They must have carried me, still under the influence of wine fumes,to the chamber where I slept that night, for when I woke the followingmorning my surroundings were familiar enough, though a glorious mazeof uncertainties rocked to and fro in my mind.
Was it a real feast we had shared in overnight, or only a quaint dream?
Was Heru real or only a lovely fancy? And those hairy ruffians of whoma horrible vision danced before my waking eyes, were they fancy too?
No, my wrists still ached with the strain of the tussle, the quaint, sad winetaste was still on my lips--it was all real enough, I decided, starting up inbed; and if it was real where was the little princess? What had they donewith her? Surely they had not given her to the ape-men--cowards thoughthey were they could not have been cowards enough for that. And as Iwondered a keen, bright picture of the hapless maid as I saw her lastblossomed before my mind's eye, the am- bassadors on either side holdingher wrists, and she shrink- ing from them in horror while her poor, whiteface turned to me for rescue in desperate pleading--oh! I must find her atall costs; and leaping from bed I snatched up those trousers without whichthe best of heroes is nothing, and had hardly got into them when therecame 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 mydoorway.
They peeped and peered all about the room, then one said, "Is PrincessHeru with you, sir?""No," I answered roughly. "Saints alive, man, do you think I wouldhave you tumbling in here over each other's heels if she were?""Then it must indeed have been Heru," he said, speak-ing in an awedvoice to his fellows, "whom we saw carried down to the harbour atdaybreak by yonder woodmen," and the pink upon their pretty cheeksfaded to nothing at the suggestion.
"What!" I roared, "Heru taken from the palace by a handful of menand none of you infernal rascals--none of you white-livered abortionslifted 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 furiouslydown the long, marble stairs just as the short Martian night was givingplace to lavender-coloured light of morning. I found my way somehowdown the deserted corridors where the air was heavy with aromaticvapours; I flew by cur- tained niches and chambers where amongstmounds of half- withered flowers the Martian lovers were slowly waking.
Down into the banquethall I sped, and there in the twilight was the litter ofthe feast still about--gold cups and silver, broken bread and meat, theconvolvulus flowers all turning their pallid faces to the rosy daylight,making pools of brightness between the shadows. Amongst the litterlittle sapphire-coloured finches were feeding, twittering merrily tothemselves as they hopped about, and here and there down the long tableslay asprawl a belated reveller, his empty oblivion-phial before him, hiscurly head upon his arms, dreaming perhaps of last night's feast and aneglected bride dozing dispassionate in some distant chamber. But Heruwas 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 theplanet morning.
There I met one whom I knew, and he told me he had been among thecrowd 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 sleekkindred and we will pull the prize from the bear's paw even yet! Surely,"I said, turning to a knot of Martian youths who stood listening a few stepsaway, "surely some of you will come with me at this pinch? The bigbullies are very few; the sea runs behind them; the maid in their clutch isworth fighting for; it needs but one good onset, five minutes' gallantry, andshe is ours again. Think how fine it will look to bring her back beforeyon sleepy fellows have found their weapons. You, there, with the bluetunic! you look a proper fellow, and something of a heart should beatunder such gay wrappings, will you come with me?"But blue-mantle, biting his thumbs, murmured he had not breakfastedyet and edged away behind his com-panions. Wherever I looked eyesdropped and timid hands fidgeted 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, so with adisdainful glance I turned on my heels and set off alone as hard as I couldgo for the harbour.
But it was too late. I rushed through the marketplace where all wassilent and deserted; I ran on to the wharves beyond and they were emptysave for the litter and embers of the fires Ar-hap's men had made duringtheir stay; I dashed out to the landing-place, and there at the hythe the lastboat- loads of the villains were just embarking, two boatloads of themtwenty yards from shore, and another still upon the beach. This latterwas careening over as a dusky group of men lifted aboard to a heap oftumbled silks and stuffs in the stern such a sweet piece of insensiblemerchandise as no man, I at least of all, could mistake. It was Heru herself, and the rogues were ladling her on board like so much sandal-woodor cotton sheeting. I did not wait for more, but out came my sword, andyielding to a reckless impulse, for which perhaps last night's wine was asmuch to blame as anything, I sprang down the steps and leapt aboard ofthe boat just as it was pushed off upon the swift tide. Full of Bersarkrage, I cut one brawny copper-coloured thief down, and struck anotherwith my fist between the eyes so that he went headlong into the water,sinking like lead, and deep into the great target of his neighbour's chest Idrove my blade. Had there been a man beside me, had there been buttwo or three of all ............