumbling in here over each other's heels if she were?"

"Then it must indeed have been Heru," he said, speaking in an awed
voice to his fellows, "whom we saw carried down to the harbour at
daybreak by yonder woodmen," and the pink upon their pretty cheeks
faded to nothing at the suggestion.

"What!" I roared, "Heru taken from the palace by a handful of men and
none of you infernal rascals--none of you white-livered abortions
lifted a hand to save her--curse on you a thousand times. Out of my
way, you churls!" And snatching up coat and hat and sword I rushed
furiously down the long, marble stairs just as the short Martian night
was giving place to lavender-coloured light of morning. I found my way
somehow down the deserted corridors where the air was heavy with
aromatic vapours; I flew by curtained 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 twilight was the
litter of the feast still about--gold cups and silver, broken bread and
meat, the convolvulus flowers all turning their pallid faces to the
rosy daylight, making pools of brightness between the shadows. Amongst
the litter little sapphire-coloured finches were feeding, twittering
merrily to themselves as they hopped about, and here and there down the
long tables lay asprawl a belated reveller, his empty oblivion-phial
before him, his curly head upon his arms, dreaming perhaps of last
night's feast and a neglected bride dozing dispassionate in some
distant chamber. But Heru was not there and little I cared for
twittering finches or sighing damsels. With hasty feet I rushed down
the hall out into the cool, sweet air of the planet morning.

There I met one whom I knew, and he told me he had been among the crowd
and had heard the woodmen had gone no farther than the river gate, that
Heru was with them beyond a doubt. I would not listen to more. "Good!"
I shouted. "Get me a horse and just a handful of your sleek kindred
and we will pull the prize from the bear's paw even yet! Surely