ighness."

"Now, by Saturn! Here's insolence--at an hour such as this!" With a
furious swirl of his scarlet cloak Altorius leaped to his feet, hand
on the ivory handle of his sword, which, to Nelson's amusement was not
of bronze, but of good, blue-gray steel.

"I'll bet it's old Sir Henry's original pet sticker," he thought.

"Bring on these dogs of Israel," growled Altorius. "They shall die!"

"Gently, gently, oh Splendor," murmured Hero John. "Our full force is
not yet camped on the Plains of Poseidon."

"Nay! Have the rogues flayed alive!" was the advice of the hot-headed
elder brother. He, like the Emperor, was scowling and livid with fury.

* * * * *

Presently there appeared four men, stalwart warriors as totally
different in aspect from the Atlanteans as humans might be. The two
races were alike only in splendid physical proportions and human
figures. They, the Jarmuthians, were black haired and dark skinned,
whereas the Atlanteans, with the exception of Sir Henry's progeny,
were red headed. Truculently the half naked ambassadors strode over
the polished floor, which reflected their rude images. Their hairy
chests, arms and legs afforded a sharp contrast to the neat Atlantean
nobles, who drew back with expressions of disgust.

"Good God!" gasped Nelson in lively surprise. "A bunch of the boys
from Seventh Avenue!"

It was true: each Jarmuthian clearly betrayed his Hebraic origin in
huge, fleshy nose and pendulous lower lip, so characteristic of the
Semitic race. They were fierce, shaggy fellows, naked from the waist
up save for a kind of jointed body armor, reminiscent of a Roman
legionnaire's. Their long abundant blue-black hair was either plaited
or flowed uncut over splendidly muscled shoulders. Their beards on the
other hand were short and frizzed into tight curls, in the Assyrian
manner. On each man's head was set a highly polished, pointed casque
of copper, surmounted in each instance by the six-pointed star of
Solomon. Otherwise the brutal looking emissaries wore nothing but
dirty, food-spotted kilts and rough hide sandals secured by thongs.

* * * * *

With all the insolence and self assurance of conquerors in the
presence of slaves the four jet-eyed ambassadors swaggered up to the
diamond throne. Then the foremost briefly inclined his head towards
Altorius in a grudging salute and began to speak in deep, resonant
tones.

From th