st throng.

Nerle wanted to fight, and to slay as many of the Twi people as
possible; but the prince would not let him.

"These poor soldiers are but doing what they consider their duty," he
said, "and it would be cruel to cut them down with our swords. Have
patience, I pray you. Our triumph will come in good time."

The Ki-Ki, who came into the palace accompanied by the green High Ki,
ordered the twin soldiers to bind all the prisoners with cords. So one
pair of soldiers bound the Ki and another pair Nerle and the prince,
using exactly the same motions in the operation. But when it came to
binding the yellow High Ki the scene was very funny. For twin soldiers
tried to do the binding, and there was only one to bind; so that one
soldier went through the same motions as his twin on empty air, and
when his other half had firmly bound the girl, his own rope fell
harmless to the ground. But it seemed impossible for one of the twins
to do anything different from the other, so that was the only way the
act could be accomplished.

Then the green-robed High Ki walked up to the one in yellow and laughed
in her face, saying:

"You now see which of us is the most powerful, and therefore the most
worthy to rule. Had you remained faithful to our handsome Ki-Ki, as I
did, you would not now be defeated and disgraced."

"There is no disgrace in losing one battle," returned the other girl,
proudly. "You are mistaken if you think you have conquered me, and you
are wrong to insult one who is, for the time being, your captive."

The maiden in green looked for an instant confused and ashamed; then
she tossed her pretty head and walked away.

They led all the prisoners out into the garden and then through the
broken wall, and up and down the silver steps, into the great square of
the cities of Twi. And here all the population crowded around them,
for this was the first time any of them had seen their High Ki, or even
known that they were girls; and the news of their quarrel and
separation had aroused a great deal of excitement.

"Let the executioners come forward!" cried the Ki-Ki, gleefully, and in
answer to the command the twin executioners stepped up to the prisoners.

They were big men, these executioners, each having a squint in one eye
and a scar on the left cheek. They polished their axes a moment on
their coat-sleeves, and then said to Prince Marvel and Nerle, who were
to be the first victims:

"Don't dodge, ple